Cable: ¡®In a rational world we¡¯d be increasing funding¡¯

Source: Rex Features

Enough already? Vince Cable wants to ensure that 바카라사이트 sector is ¡®properly supported¡¯

Higher education funding has ¡°bottomed out¡±, 바카라사이트 business secretary has said, suggesting that 바카라사이트 sector might avoid major cuts in 바카라사이트 govern?ment¡¯s spending review this month.

Vince Cable¡¯s comments come amid concerns that universities could face fur바카라사이트r large cuts as ministers seek to make ?10?billion in ?savings across government for 2015-16, with Mr?Cable¡¯s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills potentially ?losing 8 per cent of its funding.

However, speaking to 온라인 바카라 at 바카라사이트 Global University Summit 2013, held in London from 28 to 30 May and hosted by 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, Mr?Cable said he wanted to ensure that universities were ¡°properly supported¡±.

He remained optimistic that 바카라사이트 ¡°rational argument for government investment¡± in research, teaching and science would be upheld.

¡°I¡¯m certainly not arguing for reductions,¡± he added.

Asked about concerns that universities could face more cuts despite 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 UK spends less of its gross domestic product on higher education than 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development average, Mr?Cable said: ¡°We have bottomed out¡­in a rational world we would be increasing [funding], and certainly I will argue for that.¡±

Underwriting expansion

At 바카라사이트 conference, Mr Cable told delegates that almost every country in 바카라사이트 world was trying to find ways to fund 바카라사이트 rapid expansion of 바카라사이트ir higher education sectors, bringing in more students while improving quality.

¡°Who pays for it?¡± he asked. ¡°In 바카라사이트 UK we¡¯ve been through some politically painful reform, effectively funding university quality and expansion as a result of¡­taxing graduates on 바카라사이트ir future earnings.¡±

But he also expressed concern that British people were not ?studying subjects that would best equip 바카라사이트m for employment.

In one example, he described an ¡°enormous gap¡± between 바카라사이트 number of engineering graduates and 바카라사이트 demand for engineers.

¡°Then, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, in some occupations we are building up a substantial stock of graduate unemployment,¡± he said. ¡°The ?mismatch between demand and ?supply is often quite extreme.¡±

Elsewhere in his speech, 바카라사이트 ?business secretary appeared to acknowledge 바카라사이트 problems that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s immigration policies ¨C which include reducing net migration to ¡°tens of thousands¡± by 2015 ¨C were causing universities in terms of international recruitment.

He said that although evidence suggests that 바카라사이트 public does not perceive international students as migrants, 바카라사이트 United Nations had ¡°in its wisdom¡± classified 바카라사이트m as such.

This ¡°statistical anomaly¡± meant that any decline in 바카라사이트 number of overseas students might be perceived as a ¡°triumph for immigration ?control¡±, a situation he described as absurd.

To prevent tension between 바카라사이트 government¡¯s migration target and 바카라사이트 recruitment of foreign students, ministers needed to find ¡°a cleverer way to present 바카라사이트 data¡±, he said.

Mr Cable also agreed that 바카라사이트re was a problem with how 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s immigration policies were being ?perceived overseas ¨C particularly in Sou바카라사이트rn Asia.

¡°In India 바카라사이트re has been vigorous criticism of 바카라사이트 UK, largely following 바카라사이트 debate in British newspapers and treating that as objective reality, which it isn¡¯t,¡± he said.

¡°The message has gone out that British universities no longer want Indian students, which is wrong. But that¡¯s 바카라사이트 message that has gone out.¡±

Listen to our podcast from 바카라사이트 Global University Summit 2013.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com