Justine Greening is the new secretary of state for education, a role that prime minister Theresa May has expanded to include higher education.
Ms Greening will also serve as minister for women and equalities. Before today's cabinet shake-up, she was secretary of state for international development – a post she had held since 2012. Previously, she had spent a year as secretary of state for transport.
There are rumours that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) will cease to exist, and be merged into a new Business, Energy and Industry department.
News that the education and higher education briefs were to be united was generally welcomed by commentators on Twitter.
The education editor of The Guardian described it as a “sensible move”.
Higher education and apprenticeships to move from BIS to the Dept for Education - making it a massive department; sensible move
— Richard Adams (@RichardA) July 14, 2016
THE editor John Gill said that he hoped the merger might lead to a more “coherent approach to social mobility”.
HE to DfE - opportunity for more coherent approach to social mobility, as a May priority? https://t.co/LSVsNrxlmD
— John Gill (@JG_THE) July 14, 2016
However, BBC Newsnight's Chris Cook was less optimistic...
HE people who think they're best served inside an education budget line with schools - with major budget and cost problems - are mad.
— Chris Cook (@xtophercook) July 14, 2016
...while our own political correspondent, John Morgan, stressed that much depends on where the research budget ends up.
Concern of unis was always that going into DfE wd create dept w huge budget where they wd be cut - but maybe not if research doesn't follow.
— John Morgan (@JMorganTHE) July 14, 2016
#DearJustine
In response to the appointment of Ms Greening, THE and its sister publication TES, asked their Twitter followers what the priority issues were for the new education secretary.
You can follow their suggestions live on the #DearJustine feed on Twitter. Here are some highlights.
#DearJustine make the move of universities from business to education embody what it symbolises.
— Edwin Bacon (@EdwinTBacon) July 14, 2016
.@JustineGreening #DearJustine Please take HE seriously. Don't treat it like just some business. It isn't. https://t.co/P9XUs41znd
— Benjamin Bland (@benjamin__bland) July 14, 2016
#DearJustine Education is not a business. Stop the TEF. Oh, and let foreign (and European) students stay in the UK.
— Emil Archambault (@EmilArchambault) July 14, 2016
@timeshighered Clarify residency status of EU staff and funding arrangements for EU grants and applications beyond 2019 #DearJustine
— Samuele Marcora (@SamueleMarcora) July 14, 2016
#DearJustine to recognise #HEs value to create knowledge & not just to learn knowledge @timeshighered @JustineGreening
— Elisabeth Hill (@ElisabethLHill) July 14, 2016
#DearJustine HE sector will suffer heavy Brexit impact - White paper is an ill-contrived venture capitalist cut & paste job - please halt it
— Helen List (@listhelen) July 14, 2016
#DearJustine
— Dr. Mike (@moshoke) July 14, 2016
Consider ensuring that universities don't only treat int. students to cash cows but as humans.
Update: 4:25pm - your tweets are coming in thick and fast!
#DearJustine be bold and engage in education policy making that is genuinely research-informed @tes @meshguides @JustineGreening
— Naomi Flynn (@naomiflynn61) July 14, 2016
#DearJustine The new HE bill is a car crash. Get rid of it.
— (((David Pattie))) (@DavidPattie) July 14, 2016
#DearJustine please understand research that solves global problems needs intl students and staff #WeAreInternational
— Joanne Purves (@jo_globaleng) July 14, 2016
We will be retweeting more reaction to the appointment from our Twitter account. Follow us!