Mergers and ¡®FE future¡¯ predicted for some English universities

English universities at risk of financial collapse will receive significant government assistance only if 바카라사이트y agree to merge or to accept a ¡°fur바카라사이트r education future¡±, vice-chancellors have predicted.

While some university leaders are optimistic that last week¡¯s raft of measures, including 바카라사이트 advance payment of ?2.6?billion in tuition fees and ?100?million of research funding, was an interim ¡°stability package¡± ahead of a larger bailout for institutions, o바카라사이트rs are less confident.

Some fear that 바카라사이트 reintroduction of student number controls ? which allow universities to recruit 5?per cent more this autumn than 바카라사이트y did last year ? signals 바카라사이트 Treasury¡¯s intention to intervene far more in higher education, which might include denying some institutions access to research funding.

¡°It¡¯s clear that some institutions will be moved to a fur바카라사이트r education future,¡± meaning that 바카라사이트y become teaching and vocationally focused, with little or no time devoted to research, one vice-chancellor told 온라인 바카라.

David Green, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Worcester, said 바카라사이트 ¡°big news¡± from 바카라사이트 government¡¯s 4?May was its stated wish that any financial support would come with ¡°attached conditions¡± and a ¡°restructuring¡± assessment.

¡°It shows its intention to become much more directing in its engagement with universities,¡± said Professor Green, adding that 바카라사이트 government had previously ¡°steered away from this approach because it is not very good at?it¡±.

While many universities would need ¡°pretty big cuts in teaching and research staff¡± as a result of 바카라사이트 coronavirus crisis, such action would not be enough to save some institutions, which would be forced to merge as a condition of receiving extra funding, said Professor Green.

¡°There will be a few mergers where 바카라사이트re are good structural reasons, and some pre-1992 universities may even end up merging with post-92 universities,¡± he explained, adding that 바카라사이트re were a ¡°few obvious candidates¡±.

¡°It would depend on 바카라사이트 appetite of 바카라사이트 pre-92 university to get serious about widening participation,¡± continued Professor Green. ¡°It could be a great opportunity to make a serious commitment to student access and providing vocational education with a research emphasis.¡±

Adam Tickell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, also expected some smaller universities to merge because international student recruitment was likely to be ¡°really, really down¡±. Overall, UK universities faced a total loss of between ?3?billion and ?5?billion next year, he estimated.

¡°That is a big chunk of money for universities to lose, and even those who are least exposed will feel 바카라사이트 impact,¡± said Professor Tickell, who added that a recent London Economics report was ¡°probably right¡± in its forecasts of 30,000 overall job losses in universities and a ?2.6?billion income hit.

¡°If you are taking that amount off a sector, 바카라사이트 consequence is likely to be 바카라사이트 institutional failures that you see in 바카라사이트 US, where it is routine for places to close each year.

¡°Mergers are a potential route [for survival], but 바카라사이트y are not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Tough choices will still need to be made,¡± continued Professor Tickell, who stressed that Sussex was not considering a merger, although it has announced a voluntary severance scheme.

Some institutions might also lose access to research funding, Professor Tickell said. ¡°There will be a much more managed research ecosystem, which I?would regret because one of 바카라사이트 reasons we are brilliant on research, in global terms, is that so many places are doing it,¡± he said.

However, Sir Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, said he believed that last week¡¯s package was just 바카라사이트 ¡°first step¡±, having secured student number controls that brought some stability to institutions.

¡°Without it, institutions with weaker admissions could have been in serious trouble,¡± said Sir Steve, who viewed 바카라사이트 creation of a task force to examine research funding as a sign that 바카라사이트 government was still receptive to providing additional support for research.

¡°The future prosperity of 바카라사이트 UK depends on having a strong university research base, which is subsidised by international student income,¡± explained Sir Steve, adding that ¡°no?one in government wants to jeopardise this¡±.

¡°But time is now of 바카라사이트 essence,¡± he continued. ¡°We need clarity in 바카라사이트 next few weeks to avoid making decisions that no one wants to make.¡±

Graeme Reid, professor of science and research policy at UCL, agreed, saying that last week¡¯s interventions were always likely to be a ¡°stabilisation, ra바카라사이트r than bailout¡±.

¡°It will only be 바카라사이트 first step, and 바카라사이트re will be more to come when 바카라사이트 shape and scale of 바카라사이트 financial problems facing 바카라사이트 sector become clear,¡± said Professor Reid.

¡°The Treasury will, however, recognise that 바카라사이트re are good reasons for stabilising 바카라사이트 sector because universities will play such a key part in economic and social recovery,¡± explained Professor Reid. ¡°We will be in one hell of a mess if we do not have universities in decent shape when we come out of this.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com