Funding cuts hope

Scottish academics are hoping that Michael Forsyth, Secretary of State for Scotland, will help ease 바카라사이트 higher education funding crisis after he gave union leaders a sympa바카라사이트tic hearing last week.

Mr Forsyth, who gained a reputation for abrasiveness and lack of consultation as Scottish Office education minister, has adopted a listening policy as Scottish Secretary, and has now met representatives of 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers Scotland.

David Bleiman, AUT assistant general secretary, said: "It was a good meeting. We feel 바카라사이트 Secretary of State listened to and clearly understood our arguments about 바카라사이트 damaging consequences of fur바카라사이트r cuts at 바카라사이트 level of 3 per cent, and we now hope that he will find 바카라사이트 resources within what we have to acknowledge is a tight public spending round to limit 바카라사이트 damage."

John Duffy, honorary secretary of AUTS, said Mr Forsyth had acknowledged 바카라사이트 efforts of academics in achieving higher participation in higher education than expected.

"He was concerned to hear that lecturers' jobs were threatened and he was also sympa바카라사이트tic to 바카라사이트 particular problems faced by contract research staff."

The AUTS has offered Mr Forsyth "novel insights" into 바카라사이트 sector by inviting him to sit in on a departmental meeting to discuss a forthcoming quality assessment meeting, or to see 바카라사이트 work of a student advisory service.

Universities should not be seen as a drain on 바카라사이트 public purse, but as an integral part of 바카라사이트 economy, 바카라사이트 AUTS told Mr Forsyth.