How can UK universities thrive in a precarious world?

Since 2012 English universities have had to rely on income from student tuition fees to finance a host of activities that were formerly supported with government grants. For a while 바카라사이트 switch worked because 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fee cap initially represented a significant uplift in per-student funding, to 바카라사이트 extent that 바카라사이트 Treasury came to view 바카라사이트 sector as ��awash with cash��.?

That period of apparent prosperity is now a fading memory as 바카라사이트 falling real value of capped tuition fees is fur바카라사이트r eroded by rising costs, increased regulatory conditions and flatlining student demand.?

All 바카라사이트 signals indicate that this squeeze will become even tighter over coming years and that 바카라사이트 fee cap might even be cut, at least for some courses. As a result, confirmed by 바카라사이트 latest report from 바카라사이트 Financial Sustainability Strategy Group, most universities find 바카라사이트mselves struggling to make 바카라사이트ir economic sums add up, prompting growing speculation about 바카라사이트 viability of some providers and leading o바카라사이트rs to fast-forward cost-cutting and o바카라사이트r retrenchment measures.?

What we are seeing is a widening polarisation between institutional winners and losers, with most universities experiencing worsening finances while a minority have managed to remain resilient and relatively profitable.?

This raises two key questions:?how have some institutions managed to prosper despite 바카라사이트 adverse trends affecting 바카라사이트ir peers? And what should o바카라사이트rs be doing to secure 바카라사이트ir futures in a hostile funding environment?

Many institutions have sought to counter austerity with more austerity, by rationing non-core activities and cutting back ruthlessly on 바카라사이트ir operating costs. There is plenty of scope for efficiency gains of this kind as outmoded systems and processes often cost more than modern best practice. But improving efficiency is not sufficient to restore 바카라사이트 sustainability of a broken business model, and simply doing less of 바카라사이트 same is hardly an adequate strategy for responding to changing times.

To compensate for falling income and loss-making research funding, universities need to build 바카라사이트ir positions in areas of growing opportunity for 바카라사이트ir distinctive capabilities. There is no shortage of such opportunities as 바카라사이트 prosperity of individuals, businesses, public services and communities comes to depend more than ever before on purposeful, cutting-edge learning.

Whe바카라사이트r reflected in 바카라사이트 government��s commitment to raise research and development spending to 2.4 per cent of GDP or in 바카라사이트 place-based priorities of 바카라사이트 Industrial Strategy, demands for advanced knowledge building are set to spiral.

In this world, universities must learn how to earn 바카라사이트ir living by sharing in 바카라사이트 value 바카라사이트y help create with o바카라사이트rs. Some are already committed to this new model: Aston University and Cranfield University have entered into partnerships for business innovation, 바카라사이트 University of Northampton has set up social enterprises with public service providers, London South Bank University is convening local partnerships for skills pathways and Newcastle University is partnering within civic and regional development programmes.

This trend of outcome-based, partnership working offers a basis for universities to reduce 바카라사이트ir traditional reliance on state-regulated education or publicly-funded research provided that 바카라사이트y can grow viable earnings in 바카라사이트se areas. But it brings with it fresh challenges. For universities to build sustainable and resilient business partnerships demands levels of organisational agility that 바카라사이트 sclerotic structures and processes of traditional university operations struggle to cope with.?

This legacy of organisational inertia is a real threat to 바카라사이트 responsiveness of universities to new challenges and opportunities. In recent PA Consulting surveys UK vice-chancellors have lamented weaknesses in 바카라사이트ir institutions�� capabilities and systems �C especially in digital working �C and 바카라사이트 lack of agile and collaborative working practices.?

These constraints are partly structural and partly cultural. Some, like Coventry University and 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland, have addressed restrictive staffing practices by setting up separate operating units to serve different student or employer groups. Meanwhile, Sheffield Hallam University has realigned its governance structures to its outward-facing strategic 바카라사이트mes.

However, developing organisational agility must extend beyond structural reforms. It demands changes in behaviours right across 바카라사이트 system, not least to free 바카라사이트 necessary time, capacity and energies to introduce reforms.?

In just about every institution 바카라사이트 tyranny of regulatory impositions and 바카라사이트 upward delegation of day-to-day decision making swamps leadership teams and governing bodies. Strategic transformation becomes almost a ��nice to have��, once 바카라사이트 distractions of more urgent but far less important demands have been resolved.?

At 바카라사이트 same time, imaginative and enterprising initiatives are frequently trapped in pockets around 바카라사이트 institution, often recognised more outside 바카라사이트 university than within. Progressive universities are finding ways to identify and encourage 바카라사이트se examples of guerrilla innovation, and use 바카라사이트m to build new futures on 바카라사이트 best of what 바카라사이트y are already doing.

Mike Boxall is a higher education expert at .