YU Weekly News Digest

News items:

New board formed to lead West Yorkshire’s economy out of the pandemic

Leaders from organisations and businesses across West Yorkshire are coming together to form an Economic Recovery Board to plan the region’s economic fightback from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The work of the Economic Recovery Board’s membership includes Rob Webster of the Integrated Health Care Partnership, Professor Shirley Congdon vice chancellor of the University of Bradford, police and crime commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson OBE alongside representatives from the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Business, IoD, Bank of England, CBI and Helen Barnard the acting director of the Joseph Roundtree Foundation.

Read more here.

Local Enterprise Partnership Network Board writes to Education Secretary and BEIS Secretary in support of UUK financial stability measures

The Local Enterprise Partnership Network Board has written to Gavin Williamson and Alok Sharma (copied to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak and others) expressing its support for Universities UK’s financial stability measures. The correspondence emphasises that universities will be critical partners in local economies and vital for the success of the UK’s future economic recovery. It also expresses confidence that a stable higher education sector will help regions address these challenges and commends both ministers to consider the proposals that have been submitted.

MillionPlus publishes additional financial proposals - following UUK proposal

MillionPlus has built on UUK’s proposed financial package which was previously submitted to government, highlighting the support universities need to continue to provide and help grow the numbers of public sector key workers in occupations such as nursing, medicine, social work and teaching.

The proposal comprises a three-pronged approach to mitigating against future shortages of key workers. The press release , which includes a quote from the UUK President, and full recommendations are available on the MillionPlus website.

There was also a letter from UUK this week to to Robert Halfon, Chair of the Education Select Committee with an update on the impact of Covid-19 on higher education related to this.

Reports:

OECD Coronavirus (COVID-19): From pandemic to recovery: Local employment and economic development

This note provides evidence on the importance of local action to help address the short-term and long-term consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. It estimates that the share of jobs potentially at risk during confinement ranges from 15% to 35% across regions within 30 OECD and 4 non-OECD European countries. It explains why the local role is essential for the recovery,and explores the potential game changing nature of this outbreak for local development going forward.

Blogs:

Reform Scotland: 'If our universities area bailed out, the price is reform' – Daniel Johnson MSP

"The responses by governments to the Covid-19 crisis in recent and coming weeks will fill history books and be analysed and interpreted for years to come. There are no real parallels or precedents. The credit crunch and great depression provide lessons but only incompletely. This is primarily a health crisis but one that looks likely to precipitate an economic one across all sectors."

Read more here.

YU: 'Over to online learning' by Professor Roger Lewis, YU Associate

"One of the most surprising outcomes of the past few difficult months has been the seeming ease with which universities have changed their teaching from largely face-to-face to entirely online. This has been announced on websites promptly and factually – as if the transition is unproblematic."

Read more here.

RUNIN: 'The Pandemic and the Regional Role of the University' by Rune Dahl Fitjar

"As our Innovative Training Network on the Role of Universities in Innovation and Regional Development nears its end, the corona pandemic is profoundly affecting universities, regions, and indeed much of the rest of the world. Across many countries, universities have closed their campuses, moving to digital teaching and home offices. This has also been the case here in Norway, where the government announced the closure of all universities on 12 March – a closure that remains in effect at the time of writing this blog."

Read more here.

WonkHE: 'Universities’ role in economic recovery' by James Coe

"It is difficult to appreciate the impact of huge social upheaval while you are living through it. As the daily tragedy of the Covid-19 pandemic absorbs our national attention an economic catastrophe lurks around the corner."

Read more here.

Bennett Institute for Public Policy 'How might English metro-mayors adapt to the post-coronavirus world?' by Mark Sanford

"2021 promises to be a significant year in the development of devolution in England. Eight out of ten devolved mayoralties will face elections. [1] The finances of combined authorities will once again come under scrutiny: the local government Fair Funding Review, long in gestation, is expected to take effect. The Local Growth Fund will come to an end; and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is likely to open. Mayors’ investment funds will face their first five-yearly gateway review. The future of industrial strategies and Local Enterprise Partnerships, and the shape of the current Government’s “levelling up” policy (foreshadowed to some extent in the 2020 Budget) may have become clearer. "

Read more here.

