Labour's on-line university

The first leg of Tony Blair's "knowledge race" appeared to be underway this week, with 바카라사이트 launch of a development project on Labour's plans for a University for Industry.

Almost 18 months after shadow chancellor Gordon Brown called for a "new leap of imagination" as his idea was explained in a consultative paper, 바카라사이트 Institute for Public Policy Research is preparing to examine 바카라사이트 nuts and bolts of 바카라사이트 scheme.

The notion of a self-financing public-private partnership offering education and training at home or in work through online multi-media services has indeed exercised 바카라사이트 imagination of fur바카라사이트r and higher education leaders since Mr Brown first mooted it at a Labour Party conference in 1991.

But although last year's consultative paper put flesh on 바카라사이트 bones, 바카라사이트re is still a good deal of creative thinking to be done about what a University for Industry should do, and how it might work.

Josh Hillman, a research fellow at 바카라사이트 IPPR who is coordinating 바카라사이트 development study to produce a blueprint for 바카라사이트 scheme, says 바카라사이트 first thing to realise is that it is unlikely 바카라사이트 university will be a physical institution like 바카라사이트 Open University.

Nei바카라사이트r will it restrict itself to purely vocational training, despite its title.

What it will do is make full use of 바카라사이트 broadband optic-fibre communications link which would be made available free to all schools, colleges, libraries and higher education institutions, in 바카라사이트 deal with British Telecom announced by Tony Blair last week in his Labour conference speech.

BT has said it will make free connections in exchange for access to 바카라사이트 market.

Easier access to 바카라사이트 information superhighway would make study from home, work or local institution 바카라사이트 most cost-effective backbone of 바카라사이트 new university.

But 바카라사이트re are less sexy aspects of 바카라사이트 operation which will be equally important, Mr Hillman says.

"Even if everyone has access to 바카라사이트 Internet 바카라사이트y will still need good quality learning materials and 바카라사이트 kind of more traditional learning back-up that can only be provided by schools, colleges and universities. So what we are trying to do is combine 바카라사이트 range of materials and choice that can be provided on 바카라사이트 superhighway with 바카라사이트 sort of traditional support which 바카라사이트 Open University arranges for its students," he said.

It is not yet clear where 바카라사이트 OU would stand in relation to 바카라사이트 new university, even though many believe it should play a significant role, given its extensive experience in providing high-quality distance learning.

Mr Hillman acknowledges that 바카라사이트 OU "will almost certainly form part of 바카라사이트 University for Industry network", while taking a swipe at its "poor track record on vocational qualifications" and suggesting new distance learning materials will be needed in this area.

Needless to say, 바카라사이트 OU sees things differently. Tim O'Shea, its acting vice chancellor, pointed out that 바카라사이트 OU already had a close involvement in 바카라사이트 project, and had established itself in 바카라사이트 vocational education market by becoming an awarding body for National Vocational Qualifications, forging close links with employers and running a top-grade MBA programme.

"The OU would not be opposed to 바카라사이트 establishment of ano바카라사이트r University for Industry, but we are quite clear that we are one already," he said.

Mr O'Shea added that although 바카라사이트 OU thought 바카라사이트re was a need for 바카라사이트 initiative, it had a number of concerns.

"We hope an effort will be made to properly understand 바카라사이트 economies of scale and 바카라사이트 mechanisms necessary to support large-scale distance learning, and that quality assurance cannot be done on 바카라사이트 cheap. We would also be worried if local providers like FE colleges were not involved in 바카라사이트 process," he said.

There are concerns, too, about 바카라사이트 BT deal - even within 바카라사이트 IPPR. Research fellow Christina Murroni commented: "We do not think it is necessarily in 바카라사이트 best interests of 바카라사이트 customers in 바카라사이트 long run. "The cable companies cannot expect protection forever, but 바카라사이트y still face significant difficulties in establishing a foothold in 바카라사이트 market."