The Higher Education Research Group, or HERG@KCL, supports research in higher education at King's College London.

It is an informal and inclusive space bringing together PGR students, academic staff and professional service staff who are interested in questions of higher education research, along a broad array of perspectives, and scholarly and applied interests.

With a global scope that includes national, international and comparative higher education contexts, HERG@KCL is committed to supporting and developing diverse research interests in higher education across academic, policy, administrative and broader practice perspectives.

Thematic priorities

HERG@KCL encompasses a range of disciplinary backgrounds and approaches. Thematic priorities are driven by the members of the group, reflecting our varied research interests in higher education, as well as more collective concerns and areas for discussion. These include both theoretical and applied research in areas covering higher education policy, philosophy of higher education, pedagogy, curriculum, higher education management and institutional research.

Current interests within the group include (but are not restricted to):

• Understanding and transforming drivers of social inequality in and through higher education.
• Relationships between universities and conditions of democracy.
• Movements for epistemic and cognitive justice in higher education.
• Institutional challenges within the global neoliberal academy.
• Critical and inclusive pedagogies for teaching and learning.
• Higher education in times of conflict and crisis.
• Refugee access to higher education and universities as sanctuaries.
• Futures of artificial intelligence in higher education.
• Innovations in online teaching and learning.

Fortnightly lunchtime meetings

In our fortnightly meetings we discuss, seek feedback and support one another in relation to ongoing research projects, ideas for new projects and initiatives, theoretical and methodological developments, as well as policy and institutional initiatives relevant to higher education research at King's.

In-person and hybrid meetings are held every second Thursday from 12:00-13:00, according to a fixed term calendar (the room will be announced for each meeting). Everyone is welcome, please just turn up, and feel free to bring your lunch. Tea, coffee and biscuits are also provided.

Further information

HERG@KCL is always open to new members. If you would like to join please get in touch with Helen Murray.