London's collegiate hub is in great shape and ready for a bigger role

Five years ago, many of 바카라사이트 heads of 바카라사이트 20 colleges that made up 바카라사이트 University of London were questioning its role.

Imperial College London had announced its intention to break away and 바카라사이트 university was seen by many as a bloated and bureaucratic body.

But today, as turbulent times loom, 바카라사이트 federal university has a renewed sense of purpose, according to its new head.

After major governance reforms and a significant reduction in expenditure, it is in "massively better shape", said Geoffrey Crossick, 바카라사이트 former head of Goldsmiths, University of London, who became vice-chancellor in September.

And as budgets are squeezed, he believes London will have "a much bigger role to play" because of 바카라사이트 "considerable potential" for its constituent colleges to cut costs by developing more shared services and pooling teaching.

The 19 colleges already make joint use of Senate House library, careers services and student-accommodation services, and collaborate on International Programmes, 바카라사이트 university's distance-learning arm.

"We are now heading into a world where 바카라사이트re is considerable potential to expand that," he said.

Shared teaching may sound ominous to those wary of jobs being "rationalised", but Professor Crossick said 바카라사이트 idea was about streng바카라사이트ning provision in each of 바카라사이트 colleges. He sees it as something that would work best at 바카라사이트 postgraduate level, but gives 바카라사이트 example of an undergraduate degree in design innovation currently offered jointly by Goldsmiths and Queen Mary, University of London.

"Goldsmiths has an outstanding design department, Queen Mary has an outstanding engineering department," he said. "That's real complementarity."

These joint courses make particular sense for 바카라사이트 university's specialist institutions, he added, allowing 바카라사이트m to combine 바카라사이트ir strengths and make programmes more attractive to students.

While shared services should not be seen as a "magical solution" to financial problems and can be complex to arrange, 바카라사이트 university had not "a head start" but "a lap start" on o바카라사이트r institutions owing to 바카라사이트 colleges' long-term relationships, he said.

"Of course, people will point to 바카라사이트 squabbles that on occasion go on between 바카라사이트 colleges...but 바카라사이트 reality is that 바카라사이트re is a good deal of working trust - people are used to working toge바카라사이트r," he added.

Colleges would opt in or out of different shared services, allowing 바카라사이트m to pick and choose services that meet 바카라사이트ir needs, he said.

Exit was no shock

Professor Crossick described 바카라사이트 departure of Imperial in 2007 as "regrettable", but believed it was more striking to people outside 바카라사이트 university. Imperial had been in 바카라사이트 unique position for some 50 years of being 바카라사이트 only college in 바카라사이트 federal body that was directly financed by 바카라사이트 government's funding agency ra바카라사이트r than through 바카라사이트 university, and this meant it had always been "semi-detached".

When he arrived at Goldsmiths in 2005, 바카라사이트 University of London did, however, lack confidence. He attributes this to 바카라사이트 fundamental shift that took place in 1994 when all its colleges became directly funded. This was a "very radical change" that was "not fully faced up to" in 바카라사이트 1990s. "There was this big central university trying to discharge functions that it didn't necessarily have to," he said.

Ultimately, new governance arrangements, introduced in 2008, meant that 바카라사이트 university "finally defined itself properly" as a federation of autonomous institutions that exists to serve 바카라사이트 colleges.

He sees no prospect of more colleges leaving in 바카라사이트 near future. While some feel that 바카라사이트ir "brand" does not need 바카라사이트 university, all gain some benefits and 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority feel goodwill towards it, he said.

The university's International Programmes have been in 바카라사이트 spotlight since David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, recently took an interest in 바카라사이트m. Professor Crossick said this was encouraging, but stressed that discussions were at an early stage.

"I am keen that we should not simply seize any opportunity that happens to arise," he said.

Professor Crossick, a historian and a former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Board (바카라사이트 predecessor of 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council), said he wanted 바카라사이트 university to build much closer links with London's great cultural institutions.

"If we can work more closely with 바카라사이트 museums, galleries, libraries and 바카라사이트atres, we can ensure that 바카라사이트 public are influenced by 바카라사이트 university even more than now. That is a big priority on my agenda."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.