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ARTICLE · 17 SEPTEMBER 2025

Transforming Higher Education: Lessons From The Academies Programme In Schools For University Leadership

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As the higher education sector faces unprecedented financial pressures, more universities are taking up the invitation to explore innovative collaborative structures to change how they operate...

United KingdomConsumer Protection
Kate Gallagher
Kate Gallagher
Nathalie Jacoby-Danesh
Nathalie Jacoby-Danesh
Nick Mackenzie
Nick Mackenzie

As the higher education sector faces unprecedented financial pressures, more universities are taking up the invitation to explore innovative collaborative structures to change how they operate, with sustainable efficiency in mind.

Last week, for example, the universities of Kent and Greenwich announced merger plans for what has been described by some as a "super university" under the proposed name of London and South East University Group.

There are a number of options for universities to consider and while mergers are the most often discussed, there is no "one size fits all" solution. The report, Towards a New Era of Collaboration, published by Universities UK in June, points to multi-academy trusts (MATs) in the schools sector as a reference point for helping to develop innovative collaborative structures, coining the phrase "multi-university trust" (MUT).

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