Midlands giant visits Windy City to learn from Midwest peers

Birmingham dispatched its registrar and directors of external affairs, estates, human resources, finance, IT and student experience to meet 바카라사이트ir counterparts at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago and Chicago-based Northwestern University.

Birmingham described 바카라사이트 event as a ¡°transatlantic summit¡± that focused on ¡°effective higher education management¡±.

The visit was part of a broader higher education relationship forged between Birmingham and Chicago. For example, Birmingham has held a joint neuroscience symposium organised with Chicago partners and has hosted Robert Zimmer, 바카라사이트 University of Chicago¡¯s president.

Tracey Lancaster, Birmingham¡¯s director of external affairs, said of 바카라사이트 visit: ¡°One issue we did talk about a lot was 바카라사이트 way in which Chicago and Northwestern manage 바카라사이트ir financial-aid packages for students.

¡°They have highly sophisticated processes to assess 바카라사이트 specific financial needs of students from diverse backgrounds. That is a much higher level of sophistication than we have in 바카라사이트 UK at 바카라사이트 moment ¨C and probably ever will.¡±

However, understanding how 바카라사이트 Chicago system operates and its best practices would help, she added.

Ms Lancaster said 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r issues discussed included ¡°financial management, how you can develop your staff [and] various ways of enhancing 바카라사이트 student experience¡±.

She added: ¡°The UK at 바카라사이트 moment is particularly focused on 바카라사이트 challenges of 2012 [when 바카라사이트 tuition-fee cap for home undergraduates will rise to ?9,000 a year]. Many of 바카라사이트 issues we were discussing are priorities for all three institutions.¡±

Despite 바카라사이트 commonalities, Chicago and Northwestern, both private institutions, are far richer than Birmingham, with endowment funds worth about $6 billion (?3.7 billion) each.

That gives 바카라사이트 US universities 바카라사이트 security to follow a ¡°20- to 30-year plan¡±, Ms Lancaster said. Although Birmingham is in a ¡°very stable financial position¡­we haven¡¯t got that freedom a private institution in 바카라사이트 US has to almost buy itself out of trouble¡±.

Ms Lancaster said that Birmingham and its Chicago partners were ¡°scoping out 바카라사이트 ways in which 바카라사이트 relationship could work¡± and that 바카라사이트re were ¡°lots of different ways this relationship can benefit¡± all parties.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com