Explore

Understand the mechanisms behind the crisis.

Short, accessible explainers designed to produce the “I hadn’t realised that” moment — without reproducing the book.

the-cross-subsidy-sleight-of-hand

A university has several income streams, and each arrives with different restrictions, risks and costs.

how-is-it-a-market-if-the-price-cant-change

A high sticker price does not guarantee that the fee covers the cost of providing a degree.

fuelling-the-prestige-furnace

Winning more research funding can enlarge the gap an institution must cover from somewhere else.

the-export-that-counts-as-a-problem

International fees became a crucial source of unrestricted income across the university system.

four-ways-to-become-fragile

Expansion created capacity and opportunity while also increasing fixed costs and financial exposure.

retail-rules-for-civic-infrastructure

Universities compete intensely, but they cannot use many of the tools available to ordinary firms.

why-universities-cannot-just-share

Shared services and mergers sound obvious, but the system often makes them slow, risky and unattractive.

why-universities-cannot-die-quietly

Universities can run out of cash, but there is no simple, well-tested route through institutional failure.

the-choices-government-kept-postponing

Responsibility is distributed across policy choices, regulators, governing bodies and institutional strategies.

what-government-must-change

Sustainable reform must address the linked problems of funding, incentives, regulation, collaboration and failure.