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Serving the full range of our members’ needs requires us to work across a wide variety of activities and issues.
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Core benefits and servicesÌý
Key services and benefits of »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ membership include:
Policy development, analysis and research
- Research, analysis and advice to inform policy positions, advocacy work and campaigns.Ìý
- Input to major consultations and reviews which shape higher education policy.Ìý
- Access to guidelines, toolkits, good practice and benchmarking material.Ìý
Advocacy and campaigns
- Advocacy and influencing to promote sector interests.Ìý
- High profile campaigns to promote higher education.Ìý
- Representing and promoting UK universities in Europe and internationally (through »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥i).Ìý
Representing the sector, influencing, and media and political engagement
- Access to networks and contacts across government and beyond.Ìý
- Lobbying on behalf of the sector in parliament to influence debates and legislation relevant to higher education.Ìý
- Influencing the media on a range of issues, often as the first port of call for journalists.Ìý
- Influencing and campaigning through social media, including via »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥â€™s Twitter account of 100,000 followers.Ìý
Provid​ing information and member-specific services
- A regular members-only newsletter from the chief executive.Ìý
- Regularly convening members – both online and in-person – to discuss current or developing policy issues, new opportunities and challenges.Ìý
- Three Members’ Meeting a year and an Annual Conference addressing strategic issues across the UK.Ìý
- High quality and timely information and advice, including legal, technical and best practice guidance.Ìý
- Engagement with »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ task groups and policy leadsÌýwhich lead initiatives and advise on »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ policy development.Ìý
- A forum representing the interests of specialist institutions in membership of »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥.Ìý
- Opportunities for new vice-chancellors to engage with the challenges of being new in post and to network.Ìý
- Opportunities for mid-term vice-chancellors (3-5 years in post) to consider strategic challenges in the context of political and policy developments.
​Supporting sector infrastructure
- Engaging with sector agencies to support members’ interests, including appointing members to sector agency boards.Ìý
Sector-wide negotiations and stakeholder engagement​
- Engagement with sector-wide negotiations that deliver efficiencies and savings including pensions reform, accounting standards, copyright, student accommodation, and rating revaluations.Ìý
- Brokering international partnerships and scholarship programmes.Ìý
- Strong links with sector networks including the funding and research councils, the Committee of University Chairs, and the National Union of Students.Ìý
Providing sector services
- Hosting conferences, roundtables and seminars on topics of interest to the sector, including the annual International Higher Education Forum.Ìý
Read more about our membership criteria (PDF).