About Us
The CIHE is a strategic leadership network of businesses and higher education executives promoting a system of higher learning that leads to greater market competitiveness and social well-being.
In 1986 the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) was born from the inspired collaboration of Jim Prior, John Cassels and Pauline Perry. Pauline (at that time the Chief Inspector of Schools at the Department for Education) had heard about an American organisation that had managed to bring businesses and universities closer together. John (as Director General of the National Economic Development Office) was a staunch believer in the power of partnership while Jim Prior was a recent Cabinet member and the new chairman of GEC. He agreed to invite the heads of a range of businesses, universities and polytechnics to a couple of initial discussions to see if there was indeed a common cause that might be addressed through a partnership approach.
Today the CIHE continues to work with business, universities and Governments across the UK to effect change and believe that:
- Our future is inextricably bound to a successful high quality education system.
- The UK develops some of the best graduates and research anywhere in the world. Value is particularly added where businesses and universities work together.
- But sustaining this excellence costs money and all who benefit should invest more: the State, graduates and employers.
- We need to harness the capabilities and creativity of everyone. We cannot afford to exclude anyone. Inclusive higher education builds a more cohesive, just and caring society.
- We need more highly educated people in all walks of life and especially more with skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Equally we need enterprise and innovation to be wired into our graduates so they can help transform all organisations.
- International businesses seek graduates who are globally aware and higher education is increasingly developing global citizens and addressing through research the great global challenges.
We believe that these aims can best be achieved through businesses, universities and colleges working together.
It does so by:
- Strategic reviews of major economic and social problems that the combined weight of the leadership and their organisations can help resolve;
- Evidence-based policy initiatives;
- Lobbying for key changes in government and para-government policies;
- Experimental initiatives between individual members to produce case studies of successful interactions
- Media interventions that prompt questions, promote debate and influence opinion formers.
CIHE Mission
- To develop and promote an agreed agenda on the higher education talent and research issues that affect the UK’s global competitiveness and social well being as well as individual development.
- To build and publish an evidence base so that policy and behavior changes can be better based on fact.
- To change policy and behavior to reflect strategic educational and research needs.
- To create strategic task forces on issues of national significance where business and university collaboration can effect real strategic change.
Areas of research and policy focus
- Employability, Skills and Workforce Development
- University-Business Research Collaboration
- Future demand for STEM skills
- Role of higher education in meeting the UK’s competitive needs.
Focus for 2010
- Engineering the Future – How can businesses and universities collaborate to create the next engineering base?
- Digitising the Future – How can businesses and universities create creative jobs and research for the digital age?
- Sustaining the Future – How can businesses and universities create Britain’s low carbon economy?
- Financing the Future – How can businesses and universities rebuild Britain’s financial services?
- Healing the Future – How can businesses and universities collaborate on Bio-pharma and transformative health?
