Last week a spokesman from Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS) got in touch to draw my attention to the ongoing Higher Education Debate his department is currently promoting. Back in February the Secretary of State. John Denham called for interested parties to get involved in developing a framework for the future of UK HE.

To be more precise, that involves determining the needs employers as well as students for the next 10 to 15 years. As well as those parties already involved in the process the DIUS say they want to hear the views of as many interested parties as they can.

At the moment JISC are lending a hand by providing a platform for views to be expressed on their JISC Involve blog.

Judging by the amount of responses up there they could do with some more thoughts from the experts, for those that have an interest, I guess that means you

Issues up for discussion are as follows:

• Part-time studies in Higher Education
• Demographic challenge facing Higher Education
• Teaching and student experience
• International issues in higher education
• Intellectual property and research benefits
• Academia and public policy making
• Research careers
• Understanding institutional performance
• Higher Education in General

IWR will follow this closely and let you know what the consultation decides in autumn once everyone has had their chance to speak.