Why are more universities rethinking the role of catering?
When universities talk about commercial growth, the conversation usually focuses on student recruitment, accommodation, conferences, research partnerships or international expansion. Catering does not always feature at the centre of that discussion. However, we know through our community that university catering teams support thousands of students, staff, visitors and conference delegates. They help shape the campus […]
Threat, opportunity, or not relevant yet? It’s time to find where you really stand on AI
AI has dominated boardroom conversations in higher education and student accommodation for the past two years, but the gap between talk and action remains stark. Universities and PBSA providers are being pulled in two directions at once, with pressure to adopt AI from vendors, students and competitors, and genuine uncertainty about where to start, how […]
What happens when you step into your customers’ world?
Certain moments in our community’s calendars carry a little more weight than others, and for universities, student arrivals are undoubtedly one of them. Thousands of students arrive at a new home, often in a new city or country, ready to begin an entirely new chapter of their lives. Some are buzzing with excitement; others are […]
From Macmillan coffee mornings to running the London marathon: how the Kinetic team gives back
By Clare Ody, VP of PBSA, Brand & Partnerships at Kinetic on Corporate Social Responsibility. At Kinetic we encourage our people to support the causes and communities that matter to them, with two paid Community Days each year. Here are just some of the ways Team Kinetic has been putting that time, energy and kindness […]
What catering teams told us about university catering management
By Rob Johnstone, Head of Product at Kinetic and Pip Kelly, Business & Solutions Executive, Kinetic Over the past year, we ran workshops, conducted focus groups, carried out surveys and visited catering teams on-site. We embedded ourselves in their world to understand what they needed to run smooth operations, meet expectations, and deliver for their […]
It’s time we gave higher education the love (and the whole story) it deserves
By Clare Ody, VP of PBSA, Brand & Partnerships at Kinetic on the Higher Education Sector Dr Jo Saxton CBE said what more of us need to be saying: the positive, confident, data-backed case for higher education. That interview has inspired me to speak up. I listened to Dr Jo Saxton’s interview on Times Radio […]
Universities may be sitting on a hospitality business they don’t fully recognise
By Bella O., Kinetic Software with Fiona Cooper and Quinten Gazendam, Smarthotel. When searching for accommodation, conference venues, or meeting spaces, most people do not think to consider universities. Instead, they typically compare options through hotel booking sites, venue-finding platforms, search engines, and increasingly, AI-powered discovery tools. This means that university accommodations can only enter […]
Designing for Gen Alpha: What the Research Says About Spaces, Technology, and Connection
Reflections from “Gen Alpha: Are You Ready?” | CUBO Residence Life Conference 2026 | Part Two of Two By Heba Khan, Marketing Coordinator, Kinetic The first article in this series looked at who Generation Alpha actually are: what the research reveals about their relationship with technology, their aspirations, the pressures they are carrying, and why […]
AI Native Does Not Mean AI Obsessed: Getting to Know Generation Alpha
Reflections from “Generation Alpha: Are You Ready?” | CUBO Residence Life Conference 2026 | Part One of Two By Heba Khan, Marketing Coordinator, Kinetic Generation Alpha arrives at university in 2028. That is two years away. And if the conversation at CUBO Residence Life 2026 was anything to go by, the sector is only just […]
The Journey Rarely Begins With Hate: Understanding the Manosphere and What It Means for Student Accommodation
Reflections from “Digital Masculinity and the Manosphere” | CUBO Residence Life Conference 2026 By Heba Khan, Marketing Coordinator, Kinetic There was a moment in this session that stopped the room. Not a statistic. Not a policy point. Just a sentence. “The journey rarely begins with hate. It often begins with loneliness, insecurity, ambition, rejection.” Clement […]
