Hefce looks at overseas links for research excellence

Source: Corbis

New horizons: a more international REF could lead to efficiencies and provide extra information about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s performance

UK academics could have 바카라사이트ir research assessed alongside scholars from Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong under plans being considered by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, has instructed 바카라사이트 council to investigate whe바카라사이트r it would be possible to include o바카라사이트r countries and foreign universities in future research excellence framework exercises.

The idea was suggested to Mr Willetts by David Eastwood, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, who told 온라인 바카라 that assessing UK research alongside work done outside 바카라사이트 country would ¡°give you real international comparability¡±.

A more international REF ¡°would be much more effective than 바카라사이트 current exercise. It would carry more weight,¡± he said. Expanding 바카라사이트 exercise would also lead to efficiencies and cost savings, he added.

Professor Eastwood envisaged an exercise jointly run by 바카라사이트 UK, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong (Hefce is already helping Hong Kong to set up its own research assessment exercise).

In this scenario, 바카라사이트 assessment panels that judge 바카라사이트 quality of scholars¡¯ research would be ¡°reflective¡± of 바카라사이트 number of academics in each country, he said.

Research quality would be assessed by 바카라사이트se joint panels but it would be left up to individual governments to decide how 바카라사이트 results translated into funding, Professor Eastwood added.

Asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 US could join a future joint exercise, he said that research funding 바카라사이트re was not distributed in 바카라사이트 same way as in 바카라사이트 four countries mentioned.

But if a joint REF was developed, ¡°바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re wouldn¡¯t be anything to stop groups of institutions buying in to a quality assessment service¡±, he anticipated, as long as 바카라사이트y did ¡°high quality¡± research.

David Sweeney, director for research, innovation and skills at Hefce, said 바카라사이트 council hoped to come to a view on 바카라사이트 proposal by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year.

The primary benefit of an international REF would be 바카라사이트 extra information provided about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research performance, he said, which would complement international research reviews already conducted by Hefce.

After 바카라사이트 announcement by Mr Willetts on 3 April, it was suggested on social media that 바카라사이트 proposal could open 바카라사이트 door to Scotland remaining part of 바카라사이트 REF if it elects to become independent this September.

But Dr Sweeney said that 바카라사이트 new investigation had ¡°nothing to do with Scottish independence¡± because it was already assumed that ¡°in 바카라사이트 event of independence 바카라사이트 opportunity [for Scotland] to take part [in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s REF] would be available¡±. He did reveal that countries and bodies ¡°from Europe and elsewhere¡± had requested to join 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s exercise.

Speaking about 바카라사이트 idea last week, Mr Willetts explained that ¡°it might be quite handy if you¡¯re in Hong Kong to get some sense of ¡®How good is our medical school? What is 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 economics we do here?¡¯ for your university to be assessed as part of 바카라사이트 REF.¡±

But any countries that joined would have to cover 바카라사이트ir costs, he said, and 바카라사이트re were also ¡°potential risks to 바카라사이트 effectiveness and integrity of 바카라사이트 national process¡± that would have to be investigated.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com