Scotland’s largest university has turned to Nous Group at the same time as it is making savings that could lead to nearly 2,000 job losses. Staff say they were misled about the extent of its work.
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Scotland’s largest university has turned to Nous Group at the same time as it is making savings that could lead to nearly 2,000 job losses. Staff say they were misled about the extent of its work.
The University of Edinburgh has quietly paid more than £750,000 to a controversial consulting firm, fuelling suspicion it is helping bosses shape budget cuts that could see hundreds of jobs go.
The money was paid to Nous Group, which specialises in advising universities but has developed an ominous reputation in the higher education sector. Academics have dubbed it “Nousferatu” – a nod to the silent movie vampire – because they say its arrival often ushers in reductions in staff and courses.
Documents obtained by The Ferret show Nous and ‘related entities’ have advised the university on everything from disability services to digital strategy.
Edinburgh’s spending on the company has spiked in 2025, while at the same time it announced it was facing a “financial gap” and was seeking savings which the University and College Union (UCU) says could see 1,800 people lose their jobs.
Almost £250,000 was paid out to Nous between January and 10 September this year – the date we submitted the freedom of information (FoI) request that uncovered the figures.
Contracts agreed in 2025 include work to scope “academic efficiency opportunities” and deliver “strategic advice” to the university.
Yet staff claim that despite “repeated” questions, university management has been “economical with the truth” about its relationship with the firm. They told The Ferret that the scale of Nous’ involvement left them wondering whether cuts were planned “all along”.
One member of the Scottish Parliament’s education committee called on university leaders to “come clean” about what Nous has been doing.
A spokesperson for the University of Edinburgh did not shed light on the specifics of Nous’ role, instead saying the firm provided “insight and benchmarking into sector norms around strategic and operational practices”. The university did not respond to a question about whether it had been up front with staff about the company.
Nous said it did not comment on individual clients but its role was to offer “independent analysis and strategic advice to university leaders”. “Any operational decisions regarding staffing, course offerings or organisational structures are made solely by universities,” a spokesperson added.
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Nous’ macabre nickname apparently first popped up in Canada, where the firm is influential at a number of institutions and its name – which actually rhymes with ‘mouse’ – was often mispronounced as ‘noose’.
Staff there claim its arrival has frequently preceded job losses and restructuring which concentrates power in the hands of senior university management.
One paper by Canadian academics has even suggested that Nous and firms like it drain the “lifeblood” from universities. In Australia – where Nous originates – critics say a similar pattern has unfolded, with the company often drafted in during financial pressures to review staffing and reshape courses.
Nous told The Ferret it is “aware of a nickname that has been reported previously” which, it said, does not reflect the nature of its work or its commitment to “supporting institutions in a respectful and evidence-based way”.
Although the university had remained tight-lipped about the firm, rumours about Nous’ involvement at Edinburgh have circulated for some time. But the FoI response shows the extent of its work for the first time.
Edinburgh held 12 contracts and received 26 documents from Nous or related entities between January 2022 and September 2025.
As early as February 2022, it had provided the university with a “draft vision” and a “strategy and roadmap” report.
The contract to scope “academic efficiency opportunities” was signed in June this year, the same month staff staged the first of three strikes over the £140m of proposed cuts – which are equivalent to 10 per cent of Edinburgh’s annual revenue.
In January, the month before those cuts were announced, the university had agreed a contract for Nous to perform a “deep dive analysis” of its professional services – the administrative teams that support teaching and research.
Meanwhile in June, a contract for the first part of a “strategic advice project” was agreed, with a report bearing the same title delivered in August.
The university insists the financial pressure it faces is very real. Announcing it was seeking the savings in February, principal Sir Peter Mathieson told staff that Edinburgh faced a “financial gap” caused by stagnant Scottish Government funding, rising national insurance contributions and, crucially, a fall in international student numbers.
The high fees paid by non-EU international students brought in more than £360m in 2023-24. For years, Mathieson said the university had been able to “grow itself out of financial challenge” by attracting more overseas students.
Paul Dobson
But a shock to international recruitment – caused partly by changes to UK visa regulations – meant this was no longer possible and management claims it needs to act now to put the university on a stable financial footing.
Union officials dispute the scale of the crisis. They point out that Edinburgh has assets worth £3.1bn.
Much of that is tied up in buildings and long-term investments, but the union says it nevertheless puts Edinburgh in a stronger position than institutions such as Dundee, which required a Scottish Government bailout earlier this year.
It claims any financial issues are the result of high capital spending on buildings and infrastructure projects – rather than staff.
Both the UCU and the university senate – which oversees academic affairs at Edinburgh – say management has not shared the financial forecasts cuts are based on. In May, the senate issued a vote of no confidence in management over the cuts, in part because it said key evidence showing the rationale for them had not been shared.
Edinburgh is far from the first UK university to call on consultants for advice at a time of financial pressure.
But the UCU says the scale and apparent secrecy around the firm’s work have heightened scrutiny at the university.
The president of the Edinburgh branch of the union, Sophia Woodman, said it had “repeatedly” asked about Nous’ work but that the response from management had been what she “charitably” called “disingenuous”. She said management told the union that Nous was only involved in providing a survey called ‘UniForum’ in which staff rate the effectiveness of the university’s services.
“The Ferret’s FoI shows their involvement is much more extensive and covers a lot of other areas,” Woodman said.
“I think they [university leaders] have been economical with the truth,” she added, while claiming the findings “raise the question of whether staff cuts were planned all along”.
Two members of the university senate – who spoke to The Ferret anonymously – claimed the body had also not been informed about Nous’ role or been given access to its reports.
“As far as we are aware, Nous has not been mentioned explicitly by the executive [management] in the senate, beyond the UniForum survey,” one senator said.
“The lack of transparency is certainly in line with the rest of the executive’s communication around budget cuts,” they said. “There appears to be no effort to provide suitable levels of detail in order for the Senate to make informed decisions and execute its statutory duty.”
One added: “It is eye-opening to browse through Nous Group blog posts and discover that the executive’s entire strategy to lead our institution seems to be simply repeating verbatim the opinion pieces of the consultants.”
Our revelations also prompted criticism from politicians. Miles Briggs, a Scottish Conservative MSP and member of Holyrood’s education committee, said staff and students deserved clarity.
They would have “serious questions about why the university has squandered so much paying consultants at this time,” Briggs said. “Management at the university must urgently come clean as to the reason behind this spending on external reviews, rather than keeping everyone in the dark,” he added.
The Scottish Greens MSP for the Lothian region, Lorna Slater, called for university bosses to speak “openly and honestly” to staff and students and prioritise education rather than “lining the pockets of consultants”.
A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: “The University has engaged the Nous Group to provide insight and benchmarking into sector norms around strategic and operational practices.
“This is to ensure that the University’s practices remain effective, sustainable and aligned with the University’s long-term vision and goals, and able to deliver continuous improvements and lasting benefits for its students, staff and wider community.”
A spokesperson for Nous Group UK said: “We support universities globally on a broad range of complex issues, including on institutional strategy, student experience and wellbeing, digital strategy, Equality Diversity and Inclusion and on educational models that lead to improved outcomes for organisations, students and communities.
“We understand that periods of change can be challenging. That’s why our work is focused on improving quality, sustainability and student experience to the unique context of each university.”
The Ferret is publishing the full FoI documents as part of its commitment to transparency and making its sources available where possible. You can read them here.
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