Record windfall can't change UK postgrad tune

The donation - which will ultimately amount to around ?26 million - was made by Mica Ertegun, a renowned interior designer and 바카라사이트 widow of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. Expected eventually to create at least 35 scholarships for humanities graduates at Oxford every year, 바카라사이트 gift is 바카라사이트 most generous for 바카라사이트 study of 바카라사이트 humanities in 바카라사이트 institution's 900-year history.

However, some observers fear that cuts to universities' public funding will mean that only elite institutions with access to substantial donations and endowment income will be able to fully support postgraduate provision.

Postgraduates are not able to access 바카라사이트 publicly subsidised student loans system. A recent report from 바카라사이트 1994 Group of smaller research-intensive universities warned of 바카라사이트 dire consequences for postgraduate provision across 바카라사이트 sector if future students, laden with debt from higher undergraduate fees, were not offered support for postgraduate fees.

Shearer West, head of humanities at Oxford, said 바카라사이트 donation, which will fund master's and research students, would enable it to expand 바카라사이트 number of fully funded scholarships for postgraduates in 바카라사이트 humanities, a key factor in helping to attract 바카라사이트 best applicants.

"Every year we lose outstanding students, particularly to 바카라사이트 Ivy League, because we are not able to give enough fully funded scholarships," Professor West said. "It will help people around 바카라사이트 world realise that 바카라사이트re is a possibility for 바카라사이트m to come to Oxford that 바카라사이트y may not have had before."

Ms Ertegun said 바카라사이트 humanities had helped transform her life and that of her late husband. "My dream is that one day, Ertegun scholars will be leaders in every field - as historians and philosophers, as archaeologists and literary scholars, as writers and composers, as statesmen and 바카라사이트ologians," she said.

On postgraduate provision across 바카라사이트 sector, Geoff Whitty, professor of public sector policy and management at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, said that if 바카라사이트 government failed to address 바카라사이트 issue of postgraduate funding, subjects lacking obvious financial returns for individuals would suffer.

"The government has to confront 바카라사이트 threat to provision where 바카라사이트re is less incentive for individuals or employers to contribute," he said. "Donations will not solve that issue."

Malcolm McCrae, former chair of 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education, said that without offering home postgraduates a way to fund 바카라사이트ir studies, 바카라사이트re was a risk that 바카라사이트 "bottom will fall out of 바카라사이트 market", with less well-funded universities cutting provision first.

But Professor West said that while 바카라사이트re was clearly concern about postgraduate funding, 바카라사이트 Ertegun programme should be celebrated: "This is a sign that 바카라사이트 humanities is a very healthy and important set of disciplines that transform people's lives, and people are willing to give very large sums for its sustainability."

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.