{"text":[[{"start":8.55,"text":"Rising numbers of UK universities are laying off staff and cutting research and teaching, according to a survey that points to the impact of falling international student numbers on the sector."}],[{"start":19.65,"text":"Universities are warning that Britain’s future economic innovation is at risk as institutions increasingly cut back on academics’ research time and PhD funding to help balance the books. "}],[{"start":30.9,"text":"The Office for Students, which regulates the sector, found this month that 43 per cent of universities were likely to have ended 2025-26 in deficit after “over-optimistic” attempts to boost student recruitment. "}],[{"start":45.2,"text":"Lucrative overseas students, who have helped universities subsidise UK students, fell by 10 per cent in 2025-26. This was the second successive annual decline as ministers tighten visa rules and economic turmoil in countries such as Nigeria reduces demand. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"
"}],[{"start":62.95,"text":"On Monday an annual survey by Universities UK, the umbrella body for higher education, found 38 per cent of the third of members that replied were carrying out compulsory redundancies, up from 11 per cent in 2024."}],[{"start":77.4,"text":"Some 79 per cent said they were making voluntary redundancies, the first time the question has been asked."}],[{"start":84.2,"text":"The self-selecting survey cannot be taken as a representative sample but Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said the findings “fit with what I see when I talk to universities. It’s not like this is just a small number of struggling institutions, it’s the story across the sector.”"}],[{"start":102.65,"text":"This month Nottingham University announced plans to cut 600 or so jobs, or roughly 8 per cent of its total staff, to deal with “significant financial challenges”, while Sheffield University is considering cutting about a fifth of its chemistry department. On Friday staff at London South Bank University voted to strike over planned job cuts. "}],[{"start":124.35000000000001,"text":"Pointing to estimates of about 30,000 job losses in the past three years, Stern said “these are talented people, often with a long career behind them. We should care that this many good jobs are going; if this was the automotive sector you’d get headlines.”"}],[{"start":139.3,"text":"Some consolidation was “probably healthy” as institutions focused on core strengths and acknowledged that ministers were now allowing UK tuition fees to rise with inflation after years of freezes, Stern said. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":152.35000000000002,"text":"But rises in employer national insurance contributions and a “very sharp downturn in international students” meant universities were starting to cut jobs at a scale not seen since the early 1990s, she added. "}],[{"start":165.55,"text":"Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, said job cuts were “a complete disaster, not just for students and our members, but for the UK’s independent research capacity”."}],[{"start":177.20000000000002,"text":"Two-thirds of universities told the survey they were considering alliances or mergers, while 31 per cent were cutting academic research, up from 14 per cent in 2024. This includes reducing funding for PhD and young researchers, as well as giving academics less time for their own projects. "}],[{"start":195.85000000000002,"text":"The survey also found 44 per cent of respondents were cutting courses, up from 24 per cent in 2024, with programmes in modern languages, English literature, history and chemistry badly hit. "}],[{"start":208.95000000000002,"text":"The Department for Education said it had “already taken action to put universities on a firmer financial footing”."}],[{"start":216.10000000000002,"text":"“We expect universities to take appropriate decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability, which could be merging with another institution and more collaboration in the sector,” it added."}],[{"start":227.00000000000003,"text":"Data visualisation by Amy Borrett"}],[{"start":238.00000000000003,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779686122_4407.mp3"}