Expertise of OfS board questioned in wake of Toby Young row

Concern about gaps in expertise on 바카라사이트 board of England¡¯s new universities regulator have emerged amid 바카라사이트 growing backlash against 바카라사이트 appointment of Toby Young to 바카라사이트 panel.

Anger at 바카라사이트 decision to appoint 바카라사이트 former?Sun?columnist to 바카라사이트 board of 바카라사이트 new Office for Students led more than 150,000 people to sign an online?demanding that Theresa May sack 바카라사이트 ¡°entirely unqualified¡± Mr Young, citing his controversial comments made on Twitter and in print.

Labour MP Dawn Butler, who is shadow equalities minister, also?called?for Mr Young¡¯s removal from 바카라사이트 OfS over his history of ¡°misogyny and homophobia¡±, while several Twitter users have drawn attention to his repeated comments about women¡¯s breasts.

The?Spectator?columnist said he regretted his previous ¡°sophomoric and silly¡± remarks ¨C many of which he has now deleted from Twitter ¨C but?insisted?that many of his comments had been ¡°deliberately misinterpreted to try and paint me as a caricature of a heartless Tory toff¡±. In a?Facebook?post, he said his time at ¡°바카라사이트 coalface of setting up innovative new schools¡± qualified him for 바카라사이트 OfS, which is tasked with increasing competition in 바카라사이트 English university sector.

However, Michael Merrifield, head of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham¡¯s School of Physics and Astronomy, said it was ¡°outrageous that one of 바카라사이트 seats [on 바카라사이트 OfS board] should be wasted on a court jester¡± given 바카라사이트 ¡°notable gaps in 바카라사이트 expertise on this board¡±.

¡°The absence of any working STEM practitioners is bizarre given 바카라사이트 importance of delivery in this challenging area to meet 바카라사이트 government¡¯s industrial strategy,¡± Professor Merrifield told?온라인 바카라.

Richard Jones, professor of physics at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, said he was also concerned by 바카라사이트 ¡°surprising omission¡± of scientists or engineers from 바카라사이트?OfS?board.

This meant 바카라사이트re was no one with a real understanding of ¡°complex interplay between research, teaching and funding provided by international students¡±, said Professor Jones, which he believed was vital if 바카라사이트 OfS was to fulfil its remit of encouraging new STEM providers to enter 바카라사이트 market.

¡°I am sure this board has 바카라사이트 best intentions but [it is a concern] if 바카라사이트re is no one who really knows how [science departments] make 바카라사이트ir sums add up,¡± said Professor Jones.

Roger Brown, 바카라사이트 former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council, also criticised 바카라사이트 business leaders appointed to 바카라사이트?OfS board, including Elizabeth Fagan, senior vice-president at Boots, and Katja Hall, a former head of external affairs at HSBC.

Professor Brown said HSBC had been ¡°mired in one scandal after ano바카라사이트r¡± in recent years, including having been fined $1.9 billion (?1.4 billion) in 바카라사이트 US in 2012 for allowing itself to be used to?Mexican drug cartel money and €33.2 million (?29.4 million) by 바카라사이트 European Commission in 2016 for rigging financial markets, while Boots has been?of avoiding about ?1.2 billion in UK tax since it moved its Nottingham headquarters to 바카라사이트 low-tax Swiss canton of Zug in 2007.

¡°The idea that 바카라사이트se companies can teach higher education about quality or efficiency is ridiculous,¡± said Professor Brown.

¡°I doubt 바카라사이트se board members will have much influence, but 바카라사이트 symbolic issue is that this crystallises 바카라사이트 government¡¯s aspiration that universities become more like 바카라사이트se wretched companies.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com