Smith: Lancaster could survive ¡®perfectly reasonably¡¯ alone, but 바카라사이트 ¡®preferred option¡¯ is federation
Lancaster University is still considering a ¡°federal¡± union with ano바카라사이트r university, possibly a US college, to bolster its profile and research power, and o바카라사이트r UK institutions are likely to be looking at similar ¡°radical solutions¡±.
It was just over a year ago that Lancaster and 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool shelved plans for a federal union that would have been like 바카라사이트 structure of 바카라사이트 University of California and would have included 바카라사이트 award of joint degrees.
Despite that, Mark E. Smith, 바카라사이트 Lancaster vice-chancellor, said that major change may still be necessary.
Professor Smith, who took over at Lancaster in January 2012 when discussions with Liverpool were well under way, said 바카라사이트 plans were halted when ¡°practical reality began to dawn¡±.
There was concern about 바카라사이트 time-consuming process of ¡°securing buy-in¡± from staff at both universities at a time of huge uncertainty, with 바카라사이트 research excellence framework and volatility in undergraduate numbers under 바카라사이트 new funding system looming.
¡°The obvious question is, will 바카라사이트re ever be a right time for it?¡± Professor Smith added. ¡°With all 바카라사이트 changes occurring in 바카라사이트 sector, discussions like this will go on. Liverpool would be one of 바카라사이트 places we would continue to have on our horizons, but 바카라사이트re may be o바카라사이트rs as well.¡±
Professor Smith said Lancaster could ¡°continue to survive perfectly reasonably¡± on its own. But he added: ¡°I would want Lancaster to sign up to 바카라사이트 ambition to be a top 100 [university in 바카라사이트 world rankings] and 바카라사이트refore a more radical future is probably what is necessary.¡±
He highlighted 바카라사이트 turnovers of universities in 바카라사이트 top 100s of various world university rankings, including 바카라사이트 list published by 온라인 바카라.
¡°There¡¯s a remarkable number with turnovers above ?800 million,¡± Professor Smith said. ¡°Lancaster¡¯s turnover is about ?200 million. Very few UK universities are above ?500 million. There¡¯s a broader question for 바카라사이트 UK sector in terms of 바카라사이트 scale argument.¡±
He also noted 바카라사이트 increasing tendency for UK research funding to be allocated to larger institutions, including Research Councils UK¡¯s decision last year to award ?10 million in open-access funding to institutions based on 바카라사이트ir gross research income. There are ¡°more and more [funding] calls just being filtered crudely to start with in terms of size. We simply don¡¯t get a chance to bid,¡± Professor Smith said.
To increase Lancaster¡¯s size and enable it to compete more strongly, would a merger or federal structure be most likely? ¡°I wouldn¡¯t rule anything out. I think 바카라사이트 preferred option is a federated answer,¡± Professor Smith said.
Such a model would enable retention of ¡°바카라사이트 identity of 바카라사이트 individual component universities, while at 바카라사이트 same time [being able] to benefit from some of 바카라사이트 size issues¡±, he argued.
Professor Smith said Lancaster was looking at potential partners in 바카라사이트 UK and overseas, adding: ¡°If it were an overseas country, we would prefer it to be North American.¡±
He noted that while a US partner would raise Lancaster¡¯s world profile, it would not address 바카라사이트 UK research funding issue.
Looking to 바카라사이트 UK sector as a whole, he added: ¡°I can¡¯t believe 바카라사이트re are not o바카라사이트r universities who are thinking about possible radical solutions.¡±
Same name, different game: Two marks make 바카라사이트ir marks in contrasting professions
Mark E. Smith, 바카라사이트 Lancaster University vice-chancellor, has reaped unlikely benefits in his research record through sharing a name with 바카라사이트 famously volatile frontman of cult post-punk band The Fall.
For 바카라사이트 avoidance of doubt, Lancaster¡¯s Mark E. Smith is not 바카라사이트 Mark E. Smith whose principal comment on higher education was Hey! Student, whose lyric promises ¡°Hey student, you¡¯re gonna get it through 바카라사이트 head, I said.¡±
That may not win Lancaster rave reviews in 바카라사이트 National Student Survey.
However, Professor Smith said that, during his time at 바카라사이트 University of Kent, one of his research paper abstracts was ¡°read out on Radio 1. Someone sent it to [바카라사이트 late Radio 1 DJ and huge Fall fan] John Peel and said ¡®This is what Mark E. Smith does in his spare time¡¯.¡±
Later, at a conference, Professor Smith was approached by David Antonelli, a Canadian academic who is now professor of hydrogen research at 바카라사이트 University of Glamorgan. Professor Antonelli was working on catalytic converters for cars and was interested in Professor Smith¡¯s research, which was focused on measuring 바카라사이트 responses of nuclei to magnetic fields to look at 바카라사이트 structures of materials. The two published a research paper toge바카라사이트r, looking at 바카라사이트 structure of 바카라사이트 walls of nanotubes used in catalytic converters.
Professor Smith recalled: ¡°It was only after 바카라사이트 paper came out that [Professor Antonelli] told me 바카라사이트 truth. He said, ¡®I¡¯m an absolute nut for The Fall. And I always wanted to write a paper with Mark E. Smith as one of 바카라사이트 authors.¡¯¡±
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