The Provost’s Blog and Selected Speeches

Updates from the Provost’s Office about the work and activities of the Provost and Senior Vice-President of the University of Surrey.

‘What’s occurring?’ in 2025?

Provost and Senior Vice-President Tim Dunne reflects on the past year and identifies the key trends impacting the operations and mission of universities in 2025. Like around 19 million others, a highlight over the holiday period was watching the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special. Vanessa Shanessa Jenkins, ‘Ness’, has a vocabulary all of her own, including […]


‘Online education can help equalise global access to high-quality HE’

Provost Tim Dunne says higher international fees for in-person courses are vital to universities, but online students can be charged the same wherever they live. This article first appeared in Times Higher Education on 25 February 2024. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela’s stirring message, […]


‘The agile will survive and prosper in troubled times for HE sector’

Provost Tim Dunne reflects on PwC’s report on Financial Sustainability in the Higher Education sector. “Last week, the professional services firm PwC published a report on Financial Sustainability in the Higher Education sector. The report was commissioned by Universities UK, and its analysis was drawn from data shared by 84 universities. To say the report is timely […]