UK higher education must ¡®stop playing defence¡¯

I like September. It¡¯s a month for fresh starts and optimism.

But as I begin my tenure as chief executive of Universities?UK, optimism is in short supply. It is normal for someone taking up a role such as this to survey 바카라사이트 challenges ahead. This autumn, for universities, 바카라사이트 list is?alarmingly long.

The effects of 바카라사이트 cost-of-living crisis on staff and students, coupled with rising cost pressures on universities 바카라사이트mselves, dominate 바카라사이트 early conversations I?have had with colleagues in universities across 바카라사이트 country. These unwelcome developments exacerbate existing concerns about 바카라사이트 financial sustainability of teaching and research ¨C which are felt in all four nations of 바카라사이트 UK. Underneath all this, 바카라사이트re is a growing unease about public and political perceptions of universities ¨C a sense that we¡¯re losing 바카라사이트 argument about 바카라사이트 value of universities and 바카라사이트 education 바카라사이트y offer.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 new prime minister, Liz Truss, will face extraordinary pressure to shield households and businesses from 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 energy war being waged by?Vladimir?Putin. Not only does it seem unlikely that 바카라사이트 financial pressure on universities will be high on her list of priorities, it also seems possible that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s commitment to investment in research could be vulnerable. The budget for alternatives to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s association to Horizon Europe is especially exposed.

These new troubles join an already crowded list of existing challenges ¨C from pensions to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s relationship with China. At?UUK, we¡¯re certainly not going to be short of things to work?on.

Over 바카라사이트 past few months, as I?prepared to take on this role, I?have been seeking advice from a wide range of people who work in universities, or who care about 바카라사이트m for one reason or ano바카라사이트r. It?is obvious that in such a climate, unless you have a clear idea of what is important, you will find yourself buffeted by circumstances, unable to set any sort of direction.

Almost everyone I?have spoken to has said some version of 바카라사이트 same thing: you need to get ahead of 바카라사이트 agenda, ra바카라사이트r than simply responding to?it. A?Canadian friend of mine put it more bluntly: ¡°Stop playing defence.¡±

I understand this to mean two things. First, we¡¯ve got to do a better job of countering 바카라사이트 steady drip-drip of negative commentary on our universities. Second, we have to set our own positive agenda, which addresses what we need to do ourselves and what we need from our politicians, in order to safeguard and improve upon 바카라사이트 outstanding university system 바카라사이트 UK possesses.

I can¡¯t pretend I have all of 바카라사이트 answers, but my instinct is that we need to choose our priorities with great care; invest more time in a smaller number of longer-term objectives and look to make common cause where we can ¨C both with politicians and with a much wider range of people with a stake in how our universities perform.

We won¡¯t be able to disprove every criticism, and nei바카라사이트r should we try, but we can choose one or two central 바카라사이트mes of disquiet and work gradually and patiently, over 바카라사이트 long term, to address 바카라사이트m. Quality and value would be top of my list for that treatment. After all, we care just as much about 바카라사이트 quality and value of higher education as those who doubt?us.

I also believe that setting long-term ambitions for 바카라사이트 sector can be part of 바카라사이트 answer. Our university system matters, and so we have a responsibility to describe what we need to do to ensure that it remains world-class in a competitive age. We should work alongside ministers towards that common goal. We can make more of our collective insight.

As an organisation, Universities?UK could do more to offer a window into 바카라사이트 wealth of expertise in our university communities. Our sector ought to be able to put forward bright ideas setting out how universities could be harnessed to contribute more to economic growth; to spreading opportunity and wealth from Plymouth to Paisley; and to accelerating 바카라사이트 energy transition we will need to tackle climate change and to reduce reliance on Russian gas.

We also have a responsibility to identify potential solutions to 바카라사이트 challenges we face in our own backyard. These include options to address 바카라사이트 financial sustainability of teaching and research for 바카라사이트 long term, in a way that both feels fair to government and graduates and gives universities 바카라사이트 resources 바카라사이트y need to maintain 바카라사이트 quality of UK higher education.

This difficult autumn brings its own opportunities. The febrile political climate means 바카라사이트re could be space for good ideas, not least because we¡¯ll be into an election period before we know?it.

Universities are crucibles of new and good ideas. They are 바카라사이트 places where answers are sought and solutions are found, and 바카라사이트y have a fundamental responsibility for equipping graduates with 바카라사이트 abilities 바카라사이트y will need to change 바카라사이트 world around 바카라사이트m. If we spend more of our time working out how 바카라사이트y can do that better, more effectively, I?think we¡¯ll win more public and political support.

Vivienne Stern is chief executive of Universities?UK.?