Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic，as in other countries around the world，universities in the UK have adjusted and changed accordingly their overall operation，teaching，research and professional services，and student support. In the field of teaching and learning，universities and academics have accumulated experience on large-scale online teaching，but they are also confronted with shortcomings and problems. In the post-pandemic era，governments and universities need to fully consider the quality of digital online teaching and learning and ensure equal access to digital resources for students. In the field of research，due to the COVID-19，the submission plan of research evaluation（i.e.，REF 2021）at national level has been revised and some research funding has been cut. Despite this，the government has taken measures and launched new research agencies（i.e.，ARIA）to help cement the UK’s position as a global science superpower. For most universities in the UK，student tuition fees，especially that of the international students，are an important guarantee for maintaining the operation of the schools. The decline in the number of students is putting pressure on the financial situation of many universities. In the post-pandemic era，both the British government and the higher education sector need to think about how to maintain the UK’s competitive position in the international education market in the future. The government should also recognise the central role of the higher education sector in the UK’s economic recovery and support its sustainable development.