Russell Group

Skills for the UK's growth sectors | Russell Group New analysis reveals importance of research-intensive universities to Industrial Strategy skills

Our policy manager Charlotte Hallahan has a piece on the importance of the humanities in relation to the Industrial Strategy in @timeshighered.bsky.social and our accompanying briefing is now live 👇https://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/policy/policy-briefings/skills-uks-growth-sectors

What the white paper told us about the Government’s future plans for R&D - HEPI This blog was kindly authored by Dr Hollie Chandler, Director of Policy at the Russell Group. It is the third blog in HEPI’s series responding to the post-16 education and skills white paper. You can ...

🗣️Our Director of Policy Dr Hollie Chandler writes for @hepi-news.bsky.social on what the post-16 education white paper could mean for R&D:

"alongside the focus on FE there was plenty of recognition for postgraduate skills & the UK’s world-leading research base."

www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/10/30/w...

(1/3) Every year, more than 12 million people worldwide experience a stroke. On World Stroke Day (29 October), we’re highlighting research that’s offering new hope for recovery.

Spin-outs review implementation: best practice adoption list

All 24 Russell Group universities are on Research England's recently-updated best practice adoption list for spinouts - demonstrating support for research commercialisation through more transparent spinout deals, entrepreneurship training and more.

Read more ➡️ www.ukri.org/publications...

✍ Director of Strategy Sarah Stevens writes for @resprofnews.bsky.social on how the recent Post-16 Education and Skills white paper can be put into practice when it comes to specialisation, post-16 options and meeting industrial strategy aims.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v... (£)

A person sitting in a store window, wearing a green dress and a large hat, holding a cup. The background is a light blue wall, and there is a large circular graphic in the window with the words 'Reward' and 'Recycle' around it. A monitor displaying images is visible to the right.

The @uofgasbs.bsky.social has partnered with The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice to launch a bold new concept in sustainable fashion, in the heart of Glasgow.
 
Worthwhile Wardrobe offers a more conscious and fun way to shop.
 
More: gla.ac/42FKIGU

“AI is reshaping society, and building an AI-positive culture is central to the future of higher education.”  
 
In his @wonkhe.bsky.social article, Professor Alastair Robertson, interim director of Queen Mary Academy, highlights the need for universities to embrace AI literacy.

Submission to the Autumn Budget 2025 | Russell Group Russell Group highlights mounting financial pressures for the sector and the potential of universities to contribute more to economic growth, with the right policy levers

Our Autumn Budget submission outlines the mounting financial pressures on the sector - including the proposed international fee levy - and the potential of universities to contribute more to economic growth.

Read our letter to the Chancellor in full here: www.russellgroup.ac.uk/news/submiss...

Podcast: Wales, Franchising, Graduate Jobs This week on the podcast we look at Wales’ emerging higher education settlement, as Universities Wales publishes its manifesto for the May 2026 Senedd elections amid polling that points to a potential...

🔊 Our Director of Strategy Sarah Stevens is a guest on the @wonkhe.bsky.social podcast this week: wonkhe.com/blogs/podcas...

The discussion covers university participation and funding in Wales, quality and outcomes on franchised provision, and the health of the graduate job market.

"If you’ve learned how to think, critically and creatively, then universities have done their job."

Author Francesca Simon, who studied Old and Middle English at @ox.ac.uk, writes for @theguardian.com about the value of studying arts and humanities subjects 👇

A woman with short white hair and a pink blazer sits, smiling. Beside her is a quote about the challenges of breast cancer treatment, emphasizing the difficulties of chemotherapy and the potential for new research to improve patient care. The text shows affiliation with the University of Southampton. Her full quote reads: As someone who has personally experienced the challenges of breast cancer treatment, I understand how rough it can be and how difficult it is to get doses right. Currently, a lot of patients find chemotherapy courses very challenging, and we can’t always know when more targeted treatments might be appropriate. This research could allow clinicians in future to reduce the guesswork and give patients with breast cancer an all-round better experience.

Our researchers have received over £1m from World Cancer Research Fund to improve breast cancer treatment.

They aim to measure body composition of patients to help personalise treatments and make them more effective.

Read more 👉 https://tr.ee/QSqhRg

@wcrf.org @uhsftresearch.bsky.social

Exterior view of the Life and Mind building

NEW: The Life and Mind Building is now open 🎉

Home to @biology.ox.ac.uk, @oxexppsy.bsky.social and @ineosoxford.bsky.social, the building will bring together 1,400+ researchers and students to tackle global challenges – from mental health to climate change.

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Beginning this weekend, the @ukri.org ESRC Festival of Social Sciences sees free events taking place across the country - many hosted by Russell Group universities.

This year's theme explores how technology is changing our world of work.

Browse the programme here ➡️ festivalofsocialscience.com

[2/2] Spinouts provide fantastic return on investment and are valuable drivers of jobs and growth.

That's why it is so important to close the early-stage funding gap - to turn amazing research breakthroughs into viable, investment-ready businesses.

www.russellgroup.ac.uk/publications...

