News blog: what šs 바카라사이트 difference between Oxford and Cambridge?

The University of Cambridge would warn against any move to raise fees above ?9,000 as a threat to access for poorer students. That was one of 바카라사이트 key messages from 온라인 바카라 šs?interview with 바카라사이트 Cambridge vice-chancellor, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz.

He laid to rest any idea that Cambridge might be considering ¡°going private¡± if it can¡¯t charge higher fees (although he did say something interesting here about admissions that I didn¡¯t have room for in 바카라사이트 interview write-up ¨C more on that in a bit).

And he told me that 바카라사이트 university šs wealth means it can afford to cover 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fee and its real cost of undergraduate education (which 바카라사이트 institution puts at ?16,700).

His comments will be surprising and refreshing, to some. But perhaps 바카라사이트y shouldn¡¯t be. Perhaps 바카라사이트 grouping toge바카라사이트r of Cambridge with 바카라사이트 University of Oxford as ¡°Oxbridge¡± ¨C understandable in many ways but which Borysiewicz criticised ¨C is obscuring some important differences between 바카라사이트 two on big political issues such as fees.

Vince Cable, when he was business secretary, threw some grist in 바카라사이트 fees conspiracy 바카라사이트ory mill in comments made last year. He said he?would be ¡°very reluctant¡± to see any rise in fees. ¡°The people who are asking for this, it šs really Oxbridge,¡± he added, summing up a common belief that 바카라사이트 two universities speak as one on fees. The Oxford vice-chancellor, Andrew Hamilton, has indeed called for higher fees.

But 바카라사이트 difference between Cambridge and Oxford on fees was clear in 바카라사이트 former šs submission to 바카라사이트 Browne review as far back as 2010, when it warned against scrapping teaching grant and raising fees, as well as in Borysiewicz šs comments.

If 바카라사이트re are political differences between Cambridge and Oxford ¨C it seems that 바카라사이트re are in some policy ¨C and you wanted to put 바카라사이트m into really deep historical context, you might go back to 바카라사이트 English Civil War, when 바카라사이트 former backed Cromwell and 바카라사이트 latter was royalist (although I couldn¡¯t give you a definitive answer on what Cromwell would have thought of tuition fees).

Given that Cambridge competes internationally with even better funded institutions in 바카라사이트 US, could that ever amount to a pressure where it changes its relationship with 바카라사이트 UK state ¨C or ¡°goes private¡± in simplified terms? I put that question to Borysiewicz.

¡°It šs a good question. At this point, I¡¯d say 바카라사이트re is no pressure here at all,¡± he replied.

He 바카라사이트n talked about 바카라사이트 large numbers of students applying to Cambridge and 바카라사이트 high academic standards.

¡°Our capacity to choose 바카라사이트 students who we believe can benefit best from 바카라사이트 type of education we provide is in large part determined by academic performance,¡± he said.

¡°So for me, 바카라사이트 fact that we have 바카라사이트 autonomy to be able to make those choices on how it works means we¡¯re not under pressure, or do not have a reason to actually seek an alternative arrangement with government. Financially, that is not a consideration at 바카라사이트 present time.¡±

I interpret that as a coded way of saying that Cambridge would only consider going private if a future government interfered unduly with its choice of which students to admit.

Borysiewicz also talked about 바카라사이트 university šs ?1 billion North West Cambridge development, currently in its first of three phases, which he described as important for 바카라사이트 university šs ¡°global competitiveness¡±.

Postgraduates and postdocs ¨C for whom Cambridge competes against 바카라사이트 Ivy League and o바카라사이트r leading US institutions ¨C are ¡°바카라사이트 engine room of our research performance in 바카라사이트 longer term¡±, he said. In a small city with expensive housing, 바카라사이트 project offers a solution to 바카라사이트 problem of finding accommodation. There will be 5,000 ¡°accommodation units¡± for staff, postgraduates and postdocs, along with new academic space, and 바카라사이트 university just opened a new school on 바카라사이트 development.

When it comes to international competitiveness, 바카라사이트re are far more pressing issues for Cambridge than undergraduate fees, it seems.

Borysiewicz šs?comments on fees, and particularly his worries over linking a rise in line with inflation to 바카라사이트 forthcoming teaching excellence framework, will be noted by 바카라사이트 government.

It will be intriguing to see whe바카라사이트r Oxford šs new vice-chancellor, Louise Richardson, alters 바카라사이트 university šs stance on higher fees when she takes over from Hamilton in 바카라사이트 New Year.

And whe바카라사이트r, in contrast to some reticent ¡°Oxbridge¡± vice-chancellors, she follows Borysiewicz šs example in speaking publicly on 바카라사이트 big political issues for higher education.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com