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UK-Förderung (588.609 £): Universities Fit for the Future? Democratising Governance in Neoliberalised Higher Education Ukri31.10.2025 Forschung und Innovation im Vereinigten Königreich, Großbritannien
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Universities Fit for the Future? Democratising Governance in Neoliberalised Higher Education
| Zusammenfassung | Despite universities being a key pillar of democracy, the hierarchical, managerialised and neoliberalised university, which emerged in the 1980s, inherently works against it. In European higher education (HE), threats to democracy are most obvious in the process towards Englishisation which undermines multilingual European language policies and widens the gap between those who speak English and those who do not. Meanwhile, in UK universities, truth, facts and evidence have come under attack as identity politics has taken a hold across the sector, threatening the very nature of universities as a key pillar of democracy that can counteract and challenge mis- and disinformation. This is particularly visible in the Israel/Palestine issue where academics who speak out against Israel’s decades-long violations of international law may be silenced and suppressed under EDI and terrorism legislation. As UK universities face sector-wide challenges on how to balance their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) under the UK Equality Act with their legal obligation to promote academic freedom and freedom of speech, the very nature of universities as a key pillar of democracy and social justice is under existential threat. This project adopts a novel interdisciplinary approach that capitalises on the strengths from linguistics and political science to work towards a democratisation of universities in Europe and the UK. Premised on an unashamedly left-wing, progressive agenda, the project seeks to call out, backset and transform neoliberal governance where it is, at best, failing, and at worst, perpetuating global injustice and Western imperialism. Three objectives guide the work. Firstly, for European HE, we will co-create a decision-making support tool to democratise the governance of Englishisation by bringing together key stakeholders, raising their awareness of power inequalities and supporting them to think through the factors that lead to Englishisation. Secondly, as knowledge must benefit wider society, we will develop process tracing, a case-based qualitative research method borrowed from political science, as a rigorous methodology that can assess and evidence the impact of research in society, thus working towards a greater democratisation of knowledge. Thirdly, through a set of additional synergising activities, we will work to strengthen universities as key pillars of democracy by enabling the UK sector to strike a better balance between EDI and academic freedom/freedom of speech. The project will deliver new knowledge, methodologies as well as practical tools. For European HE institutions, the decision-making support tool will ensure processes and decisions that generate Englishisation are democratised and properly planned and thought through. This will benefit university lecturers, students and professional staff who will be supported with requisite institutional resources. For UK HE institutions, the outcome will be an impact evaluation tool, operationalised as a Proof of Concept, that can rigorously assess the impact of research in society. This will benefit the general public who will be able to see more clearly the value of the knowledge universities produce through their taxes. The Proof of Concept will also benefit institutional administrators, research leaders and funding bodies who are under obligation to evidence and assess the impact of publicly funded research. In sum, this programme of work will work towards a more equitable, inclusive and democratic governance in neoliberal HE institutions in Europe and the UK, safeguarding universities as places for rigorous intellectual inquiry, key pillars of democracy and champions of social justice. |
| Kategorie | Fellowship |
| Referenz | UKRI2077 |
| Status | |
| Laufzeit von | 31.10.2025 |
| Laufzeit bis | 31.10.2028 |
| Fördersumme | 588.609,00 £ |
| Quelle | https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=UKRI2077 |
Beteiligte Organisationen
| The Open University |
Die Bekanntmachung bezieht sich auf einen vergangenen Zeitpunkt, und spiegelt nicht notwendigerweise den heutigen Stand wider. Der aktuelle Stand wird auf folgender Seite wiedergegeben: The Open University, Milton Keynes, Großbritannien.
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