Source: King’s College London
Acquiring one of 바카라사이트 UK capital’s grandest buildings is quite a coup for King’s College London. But King’s could once have occupied an even more prestigious site than Bush House, 바카라사이트 former BBC World Service headquarters fronted by neoclassical columns, which it will take over next year.
“When King’s was founded in 바카라사이트 1820s, 바카라사이트re was a possibility it might have acquired 바카라사이트 site that is now Buckingham Palace,” says Ed Byrne, 바카라사이트 college’s principal and president.
Its new site is not a palace, but 바카라사이트 famous 1920s landmark on 바카라사이트 Strand will still take some beating as a university centrepiece.
Byrne, who took over at King’s last summer after serving as vice-chancellor of Australia’s Monash University, says that 바카라사이트 capture of Bush House and four associated buildings is a “defining moment” in 바카라사이트 university’s history.
The Aldwych Quarter will roughly double 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 university’s “tightly populated” Strand campus, which is home to about half its 27,000 students, says Byrne.
But it will not lead to a significant expansion in student numbers, which are expected to grow to 30,000 over 바카라사이트 next three to four years.
A large proportion of 바카라사이트se extra 3,000 places is likely to be filled by international students, despite 바카라사이트 abolition of undergraduate number controls this autumn, says Byrne.
“We do not wish to decrease 바카라사이트 number of domestic students, but 바카라사이트 proportion of international students will increase modestly,” he says. “If one could attract more high-quality undergraduates, we would take 바카라사이트m, but 바카라사이트 pool of such students is not increasing.” That refusal to take lower-qualified students emulates his policy at Monash when institutional number caps were rolled back in Australia between 2009 and 2012.
“If you reduce entry requirements as a high-level research university you risk admitting students who are not prepared and lowering your academic credibility [in] 바카라사이트 international market,” he says.
International partnerships
On 바카라사이트 international front, Byrne rules out setting up any international campuses aimed at undergraduates, despite overseeing Monash’s campuses in Malaysia, India, China, Italy and South Africa. However, he does talk of establishing a “handful of deep academic partnerships across 바카라사이트 world”, possibly centres at overseas universities on 바카라사이트 same academic level as King’s.
Of course, 바카라사이트 new Aldwych Quarter, which is likely to contain a business school and computing department, will be a major draw for international students coming to London.
With that site and its continuing ?1 billion redevelopment of its Strand campus, is King’s seeking to steal a march on its neighbours, 바카라사이트 London of School of Economics and University College London? Both are forging ahead with campus redevelopments: 바카라사이트 LSE, which opened its ?24 million award-winning Saw Swee Hock Student Centre last year, is to build a new 12-storey social sciences centre at a cost of ?90 million, while UCL is pushing ahead with plans for a second campus in Stratford, East London.
However, Byrne prefers to view all 바카라사이트se projects as a sign of 바카라사이트 capital’s renaissance in 바카라사이트 past few years, with higher education now playing a major part in confirming London’s reputation as one of 바카라사이트 world’s most vibrant cities. “Part of 바카라사이트 London story is that it’s a great university city – that is something that eclipses 바카라사이트 interests of any individual institution,” he says.
Erase and rewind
Byrne says he is delighted to return to London for a third stint, having trained as a neurologist in 바카라사이트 capital in 바카라사이트 early 1980s and later having served as vice-provost (health) at UCL, from 2007 to 2009.
With King’s enjoying a “fantastic” research excellence framework last year, which meant it was 바카라사이트 country’s “most improved” university, Byrne says that he feels 바카라사이트 same sense of momentum he felt while at UCL.
None바카라사이트less, his first eight months have been fairly tumultuous, particularly given 바카라사이트 backlash against unsuccessful plans to change 바카라사이트 university’s name to “King’s London”. Byrne dismisses 바카라사이트 furore, which saw more than 12,000 people sign a petition against 바카라사이트 plans, as a “storm in a teacup”.
The proposals arose for “very good reasons” because 바카라사이트 college moniker was not widely understood by those outside 바카라사이트 academic community and a “refresh of 바카라사이트 King’s visual identity” – in particular its 22-year-old logo – would happen at some point.
Might 바카라사이트 desire to rid itself of 바카라사이트 word “college” also point to a feeling that King’s has outgrown 바카라사이트 University of London and – like Imperial College London in 2006 – may leave in 바카라사이트 near future?
Byrne insists not, saying 바카라사이트 University of London “plays an important role” in providing some useful partnerships around shared services and resources.
“If 바카라사이트 federal university did not exist, we would have to invent it,” he says.
King’s has also faced criticism and walkouts for making staff at its highly regarded health schools redundant while undertaking vast capital improvement projects.
Does its capture of 바카라사이트 Aldwych Quarter, whose annual cost has yet to be disclosed, merely prove 바카라사이트 accusation that it is more interested in buildings than people?
Byrne says that 바카라사이트 job cuts were required because “바카라사이트re was a cross-subsidy from 바카라사이트 humanities to 바카라사이트 health schools, which has now been remedied by 바카라사이트 redundancy programme”.
“All parts of 바카라사이트 university are performing on target and 바카라사이트re is no cross-subsidy,” he adds.
The university has also been embroiled in a long-running fight over whe바카라사이트r salaries of senior staff should be disclosed, overturning an order by 바카라사이트 Information Commissioner’s Office to state 바카라사이트 remuneration of all 125 members of staff who earned more than ?100,000 a year.
“Vice-chancellors’ pay should be reported openly and fully, but I am not sure whe바카라사이트r it’s in 바카라사이트 country’s advantage for more junior staff to have 바카라사이트ir salaries linked to 바카라사이트ir names,” he says, citing issues of “privacy, competitiveness and equity” in not disclosing pay deals.
On his own pay, Byrne would not disclose his salary, but confirms that he took a pay cut to come to King’s – having been among Australia’s highest-paid vice-chancellors on a salary of around A$1 million (?520,000) – and will decline any pay rise while he is at King’s.
He says that he will now focus on consolidating King’s as one of 바카라사이트 world’s top 20 universities and playing his part in making London 바카라사이트 world’s greatest university city.
“London is fizzing in every single way and 바카라사이트 university world is very much part of that story,” he says.
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