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A new report shows that in 2024, university spinouts generated an unprecedented level of investment - with two spinouts from @ucl.ac.uk and @cam.ac.uk respectively driving almost a quarter of the total £3.4bn investment.

Scottish university working on ‘dissolving’ circuit boards that could slash electronic waste “Moving towards more sustainable, recyclable electronics is vitally important to help reduce the impact of our technology sector” – Mahmoud Wagih

On @scotsman.com today - research at @uofglasgow.bsky.social @uofgengineering.bsky.social could slash the amount of electronic waste we create, by developing dissolvable circuit boards using natural, plant-based materials.

www.scotsman.com/business/sco...

Carbon offsets have failed for 25 years, and most should be phased out - research Academics at the University of Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania have conducted the most comprehensive review of evidence on the effectiveness on carbon offsetting to date and concluded the pr...

Researchers from @smithschool.ox.ac.uk and the University of Pennsylvania have carried out the most comprehensive review of carbon offsetting yet - finding the practice largely ineffective and plagued by ‘intractable’ problems.

Read more ⬇️ #OxfordClimate

Graduate standing in a courtyard wearing a black academic gown and smiling.

This #WorldMentalHealthDay, we sat down with alumna Lily Felton to discuss her upcoming book which gives readers the tools they need to navigate anxiety with confidence and clarity.

👀 Read our interview with Lily 👇
http://ncl.ac.uk/alumni/news/item/outsmarting-anxiety

#WeAreNCL

The ‘Sword Dragon of Dorset' 🗡️🐉

A skeleton found on the UK's Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new species of ichthyosaur - a type of prehistoric marine reptile that once ruled the ancient oceans.

Credit: Dr Dean Lomax (@deanrlomax.bsky.social).

#jurassic #oldearth #prehistoric

Check out @studentmindsorg.bsky.social Their mission is to empower students to build their own mental health toolkit to support themselves and their peers through university life and beyond.

Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay
This year’s theme - “Access to services: mental health in catastrophes and emergencies” reminds us how vital it is to have support available in difficult times.

Scientists directly observe Parkinson’s ‘trigger’ in human brain tissue for the first time | Russell Group Scientists have, for the first time, directly visualised and quantified the protein clusters believed to trigger Parkinson’s, marking a major advance in the study of the world’s fastest-growing neurol...

Read more about this incredible breakthrough here www.russellgroup.ac.uk/impact/scien...

Scientists directly observe Parkinson’s ‘trigger’ in human brain tissue for the first time | Russell Group Scientists have, for the first time, directly visualised and quantified the protein clusters believed to trigger Parkinson’s, marking a major advance in the study of the world’s fastest-growing neurol...

For the first time, scientists from @cam.ac.uk @ucl.ac.uk @crick.ac.uk and @polymtl.bsky.social have seen the tiny protein clusters thought to 'trigger' Parkinson’s disease. 🧠Using a new imaging technique, this could reveal how the disease spreads – and how to treat it.

Dr David Burke's research into pathogen and viruses is driving pandemic preparedness and targeted vaccines.

He uses cutting-edge technology to reveal how genetics shape the structure and function of protein, essential in devising new treatments.

www.kcl.ac.uk/meet-dr-davi...

#ScienceAtKings

New global standard to measure outcomes in dengue treatment trials | King's College London This could help improve the quality of clinical trials and future policy making initiatives.

The first global standard to measure outcomes in dengue fever treatment trials has been announced.

Co-led by @kingsnmpc.bsky.social, it could improve the quality of clinical trials & inform future policy decisions -hopefully accelerating the discovery of treatments.

www.kcl.ac.uk/news/new-glo...

World Mental Health Day Illustration of a woman with plants

Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay 🌍

This year’s theme - “Access to services: mental health in catastrophes and emergencies” reminds us how vital it is to have support available in difficult times.

Find out more about our mental health support: www.qmul.ac.uk/student-expe...
#WMHD2025

YouTube video by University of Oxford Natural Hydrogen - the untapped solution to decarbonisation?

🌍 | Natural hydrogen, long overlooked as a viable energy resource, is emerging as one of the most exciting frontiers in sustainable energy.

Discover how Oxford research is positioned firmly at the forefront of this global pursuit. ⬇️

@oxuniearthsci.bsky.social | #OxfordClimate

Stacey and Joost ten Wolde, who faced housing issues following Stacey's terminal illness diagnosis.

Terminally ill Scots will benefit from strengthened housing protections, following key amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

The @uofgdumfries.bsky.social @mariecurieuk.bsky.social ‘Dying in the Margins’ study was central to informing these amendments.

Read more: gla.ac/46Rpabq

World-leading UK higher education sector expands in India and bolsters growth at home The UK’s world-leading higher education sector is set to bring in a £50 million boost to the economy as part of a major expansion of British universities in India.

By enabling Indian students to access UK-quality education at home, the UK enhances its global influence & soft power. @britishcouncil.bsky.social research shows that students who experience UK education have positive views of the UK for decades. Read more here 👇 www.gov.uk/government/n...

The major expansion of UK universities in India announced today is set to bring in a £50 million boost to the economy. As Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said, "British higher education is world-leading – and this expansion shows its global appeal."