Supporting new and established public and private higher education institutions through accreditation, regulation, governance, quality assurance and institutional transformation.

IHEART, a specialist practice of Knowledge Edge, partners with new and existing higher education institutions to establish, strengthen and transform universities and colleges across the UK and internationally.

We work with public universities, private universities, higher education colleges, education groups, governments, investors and international partners, helping institutions navigate regulatory requirements, strengthen governance, enhance academic quality and respond to institutional challenges with confidence.

Whether you are creating a new university, improving an existing institution or addressing complex organisational challenges, IHEART provides practical, evidence-based solutions grounded in decades of higher education leadership and consultancy.

IHEART works with institutions at every stage of their journey.

• New Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
• Private universities
• Higher education colleges
• Education investors
• International education groups
• Institutions seeking university status

We also support existing public and private universities facing institutional challenges or pursuing strategic improvement.

Our consultancy helps institutions experiencing:

• Governance challenges
• Quality assurance concerns
• Regulatory compliance issues
• Accreditation requirements
• Organisational restructuring
• Leadership transitions
• Programme review and redevelopment
• Student experience improvement
• Internationalisation challenges
• Financial sustainability pressures
• Institutional performance concerns
• Digital and AI transformation
• Strategic planning and renewal

Every institution faces periods of change. Our role is to help organisations respond with clarity, confidence and sustainable solutions.

To become the trusted international partner for building, strengthening and transforming higher education institutions that deliver excellence in teaching, governance, quality and innovation.

We believe higher education should be:

• Academically rigorous
• Student-centred
• Well governed
• Internationally connected
• Financially sustainable
• Quality assured
• Digitally enabled
• Future ready

Our mission is to help higher education institutions create lasting impact through strategic leadership, academic excellence and institutional transformation.

We do this by helping institutions to:

• Establish new higher education institutions
• Strengthen governance and leadership
• Improve academic quality and standards
• Achieve regulatory readiness
• Build international partnerships
• Enhance student success
• Develop future-ready academic programmes
• Help institutions respond to technological, social, economic and educational change
• Promote continuous improvement, innovation and a culture of excellence
• Navigate institutional change with confidence

Establishing a higher education institution requires a clear understanding of the academic, regulatory, financial, operational and market environment.

IHEART supports organisations in assessing the feasibility of new HEIs and developing the foundations required for successful institutional establishment.

Our work may include:

• HEI feasibility studies
• Market and demand analysis
• Institutional concept development
• Strategic positioning
• Academic portfolio planning
• Business and sustainability planning
• Governance structures
• Academic infrastructure
• Quality assurance systems
• Regulatory readiness
• Implementation roadmaps
• Institutional risk assessment

We help organisations move from concept to credible institution.

Strong governance provides the foundation for institutional integrity, accountability and sustainable development.

IHEART helps institutions develop governance and strategic frameworks that support effective decision-making, academic leadership and institutional accountability.

Our consultancy includes:

• Institutional strategy
• Governance structures
• Academic governance
• Board and committee frameworks
• Roles and responsibilities
• Delegation of authority
• Risk and assurance
• Strategic planning
• Institutional effectiveness
• Performance monitoring
• Policy frameworks
• Governance review

Our approach connects strategy, governance, academic leadership and institutional performance.

IHEART provides strategic and practical support to organisations preparing for Office for Students (OfS) registration in England.

We help organisations understand their regulatory responsibilities, assess institutional readiness and develop the policies, systems, governance arrangements and evidence required to support a robust registration process.

Our support may include:

• Regulatory readiness assessment
• Gap analysis
• Governance and accountability
• Academic quality and standards
• Student protection
• Student outcomes
• Risk management
• Policies and procedures
• Evidence development
• Regulatory preparation
• Mock reviews and readiness exercises
• Implementation support

We view registration as more than a regulatory submission. It is an opportunity to establish strong institutional foundations for long-term success.

Quality assurance is central to academic credibility and student success.

IHEART helps institutions develop quality assurance and enhancement systems that support academic standards, effective learning and teaching, student engagement and continuous improvement.

Our expertise includes:

• Quality assurance frameworks
• Academic regulations
• Programme approval
• Programme monitoring
• Periodic review
• Assessment and examination
• External examining
• Student feedback
• Academic standards
• Quality enhancement
• Academic integrity
• Student experience
• Institutional review

Our objective is to help institutions develop a quality culture, rather than simply a collection of policies.

The development of degree-awarding capability represents a significant stage in institutional maturity.

IHEART supports institutions seeking to develop the academic governance, quality systems, institutional capability and evidence required for consideration of degree-awarding powers.

Our work can include:

• Institutional readiness assessment
• Academic governance
• Academic standards
• Programme development and approval
• Assessment systems
• External examining
• Quality assurance
• Student academic experience
• Academic regulations
• Evidence mapping
• Readiness reviews
• Strategic development planning

We help institutions develop the academic maturity, governance and quality infrastructure necessary to support their ambitions.

Strong academic programmes are at the heart of a successful higher education institution.

IHEART supports the development and review of programmes that are academically coherent, appropriately structured, student-centred and aligned with institutional strategy.

Our work can cover:

• Programme design
• Curriculum development
• Learning outcomes
• Assessment strategies
• Programme specifications
• Academic regulations
• Curriculum mapping
• Employability
• Industry engagement
• Validation preparation
• Programme review
• Enhancement planning

We connect academic standards, student learning, assessment and employability in programme development.

