My Imaginary University

This episode is another landmark in the My Imaginary University podcast series. For the second year in a row the podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Wonkhe Festival of Higher Education at Senate House, University of London.

This time, my guest is Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI, the Higher Education Policy Institute, who creates an intensively residential institution, the seductively named Vale University, rooted in the English tradition and based in the worst place in the country to live. The aim is for the university to be the first of a chain of institutions with particular specialisms in coldish but interesting spots around the country, with outstanding architecture and exceptional transport links (including HS2).

The residential experience is critical though as is ensuring everyone is in the same position so the aim is to have no more than one student from every 6th form and all of them will experience identical semi-Spartan accommodation and communal dining. There are no en-suite or self-catering offers at Vale, illegal drugs are banned but there is a huge range of social and community activities to keep students and staff engaged every day. Vale's prospectus is a broad one with a particular emphasis on languages and French history (reflecting the origins of its principal campus building) and a strong extra-mural programme to cater for a highly engaged local community.

All staff, including the VC, are very involved with students and do their utmost to care for everyone. Sport is for all and no-one cares about rankings although there is close attention paid to academic standards and the impact of research. There are many other exciting features to Vale including an anthem commissioned from a famous badger-loving rock star. And the questions from the floor (which have had to be relayed by the host because of poor recording quality -apologies!) extract even more detail from Nick about this remarkable institution.