Campus podcast: The complex factors that drive students’ sense of belonging
A sense of belonging is particularly valuable in higher education, where feeling valued, respected and part of a community are connected to students’ academic achievement, retention and well-being. But belonging resists clear definition, both what it is and how it relates to other concepts such as inclusion and mattering. This is especially true in a post-pandemic world, where online learning and the digital transformation have blurred the boundaries of university life.
For this episode of the Campus podcast, we speak to Karen Gravett, who is an associate professor in higher education and associate head of research in the Surrey Institute of Education at the University of Surrey. Her research covers belonging, digital education, student engagement, relational pedagogies and literacy practices. As part of the Belonging to and beyond the Digital university project, Karen (working with Rola Ajjawi of Deakin University and Sarah O’Shea from Charles Sturt University) asked students what belonging means to them, and in this conversation she shares insights into post-Covid student life and why elements such as curation, safety, non-belonging and connection to an academic discipline are powerful drivers of belonging.
You'll find more advice and insight on how to build belonging at your higher education institution in our latest spotlight guide.
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Campus podcast: The secrets of effective policy engagement - from two academics who have worked in government
Hear from two academic policy experts, one in the UK and one in the US, who discuss the most effective ways that researchers can share their expertise with politicians and civil servants.
We speak to:
Michael Sanders is a professor of public policy at Kings College London and director of the School for Government. In addition to his academic career, he has worked in government as chief scientist on the Behavioural Insights Team and was the founding chief executive of What Works for Children’s Social Care.
David Garcia is a professor with Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. Prior to joining ASU, he helped found the Arizona Center for Public Policy - ThinkAZ, and he was worked as an associate superintendent and a director of research and policy with Arizona Department of Education. He is also a former legislative staffer with the Arizona State Senate and was the 2018 Democratic candidate for governor of Arizona.
For more advice and insight on how best to engage policymakers with your research, take a look at our latest spotlight: An academics' guide to policy impact.
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Campus podcast: Why internationalisation must remain a cornerstone of higher education
Hear why an international approach to higher education research and teaching is vital to building a better future and solving global challenges.
We speak to two academic experts to learn about effective institutional strategies to support internationalisation but also what key barriers prevent a more global academy.
Lily Kong is president of Singapore Management University. She is the first women to lead an institute of higher education in Singapore. She took the helm in 2019 after three years as provost, and prior to this she held senior management roles at the National University of Singapore.
Manuel Barcia is the University of Bath’s pro vice-chancellor (global) after moving from the University of Leeds in May 2025, where he was dean for global engagement and chair of global history in the School of History.
For more advice and insight on this topic, browse our spotlight guide to teaching and researching across borders.
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Campus podcast: How to look after yourself in higher education
For this episode, we asked academics and university staff from around the world to share their own strategies for staying positive, healthy and maintaining balance in a sector in which stress and overwork are commonplace. At a time when higher education feels under attack in many countries, in more ways than one, it is important for those working in the sector to find coping strategies that work for them and build collective support.
Thank you to all who contributed their personal wisdom:
Lucas Lixinski is a law professor and associate dean at UNSW Sydney, which he joined after completing a postgraduate fellowship at the University of Texas School of Law.
Maha Bali is a professor of practice at the Center for Learning and Teaching at The American University in Cairo (AUC).
Doune Macdonald is an emerita professor at the University of Queensland and a visiting professor at the University of Sydney.
Debbie Riby is a professor of developmental psychology and associate pro-vice chancellor for postgraduate research students at Durham University
Bhawana Shrestha is a research fellow at the Learning Institute for Future Excellence at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
Chris Wright is a senior lecturer and co-ordinator of the Drawing Centre at De Montfort University.
Chin Moi Chow is an associate professor of sleep and well-being in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney.
Pippa Caterall is a professor of history and policy at the University of Westminster.
Patrice Sewou is an associate professor of learning and teaching and the director of the Centre for the Advancement of Racial Equality at the University of Northampton.
Aster Cosmos is a learning designer at Monash University.
For more insight and advice on protecting the well-being of those working and studying in universities, take a look at our latest spotlight guide on making mental health a priority in higher education.
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Campus podcast: How to achieve research excellence – and protect it
The delivery of quality research is central to the mission of most universities. But there is more to research excellence than headline-grabbing “ground-breaking” discoveries.
This podcast episode explores what good research looks like, how it can be supported at an institutional level, and what feeds into a healthy research ecosystem that enables robust studies of all types, at all stages to be carried out and knowledge advanced.
We also delve into research security to find out how such scholarly work can be protected from misuse or being weaponised amid ever-changing geopolitical power struggles.
You will hear from:
Marcus Munafò, who is currently associate pro vice-chancellor for research culture and professor of biological psychology at the University of Bristol, but will, in May, take up the post of deputy vice-chancellor and provost at the University of Bath. He is co-founder of the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN) and leads a major project funded by Research England to accelerate the uptake of open research practices across UK higher education sector.
Jacqueline Littlewood, director of research security at the University of Alberta in Canada. She took up this role leading the university’s safeguarding research office in 2023 after a 20-year career in government as a policy analyst and adviser, including working with Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
For more advice on this topic, check out our resources offering insight on delivering top quality research, including a spotlight collection on how to demonstrate research excellence.
Advice, insights and solutions for the challenges facing higher education from academics, faculty and staff at institutions around the world. Hear teaching tips, writing pointers, discussions on the big issues, forecasts and first-hand experiences from university leaders.
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