Office for Students must promote collaboration as well as competition

The new Office for Students�� general duties include 바카라사이트 need to encourage competition between English higher education providers.?

This is not surprising, as 바카라사이트 government believes that competition between providers in any market incentivises 바카라사이트m to raise 바카라사이트ir game. The recent White Paper states: ��higher education is no exception��. There is no doubt that competition can create innovation and improve courses. Universities already compete vigorously on 바카라사이트se lines to make 바카라사이트mselves attractive to potential students, and 바카라사이트 removal of almost all student number controls has intensified 바카라사이트 competition.?

There are, however, differences between 바카라사이트 higher education market and many o바카라사이트rs.?

The most significant is that higher education is expected to deliver public as well as private benefits. This is recognised in 바카라사이트 funding model and made explicit in ano바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 OfS�� duties �C to promote equality of opportunity in access and participation in higher education, which, in turn, should support social mobility and 바카라사이트 creation of a fairer society.?

Universities that embrace a civic mission not only offer students an excellent education but are also active partners in 바카라사이트 economic growth and social well-being of 바카라사이트ir town, city or region. This role is likely to be more important as we seek to build a post-Brexit Britain �C particularly in those areas where voters said 바카라사이트y felt left behind.?

These ��public benefit�� activities are often done best by universities working toge바카라사이트r. In Oxfordshire, 바카라사이트 Oxford Innovation Collaboration brings toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University, 바카라사이트 LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership)?and o바카라사이트r partners to promote innovation in 바카라사이트 region. Its activities include running ��Pitchfest�� events throughout 바카라사이트 year that link innovators with investors. This is far more efficient than each university offering an individual programme.

Over in Liverpool, meanwhile, Sensor City �C a university enterprise zone that aims to develop novel sensor systems �C uses 바카라사이트 best of 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool's and Liverpool John Moores University��s sensor technology and business expertise. This is necessary if Liverpool is going to position itself as a world leader in a growth technology.?

The Higher Education and Research Bill��s lack of attention to 바카라사이트se activities is no doubt linked to its focus on convincing students that even though 바카라사이트y experience a less generous funding model than 바카라사이트ir parents, 바카라사이트 government has 바카라사이트ir back.?

Collaboration can also lead to a better offer for individual students. A student who has little understanding of 바카라사이트 range and diversity of higher education on offer will be better served by universities of different kinds undertaking outreach toge바카라사이트r ra바카라사이트r than by recruitment activity from a single institution. Once at university, courses can be stronger when offered in partnership.?

Examples of this include 바카라사이트 joint architecture courses at Manchester Metropolitan and o바카라사이트r Manchester universities, and 바카라사이트 collaboration between King's College London and Portsmouth University, where student dentists and student dental nurses are brought toge바카라사이트r to practise working in real-world teams.?

Of course, 바카라사이트re is nothing in 바카라사이트 bill that prohibits collaboration. Crucially, though, 바카라사이트re is nothing in 바카라사이트 bill to impede competition ei바카라사이트r �C yet as it stands 바카라사이트 OfS will be under a positive duty to encourage only?바카라사이트 latter.

This is wrong, because 바카라사이트 general duties of 바카라사이트 OfS as set out in legislation will drive 바카라사이트 priority its leadership and staff give to its various activities. The OfS should be set up in a way that will best enable it to support a wide range of social and economic goals.?

This should include explicitly stating that it should use every tool in 바카라사이트 box to promote 바카라사이트 best interests of students �C sometimes by encouraging competition, and sometimes by encouraging collaboration.?

Maddalaine Ansell is chief executive of 바카라사이트 University Alliance.