Management consultants and university futures: Academic capitalism and the capture of UK public higher education

Abstract

This article examines the extraordinary growth of private management consultancy involvement in UK higher education. Analysing a series of ‘thought-leadership’ reports on university futures published between 2012 and 2023 it examines how these firms have embedded themselves in universities and cemented their expertise, profitability and power. Examining the future scenarios they imagine, the author suggests that these reports reflect a new phase in the evolution of academic capitalism, one characterised by consultancy-driven strategies for market-making and unbundling. Finally, the author asks, what are the implications of these interventions for the future of public higher education?.