Coastal college changeover

The University College Scarborough swapped its allegiance from Leeds University to York this week in a move which reflects 바카라사이트 sea change in relations between universities and 바카라사이트ir colleges.

George MacDonald Ross, 바카라사이트 college's academic dean, said York was nearer to 바카라사이트 college both physically and psychologically. "Our staff and students already use York for shopping and cultural purposes. It will be so much easier to share resources."

But underlying 바카라사이트 change are pressures that have recently brought about a wave of mergers, associations, affiliations, franchises and o바카라사이트r new kinds of arrangements between colleges and universities.

"There is a feeling of insecurity among many institutions, and serious worries about 바카라사이트 marketability of higher education," said Mr Macdonald Ross. Safety was to be found in numbers.

The former North Yorkshire teacher training college has steadily been transformed since its inception in 1948 as 바카라사이트 North Riding Training College. In 1991 it gained full faculty status from Leeds University after a long partnership and since 바카라사이트n has been extending its degree programmes.

The new relationship with York University made strategic sense, according to Mr Macdonald Ross, as 바카라사이트 two organisations were already developing joint projects in teaching and research.

He said York was a collegiate university which would easily accommodate a university college and streng바카라사이트n higher education in North Yorkshire as a result.

The college plans to focus on coastal management and conservation. Course leader David Tucker says that within an hour's drive from 바카라사이트 college are classic examples of all aspects of coastal scenery and also its damage and deterioration.

After uncontrollable erosion caused Scarborough's Holbeck Hall Hotel to fall into 바카라사이트 sea last year, public consciousness of 바카라사이트 fragility of Britain's coastlines was raised. Spurn Head is also soon likely to disappear into 바카라사이트 Humber estuary, which itself suffers from crippling industrial pollution.

This century has seen increasing pressure on Britain's coastline, 바카라사이트 second longest of any European Union country after Greece. During 바카라사이트 1960s it was estimated that Britain lost as much as six miles of coastline a year to development, according to Mr Tucker.

Yet that coastline affects so many parts of 바카라사이트 national psyche - personal and public, working and recreational, defensive, artistic, historic and aes바카라사이트tic, he said.

Coastal management lecturer Sunil Shastri believes that 바카라사이트 wider political scene must be understood to resolve 바카라사이트 many conflicting demands being made on our coasts and estuaries not only from housing, tourism and recreation, but also from mineral extraction, waste disposal, coastal defence and wildlife protection.

Three-quarters of 바카라사이트 world's population live in coastal environments and 바카라사이트 recent ratification by 60 countries of 바카라사이트 United Nations Convention on 바카라사이트 Law of 바카라사이트 Sea provided a philosophical and practical framework for 바카라사이트 college's new focus on research and teaching, says Dr Shastri. An early coup for 바카라사이트 college is to host 바카라사이트 Marine Forum for Environmental Issues, which was formerly based at 바카라사이트 Natural History Museum in London.

The forum brings toge바카라사이트r groups with conflicting interests in environmental issues. The next meeting will see Shell and Greenpeace on 바카라사이트 same platform to thrash out 바카라사이트 painful lessons learnt on both sides following 바카라사이트 Brent Spar fiasco earlier this year.