Professor Christopher Millward

Professor Christopher Millward

School of Education
Professor of Practice in Education Policy

Contact details

Email
c.millward@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@Millward_Ch
View my research portal
Address
School of Education
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Chris joined the University of Birmingham in January 2022 as Professor of Practice in Education Policy, having previously served as Director for Fair Access and Participation and as Director of Policy for England’s regulatory and funding agencies.  His work is focused on generating and deploying robust evidence for tertiary education policy and practice.  He is particularly interested in issues of equity and inclusion across the life-course, how different educational systems influence local and national prosperity, and how they could be improved.

Qualifications

  • MPhil, University of Manchester
  • BA, University of Warwick

Teaching

Chris supervises students on the MA in Educational Leadership programme.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Millward, C 2023, 'Balancing the incentives in English higher education: the imperative to strengthen civic influence for levelling up*', Contemporary Social Science: Journal of the Academy of Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1080/21582041.2023.2219664

Millward, C 2023, 'Improving, but not equalising opportunity: the objective and effect of regulating fair access to higher education in England, and their implications for understanding higher education policy ', Oxford Review of Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2023.2211255

Millward, C & Martin, J 2022, 'Community comprehensive education: an effective way forward for everyone', Forum: for promoting 3-19 Comprehensive Education, vol. 64, no. 3, pp. 159-175. https://doi.org/10.3898/forum.2022.64.3.16

Chapter

Millward, C 2023, What Happened to the Masterplan? The Relationship Between Universities and Government. in H Carasso (ed.), UK Higher Education: Policy, Practice and Debate During HEPI's First 20 Years. HEPI Report, no. 161, Higher Education Policy Institute, pp. 33-44. <https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/UK-higher-education-Policy-practice-and-debate-during-HEPIs-first-20-years.pdf>

Abstract

INTERVAL-GB Collaborative 2023, 'Imaging Timing After Surgery for Glioblastoma (INTERVAL GB): A multi-centre, UK and Ireland retrospective cohort study', Brain and Spine, vol. 3, no. Supplement 1, 102127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bas.2023.102127

Other report

Green, A, Millward, C & Taylor, A 2022, How can universities, colleges and employers deliver the skills needed for levelling up? University of Birmingham. <https://blog.bham.ac.uk/cityredi/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2022/12/How-can-universities-colleges-and-employers-deliver-the-skills-for-local-productivity-innovation-and-prosperity-v2.pdf>

Working paper

Millward, C 2022 'Regulating fair access to higher education in England 2006-21' Centre for Global Higher Education working paper series, vol. 78, Centre for Global Higher Education, pp. 1-39. <https://www.researchcghe.org/publications/working-paper/regulating-fair-access-to-higher-education-in-england-2006-2021/>

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Professor Millward has engaged substantially with the media in his previous role, appearing on the Today programme, 5 live, and TV discussion programmes.  He has also written articles for general and trade press, and conducted interviews and press conferences with journalists.

Some examples of contributions to a newspaper without a paywall are provided below:

Media experience

Blogs:

Expertise

Chis has significant policy experience having spent the last 20 years working for funding bodies and a regulator. 

He has particular expertise on pathways through post-compulsory education, including school to university transitions, further and higher education, knowledge, skills and work, including comparisons between England and other countries.  Also, the broader civic role of universities locally, nationally and internationally, which brings together their research, education and knowledge exchange missions.

Chris has provided evidence to parliamentary committees on issues such as higher education access, the supply of STEM graduates and postgraduate education.  He has also engaged with successive ministers, special advisers and officials responsible for higher education and engaged with it from different parts of government. 

Chris has served on independent commissions advising on different aspects of higher education, including:

  • Disabled Students Commission
  • Advisory board for the ESRC Research Centre on Global Higher Education
  • UK Student Information Advisory Group
  • UK Financial Sustainability Strategy Group
  • Universities UK Social Mobility Advisory Group
  • Shadbolt and Wakeham reviews of Digital and STEM Skills
  • Wilson Review of University-Business Interaction
  • Russell Review of University Museums and Galleries