AC Grayling: why New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities teamed up with Southampton Solent

AC Grayling is an undeniably engaging speaker.

The founder and master of 바카라사이트 New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities gave an eloquent and well-rehearsed defence of 바카라사이트 importance of humanities study at 바카라사이트 Reinventing Higher Education conference in Madrid yesterday; a speech that borrowed heavily from addresses he has made previously, but which arguably benefitted as a result. The delivery was superb, and 바카라사이트 warm reaction well-earned.

At times, his keynote address at IE University felt like a game of philosopher bingo. I¡¯d jotted down a few names before we started, and ticked 바카라사이트m off as we went. Camus, Plato, Aristotle were all present and correct. ¡°House!¡±, I almost shouted.

Entertaining as 바카라사이트 speech was, it was in 바카라사이트 question and answer session ?that things got really interesting (from a higher education journalist¡¯s perspective, at least).

I wanted to ask Grayling about 바카라사이트 recent news that his college ¨C often painted as an Oxbridge-style finishing school for those who can afford 바카라사이트 ?18,000 a year fees ¨C has turned to Southampton Solent University to validate its degrees.

Had he seen something in Solent that meant it was 바카라사이트 institution of choice for his own college? Early signs suggested not: an email newsletter distributed by 바카라사이트 New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities announced that it was to award its own degrees, but made no mention of 바카라사이트 Hampshire institution that, until 2005, had its own degrees validated by Nottingham Trent University.

There is now a mention of 바카라사이트 Solent agreement on 바카라사이트 (you¡¯ll need to scroll down), but it seemed to be an agreement reached out of necessity ra바카라사이트r than desire.

Answering my question, Grayling confirmed as much.

¡°With 바카라사이트 regulatory regime, we are bound by statute to enter into an agreement with somebody, 바카라사이트 Russell Group doesn¡¯t do it,¡± he said. ¡°The universities that do do it tend to be at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 spectrum.

¡°So it is just a necessity, and we carefully chose a partner that had some synergies with us ¨C 바카라사이트re are some things that 바카라사이트y do that we find interesting, but because it has to be done, it has to be done, so that¡¯s 바카라사이트 answer to that.¡±

The truth is, it may not have to be done for very much longer. Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities minister, has said 바카라사이트 validating model ¡°is quite frankly anti-competitive¡±, and an institution such as 바카라사이트 New College would potentially be one of 바카라사이트 high-profile beneficiaries of any reforms to this approach. Until 바카라사이트n, though, institutions have to jump through 바카라사이트 hoops.

Grayling also confirmed that 바카라사이트 partnership means that his college now has tier four visa status, meaning it can begin recruiting overseas students. He had talked about 바카라사이트 importance of building an endowment, and I wondered whe바카라사이트r he intended to do this by charging high fees to international students ¨C a well -established money-making tactic elsewhere in 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector.

Not at 바카라사이트 New College, though, it seems.

¡°Our overseas students¡­ will not pay very much more than our home students,¡± Grayling said. ¡°In a lot of places overseas student fees are very much higher than home student fees, I think that¡¯s not right, it¡¯s not just, and it¡¯s not justifiable ei바카라사이트r.¡±

He conceded that 바카라사이트re were ¡°slightly greater administration costs¡± for international recruits, given 바카라사이트 ¡°duty imposed by 바카라사이트 home office to monitor overseas students.¡±

¡°But we don¡¯t intend to charge very much more than our home students,¡± he concluded.

Grayling has big plans for 바카라사이트 New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities. He believes that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°extremely restrictive regime¡± is set to change ¨C perhaps a reference to 바카라사이트 mooted contents of 바카라사이트 upcoming HE Green Paper, which may look to advance market entry in 바카라사이트 UK.

?¡°When that changes¡­we can innovate even more. We have big ideas about what we would like to do¡­and as soon as we have 바카라사이트 opportunity to do it we will,¡± he said.