Meritocracy is the story organisations tell themselves so they don’t have to confront that. Or, perish the thought

become a primary recruitment mechanism. When *who* you know matters more than *what* you know. When you’re ‘one of us’ rather than ‘one who will challenge us’.

The truth is, most systems are designed to maintain the existing hierarchy. 2/

- A 20% reduction in prices yet sales growth of 18%
- 40% increase in footfall
- 2000 free meals for students so far this year, 9000 by the end of the year

Grand strategies are great but sometimes you’ve got to go full Maslow.

Accessing support should be easy. Engaging with the digital environment should be easy. Managing the difficulty of learning and the demands of personal lives should be easy.

Universities need as much focus on ease as difficulty.

Stop treating international students like a problem, start treasuring them for the immense social, cultural and economic value they bring. www.cityam.com/internationa...

networks and serious economic value. They aren’t here to “inflate migration numbers.” They’re here to learn, collaborate, and become lifelong ambassadors for the UK.

If we want thriving universities, stronger trade relationships and a globally relevant economy, the solution is simple. 2/

courage to face consequences.

Accountability only works when everyone is accountable, from top to bottom. That’s the *only* way it can work.

Clear diaries, get the right people in a room, ask the right questions, co-create the right solution.

Directness works. Simplicity works.

rather than pulling the ladder up. Pay attention to the quiet experts. Remember the ones who live their values more than they expound them. Recruit perpetually.

the thinking that got us here, thinking that was right at the start of our careers but doesn’t necessarily work for the context that we face now.

The real test isn’t how fast we can learn, it’s how willing we are to unlearn.

communities, and identity. We need historians to remind us that every technological revolution before this one brought unintended consequences. And we need artists to keep the human experience at the centre.

AI doesn’t diminish the value of the humanities; it amplifies their urgency.

vanity projects; we’re only interested in giving students the campus they need and deserve.

free student parking, a GP service and affordable food. Investing within our means rather than taking out exorbitant loans. An estate that earns its keep and generates income to invest further in the student experience.

We’re not interested in winning architectural prizes or 2/