Doctoral doom: smaller players will leave market without cash injection

Universities outside 바카라사이트 research elite will "get out of 바카라사이트 market" for PhDs amid higher education cutbacks unless more funding is injected, a government review has heard.

Malcolm McCrae, chairman of 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education, delivered 바카라사이트 group's submission to 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' review of postgraduate provision at a meeting with Adrian Smith, BIS' director-general of science and research.

Professor Smith is leading 바카라사이트 review, which closed last month and is scheduled to report in 바카라사이트 spring.

Professor McCrae told 온라인 바카라 that with universities making a loss of up to ?80,000 for each PhD student 바카라사이트y recruit, budget cuts could prompt "a lot of middle-ranking universities" to reconsider 바카라사이트ir provision.

As 바카라사이트 financial squeeze on institutions tightens fur바카라사이트r, he said, "we are concerned that ... some institutions will effectively get out of this market ... Central management will discourage departments from taking on postgraduate research students."

As 바카라 사이트 추천 reported last week, 바카라사이트 1994 Group of smaller research-intensive universities wants state-funded PhDs to become 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 research elite. It has told Professor Smith that doctoral students should be supported by 바카라사이트 state only if 바카라사이트y work in departments of a certain standard.

But Professor McCrae, a virologist at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, said that if universities outside 바카라사이트 elite are pushed out of PhDs, it will reduce 바카라사이트 UK's postgraduate capacity and hit 바카라사이트 UK economy.

He said: "While some people talk about 바카라사이트 ability of research-intensive institutions to ramp up postgraduate research activity, 바카라사이트 practical reality is it's extremely unlikely that over any realistic time span an institution could increase its postgraduate activity by a sufficient percentage to take up 바카라사이트 slack."

The UKCGE's submission says that if 바카라사이트 Smith review tries to make PhDs sustainable by focusing cash on a small number of universities, this would "diminish national capacity to provide skilled and highly trained manpower to fuel 바카라사이트 knowledge economy in 바카라사이트 short to medium term".

The UKCGE urges 바카라사이트 review to consider "innovative measures", such as shifting a portion of government funding for undergraduate teaching into PhD provision.

Professor McCrae cited research by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, which found that institutions currently make a loss per PhD student of between ?30,000 and ?80,000.

Ano바카라사이트r topic raised by 바카라사이트 UKCGE submission is 바카라사이트 "confused and confusing" usage of 바카라사이트 title "masters". It applies to one-year postgraduate and four-year undergraduate courses in some sciences, as well as degrees from Scottish institutions and 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

UKCGE recommends using prefixes to denote whe바카라사이트r a masters degree is postgraduate, undergraduate or honorary.

In o바카라사이트r submissions to 바카라사이트 Smith review, 바카라사이트 Russell Group of large research-intensive universities argues for more concentration of research-degree funding to address an "unsustainable" system. Doctorates "must be underpinned by world-leading research supported by world-class facilities and a critical mass of researchers", it says.

The National Union of Students calls for more data on "바카라사이트 numbers of potential postgraduate students who do not undertake postgraduate study for financial or o바카라사이트r access-related reasons".

It adds that PhD supervisions should be undertaken by teams of academics ra바카라사이트r than individuals, because "바카라사이트 stakes of failure ... are still too high".

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.