In Preparing for Populism (HEPI Debate Paper 44),
Professor Diana Beech and Edward Venning show that public
patience with universities is thin as populist sentiment rises.
The report argues the higher education sector's biggest problem
is not money but trust. Universities have fallen into a complex,
dull and defensive public debate, focused on economic
contributions and graduate earnings. The risk is that this looks
selfish, tone-deaf and insular at a moment of peril.
The authors encourage universities to engage across the political
spectrum in an unashamed way. That includes with political
parties sceptical of higher education, most notably Reform UK.
They argue this is different to endorsement: it is, rather,
democratic realism and pluralism at work.
The report offers a three-part framework for reconnecting
universities with political sentiment:
-
Instrumental legitimacy: doing the core
roles of teaching and research well and explaining them
clearly.
-
Relational legitimacy: connecting to the
need for national renewal, grounded in an appeal to common
sense.
-
Moral legitimacy: playing by the rules
while helping shape better ones.
Professor Diana Beech, Director of the Finsbury Institute
at City St George's, University of London, and co-author of the
new Depate Paper, said:
‘This report is a call to act early and act together. Most
politicians agree universities, like other public institutions,
are not keeping their side of the social contract. Populism is a
symptom not a cause of this.
‘Above all, universities need a new political posture.
Universities cannot engage only with traditional parties. They
need to be credible with the full range of democratic opinion,
including so-called populists. That is how autonomy is earned and
protected.'
Edward Venning, Partner at Six Ravens Consulting and
co-author of the new Depate Paper, said:
‘Public support is a moving target. Society changes its norms
from time to time. Then a legitimacy gap opens up and social
confidence frays.
‘Universities are using arguments that do not fit the popular
mood in a low-growth economy. Legitimacy is built through
behaviour, relationships and governance that the public can
respect and understand.
‘If universities change tack, they can lead a broader renewal of
trust in public institutions. This will get them the funding they
deserve. If not, the sector's structural problems could easily
become much worse.'
Key proposals
The new Debate Paper argues legitimacy is not a given.
Institutions earn it through what they do, how they act and how
they connect with others. In social science, this is called
‘legitimacy management', but the idea is simple. Universities
must work for public support in a structured way to uphold their
side of the social contract with the British people.
The report recommends a reset that is collective, not piecemeal.
It proposes:
- A core offer with universal reach by reframing advanced
learning as a necessity to participate fully in advanced society.
- A new intellectual project to provide the knowledge base and
capabilities the UK needs to be independent and strong.
- A coalition for legitimacy, so universities and sector bodies
act together. This includes political advisory panels for
regulators to strengthen credibility across party lines.
- More alignment between university and national attitudes.
This includes a legitimacy observatory to track public trust and
gaps between university culture and wider public attitudes.
- New benchmarks for quality and public value, developed with
the public in mind.
