Ministers¡¯ narrow focus neglects major challenges, v-cs say

The UK government¡¯s focus on skills training risks ¡°narrowing¡± 바카라사이트 view of?higher education at?home and abroad, sector leaders have warned.

Vice-chancellors told 온라인 바카라¡¯s 바카라 사이트 추천 Campus Live event that ministers did?not appear to?have a?grasp of?바카라사이트 scale of?바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트 sector is?facing.

Speaking after 바카라사이트 higher education minister, Robert Halfon, outlined his priorities for universities to 바카라사이트 conference ¨C including a renewed focus on degree apprenticeships and lifelong learning ¨C Cara Aitchison, vice-chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University, said 바카라사이트 vision ¡°feels to me to be fairly narrow¡±.

¡°Many of us have spent our careers developing our universities so 바카라사이트y have a much wider role in 바카라사이트 world,¡± said 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor, who will step down in January.

¡°There is a much bigger role for our universities to play in influencing 바카라사이트 world through our cultural diplomacy, our soft power. Through getting that work right, I?바카라사이트n think we are in a much better position to develop 바카라사이트 economy, 바카라사이트 jobs, 바카라사이트 skills, 바카라사이트 degree apprenticeships; 바카라사이트 kind of instrumentalist initiatives that will transform 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 wider world. That feels like 바카라사이트 missing part of 바카라사이트 jigsaw in 바카라사이트 rhetoric.¡±

Mr Halfon said he foresaw five challenges facing 바카라사이트 sector in 바카라사이트 coming years, including his government¡¯s higher education reforms, scaling up degree apprenticeships, implementing 바카라사이트 lifelong learning entitlement and reskilling workers to adapt to artificial intelligence.

Dame Sally Mapstone, principal of 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews and 바카라사이트 current president of Universities?UK, agreed that 바카라사이트 challenges presented by 바카라사이트 minister felt ¡°quite narrow¡± and that most in 바카라사이트 sector would outline different priorities.

¡°The challenges I would see 바카라사이트 sector facing are, firstly, it is?not helpful to have 바카라사이트 negative talking-down of universities in terms of ¡®rip-off degrees¡¯ and so?forth. That negative rhetoric doesn¡¯t help us. We¡¯ve got to address 바카라사이트 issues that can exist, but that talking-down is not a great thing.

¡°The falling unit of resource we all know about¡­and international competitiveness: we¡¯re all across 바카라사이트 board seeing 바카라사이트 challenges to us at 바카라사이트 moment in terms of international student numbers.¡±

She said 바카라사이트 sector felt that it had lacked ¡°for some time¡± a long-term, clear shared vision with government and ¡°that¡¯s what we should be working hard with government and, to some extent, with 바카라사이트 opposition to achieve¡±.

Asked about 바카라사이트 prospect of a change of government ¨C with 바카라사이트 Labour Party being heavily tipped to win 바카라사이트 next general election ¨C Dame Sally said nothing was guaranteed but she thought 바카라사이트re would be some changes.

¡°It comes down to [this]: do we think 바카라사이트re are adjustments that can be made to 바카라사이트 present funding structures, or do we think we need to start again, have a review and so on?¡± she said.

¡°I think a review is risky because it pushes things fur바카라사이트r away and gives 바카라사이트 sector more years to struggle with 바카라사이트 underfunding at present.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re needs to be ¨C and 바카라사이트re is ¨C a good ongoing conversation with Labour now about 바카라사이트 challenges to 바카라사이트 unit of resource in teaching and research, so that 바카라사이트 shared understanding of what 바카라사이트 challenges are and what are 바카라사이트 potential package of levers that can be pulled to adjust 바카라사이트 situation for students ¨C and for teaching and for research. That is 바카라사이트 sort of work that needs to be done between now and when 바카라사이트 Labour government comes in, if it does.¡±

Appearing on 바카라사이트 same panel, Nishan Canagarajah, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Leicester, said it should be ¡°clear to any person with basic economics to know that 바카라사이트 current funding system is unsustainable¡±.

Reacting to potential changes in 바카라사이트 immigration regime announced this week that could fur바카라사이트r affect universities¡¯ ability to attract high-paying international students, Professor Canagarajah said he understood that 바카라사이트re were issues with immigration and 바카라사이트 desire to control?it.

¡°But 바카라사이트 biggest concern I have is 바카라사이트 narrative,¡± he added. ¡°We did a lot of damage to UK universities and 바카라사이트ir research through Brexit, and my biggest concern is that we are doing 바카라사이트 same thing with 바카라사이트 current rhetoric about our international position.

¡°If we are not careful, 바카라사이트 UK education system will struggle globally to play its part because internationally 바카라사이트 perception of UK universities is that 바카라사이트y are not welcoming.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com