New HEPI Policy Note ‘A breed apart? What do young undergraduates think of controversial and divisive issues?’

“A new HEPI Policy Note offers a fascinating insight into what today’s undergraduates think about some of the most controversial and divisive issues facing society. Drawing on polling of more than 1,000 students aged 18 to 21, A breed apart? What do young undergraduates think of controversial and divisive issues? (HEPI Policy Note 72) by Nick Hillman OBE, explores attitudes towards topics including: abortion limits; the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs (AI); diversity quotas; nuclear disarmament; reparations for the slave trade; the most appropriate changing facilities for transmen and transwomen; and a wealth tax. The findings challenge some common assumptions about student opinion while revealing areas where students stand apart from the wider public. In many cases, students’ views broadly mirror those of the population as a whole. Yet the report also uncovers some striking differences. Nearly three-quarters of students support unilateral nuclear disarmament; around half favour reparations for the slave trade; and more than a quarter believe Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel were defensible – positions that differ markedly from broader public opinion. The polling also sheds light on students’ political preferences, with the Green Party holding a substantial lead in voting intentions among undergraduates. At a time when debates about free speech, campus culture and generational divides continue to dominate public discussion, the report provides valuable evidence on what students actually think rather than what others assume they think. To read the press release, find a download of the full report and access the supporting data, click here. The post New HEPI Policy Note ‘A breed apart? What do young undergraduates think of controversial and divisive issues?’ appeared first on HEPI .

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