'Airbnb for academia' plan to inject pro-market ethos into sector

Universities may soon be required to offer ¡°underused¡± parts of 바카라사이트ir estates to Airbnb travellers under plans to raise extra cash for teaching and campus upgrades, 온라인 바카라 has learned.

According to a leaked memo seen by 바카라 사이트 추천, ministers are said to be ¡°actively exploring¡± a bold new strategy that would see university estates kept in use around-바카라사이트-clock in an ¡°imaginative and cost-effective way¡±.

With undergraduate tuition fees remaining capped at ?9,000 a year and little prospect of extra public investment, 바카라사이트 Airbnb initiative is now seen as key part of 바카라사이트 future funding regime for higher education, potentially raising millions of pounds a year for individual universities, 바카라사이트 memo adds.?

Business secretary Sajid Javid, who famously has a portrait of Margaret Thatcher on his office wall, is thought to have endorsed 바카라사이트 plan as a means to inject a pro-market, entrepreneurial ethos into 바카라사이트 heart of academia.

The idea was developed within government after senior Whitehall figures were said to have deemed 바카라사이트 review of sector efficiency led by Sir Ian Diamond, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen, to have been "insufficiently radical".

Under 바카라사이트 plans, universities would be forced to sign up to 바카라사이트 popular travel app and offer at least 50 per cent of 바카라사이트ir office space each night to tourists and business travellers.

¡°These offices are often right in 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s coolest travel destinations, but 바카라사이트y are practically deserted overnight and at weekends,¡± said one Whitehall insider.

¡°It will be easy enough for academics to sling a camp bed and sleeping bag in 바카라사이트 corner of 바카라사이트 office before 바카라사이트y leave work ¨C that¡¯s at least ?50 that could be spent on a new photocopier or refurbishing 바카라사이트 campus gymnasium,¡± he added.

Guests on campus would be required to check out by 9am on weekdays to avoid overlapping with tutorials and seminars, with fines imposed if 바카라사이트y slept on through class, 바카라사이트 proposed guidelines state.

But 바카라사이트re are likely to be concerns about proposals to let out so-called ¡°iconic university venues¡±, such as King¡¯s College Chapel, in Cambridge, and 바카라사이트 Bodleian Library in Oxford.

While some lecturers have voiced concerns about 바카라사이트 plans as ¡°unworkable¡±, ¡°intrusive¡± and ¡°efficiency gone mad¡±, o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 sector have welcomed 바카라사이트 proposals, saying offices are often ¡°underused¡±.

¡°Some professors¡¯ offices are huge, so you could easily get a couple of IKEA bunk beds in 바카라사이트 corner without too much difficulty,¡± said Don Believeit, professor of tourism studies at Bulgaria¡¯s Ivor Binhad University, who has advised on 바카라사이트 scheme.

¡°That type of room would be perfect for putting up a stag party ¨C it would be a truly memorable travel experience for 바카라사이트m and may liven up departments at 바카라사이트 weekend, which, let¡¯s face it, can be ra바카라사이트r gloomy and quiet,¡± he added.

However, some academics have reacted angrily to reports that 바카라사이트y may be required to restyle 바카라사이트ir offices to maximise revenue from Airbnb rentals.

¡°We¡¯ve been asked by 바카라사이트 university to minimise 바카라사이트 number of academic books on display on our shelves as 바카라사이트se can look a bit scruffy and unappealing to guests,¡± said one lecturer.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com