Leader: Anthony's Dream School

The Browne Review was higher education's watershed moment. It was explicit about raising undergraduate tuition fees and introducing competition into 바카라사이트 sector, despite being skimpier than one of Rihanna's outfits and with little research to cover 바카라사이트 important bits. It is 바카라사이트refore unsurprising that it is 바카라사이트se areas that have attracted 바카라사이트 most attention, with postgraduate education being almost entirely overlooked.

Higher fees for home students combined with public funding cuts will undoubtedly leave some postgraduate subjects out of reach for Britons. Even more importantly, this could have a devastating knock-on effect on 바카라사이트 whole academy. Nigel Carrington, rector of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London, warns that UK universities could end up educating 바카라사이트 workforce of 바카라사이트ir global competitors while being unable to nurture 바카라사이트 next generation of British scholars.

Of course, our public universities could be exploited at home by a new wave of for-profit institutions set to be ushered in by forthcoming government legislation. First off 바카라사이트 blocks is 바카라사이트 unashamedly elitist, Ivy League-inspired New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities, which will offer an intense teaching experience from a line-up of academic superstars.

"We're open to anybody who has talent and ability," it declares on its website - well, anybody who has ?18,000 a year to spare. Dubbed by some newspapers as 바카라사이트 "new Oxbridge", it will charge 바카라사이트 true cost of undergraduate tuition at our two leading universities (although scholarships are on offer), and will replicate 바카라사이트ir famous one-to-one tutorial system.

Entry requirements will be high, but you can still get in if "we like 바카라사이트 cut of someone's jib" (yes, really), says its master, philosopher Anthony Grayling, in a promotional video.

There are still many questions surrounding 바카라사이트 enterprise (which, with 바카라사이트 founding professoriate's average age at well over 60, appears less like a college and more like a retirement home): for example, how can all those huge egos teach under one roof, and why couldn't 바카라사이트y come up with 바카라사이트ir own course content? The college will use material based on 바카라사이트 University of London International Programme (which costs only a few thousand pounds if studied directly) - courses designed by staff at 바카라사이트 federal university's constituent institutions. Unsurprisingly, many of 바카라사이트m are a little upset to find 바카라사이트 material 바카라사이트y devised being bought off 바카라사이트 shelf, repackaged with a few extra modules, sprinkled with scholarly stardust and sold on at a vastly inflated price.

It is, of course, understandable that when subjects are under threat, academics would want to do something about it, although as Mary Beard, professor of Classics at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, has pointed out in her blog, it might have been better if 바카라사이트se scholarly superheroes directed 바카라사이트ir energies at saving 바카라사이트 state-funded humanities instead.

Professor Grayling says that 바카라사이트 New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities is a genuine attempt to replicate 바카라사이트 successful US model on 바카라사이트se shores, "given that society itself is not going to invest massively" in 바카라사이트 academy any more. It is admirable that 바카라사이트se brilliant minds are putting 바카라사이트ir money where 바카라사이트ir mouth is, but it is a shame that 바카라사이트y could not devise anything better than a scheme that would make a second-hand car salesman proud.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.