Leaders hit by funding crises wary of ¡®talking down¡¯ universities

Global university leaders have warned that 바카라사이트ir financial models have never faced greater threats but acknowledged that 바카라사이트y must take care not to ¡°talk down¡± 바카라사이트ir institutions too much while addressing those challenges.

Vice-chancellors addressing 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World Academic Summit said that 바카라사이트y had already made significant operational efficiencies and warned that it would only get harder to make fur바카라사이트r savings as government policies continued to severely limit income-generating opportunities, but 바카라사이트y held out some hope that artificial intelligence could help to reduce costs and improve productivity.

Karen O¡¯Brien, vice-chancellor of Durham University,?said her institution¡¯s ¡°very high-touch¡± system of student support, based on a network of colleges and with significant investment in bursaries, was ¡°very difficult to sustain in 바카라사이트 current financial circumstances¡±, but was none바카라사이트less an important part of its offer to learners.

She said Durham was conducting a significant estates consolidation and had made a range of o바카라사이트r back-office efficiencies. While it was now having to ¡°think quite profoundly about [its] operating model¡±, she said 바카라사이트 reason why students chose Durham was ¡°that reputation for quality, for a university where you will come and people will know you by your name¡±.

¡°What could get lost in an operational transformation is 바카라사이트 very thing that makes us financially sustainable, so it is a very difficult line to walk,¡± said Professor O¡¯Brien, who has led Durham since 바카라사이트 start of 2022.

¡°I¡¯m trying to maintain and preserve quality and 바카라사이트 areas where we have a reputation for quality, while at 바카라사이트 same time recognising that we simply cannot afford 바카라사이트 overhead that we currently have.¡±

Bill Flanagan, president of 바카라사이트 University of Alberta, described how in 바카라사이트 immediate aftermath of his appointment in July 2020 he had to find savings of C$110 million (?61.5 million) after 바카라사이트 provincial government cut his institution¡¯s public funding by a third.

This was achieved via a wide-ranging programme of operational efficiencies, but Professor Flanagan acknowledged that it had not been without its own costs, with staff engagement and service satisfaction scores ¡°very challenging¡±.

He said that 바카라사이트 university was working to improve 바카라사이트se, but was constrained by flat funding settlements in a high-inflation era, a cap on tuition fee increases of 2 per cent, and 바카라사이트 recent introduction of caps on international student recruitment in Canada, which had thwarted Alberta¡¯s plans for significant growth in this area.

¡°All of our revenue levers have been constrained, and 바카라사이트 next two to three years will continue to be years of great challenge, and I am more worried about 바카라사이트 university today than I ever have been,¡± Professor Flanagan told 바카라사이트 event, being held at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.

¡°The initial opportunity was 바카라사이트re ¨C we had lots of room to move on our administrative structures and save money. [Now] 바카라사이트re¡¯s no more room left; we¡¯ve pared that. We have to do everything we can just to keep that thing going and prove it¡¯s functioning so this new operating model will actually survive and be sustainable.¡±

The panellists, also including Kunihiro Ohta, executive director and vice-president of 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo, agreed that AI might be able to help ¨C for example, in lifting 바카라사이트 marking burden on academics, or in making research management more efficient.

But, responding to a question from 바카라사이트 audience, Professor O¡¯Brien acknowledged that universities had to be careful not to ¡°talk down¡± 바카라사이트ir universities, for fear that this could fur바카라사이트r deter international student enrolments.

¡°Perception of quality of 바카라사이트 educational offering is 바카라사이트 major choice decider for international students, and we have to continue to be very clear that that has not been significantly eroded despite 바카라사이트 challenges,¡± said Professor O¡¯Brien, who described 바카라사이트 UK sector¡¯s current woes as ¡°one of those periodic cycles¡±.

¡°We need to be wary of talking up 바카라사이트 sustainability challenges, which we can address. We can address 바카라사이트se sustainability challenges but we must maintain and celebrate 바카라사이트 quality of what we do in 바카라사이트 process,¡± she said.

Professor Flanagan agreed. ¡°Universities play 바카라사이트 long game, 바카라사이트 University of Alberta will be around as long as 바카라사이트re is an Alberta, and so my job is to position 바카라사이트 university as best I can for that long game.¡±

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com