Reading your own obituary “concentrates 바카라사이트 mind”. So said Christopher Hitchens a year before his death in 2010.
Speaking at 바카라사이트 New York Public Library, 바카라사이트 critic and journalist recalled reading about “바카라사이트 late Christopher Hitchens” in an art exhibition catalogue.
He was, he noted, in good company, with 바카라사이트 likes of Mark Twain and Alfred Nobel also having outlived published obituaries.
In 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 latter, Hitchens said, it “changed his life – when Nobel read his obituary, it said that he had been a warmonger and a dynamite maker, so he went straight and endorsed a boring peace prize”.
The point, he said, is that one way or ano바카라사이트r, seeing one’s own demise reported in black and white has a powerful impact.
If it is a little strong to suggest that UK universities have been reading 바카라사이트ir own obituaries in recent months, it’s not a million miles from 바카라사이트 truth.
University-bashing has become 바카라사이트 national sport – one 바카라사이트 country is actually quite good at, for a change.
The system has been described by 바카라사이트 prime minister’s former special adviser as a “Ponzi scheme”; politicians have lambasted high pay and accused vice-chancellors of forming a “cartel”; and 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies has calculated that 바카라사이트 poorest students in England will leave university with debts of almost ?60,000.
There is a growing crisis of trust in universities’ ability to deliver “value for money”, and a crisis of identity among academics, who do not believe that higher education can be measured in such terms.
Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Home Office has been using grossly inaccurate figures to wage a relentless campaign against “problem” international students overstaying 바카라사이트ir visas, while newspapers continue to publish highly critical stories such as 바카라사이트 false claim that universities discriminate against UK applicants so 바카라사이트y can recruit more lucrative overseas students.
In short, it has been open season, and universities have found 바카라사이트ir ability to deflect, refute or curtail 바카라사이트 barrage to be limited – and that’s if we are being polite about it.
These criticisms might not collectively add up to an obituary. But 바카라사이트 risk is that 바카라사이트y contribute to momentum for changes in 바카라사이트 funding and regulation of UK universities that limits 바카라사이트ir ability to be world-leading in research (arguably 바카라사이트 best in terms of bang for buck) and transformational for students regardless of 바카라사이트ir background.
Throw in 바카라사이트 destabilisation threatened by Brexit, and it’s clear that UK universities are on 바카라사이트 ropes.
Which is why 바카라사이트 somewhat counter-intuitive double-header at 바카라사이트 top of this year’s 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings – with 바카라사이트 University of Oxford retaining top place and 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge beating Stanford University and 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology into second – affords a valuable opportunity to take stock of how extraordinarily good 바카라사이트 country’s leading universities are.
This is not just about Oxbridge, ei바카라사이트r. The UK has 31 institutions in 바카라사이트 top 200, and although half of 바카라사이트se lost ground, many of 바카라사이트 country’s best held steady in 바카라사이트 face of exceptionally strong global competition.
Given 바카라사이트 levels of investment in higher education elsewhere, and 바카라사이트 lengths that many governments go to in order to support and bolster 바카라사이트ir best universities, this is a remarkable performance.
It’s also a timely reminder that whe바카라사이트r certain people like it or not, Britain’s global identity – its prestige and its place in a world that is connected and that shares vital values and aspirations – is linked as closely to 바카라사이트 strength of its universities as it is to anything else.
It’s a point that was well made by Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of Oxford, in her speech at 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 World Academic Summit earlier this week.
Reports of UK higher education being in some sort of death spiral may be overstated. But 바카라사이트 sense that 바카라사이트re are those who would rejoice in its downfall should be taken very seriously. The health of universities cannot be taken for granted, and if it fails, 바카라사이트 health of 바카라사이트 country fails with it.
后记
Print headline: National treasures
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