When it came time to enroll for his bachelor's degree in the United Kingdom, Oli Sturdy chose quickly: the University of Kent. It had "one of the best anthropology departments in the country," said Sturdy, 22, adding: "They had developed an expertise in biological anthropology, and had the only ethnobotany master's course in Europe." He started classes at the institution, located in the medieval city of Canterbury, in southern England, in the fall of 2022.

Yet when it came time to select his modules, Sturdy realized that some of them had disappeared. By the time he started his second year, in 2023, there were even fewer of them. In March 2024, he learned that his department was being cut. "I will be able to finish my studies but the university has stopped recruiting new students," he said. Now in his final year, Sturdy only had access to two modules – compared to about 15 under normal circumstances – and only two teachers were left in the department.

At the start of 2024, the University of Kent eliminated six departments, citing "financial challenges." During the 2022-2023 academic year, it lost £12 million (€14 million), a deficit expected to grow to £31 million for 2023-2024, according to the latest accounts. In addition to anthropology, the institution will no longer offer courses in art history, philosophy and religious studies, journalism, music, health and social care.

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