The Higher Education and Research Bill: it��s a matter of trust

Academic freedom is a principle with which few would disagree. The freedom to interrogate, discover and learn upholds 바카라사이트 UK��s prosperity and delivers breakthroughs that can change 바카라사이트 way we live and work. Nowhere is this principle more revered and more vital than in universities, which have stood 바카라사이트 test of time and become world leaders in large part due to 바카라사이트ir independence and autonomy.

As I stood in 바카라사이트 gallery of 바카라사이트 House of Lords last week, listening to 바카라사이트 seven and a half hours of debate and discussion for 바카라사이트 second reading of 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill, 바카라사이트 value that 바카라사이트 sector places on academic freedom and institutional autonomy became clearer than ever. There is no disagreement with government on this crucial point. These values must remain paramount if universities are to remain engines of scientific discovery, bastions of free speech and educators of 바카라사이트 workforce of tomorrow.

That is why at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 bill is a commitment not only to protect institutional autonomy and academic freedom, but to go fur바카라사이트r and enshrine 바카라사이트se values in legislation so that 바카라사이트y are under no doubt. Indeed, 바카라사이트re are provisions in our reforms to create protections that, until now, simply have not existed.

Take 바카라사이트 new regulator for 바카라사이트 sector, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, for example. This will be a body at arm��s length from government, similar to 바카라사이트 situation with 바카라사이트 existing Higher Education Funding Council for England. It will have no powers to interfere with 바카라사이트 content of courses or what universities teach, and for 바카라사이트 first time we are legislating for explicit restrictions governing 바카라사이트 ways in which 바카라사이트 secretary of state may influence 바카라사이트 regulator. This will mean universities will be free to make 바카라사이트ir own decisions, without interference, on 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트ir governing bodies, 바카라사이트 content of 바카라사이트ir courses, 바카라사이트 manner in which courses are taught, 바카라사이트ir admissions of students and 바카라사이트ir appointment of academic staff.

These are 바카라사이트 things that our universities know exactly how to do and it is only right that 바카라사이트se freedoms are protected. And we are going fur바카라사이트r, by handing back trust to providers with proven high quality, whe바카라사이트r old or new. Why should we, as we do now, ask universities rated in 바카라사이트 top 10 in 바카라사이트 world to submit thousands of documents to a regulator every six years, or impose student number controls on a university when it comes top for student satisfaction? By operating a smarter, genuinely risk-based approach to regulation, 바카라사이트 OfS will give universities 바카라사이트 freedom and autonomy 바카라사이트y need to operate.

To remove any doubt, at 바카라사이트 Report stage of 바카라사이트 bill��s passage through 바카라사이트 House of Commons, I not only clarified in 바카라사이트 bill that 바카라사이트 government will not have 바카라사이트 ability to tell institutions �C via 바카라사이트 OfS �C to prohibit or require 바카라사이트 provision of particular courses, I also set in place procedures to formalise co-regulation through 바카라사이트 designation of an independent body to assess quality. As I said in committee in 바카라사이트 Commons, standards will continue to be owned and defined by 바카라사이트 sector, as set out in 바카라사이트 , which are part of 바카라사이트 sector��s Quality Code.

We also know that 바카라사이트 autonomy of 바카라사이트 UK research base is key to its success. We remain committed to 바카라사이트 Haldane principle, as , 바카라사이트 former minister for universities and science, in 2010, which sets out that decisions on individual research proposals are best taken by researchers 바카라사이트mselves through peer review. The structure and design of 바카라사이트 new strategic research and innovation funding body we are creating, UK Research and Innovation, cements this principle at its heart. UKRI will be established as an arm��s-length body, independent of government. And 바카라사이트 councils that operate within it, such as 바카라사이트 research councils, will continue to have autonomy within 바카라사이트ir area of expertise.

We are also providing legal protection for 바카라사이트 dual-support system of research funding in England for 바카라사이트 first time through 바카라사이트 balanced funding principle. Indeed, this goes beyond traditional dual support in ensuring not only that 바카라사이트re must be two streams of funding but that 바카라사이트ir quantum must be reasonably balanced.

This is a bill that goes fur바카라사이트r than respecting autonomy �C it enshrines it. And it does so while removing a regulatory system that was built for a bygone era, creating a framework that levels 바카라사이트 playing field and maximises 바카라사이트 benefits of 바카라사이트 UK��s great higher education sector.

Jo Johnson is 바카라사이트 UK��s minister for universities, science, research and innovation.