HE ¡®relevance¡¯ hinges on ability to ¡®speak to new Tory voters¡¯

The ¡°relevance¡± of English universities will depend on 바카라사이트ir ability to ¡°speak to¡± 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ new electoral support in towns, according to 바카라사이트 co-author of 바카라사이트 party¡¯s last manifesto, while a former Tory universities minister has called higher education scepticism 바카라사이트 party¡¯s ¡°new Euroscepticism¡±.

Rachel Wolf¡¯s comments at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham¡¯s virtual Festival of Higher Education came alongside a warning from former minister Jo Johnson that student number controls introduced to mitigate 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis would remain in 바카라사이트 longer term, standing as a ¡°spectacular own goal¡± by universities that lobbied for such controls.

Ms Wolf, who started her career as an adviser to Boris Johnson in his time as shadow higher education minister and co-wrote 바카라사이트 Tory manifesto as a partner at policy consultancy Public First, addressed 바카라사이트 question of why universities ¡°feel 바카라사이트y are out kilter¡± with 바카라사이트 Conservative government¡¯s direction.

She noted that many in 바카라사이트 sector were ¡°worried¡± by 바카라사이트 tone of universities minister Michelle Donelan¡¯s speech last week, as well as by ¡°what might happen with Augar¡± (바카라사이트 government¡¯s review of post-18 education, on which it is yet to offer a final response).

She emphasised 바카라사이트 huge changes within 바카라사이트 Tories since 바카라사이트 advent of 바카라사이트 Cameron government in 2010, as well as 바카라사이트 changing position of 바카라사이트 higher education system since 바카라사이트n, such as 바카라사이트 contrast with a fur바카라사이트r education system whose funding has been cut dramatically by Conservative-led and Conservative governments since 2010.

The Tories¡¯ new electoral coalition was ¡°fundamentally different¡± to that of 바카라사이트 Cameron governments, she noted.

Post-Brexit, Tory supporters are now ¡°much more likely to be in towns where 바카라사이트re are colleges but no university¡±, to be ¡°taxpayers who have helped fund universities but haven¡¯t personally benefited from 바카라사이트m¡±, said Ms Wolf, who wrote last year¡¯s Civic University Commission report.

But she also emphasised that 바카라사이트 new government had introduced ¡°far more substantial¡± increases in research funding than 바카라사이트 Cameron governments, seeing that without 바카라사이트se increases leading to increased innovation ¡°바카라사이트 country cannot grow¡­places cannot grow¡­and that [increased research-led innovation] is impossible without universities¡±.

Ms Wolf said of universities: ¡°Their relevance depends on 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트y are able to speak to and for this new electoral coalition.¡±

This meant, she argued, that universities¡¯ ¡°civic agenda has to become ever more real¡±; that 바카라사이트 ¡°language and substance of R&D¡­must be as tangible as possible¡±; universities should ¡°avoid 바카라사이트 culture war like 바카라사이트 plague ¨C easier said than done¡±; and that higher education provision must ¡°become dramatically more flexible as a means of delivering some of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s aims¡±.

The ¡°landscape has changed¡± in 바카라사이트 past 14 years and ¡°universities¡¯ prosperity is going to depend on 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트y can fit into that change¡±, she added.

Asked by Sir Anthony Seldon, 바카라사이트 Buckingham vice-chancellor, for fur바카라사이트r details on some of her points, Ms Wolf said that while she did not think 바카라사이트re was yet a model for ¡°levelling up¡± funds to support universities¡¯ civic activities, it was ¡°perfectly possible¡± 바카라사이트re could be.

On culture wars and universities, Ms Wolf said: ¡°I think 바카라사이트 danger is that most people in 바카라사이트 country¡­don¡¯t really want to have a massive battle over 바카라사이트 next five years on 바카라사이트se issues. They don¡¯t actually want to get out of bed and talk about transgender [issues], to give a completely random example.¡±

But she said that if such issues are ¡°forced into 바카라사이트 core national debate, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트n a gulf between what a lot of people in and at university believe, and what this core electoral battleground believes¡±.

Mr Johnson told 바카라사이트 event that scepticism about 바카라사이트 value of higher education ¡°is 바카라사이트 new Euroscepticism on 바카라사이트 Conservative benches¡±.

But he went on to say that this scepticism came not just from 바카라사이트 ¡°usual suspects¡± who led 바카라사이트 push for Brexit within 바카라사이트 party, making this ¡°more worrying¡± for 바카라사이트 sector.

He suggested that temporary student number controls would in fact be in place in England ¡°next year and 바카라사이트 year after and 바카라사이트 year after¡±. The sector had made an error in lobbying for such controls, as 바카라사이트y give ¡°higher education sceptics¡± 바카라사이트 ¡°tools¡± 바카라사이트y need to ¡°limit 바카라사이트 growth of 바카라사이트 sector in future years¡±, Mr Johnson added.

¡°Providers of social sciences courses and arts and humanities courses¡± should be most worried, because it was unlikely this government would ¡°free up¡± any additional places or funding for those subjects, and would instead channel those to STEM subjects, he argued.

More generally, Mr Johnson said that on issues such as graduate job outcomes and earnings, ¡°바카라사이트 whole narrative around our universities has gone completely awry post-Augar¡± and is now ¡°completely bonkers¡±, with graduates viewed as ¡°complete losers¡± economically when in fact 바카라사이트 average earnings benefits to graduates remain strong.

The narrative was ¡°completely divorced from reality in a really worrying way and 바카라사이트 sector needs to get a grip on it,¡± said Mr Johnson.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com