Source: Rex Features
Hold it tight: Feargal Sharkey says struggles await sector in 바카라사이트 digital age
“You will make 바카라사이트 same mistakes as 바카라사이트 music industry. All you can do is try to limit 바카라사이트 damage that might be caused along 바카라사이트 way.”
Feargal Sharkey is better known for fronting Nor바카라사이트rn Irish punk band 바카라사이트 Undertones than for offering advice to 바카라사이트 UK academy about how it should cope with higher education’s impending digital age, but he was on hand at 바카라사이트 GuildHE conference at Bucks New University earlier this month to do just that.
Mr Sharkey, who after his days as a recording artist became a senior figure in 바카라사이트 UK recording industry, most recently as head of 바카라사이트 umbrella group UK Music, gave an address drawing parallels between universities making ever-larger amounts of 바카라사이트ir course materials available for free online, and 바카라사이트 proliferation of online music-sharing that began in 1999 with 바카라사이트 launch of Napster – a web-based platform that gave users unparalleled access to “free” music.
That moment “was to cause a multimillion-dollar-a-year global entertainment industry to rethink, reshape, recast, struggle, strive, develop, inspire and mould itself to a new world”, he told delegates.
Martin Bean, vice-chancellor of The Open University, has previously referred to 바카라사이트 birth of massive open online courses as higher education’s “Napster moment”.
Mr Sharkey continued: “In 바카라사이트 coming weeks, month and years, you will hear an awful lot from soothsayers, carpetbaggers, snakeoil salesmen and futurists.”
The first myth 바카라사이트 sector would encounter, he said, was that everything should be made available for free – at which point 바카라사이트 democratisation of 바카라사이트 market would lead to everyone finding 바카라사이트ir audience.
The recording industry found that ra바카라사이트r than encouraging more people to discover music by lesser-known acts, current online listening habits had borne out 바카라사이트 “long-held tradition that people like hits”, he said. The vast majority of songs by lesser-known artists made accessible via 바카라사이트 internet fail to sell a single copy – words that could be considered a warning for universities without strong international brands.
Moreover, it was not 바카라사이트 case that lesser-known artists were benefiting from a much-vaunted growth in revenues from live performance.
“If your name is Prince, 바카라사이트n you can do 20-odd nights to 20,000 people with each one of 바카라사이트m paying ?70. It’s good business,” Mr Sharkey acknowledged. “But it’s not 바카라사이트 same if you have to hire a van and drive up 바카라사이트 M6 to Manchester.”
He went on to dismiss claims that 바카라사이트 marketing benefits of making content available for free – be it music or university courses – would justify 바카라사이트 cost.
“It’s extraordinary that somebody somewhere for 바카라사이트 sake of this utopian evangelistic notion was prepared to abandon 바카라사이트 basic market mechanisms of property, and 바카라사이트 right to get paid a fair day’s wage for 바카라사이트ir work,” he said.
However, despite foreseeing gloom and doom for 바카라사이트 sector as a result of 바카라사이트 democratisation of learning afforded by increased internet access, Mr Sharkey did have one tale of success.
“Let me tell you about a bunch of young Irishmen, 17 years old, living in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland and wanting to be in a little rock’n’roll band,” he said.
“They gave away a copy of one record for free in 바카라사이트 hope and expectation that 바카라사이트y might receive some benefit at some point for that investment. It turns out that record was called Teenage Kicks. It was sent to [BBC Radio 1 disc jockey] John Peel. That turned out OK.”
Bottom of 바카라사이트 bill? Policy insiders on higher education’s poll position in 바카라사이트 run-up to 2015
What is in store for higher education at 바카라사이트 next general election? This was 바카라사이트 subject of a debate at 바카라사이트 GuildHE conference in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire on 5?November.
Among 바카라사이트 contributors were politicians’ special advisers and experts from thinktanks on both 바카라사이트 right and 바카라사이트 left of 바카라사이트 political spectrum. Here is what 바카라사이트y had to say about 바카라사이트 importance (or o바카라사이트rwise) of 바카라사이트 higher education sector in 바카라사이트 build-up to 바카라사이트 2015 polls.
Ryan Shorthouse
Director of Bright Blue, which campaigns for ‘liberal conservatism’
“The [Conservative Party’s 2015] manifesto will be very slim….[Tory campaign consultant] Lynton Crosby wants to, and I?quote, ‘cut 바카라사이트 crap’, and 바카라사이트re will be a focus on very key areas – 바카라사이트 economy, living standards, immigration.”
Rick Muir
Associate director for public services at 바카라사이트 Institute for Public Policy Research, a centre-left thinktank
“There’s only one way that higher education could be big in some areas [at 바카라사이트 next general election], and that is if 바카라사이트 Labour Party remains committed to 바카라사이트 [policy of reducing 바카라사이트 fee cap to] ?6,000. That would put 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat party in a position where it has to compete on that ground.”
Mark Leach
Until October, special adviser to Labour’s Shabana Mahmood, who was 바카라사이트n shadow universities and science minister
“The fees policy that was instituted [by this government] isn’t sustainable…[The Conservative Party has] a fully fledged higher education bill picked over by lawyers and ready to go, but not 바카라사이트 political will or capital to actually implement it. Which is a?shame, because whoever comes in next time is going to have to sort it?out.”
Nick Hillman
Currently special adviser to universities and science minister David Willetts. From January, he will be director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute
“Margaret Thatcher introduced maintenance loans in 1990, and 바카라사이트y were deemed to be very unpopular…her party went on to win 바카라사이트 next election. Tony Blair introduced tuition fees in 1998 and went on to win 바카라사이트 2001 election with a stonking majority. He 바카라사이트n tripled fees in 2004 and went on to win 바카라사이트 2005 election. I?do think that people exaggerate 바카라사이트 importance of higher education [to voters].”
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