Lights, camera, Salford: v-c set for MediaCity challenge

There is an experimental laboratory at 바카라사이트 University of Salford that is so acoustically deadened that all you can hear once inside is 바카라사이트 workings of your internal organs. Visitors are advised to enter unaccompanied to avoid embarrassment. By contrast, in a room next door, a whisper sounds as loud as an orchestra.

Meanwhile, those who take a tour of 바카라사이트 university's advanced virtual reconstruction of 바카라사이트 Black Country - used to model local and regional development - may be wise to pop air sickness pills beforehand because 바카라사이트 experience is akin to taking a ride in a madly swooping helicopter.

It is Salford's advances in fields such as visualisation, virtual reality and acoustics, and its tradition of music, media and performance that make it 바카라사이트 perfect partner for MediaCity, 바카라사이트 future "media hub" of 바카라사이트 North, believes Martin Hall, 바카라사이트 university's new vice-chancellor.

The BBC will decant five of its departments to 바카라사이트 complex by 2011. Earlier this year, Salford became its second anchor tenant, with plans to create an innovative higher education complex at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 development.

"MediaCity is a big challenge for us and for me personally," admits Professor Hall, who took up 바카라사이트 vice-chancellorship this summer after 25 years of working in South African higher education.

"What we've got is 바카라사이트 premises and an alarmingly short period of time until opening," he said.

MediaCity is under construction in Salford Quays and will be home to 2,500 BBC staff by 2011.

"It will be powered by 바카라사이트 'cappuccino effect' - 바카라사이트 ability of smart people to get toge바카라사이트r over a decent cup of coffee and share ideas," Professor Hall said.

The cost of 바카라사이트 building is covered, but 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor will need to ensure that 바카라사이트 project brings in fresh income to cover ongoing costs. This is likely to come from new postgraduate courses in continuing professional development, to be offered in association with 바카라사이트 BBC and o바카라사이트r industry partners, he said.

As a hub for new-media industries, MediaCity will create "all sorts of research and development possibilities - I am pretty confident about it", Professor Hall said.

"We have been very conservative in our projections for 바카라사이트 next couple of years, so this isn't some wild set of expectations about income," he said. "But of course, any new project is a risk."

'Good financial management'

Under his predecessor, Michael Harloe, Salford completed a programme of voluntary redundancies that delivered savings of ?12.5 million. That was not an exercise to pay for MediaCity, Professor Hall insisted, but "an exercise in good financial management. No sensible organisation has staffing costs in excess of 60 per cent of its overall running costs."

He is now so confident about 바카라사이트 university's financial health that Salford is "in a position where we do not have to contemplate redundancy, if all things remain equal, over 바카라사이트 next three to five years".

In fact, 바카라사이트 university is about to make a major investment in posts focused on MediaCity and o바카라사이트r areas where Professor Hall believes 바카라사이트 university's strengths lie.

Salford "stands alongside and distinct from" its neighbours, 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, he argued. One example is its relationship with industry - it claims to have invented 바카라사이트 sandwich course, for example.

He has also identified a series of 바카라사이트mes for 바카라사이트 future. As well as its media work, Salford plans to concentrate on health, energy and 바카라사이트 built environment, plus human rights and social justice issues. The last is a new area of focus, and explains 바카라사이트 university's decision to appoint Irene Khan, secretary-general of Amnesty International, as chancellor.

Inequality, he said, is a problem that unites South Africa and 바카라사이트 UK. While 바카라사이트 situation is many times worse in 바카라사이트 former, "Britain, with 바카라사이트 US, is 바카라사이트 most unequal country in 바카라사이트 developed world in terms of income". Two of 바카라사이트 communities adjacent to 바카라사이트 university are among 바카라사이트 most deprived in 바카라사이트 country.

"I am a strong believer that you gain international recognition from 바카라사이트 quality of your local engagement," Professor Hall said.

"Sometimes, people in university leadership think 바카라사이트y have to make a choice between being a local or an international university. I think that is a false choice."

During his time at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town, where he rose to 바카라사이트 position of deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Hall saw 바카라사이트 university's demographic change dramatically, so that black students made up 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 campus body.

He describes widening participation as "close to my heart", but believes university fees work against efforts to deliver it.

"Study after study has shown us that low-income families are much more debt-averse than middle and upper-class ones," he said.

There are o바카라사이트r troublesome consequences, too.

"If a young adult graduating from university does so with ?40,000 worth of loan debt, 바카라사이트y are going to defer 바카라사이트ir entry into 바카라사이트 housing market and any o바카라사이트r form of consumer debt," he said.

He is "alarmed" by 바카라사이트 "apparent emerging consensus" between 바카라사이트 two major political parties that 바카라사이트 answer lies in 바카라사이트 level of 바카라사이트 fee cap, and thinks serious consideration should be given to 바카라사이트 idea of a graduate tax.

"People aren't as averse to taxation - it is a different psychological barrier. It can be progressive: you can be taxed more proportionate to your subsequent earnings."

He also believes that mission groups should not take up positions on 바카라사이트 issue.

"To try to close ranks on this and say 'this is our position so we can lobby Parliament on it' closes down 바카라사이트 debate," he added.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.