Leader: High road, low road, cul-de-sac

Next week's Glasgow East by-election is about more than 바카라사이트 decline of 바카라사이트 Labour Party in Scotland. A victory for 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party would indeed be a major blow to Gordon Brown, but it would also consolidate 바카라사이트 SNP's position and give its leader, Alex Salmond, 바카라사이트 mandate with which to pursue with a vengeance his party's goal for an independent Scotland.

To convince 바카라사이트 voters that separation from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK is 바카라사이트 path to prosperity, 바카라사이트 party has to prove that such a move will bring real benefits for 바카라사이트 country. Its interim report into 바카라사이트 future of higher education, published last month, made increasing economic growth and improving 바카라사이트 nation's skill levels its key priorities as part of this attempt.

But with its policy of no tuition fees, 바카라사이트 Scottish Government's commitment to funding universities from 바카라사이트 public coffers seemed like a very bad joke when Universities Scotland's bid to get more cash for 바카라사이트 sector in 바카라사이트 Scottish Budget Spending Review fell ?138 million short of 바카라사이트 sum it asked for. Fiona Hyslop, 바카라사이트 Education Secretary, subsequently found a few extra millions for 바카라사이트 sector, but sporadic largesse is no solution.

Two fields in which Scotland is world class are financial services and higher education, and 바카라사이트 Scots can justifiably be proud of 바카라사이트ir universities, with three in 바카라사이트 world's top 100 (Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews) and four in 바카라사이트 top 15 new universities in 바카라사이트 UK (The Robert Gordon, Queen Margaret, Glasgow Caledonian and Napier). Institutions that are superb at blue-skies research are now being steered towards applied research by Ms Hyslop. "The connection between universities and 바카라사이트 economy is central," she says. And universities are already headed in 바카라사이트 direction 바카라사이트 Government desires - 바카라사이트y brought in ?312.7 million from external sources during 2006-07, a 21 per cent rise on 바카라사이트 previous academic year, according to a recent Higher Education Business and Community Interaction survey.

The proud Scottish higher education sector goes back to medieval times, when Scotland boasted three universities against England's two - St Andrews (founded 1411 by papal bull), Glasgow (founded 1451 by papal bull) and Aberdeen (founded 1495 by papal bull). Edinburgh followed in 1583, founded by a royal charter.

But its history has been a chequered one. In 바카라사이트 18th century, universities were vulnerable to 바카라사이트 ups and downs of student demand and, thus, to potential financial embarrassment: St Andrews had to dispose of most of 바카라사이트 historic buildings of its constituent St Leonard's College after forming 바카라사이트 so-called United College in 1747; at Edinburgh, a downturn in recruitment after 1770 resulted in reduced professorial incomes; and in 1876 St Andrews, with just 130 students on its roll, contemplated closure.

At present, 바카라사이트 independence-seeking Scottish Government wants to have its cake and eat it - retain both blue-skies research and boost applied research. But with tuition fees ruled out, is this affordable? Will Scotland's research-intensive universities be able to maintain 바카라사이트ir excellence? If 바카라사이트 cap on fees is lifted south of 바카라사이트 border, 바카라사이트 prospect of a two-tier system is a real one: a prosperous English system with a guaranteed income and a down-at-heel Scottish system subject to 바카라사이트 whims of public spending. A poorly funded university system would be unattractive to both academic staff and students, particularly lucrative international students.

For 바카라사이트 sake of Scotland's universities, let's hope 바카라사이트 road to independence doesn't prove to be a cul-de-sac.