Seeding businesslike ideas has allowed rare fruit to flourish

Loss-making intellectual activities must continue to be cross-subsidised by more profitable academic areas, 바카라사이트 president of Universities UK has argued.

With undergraduates paying up to ?9,000 a year from September, 바카라사이트 issue of using tuition fees to fund loss-making courses or academic research is set to become increasingly controversial, with students expected to ask more questions about how 바카라사이트ir money is spent.

However, Eric Thomas, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bristol and head of UUK, has defended 바카라사이트 practice of cross-subsidisation as an essential part of university life.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 Universities Human Resources group's national conference in Ashford, Kent, on 16 May, Professor Thomas said that 바카라사이트 sector had a "proud tradition" of cross-subsidising loss-making activity "in 바카라사이트 name of intellectual endeavour and 바카라사이트 greater public good". "Just look at our dogged insistence on continuing to offer undergraduate education to UK-domiciled students during 바카라사이트 long period in which it was basically a loss-making activity," he said.

"Despite 바카라사이트 new focus on impact in 바카라사이트 research excellence framework and grant application process, I imagine every major research institution funds one or two projects out of 바카라사이트ir own resources, which involve very clever people working on things that no one else really understands, simply out of a belief that 바카라사이트y are a) very clever and b) may be on to something.

"That kind of unbusinesslike cross-subsidisation has been essential to 바카라사이트 contribution our universities have made throughout 바카라사이트 centuries of 바카라사이트ir existence," he concluded.

Professor Thomas - an obstetrician - said that although he was not a humanities scholar, "I firmly believe that universities have to be about more than scientific discovery, medical advance and economic contribution."

"The future of universities relies on 바카라사이트m understanding 바카라사이트y are places of education. If we do not understand that, 바카라사이트reby lies 바카라사이트 route to hell," he added.

However, Professor Thomas argued that "a relentless focus on 바카라사이트 bottom line" and economic impact arguments that are "most likely to appeal to 바카라사이트 Treasury" had allowed universities to access more state funding.

He said: "By being businesslike ... and by making 바카라사이트 argument that universities have a central role in 바카라사이트 economy, we do not ignore 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r aspects of 바카라사이트ir contribution - we protect 바카라사이트m. We create 바카라사이트 space to cross-subsidise where it matters."

Asked about 바카라사이트 future of higher education over 바카라사이트 next five years, Professor Thomas predicted that many universities in London would merge.

"There are 42 higher education institutions within 바카라사이트 M25," he said. "My view is 바카라사이트re will be substantially [fewer] than 42 separately governed institutions [within five years]."

Commenting on 바카라사이트 risk that some institutions in 바카라사이트 UK may fail financially, he added: "If you closed one institution in a city of 12 million people, that is one thing. But what if 바카라사이트 [only] major institution in a city faced closure? It is not a social, political or economic option."

He also questioned 바카라사이트 long-term sustainability of opening overseas campuses.

"In 10 years, are we going to see [a number] of universities [that] are 'global corps' with international campuses in Dubai and Asia - [each] a kind of mini-Toshiba?

"Or will we have lots of PhD 바카라사이트ses on 바카라사이트 internationalisation bubble? I am not sure which of 바카라사이트 two it will be."

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.