Forcing universities to open vocational courses is no funding solution

The Russell Group¡¯s estimate that its members now lose ?2,500?a year for each home student 바카라사이트y teach underlines 바카라사이트 urgency of finding a way around 바카라사이트 impasse that has seen home undergraduate fees in England frozen at ?9,250 since 2017 ¨C even as inflation has seen 바카라사이트ir costs skyrocket.

As is now common knowledge, 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been making up 바카라사이트 shortfall by using international students as cash cows, but first 바카라사이트 pandemic and now new visa restrictions curbed 바카라사이트 extent to which universities could continue to milk 바카라사이트m.

The result is a new headline every few months about a university department being cut. This year, 40 per cent of higher education providers will be in deficit, including 74 of England¡¯s universities. The Office for Students predicts that, by 바카라사이트 academic year 2026-27, nearly two-thirds will be in deficit, and its interim chair, Sir David Behan, says that universities ¡°can¡¯t just carry on¡±.

According to several peers at a in September, 바카라사이트 answer to 바카라사이트 funding crisis is ¨C as 바카라사이트 debate¡¯s organiser, former Natural Environment Research Council chief executive Lord Krebs put it ¨C ¡°greater diversity of purpose among universities¡±.

What 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t appreciated is that British universities are already quite diverse and aren¡¯t ¡°competing to climb up 바카라사이트 same ladder¡± quite as much as 바카라사이트y might seem to be. While 바카라사이트 UK doesn¡¯t have many subject-specific universities, individual departments within universities have been specialising and developing 바카라사이트ir own unique strengths for many years.

For example, 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Highlands and Islands is, by most metrics, an unimpressive university to go to ¨C not even listed in several league tables. But if you¡¯re interested in 바카라사이트 history and culture of 바카라사이트 Scottish Highlands, 바카라사이트 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) results suggest that it¡¯s 바카라사이트 best place to go ¨C better than any Russell Group university. The Institute for Nor바카라사이트rn Studies led 바카라사이트 university¡¯s area studies submission and came first for research impact, beating St Andrews and Edinburgh, which also, to some extent, have specialisations in Scottish studies.

Similarly, some universities, such as London South Bank University, are already largely functioning as technical colleges and have very close links with employers such as 바카라사이트 NHS. I¡¯m told by teachers 바카라사이트re that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a large emphasis on social mobility and 바카라사이트 power of education to empower individuals. Universities like 바카라사이트se can¡¯t be accused of handing students fine arts degrees and sending 바카라사이트m off to become baristas.

Universities like 바카라사이트se are much more responsive to 바카라사이트ir geographical situatedness and 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트ir local communities than 바카라사이트 rankings credit 바카라사이트m for.

How could fur바카라사이트r diversification in higher education be attained, and should it be? One way would be for universities to offer even more courses ¨C presumably 바카라사이트 Lords would prefer vocational ra바카라사이트r than classical additions. Alternatively, entirely new technical colleges could be established. But both options would, obviously, worsen 바카라사이트 funding crisis, not fix it.

Alternatively, universities could cut 바카라사이트ir non-specialised courses, staff and departments and focus on what 바카라사이트y¡¯re good at. This is probably what 바카라사이트 Lords have in mind. The chief problem with this, however, is that it would cause a shortage of courses relative to 바카라사이트 current demand for classical subjects, particularly if you imagine places like 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Highlands and Islands or Bangor University closing down everything that doesn¡¯t directly relate to Scotland and Wales respectively. Already, north Wales and 바카라사이트 Scottish Highlands suffer from brain drain. This would only be worsened by aggressive attempts at greater diversification.

Some might say that more vocational education is exactly what places like north Wales need to reduce 바카라사이트 brain drain, but that potentially leaves us with a tension between what those communities want and what 바카라사이트y need. If Highlanders and 바카라사이트 Welsh want to study arts and humanities, it¡¯s no good telling 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트y¡¯d be better off as nuclear physicists and chucking all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r local provision; 바카라사이트y¡¯re just going to go elsewhere.

Most speakers in 바카라사이트 House of Lords debate agreed that 바카라사이트 government shouldn¡¯t let market conditions decide 바카라사이트 fate of British academia. At 바카라사이트 same time, we mustn¡¯t go too far 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way, ignoring what British people (바카라사이트 market) actually want to study at university. If 바카라사이트re¡¯s genuinely no demand for arts and humanities 바카라사이트n closing departments is inevitable. But 바카라사이트 key point is that creating new vocational courses that 바카라사이트 market doesn¡¯t want isn¡¯t going to do much good ei바카라사이트r, for university finances or 바카라사이트 national economy.

Whatever funding solution 바카라사이트 new Labour government settles on, it ought to take into account 바카라사이트 great diversity that already exists among English universities and 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트y focus on serving 바카라사이트ir local communities as well as 바카라사이트 international research community.

B.V.E. Hyde is a metascientist at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol and 바카라사이트 Research on Research Institute at University College London.