KCL: 'What will cities look like once the lockdown lifts?' by Mark Kleinman

"The 21st century was widely advertised as the epoch of the city. By the end of its first decade, half the world’s population was living in cities, projected to rise to two-thirds by 2050. The world’s urban centre of gravity was moving, or rather returning, East, with the growth of mega-cities in China, Japan and elsewhere. As Professor Michael Batty of UCL pointed out in 2015, were this trend to continue indefinitely, it would mean the entire population of the world being urbanised by 2140."

Read more here.

Podcast & talk:

Centre for Cities: City Talks - Coronavirus and the future of work

In just a few short months Covid-19 has completely altered the way we interact with our cities. As people become more used to working from home, many employers are now more willing to consider allowing working practices where the traditional office plays a less central role.

But is this shift feasible in the long-term?

To discuss this, Andrew Carter is joined by Dr Neil Lee, Associate Professor of Economic Geography at the London School of Economics.

New fund announced: the coronavirus Future Fund as part of £1.25 bn government support package

This scheme will issue convertible loans between £125,000 to £5 million to innovative companies which are facing financing difficulties due to the coronavirus outbreak. It will be launching in May 2020.

The Future Fund is part of a comprehensive support package for innovative firms hit by coronavirus: . Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is playing a key role in this £1.25 billion government support package announced by the Chancellor on Monday 20 April for UK businesses driving innovation and development. Read the full statement here.

Read the related blog from Beauhurst: 'Our quick take on the Future Fund' by Toby Austin

Two new reports from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) -

• Rescue, recover, reform - a framework for new local economic practice in the era of Covid-19
• Owning the Future - After Covid-19, a new era of community wealth building

Research, data & analysis:

Leeds City Region Covid-19 Monitor providing key local insights:

• 16 April & 23 April 2020 issues, see below:

C-SAG: COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Group

Bradford Institute for Health Research is harnessing its research expertise and infrastructure to support the local response to and recovery from COVID-19. In partnership with the NHS and Local Authority we are leading a COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Group (C-SAG), providing expert input and advice to the local response and of relevance at regional, national and international levels.

Read more here.

ONS - Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain: 23 April 2020

Indicators from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey covering the period 3 to 13 April 2020 to understand the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on people, households and communities in Great Britain. This bulletin includes new indicators on compliance with the government's Stay at home measures and the impact of homeschooling.

Read more here.

Tortoise - Coping with Covid-19: Corona shock

Britain’s recession is deep and wide, but new data reveals some towns and cities are hit harder than others: Tortoise analysis of bank spending data in England and Wales suggests that sales to consumers may have fallen by as much as one third between the start of March and the end.

Read more here

Blogs:

WonkHe: 'Imagining a higher education system beyond Covid-19' by Andy Westwood

'The RSA has been running a series of events, podcasts and blogs under the heading “Building Bridges to the Future”. It is a set of ideas and arguments about what kind of world we might see emerge after the Covid-19 crisis and more prosaically, how we might get from here to there. In one blog, Matthew Taylor sets out three broad stages in that process from the immediate crisis, then through a transitional period and finally to “the emergence of a new normal”.'

Read more here.

HEPI - 'Universities are showing great leadership on Covid-19. They should now seize opportunities to tackle climate change and other sustainable development goals' by Lucian J. Hudson

"The Covid-19 crisis has unleashed a hunger for verifiable evidence, rigour in evaluation and independent critical thinking of a high order – in sum, what typically a broad university curriculum delivers. Universities are in an exceptional position of leadership, more so than governments and business who are finding it difficult to mount a global response to the current crisis. Universities across the planet have no other agenda than to apply the intelligence, teaching and research firepower, individual and collective, of their academics"

Read more here.

