Innovation key to higher education’s future, says University chair
Rod Bristow, Chair of Council at the University of Bradford, warns UK higher education faces structural decline without bold innovation. His Wonkhe op-ed calls for lifelong learning, tech-enabled delivery, and employer partnerships - drawing lessons from US universities to restore growth and meet future skills needs.
Opinion
Rod Bristow is Chair of Council at University of Bradford and has a wealth of experience from the education sector, having held senior executive roles at FTSE100 global learning company Pearson PLC between 1992 and 2021, including four years as president. He is also a visiting professor at University College London Institute of Education.
UK universities face a stark choice: innovate or risk long-term decline. That’s the message from Rod Bristow, Chair of Council at the University of Bradford, in a new opinion piece for sector platform Wonkhe.
He warns that higher education is grappling with structural challenges - rising costs, falling income, demographic shifts, and weakening political support. “Cost-cutting alone won’t solve this,” he argues. “We need bold, enterprise-level innovation to restore growth.”
According to Bristow, demand for traditional degrees is stalling as participation among 18-year-olds plateaus and students question the return on investment. The answer, he says, lies in embracing lifelong learning and flexible, tech-enabled models that meet the needs of learners throughout their careers, measure which are already being adopted by University of Bradford.
He points to examples from the United States, where institutions such as Arizona State University and Northeastern have scaled online provision, forged employer partnerships, and diversified their offer to drive growth. “These universities show what’s possible when innovation is at the heart of strategy,” Bristow writes.
Closer to home, Bristow highlights the government’s Lifelong Learning Entitlement as a catalyst for change, urging universities to seize the opportunity to rethink delivery and content. “This is about more than survival, it’s about relevance,” he says. “If we fail to adapt, we risk losing our place in shaping the future workforce.”
His comments follow the University of Bradford's new strategy - summed up by its Different is what we do campaign - which puts lifelong learning at the centre of its mission to put students first and widen access while ensuring those from underprivileged backgrounds are able to take advantage of life-changing opportunities.
The op-ed reinforces Bradford’s own commitment to innovation, from applied learning and digital transformation to partnerships that support regional and national skills agendas. “Universities have a responsibility to lead,” Bristow concludes. “Innovation isn’t optional—it’s essential.”