Latest news with #UUK
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Trump's Tariffs On Steel And Aluminum Rise To 50%
US tariffs on steel and aluminum doubled from 25% to 50% early on Wednesday, in a move that President Donald Trump announced during a rally at a U.S. Steel mill in Pennsylvania last week, claiming the move would 'further secure' the country's steel industry. Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports rose from 25% to 50% on Wednesday. In its announcement, the White House described the hike in tariffs as a move to counter 'trade practices that undermine national security.' The announcement said the president was acting to protect the U.S. steel and aluminum industry from harm and accused foreign nations of 'flooding' the American market with 'cheap steel and aluminum, often subsidized by their governments.' The tariff rate on steel imported from the U.K. will remain at 25% at least until July 9, but that may change depending on the status of the 'U.S.-U.K. Economic Prosperity Deal.' The White House also said it has started cracking down on 'false import declarations' by forcing strict reporting of steel and aluminum content and imposing 'tough penalties like fines or loss of import rights for violators.' After announcing the move, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: 'Our steel and aluminum industries are coming back like never before. This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers.' Earlier this week, Olaf Gill, the European Commission's spokesperson on trade said: 'We strongly regret the announced increase of steel tariffs from 25% to 50% by the U.S. We believe that this decision adds further uncertainty to the global economy and increases costs for consumers and businesses.' Gill said EU trade officials are set to meet their U.S. counterparts on Wednesday and if no resolution is reached 'both existing and possibly additional' EU countermeasures will 'automatically take effect on July 14th or earlier.' Canada, which is the largest foreign supplier of both steel and aluminum to the U.S., also criticized the move, calling it 'unlawful and unjustified.'. A spokesperson from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's office told CTV News: 'Canada's new government is engaged in intensive and live negotiations to have these and other tariffs removed as part of a new economic and security partnership with the United States.'
Epoch Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Government Reduces Funding, Tells Universities to Prioritise STEM Over Media Studies
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has told the Office for Students (OfS) that government funding should be diverted away from subjects like media studies and towards the sciences. The minister made the recommendations on Monday as she told the sector regulator that the Strategic Priorities Grant would total £1.348 billion for financial year 2025/26, which is £108 million less than last year. The recurrent grant, distributed by the OfS, provides support to universities in the delivery of strategically important, high-cost subjects, such as the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She also confirmed that the capital grant would be £84 million next year, almost half the £150 million annual average allocated as part of a £450 million agreed capital grant budget for the previous three years. In her High Priority Areas In more These include very high-cost STEM subjects; nursing, midwifery, and other allied health professions such as in radiology and emergency services; and other high-cost, strategically-important courses. Related Stories 5/8/2025 10/25/2024 The minister said this focus will support the future skills needed and the government's industrial strategy for economic growth. She told the universities regulator: 'Prioritising in this way does, however, involve making compromises elsewhere; for this reason, I am asking you to reprioritise high-cost subject funding away from media studies, journalism, publishing and information services courses. 'While I recognise that these courses are valued by the universities that deliver them and the students that take them, my decision is informed by the challenging fiscal context we have inherited.' The OfS's director for fair access and participation, John Blake, said it was continuing to consider its approach to how it uses its funding powers, and had received feedback from across the sector following a recent call for evidence. 'We'll publish that feedback as part of our continuing work with government to review and reform our approach to funding,' Blake said. 'Another Blow to Universities' Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, said in a statement: 'The Strategic Priorities Grant 'savings' announced today are another blow to universities already facing stark financial challenges. Let's call them what they are: these are cuts.' He said that while he appreciated efforts to protect funding on high-cost subjects like medicine and nursing, 'the flat cash settlement for those subjects still represents a real-terms cut, with other areas cut further.' Students and family pose for photographs ahead of their graduation ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London on July 15, UK (UUK) told The Epoch Times in a statement that the university system 'is under extraordinary financial pressure,' with Monday's announcement 'making an already difficult situation worse.' Chief Executive of UUK Vivienne Stern said, 'Funding per student has declined by about a third in the last decade. International student recruitment has fallen, national insurance and pension contributions to the teachers' pension scheme have gone up, and research grants cover less than 70 percent of the actual costs.' Stern said that UUK is determined to ensure that universities continued to deliver high quality education and research and economic growth. 'But we need government to work with us to stabilise the ship and put it back on an even keel. That is the opposite of what happened [on Monday],' she added. 2 in 5 Facing Deficits Universities are under financial strain and many institutions have already undertaken action to cut costs, including staff redundancies, merging or closing programmes, and shuttering departments. Two weeks ago, the OfS The regulator's analysis had identified several factors affecting higher education institutions' income, including a lower than expected recruitment of overseas students, the declining real-terms value of tuition fees from UK undergraduates, rising maintenance and capital costs, and broader inflation-driven pressures on operating expenses. Phillipson said at the time, 'These concerning figures are further evidence demonstrating why the She continued: 'The dire situation we inherited has meant this government must take tough decisions to put universities on a firmer financial footing, so they can deliver more opportunity for students and growth for our economy through our Plan for Change. 'I asked the Office for Students to refocus their efforts on
Western Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
More mergers between universities could be on the cards, sector chief says
Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), said university leaders are considering forming higher education groups which look similar to multi-academy trusts in the school sector. Her comments come as a survey by UUK, of 60 universities, suggested that almost half have been forced to close courses for students in order to reduce costs. I think there will probably be a few mergers of universities Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK The majority of survey respondents (88%) said they may need to consider further course closures or consolidation of courses over the next three years. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Ms Stern said: 'It's not a sort of situation where you can just cut costs around the edges and manage that way. 'We think this university sector is going to have to go through a major transformation in order to cope with what, I think, are going to be sustained financial pressures. 'It's a really critical moment and we've got to roll our sleeves up and deal with it. We need Government on the pitch too, though.' The Government is due to set out its plan for higher education reform in the summer. When asked whether there are too many universities in the sector, Ms Stern said: 'I think there will probably be a few mergers of universities. 'We've got a lot of members talking about doing interesting things like formation of group structures. Things that look a little bit like multi-academy trusts. 'So I think there might be a bit of consolidation in the sector.' Universities could be 'named and shamed' if they give their vice-chancellors large pay packages while delivering poor outcomes for students, the Times newspaper has suggested. The paper reported that Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson could publish league tables detailing pay at universities where significant numbers of graduates do not go on to good jobs or further education. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on the reports, Ms Stern added: 'It's never easy to persuade somebody that vice chancellors' pay is reasonable. But these are really difficult, complex jobs. She added: 'They're very well paid, but they're paid well to do an extraordinarily difficult job.' University leaders across the country have been warning of significant financial concerns as a result of frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students and a fall in the number of international students. An analysis by the Office for Students (OfS) in November suggested that nearly three-quarters (72%) of higher education providers in England could be in deficit by the next academic year (2025-26). It came after the Government announced that undergraduate tuition fees in England, which have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017, would rise to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic year. A Department for Education (DfE) spokeswoman said: 'The Secretary of State has been clear that, as part of wider reform of the system, there must be a renewed drive for efficiency in the sector, including much less wasteful spending. 'This Government inherited a sector facing serious financial risk and remains committed to fixing the foundations of higher education to secure the sector's long-term financial sustainability and deliver change for students.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Universities to increase lower offers for disadvantaged students
Universities are to increase the use of lower entry grade offers for disadvantaged students. Vice-chancellors are being encouraged to allow more 'contextual admissions' to improve access for students who face barriers. Universities UK (UUK), which represents 141 universities, has unveiled a plan for a 'more transparent and consistent approach' to contextual admissions which take into account a student's circumstances and background to recognise the barriers they may have faced. Contextual admissions are already widely used across universities but there is currently no consistent approach to the practice. The offers are typically a grade or two lower than advertised course entry requirements and can also include guaranteed interviews or additional support. As part of the new plan, named Access to Success, UUK, Ucas and the Sutton Trust will start a joint review of the criteria used for contextual admissions to encourage greater consistency across universities in England. UUK said the current admissions system is 'hard to navigate and a barrier' which is potentially putting off young people who could benefit. The project aims to support universities in England with contextual admissions to ensure students are not prevented from reaching university because of their backgrounds. The plan also calls on universities and the Government to raise aspirations by collaborating in 'local cold spots' where historically fewer people go into higher education. UUK said: 'Our goal is to bring greater consistency to how universities approach contextual admissions and to encourage more universities to adopt them so that young people who meet the criteria can apply with greater confidence to the options available to them.' It added that universities should work with schools and further education colleges to provide improved information and advice to help students in making the right choice. Currently it varies widely how universities use information on students' backgrounds to help improve the chances of those who are disadvantaged. Oxford and Cambridge universities use 'contextual data' to better understand achievements in individual backgrounds to compare applicants fairly. The most disadvantaged young people applying to Oxford will be strongly recommended to be shortlisted for interview if they perform to a suitable standard in admissions tests. Cambridge says it does not 'systematically make conditional offers at lower grades' but data provides the fullest picture of applicants and the context of their achievements. However many other top universities such as King's College London and Bath make contextual offers of up to two grades lower than typical entry requirements. Prof Dame Sally Mapstone, the president of UUK and vice-chancellor of the University of St Andrews, said that those who stood to benefit the most from higher education often find it harder to secure opportunities. 'Going to university can completely change the trajectory of someone's life,' she said. 'Few other experiences offer the chance for individuals to gain new skills, boost future earnings, get a foot on the career ladder and make connections that last a lifetime. 'But people who stand to benefit the most from higher education, such as those from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds, can find it harder to access this opportunity due to their personal circumstances. 'Higher education should be a realistic option for everyone with the potential to succeed, no matter their background.' Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, added that many prospective students are not aware of contextual offers. 'If young people aren't made fully aware of where and how they may benefit from a contextual offer, they may think a course or university is out of their reach and never apply. 'We look forward to working together on this initiative to build on existing good practice and deliver lasting, sector-wide change.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
23-04-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Universities to increase lower offers for disadvantaged students
Universities are to increase the use of lower entry grade offers for disadvantaged students. Vice-chancellors are being encouraged to allow more 'contextual admissions' to improve access for students who face barriers. Universities UK (UUK), which represents 141 universities, has unveiled a plan for a 'more transparent and consistent approach' to contextual admissions which take into account a student's circumstances and background to recognise the barriers they may have faced. Contextual admissions are already widely used across universities but there is currently no consistent approach to the practice. The offers are typically a grade or two lower than advertised course entry requirements and can also include guaranteed interviews or additional support. As part of the new plan, named Access to Success, UUK, Ucas and the Sutton Trust will start a joint review of the criteria used for contextual admissions to encourage greater consistency across universities in England. UUK said the current admissions system is 'hard to navigate and a barrier' which is potentially putting off young people who could benefit. 'Local cold spots' The project aims to support universities in England with contextual admissions to ensure students are not prevented from reaching university because of their backgrounds. The plan also calls on universities and the Government to raise aspirations by collaborating in 'local cold spots' where historically fewer people go into higher education. UUK said: 'Our goal is to bring greater consistency to how universities approach contextual admissions and to encourage more universities to adopt them so that young people who meet the criteria can apply with greater confidence to the options available to them.' It added that universities should work with schools and further education colleges to provide improved information and advice to help students in making the right choice.
