David Sweeney argues that the evidence in the humanities is bright – students are voting with their feet and choosing to study the humanities. At a £9k annual fee, the financial mode for humanities departments is sound. Employers continue to hire humanities graduates.

This lecture proposes that the humanities have a firm foundation on which to build, and identifies strategies to face the future with confidence. Sweeney will also discuss the UK Research Excellence Framework impact exercise, whose pilot demonstrated that humanities impact is evident and can be measured: “a powerful story emerges about the strength and benefits of research in the humanities, research that transforms the intellectual and cultural landscape, generates commercial capital and sustains citizenship and civil society”.

David Sweeney has been Director (Research, Innovation and Skills) of the Higher Education Funding Council for England since 2008. In this role he is responsible for developing policy on research (including the Research Excellence Framework), business and community, and employer engagement.