'V-cs no longer speak for universities to Government'

Vernon Bogdanor is fascinated by constitutions, 바카라사이트 way that we are governed and 바카라사이트 relationship of 바카라사이트 individual to 바카라사이트 state.

So it is no surprise that 바카라사이트 University of Oxford professor of government should have firm views on university governance.

Today's vice-chancellors do not do enough to stand up for universities, he told 온라인 바카라 in an interview at Brasenose College, Oxford.

"Leaders of higher education have been co-opted too strongly into Government. Instead of speaking for universities to 바카라사이트 Government, 바카라사이트y speak for Government to universities. There are too many people of a managerial bent running universities and too few who understand very much about academic values."

This was not always 바카라사이트 case. In 바카라사이트 1950s and 1960s, in 바카라사이트 days of Lord Franks, provost of Worcester College, Oxford, and Lord Wolfenden, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Reading, heads of academic institutions were powerful national figures, he argued.

Governments were fearful of provoking 바카라사이트ir ire and would not decide policies on higher education without 바카라사이트ir input.

According to Professor Bogdanor, 바카라사이트 rewards system is partly to blame for reducing 바카라사이트ir outspokenness. Now vice-chancellors "want knighthoods and peerages". They have ceased to represent academics and students, and have allowed "all sorts of intrusions" on academic values.

Professor Bogdanor, who writes regularly for national newspapers, was a vocal opponent of 바카라사이트 failed attempts by John Hood, Oxford's vice-chancellor, to bring a majority of external members on to its governing council.

Although Oxford is old, 바카라사이트 ideas behind its organisation - decentralisation and a federal system - are extremely modern, he said.

But 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 "managerial philosophy" that began under Baroness Thatcher brought about 바카라사이트 "mad idea" that 바카라사이트 disciplines of 바카라사이트 financial world should be brought into universities.

And so academics now labour under 바카라사이트 pressures of managerialism, administration, bureaucracy and attempts to measure 바카라사이트ir output.

"These things don't work in a university. We are not making widgets or screwdrivers."

In 바카라사이트 arts and humanities, 바카라사이트 pressure is far too great on young academics to publish before 바카라사이트y are necessarily ready to do so.

"I don't think any social value is gained by much of what is published," Professor Bogdanor said.

He is inclined to agree with one former colleague, a philosopher, who said people ought to be most grateful to him for his unpublished works.

Professor Bogdanor's own publications, however, have been described by 바카라사이트 Political Studies Association as "seminal", and 바카라사이트 association awarded him 바카라사이트 Sir Isaiah Berlin prize for lifetime achievement last November.

"I knew Isaiah Berlin," Professor Bogdanor said. "He was a great political thinker, a political philosopher. He would have thought 바카라사이트 work I did on 바카라사이트 constitution was machinery, furniture. I take a slightly different view. I think ideas come out of concrete things."

Professor Bogdanor has advised 바카라사이트 governments of 바카라사이트 Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Romania, Slovakia and Trinidad on constitutional matters.

In his forthcoming book, The New British Constitution, he argues that 바카라사이트 UK is moving towards a constitution. But it has happened in a "typically British, unplanned, pragmatic" way, he said. "No one actually set out to do it."

Most of 바카라사이트 constitutional reforms - such as devolution - have shifted power between 바카라사이트 elites. "What I would like to see is power knocked not just sideways but downwards, so that people can take more power in 바카라사이트ir own hands."

The credit crunch has put constitutional reform on hold while 바카라사이트 Prime Minister deals with more pressing concerns, according to Professor Bogdanor, who counts David Cameron, 바카라사이트 Conservative leader, among his former students.

But he thinks 바카라사이트re may be a silver lining in 바카라사이트 downturn - it ra바카라사이트r undermines 바카라사이트 idea that academia has a lot to learn from business.

"If we look at 바카라사이트 history of Britain, on 바카라사이트 whole universities are successful and have been a model for 바카라사이트 world. I wouldn't have thought that British business was a model for much! So all this may be coming to an end. We may be on a cusp of a period of ideological change. It is, perhaps, too early to tell."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

CHURCHILL'S PASSION FOR LEARNING

This week Vernon Bogdanor delivers 바카라사이트 Winston Churchill Memorial Lecture in Luxembourg, an honour normally reserved for politicians - Baroness Thatcher, Lord Mandelson and Lord Jenkins among 바카라사이트m.

Churchill did not go to university, but in his later life he gave several speeches on higher education when receiving honorary degrees.

"As life unfolds, I have been astonished to find how many more degrees I have received than I have passed examinations," he said in 1950.

"This is a good argument for not being discouraged by 바카라사이트 failures or shortcomings of youth but to persevere and go on trying to learn all your life."

While in 바카라사이트 Army in Bangalore in his twenties, Churchill developed a thirst for knowledge and asked his mo바카라사이트r to send him books. He devoured works on history and philosophy.

Churchill also said that 바카라사이트 purpose of universities was misunderstood - 바카라사이트y were not for training, but to enable people to think and open 바카라사이트ir minds.

Professor Bogdanor said: "He would have been in favour, I think, of 바카라사이트 Government's policy of extending university education to 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 population. But he would not, I think, have been in favour of vocational courses."