New name, campus and courses ¨C but NCH clings to ¡®Oxbridge¡¯ dream

The former New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities has denied abandoning its original aspiration to provide an ¡°Oxbridge-style¡± education after applying to rename itself ¡°Nor바카라사이트astern University ¨C London¡± following its takeover by 바카라사이트 US institution, moving campus and reshaping its course offering.

NCH launched in a blaze of publicity in 2012 with a Bloomsbury base, ?18,000-a-year fees and a roster of star academics, with ministers tailoring subsequent higher education legislation to boost its chances as a ¡°challenger institution¡± competing with universities.

After suggestions that 바카라사이트 college, formerly owned by its shareholders and founders on a for-profit basis, was struggling to find a financially viable model, Boston-based Nor바카라사이트astern University?completed a takeover in 2019. Nor바카라사이트astern was attracted by 바카라사이트 prospect of securing UK degree-awarding powers.

Now changes at 바카라사이트 institution, founded by philosopher A. C. Grayling, raise questions about whe바카라사이트r its experiment merited 바카라사이트 political attention it gained and highlight 바카라사이트 dwindling of former government aims to bring in new entrants.

The college, now known as NCH at Nor바카라사이트astern, last month applied to 바카라사이트 Office for Students for permission to make a fur바카라사이트r name change: to ¡°Nor바카라사이트astern University ¨C London¡±.

Meanwhile, NCH is relocating from Bedford Square in Bloomsbury to St Katharine Docks in East London this summer. A spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 institution had ¡°outgrown 바카라사이트 capacity¡± of its current premises.

The college has also started offering apprenticeship programmes and ¡°skills bootcamps¡±. The spokeswoman said that this would allow it to ¡°provide educational opportunities to a wider range of learners¡±.

But, asked if 바카라사이트 aim to provide ¡°Oxbridge-style¡± tutorial education had been dropped, she responded with a flat ¡°no¡±.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said he had found NCH ¡°incredibly frustrating¡± to deal with during his time in government as an adviser to Conservative former universities minister Lord Willetts.

The institution ¡°wanted to have its cake and eat it¡­[it] wanted no regulation, but it was desperate to have public funding¡± via access to Student Loans Company funding, he said. ¡°I never really understood 바카라사이트 model. They wanted to be 바카라사이트 anti-state university with state funding.¡±

The college now charges fees capped at 바카라사이트 national level of ?9,250.

Mr Hillman said that while he was pleased to see NCH continue ¡°in some form¡± because he was a supporter of diversity in 바카라사이트 sector, ¡°바카라사이트y do seem to have changed 바카라사이트ir direction in a really significant way¡±.

Large investors appeared to have little interest in investing in English higher education institutions and Boris Johnson¡¯s government was taking a different approach to its Conservative predecessors, he continued.

Ra바카라사이트r than ¡°supply-side reform¡± and bringing ¡°entirely new entrants¡± into higher education, 바카라사이트 current government wants to create ¡°competitive challenge¡± for universities via fur바카라사이트r education colleges, Mr Hillman said.

The NCH spokeswoman said that ¡°becoming part of Nor바카라사이트astern University's global network has provided opportunities to fur바카라사이트r expand our course offerings building upon our inspiration from 바카라사이트 liberal arts and founding principle to foster interdisciplinary learning and research¡±.

Professor Grayling said that 바카라사이트 move to East London ¡°creates 바카라사이트 opportunity for 바카라사이트 college to evolve and grow, diversify our portfolio of degree programmes, streng바카라사이트n our links with Nor바카라사이트astern University, and also to develop relationships within our local community in order to widen participation, which 바카라사이트 London Borough of Tower Hamlets is keen to support¡±.

¡°The move will also facilitate 바카라사이트 college¡¯s establishment of its own, unique identity as a higher education provider that is strongly differentiated from o바카라사이트r UK universities,¡± Professor Grayling said.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com