ARUP: 'Rebuilding UK City and Local Economies from Covid-19' by Tom Bridges

"The Covid-19 pandemic, and the lockdown of the UK, has resulted in an unprecedented economic crisis. The impacts are acute and widespread, and the future is uncertain. Local authorities have been, rightly, focusing on the immediate response to the crisis, delivering significant elements of the UK Government’s business support package as well as responding to the huge challenges of delivering social care and supporting vulnerable people. Towns, Cities and Combined Authorities are now focusing on the economic recovery phase, for example the Core Cities Group have recently published proposals to give cities the powers and resources they need to boost the recovery."

Read more here.

YU: 'HM Treasury Green Book Review' by Dr Peter O'Brien

"Amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic and economic crises a review that will be critical to the recovery within and across the country appears to have started within Whitehall. The Budget statement on 11 March announced a review by HM Treasury of its Green Book; the ‘rule book’ used by central government departments to determine whether public funds should be invested or not in projects to drive economic development."

Read more here.

WonkHE: 'Now is the time for knowledge exchange' by Hamish McAlpine

In delaying KEF and easing HEIF requirements, Research England hopes to give the sector chance to support industry and society. Hamish McAlpine explains the thinking behind the decisions.

Read more here.

Universities UK published a package of measures proposed to enable universities to play a critical role in rebuilding the nation

Data & analysis on impact:

OECD: Evaluating the initial impact of COVID-19 containment measures on economic activity

"The increasing spread of the coronavirus across countries has prompted many governments to introduce unprecedented measures to contain the epidemic. These are priority measures that are imposed by a sanitary situation, which leave little room for other options as health should remain the primary concern. These measures have led to many businesses being shut down temporarily, widespread restrictions on travel and mobility, financial market turmoil, an erosion of confidence and heighted uncertainty."

Read more here.

HATCH Regeneris Covid-19: Socio-economic impact exposure in England

A powerful visualisation tool to illustrate exposure indicators, including: economic, societal and health.

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s coronavirus analysis

• Coronavirus reference scenario: The OBR's coronavirus analysis
• OBR coronavirus reference scenario: Commentary
• Coronavirus reference scenario: Charts & Tables

ONS: Coronavirus (COVID-19) roundup

Latest data and analysis related to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on our economy and society, including:

• Business impact of COVID-19, Covering a sudden loss of household income, Deaths involving COVID-19, Working parents, Working from home, Over-70s

Impact on student numbers and finances:

• The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has worked with YouthSight on a poll of over 1,000 full-time undergraduate students and over 500 applicants to higher education to see how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting them.
• The British Council published a survey of over 10,000 Chinese applicants on their study plans for next academic year
• Related WonkHE blog on the level of exposure to an expected downturn in international student recruitment and diversified income portfolios.

Call for evidence:

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Commons Select Committee is calling for written evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on any DCMS sectors by 1 May 2020:

The Committee invites written evidence on the impact of Covid-19 on any sectors under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s remit (including, but not limited to, culture and the creative industries; civil society; sport; tourism; heritage; publishing, media and journalism; telecoms). In particular, the Committee is interested in finding out:

• What has been the immediate impact of Covid-19 on the sector?
• How effectively has the support provided by DCMS, other Government departments and arms-length bodies addressed the sector’s needs?
• What will the likely long-term impacts of Covid-19 be on the sector, and what support isneeded to deal with those?
• What lessons can be learnt from how DCMS, arms-length bodies and the sector have dealtwith Covid-19?
• How might the sector evolve after Covid-19, and how can DCMS support such innovation todeal with future challenges?

Evidence is requested by 1 May; however, in light of the pressures of the crisis, this deadline is flexible and open-ended (notice of its closure will be given in advance on the website). Organisations are also welcome to submit more than one piece of evidence if further information becomes available as the inquiry progresses.

