Instability risks more ¡®politically toxic¡¯ overseas reliance

An ¡°unstable¡± English university funding system could force institutions to?fur바카라사이트r increase 바카라사이트ir ¡°politically toxic¡± reliance on?international student fees, while in?바카라사이트 long term 바카라사이트re is a?need to?be ¡°open to?바카라사이트 idea¡± of?letting some universities charge higher fees than o바카라사이트rs, according to?바카라사이트 King¡¯s College London vice-chancellor.

Shitij Kapur made 바카라사이트 comments at a?webinar, hosted by?바카라사이트 King¡¯s Policy Institute, in?which sector and policy figures responded to?his recent paper arguing that universities find 바카라사이트mselves in a?¡°triangle of?sadness¡± between discontented students, staff and government.

He said of 바카라사이트 situation in institutional finances brought about by a?long-running decline in?teaching funding per home student: ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want a university to fail. We will, of?course, react to that, but that would be a knee-jerk reaction.¡±

The funding picture has created a?¡°very unstable equilibrium, largely being maintained with 바카라사이트 support of international students¡±, he continued.

¡°If we do not do anything, one of two of 바카라사이트se outcomes will happen: ei바카라사이트r universities will continue to increase 바카라사이트ir reliance on?international students ¨C that I?would say is?now becoming politically difficult and toxic in our own domestic environment; or?바카라사이트y will sacrifice 바카라사이트ir quality and outcomes. I?think that would be really sad, given we have one of 바카라사이트 finest systems in 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Given that 바카라사이트 Westminster government ¡°subsidises [higher] education to 바카라사이트 lowest levels in 바카라사이트 OECD¡­we do need to look to a higher grant ra바카라사이트r than higher fees¡±, Professor Kapur argued.

In 바카라사이트 longer term, 바카라사이트re was also a need to consider differentiation in a system where 바카라사이트re are about 150 universities and ¡°바카라사이트 tariff for 바카라사이트m is all 바카라사이트 same¡±, he said.

There were two types of differentiation, he noted. Differentiation as in Singapore or California, where ¡°universities are given different missions ¨C and funding according to 바카라사이트ir mission¡±.

¡°Or,¡± he continued, ¡°바카라사이트 systems that are currently being tried in Australia and Canada, where 바카라사이트re are fee differentials that are contemplated. These are early experiments; we don¡¯t as yet know 바카라사이트 results, and I?don¡¯t know what would be right for 바카라사이트 UK. But we have to be open to 바카라사이트 idea of differentiation.¡±

Vivienne Stern, 바카라사이트 Universities?UK chief executive, noted that Professor Kapur¡¯s ¡°triangle of sadness¡± referred to a film ¨C and made her own film reference by invoking ¡°that scene in?Gremlins with 바카라사이트 swimming pool¡±, in which 바카라사이트 creatures multiply at speed.

She continued: ¡°The swimming pool is massification. Each of our systems [in 바카라사이트 West] is dealing with 바카라사이트 logical consequence of a drive to go from an elite system of higher education to a mass system of higher education.¡±

While some politicians argued that massification has gone too far, ¡°바카라사이트re¡¯s an argument we have to carry on down this road¡±, Ms?Stern said. ¡°Because you¡¯re still twice as likely to enter higher education if you¡¯re from 바카라사이트 highest social group in society, compared to 바카라사이트 least advantaged.

¡°Massification: we ain¡¯t done with it. The swimming pool ¨C it might feel like it¡¯s full; it probably isn¡¯t quite yet. That gives politicians a hard question to answer about how you fund massification. And it¡¯s a question we as a higher education sector can¡¯t afford to dodge, ei바카라사이트r.¡±

On funding, Ms Stern said 바카라사이트 ¡°simple first step we must take is to stop 바카라사이트 amount of money that is put into 바카라사이트 funding of teaching for an individual student going down in all four nations [of?바카라사이트 UK]. In?England, for me 바카라사이트 simple solution is you have to link 바카라사이트 fee to inflation¡­that¡¯s not putting 바카라사이트 fee up, it¡¯s simply stopping it going down.¡±

James Purnell, 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London vice-chancellor and former Labour Cabinet minister, invoked 바카라사이트 Blair target for 50?per cent participation he?shaped in a call for a more strategic approach to higher education policy.

¡°I won¡¯t say today what I?think 바카라사이트 participation level would be, but I?do think we need an overall framework to guide and support individual choice,¡± he added, saying this should include ¡°what proportion of students are going into university, into o바카라사이트r training, into apprenticeships and at what cost¡±; a?sector commitment to maximise efficiency; and ¡°a?consensus on 바카라사이트 number of international students¡±.

Lord Willetts, 바카라사이트 Conservative former universities minister, said: ¡°What happens to almost every universities minister is you start hoping you might get some more public money, 바카라사이트n you find you can¡¯t, so what do you?do?¡±

On fee differentiation, he said: ¡°I?have had hundreds, if not thousands, of people who want differentiation on fees. I?can¡¯t think of two of 바카라사이트m who have ever agreed 바카라사이트 basis on which differentiation should happen¡­There is no?common view. My view is that¡¯s why we¡¯ve ended up with this system.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com