HE sector is fragile - only radical reform can save it

THIS week the body representing Welsh universities, and whose members are vice-chancellors, published its manifesto for the 2026 Senedd.

- DYLAN JONES-EVANS

The Welsh Government, despite being responsible for the higher education sector since 1999, has largely looked the other way whilst the sector lurches from crisis to crisis...

As would be expected, Universities for a Stronger Wales is a thoughtful and ambitious document that sets out how universities contribute to the nation’s economy, culture and communities, and calls for a new partnership with government built on investment, trust and shared purpose.

Yet, read against the reality of what has happened to Welsh higher education in recent years, it feels more like a diplomatic plea for survival than a blueprint for renewal and, crucially, avoids the hard questions that now define the crisis facing the sector.

Over the past 18 months, I've written extensively about the challenges that have engulfed Welsh universities and the evidence remains stark.

Tuition fee freezes have squeezed finances, the rush to recruit international students has created a dangerous dependency and poor governance have left some institutions in serious difficulties.

Worst of all, the Welsh Government, despite being responsible for the higher education sector since 1999, has largely looked the other way while the sector lurches from crisis to crisis.

‘The new manifesto acknowledges the symptoms but not the causes and while it speaks of “sustainability” “skills” and “research excellence’, it does not admit that parts of the system have been run into the ground by short-term decisions, complacency and a failure of strategic leadership.

The manifesto calls for a funding review, which is welcome, but it cannot be another technical exercise in cost accounting.