Read more here.

Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (PEC): How can the creative industries come together to share how COVID-19 is impacting the sector?

At a time of huge uncertainty in all areas of the economy, many are trying to understand the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the creative industries. Public venues, freelance workers, and micro and small businesses are important features of the sector, and all are threatened by the pandemic.

PEC are looking to create a fuller understanding of the impact on the creative industries with a page of resources. It's updated daily and collates the rapidly growing number of initiatives to collect survey data from the sector. Understanding their response through survey results and other data initiatives will help policymakers to target their support efforts to those who most need it, when they most need it.

Read more about this here.

Read the PEC Newsletter here and see previous issues here.

The Young Foundation: launches UK-wide programme to understand the impact of Covid-19 on communities

The coronavirus Covid-19 is radically changing the way we go about our day-to-day lives. It’s shifting where we turn for help and support and how we interact with friends, family and neighbours.

We are inviting you to participate in the largest UK study of how Covid-19 is changing daily life in the UK, sharing with us your experiences of how physical and social distancing are affecting everything from your home and work life, to how you connect with friends and family during this fast-changing and challenging time. We’ll be exploring questions such as:

• How are Covid-19 and the measures to control it affecting and shaping the interactions between individuals in society?
• What effect is the pandemic having on our community wellbeing, quality of life and resilience?
• How is digital playing a role in community responses to the spread of coronavirus?
• What is the impact of the pandemic on how and where we can access support?

You can get involved in three ways:

1. Sign up to become a citizen scientist

2. Sign up to become a digital diary keeper and be part of longer-term piece to create change through research

3. Participate in our survey for people who usually access face to face support to help their wellbeing.

Read more here.

Blogs:

YU: 'Revisiting resilience'

By YU Associate, James Ransom

"Unsurprisingly, a huge amount is being written about the coronavirus crisis. Publications are shifting their entire focus onto the pandemic (‘there is only one story in the world right now’, says WIRED magazine). There has been an explosion of academic publications on the virus, with peer review processes struggling to keep up."

Read more here.

Institute for Place Management: 'The Time to Act is Now: A Framework for Post-COVID 19 Recovery for our Towns and Cities'

By Nikos Ntounis, Regine Sonderland Saga, Maria Loronõ-Leturiondo, Tom Hindmarch and Cathy Parker

"Each passing day we are witnessing the unprecedented effects of COVID-19 on the heart of our cities and towns, as the boundless pandemic is altering – and potentially displacing – their social and economic role. In the UK, as in other countries, the implementation of strict public health measures means that the majority of service-based and non-food retail, hospitality and leisure business premises remain closed to reduce social contact (MHCLG, 2020). Footfall, a key metric in the management of town centres and other commercial areas, has declined since the lockdown was announced on the 23rd of March."

Read more here.

'Wellbeing Economics Post Covid-19 Crisis' by Alan Higgins

Thoughts and inspiration based on the experience of Alan Higgins as a Director of Public Health, Mancunian by choice and independent expert in systems of health and well-being.

"The need for economic rebound means building back better won’t be automatic but will be possible with engagement, hard work and perseverance."

Read more here.

WonkeHE: 'Resilience in adversity: supporting graduate careers during Covid-19'

Gabi Binnie is Policy and Research Manager at AGCAS

"In the chaos of the global pandemic, universities are facing unprecedented student recruitment challenges, as well as having to fundamentally change how they teach, assess and support current students. With a global recession almost certainly looming, it is perhaps those students due to graduate in just a few months that face the greatest trials"

Read more here.

Podcast: RSA - 'Bridges to the future with Torsten Bell'

"What will the British economy look like after the Coronavirus pandemic? Matthew Taylor is joined by Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, an organisation working to improve the lives of people on low to middle incomes."

Listen here and see other episodes in the series here.