IHEART supports institutions preparing for accreditation, external review and quality assessment.

Our approach focuses on ensuring that policy, practice, evidence and institutional strategy are aligned.

We can support:

• Accreditation readiness assessments
• Gap analysis
• Self-evaluation
• Evidence mapping
• Documentation review
• Academic governance preparation
• Quality assurance review
• Staff preparation
• Mock review exercises
• Interview and panel preparation
• Improvement planning

The objective is not simply to prepare an institution for a review, but to help build the systems and culture that make continuous quality improvement sustainable.

International collaboration can expand institutional reach, enhance academic opportunities and create new pathways for students.

IHEART supports the development and management of strategic international higher education partnerships.

Our services include:

• International partner identification
• Partner due diligence
• Partnership strategy
• Academic collaboration
• Articulation arrangements
• Progression pathways
• Collaborative provision
• Transnational education
• Quality assurance of partnerships
• Partnership governance
• Risk management
• Monitoring and review

IHEART brings particular expertise in developing strategic relationships between European universities and private higher education institutions in the UK and internationally.

Higher education is changing rapidly.

Technology, artificial intelligence, changing student expectations, international competition, new approaches to learning and teaching, and evolving regulatory expectations are reshaping the sector.

IHEART helps institutions develop transformation strategies that are ambitious, practical and academically grounded.

Transformation may include:

• Institutional restructuring
• Strategic renewal
• Digital transformation
• AI-enabled education
• Quality enhancement
• Student experience transformation
• Academic portfolio transformation
• Internationalisation
• Leadership and organisational development
• Performance improvement
• Change management

We help institutions move from reactive change to strategic transformation.

IHEART recognises that artificial intelligence will increasingly influence teaching, assessment, academic administration and institutional strategy.

We support institutions and educators in exploring responsible applications of AI across:

• AI-assisted lesson planning
• Assessment design
• Formative feedback
• Personalised learning
• Curriculum development
• Academic integrity
• AI literacy
• Student support
• Academic productivity
• Institutional transformation

Our approach is centred on educational value, academic integrity, responsible innovation and human judgement.

AI should enhance education — not compromise its academic foundations.

Not every institution seeks transformation by choice. Many universities face unexpected regulatory, financial, operational or academic challenges that require experienced external support.

IHEART works alongside institutional leaders to provide confidential, practical and strategic advice during periods of change.

• Governance reviews
• Board effectiveness
• Leadership transitions
• Institutional accountability

• Regulatory concerns
• Academic quality improvement
• Internal quality reviews
• Accreditation recovery planning

• Programme performance
• Student outcomes
• Curriculum enhancement
• External examiner recommendations

• Strategic repositioning
• Organisational effectiveness
• International expansion
• Long-term institutional resilience

Our consultancy is designed to support Vice Chancellors, Presidents, Boards of Governors, Academic Boards, Executive Leadership Teams and institutional owners in making informed decisions during critical moments.

IHEART combines decades of university leadership with international consultancy experience.

Our team understands higher education from inside institutions—not simply as advisers, but as leaders who have shaped universities through periods of significant change.

We bring together expertise in:

• University establishment
• Institutional transformation
• Governance
• Academic quality
• Regulatory compliance
• International partnerships
• AI and digital innovation
• Strategic leadership

Our philosophy is simple:

Strong governance creates confident leadership.

Robust quality creates trusted institutions.

Strategic transformation creates sustainable futures.

IHEART takes a practical, evidence-informed approach to higher education consultancy.

We work with each organisation to understand:

• Where are you now?
• Where do you want to go?
• What needs to change?
• What evidence will demonstrate progress?
• How can the institution sustain improvement?

Clear institutional direction and sustainable development.

Accountability, leadership and effective decision-making.

Academic standards, quality assurance and enhancement.

Regulatory understanding, readiness and compliance.

Technology, AI and new approaches to education.

Strategic national and international collaboration.

Organisational change, institutional development and continuous improvement.

With more than 40 years of experience in higher education, Dr Adrian Page is recognised for his expertise in institutional development, governance and university transformation.

He played a pivotal role in establishing the University of Luton as a university in 1993 following its transition from a College of Higher Education. He later served as Associate Dean at London Metropolitan University.

Since retirement, Dr Page has advised numerous private higher education institutions and has been instrumental in developing strategic collaborations between European universities and UK private higher education providers.

His experience gives IHEART unique insight into both institutional creation and institutional renewal.

Professor Faisal Mustafa has held senior leadership roles including Dean, Provost and Vice Chancellor, bringing extensive experience in university leadership, institutional performance and AI-powered innovation.

His expertise includes:

• Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education
• Digital Transformation
• University Rankings
• Academic Leadership
• Institutional Strategy
• Innovation and Change Management

His work helps universities prepare for the future while maintaining academic excellence and institutional integrity.

Dr Ranasinghe’s professional portfolio provides IHEART with a particularly strong perspective across the international higher education lifecycle.

Her experience encompasses:

• TNE Partnership Approval — International partnership evaluation and approval.
• International Academic Quality Assurance — Quality assurance across different higher education contexts.
• External Examining — Independent scrutiny of academic standards and assessment.
• Standards Verification — Assurance of consistency and academic standards.
• Programme Review — Evaluation of higher education programmes and academic management.
• Academic Management — Review of institutional academic processes and practices.
• International Partnerships — Supporting robust and quality-assured international collaboration.