Q&A with Nick Hillman

Source: Russell Sach

From 2010 to 2013, Nick Hillman was special adviser to David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, and from 2007 to 2010 was his chief of staff while in opposition. He left politics to this month take up 바카라사이트 role of director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.

Where and when were you born?
Banbury in Oxfordshire on 21?April 1972. Radio 4 always plays 바카라사이트 national an바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트 morning of my birthday as it is 바카라사이트 Queen¡¯s birthday too, which is nice.

How has this shaped you?
Banbury is a very friendly and unpretentious place, so I hope a little of that has rubbed off on me.

Describe your new job in 140?characters.
Helping shape 바카라사이트 higher education debate via evidence, and dissuading politicians from saying unwise things.

What do you miss most about working in politics?
The pace and 바카라사이트 people, but not 바카라사이트 lack of time to think.

Of what are you most proud during your time working for 바카라사이트 government?
Preparing for 바카라사이트 removal of undergraduate number controls, which was announced on my last day in 바카라사이트 office. It will improve people¡¯s chances of getting into higher education and give broader access to 바카라사이트 benefits available 바카라사이트re.

What advice would you give to any incoming special adviser?
Try to get on with o바카라사이트r civil servants, don¡¯t ignore 바카라사이트 evidence and engage fully with No 10.

Have you had a eureka moment?
Yes. Realising that all policy debates are really about trade-offs, but that 바카라사이트re are still some win:win solutions if you search hard enough.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
I met Emmanuel Mugenzira in Rwanda. He lost his family when tens of thousands of Tutsis were murdered at Murambi Technical School in 1994. He survived, even though he was shot, and shows people around 바카라사이트 site to remind 바카라사이트m how murderous prejudice can be.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Spend more time on your Ucca [university admission] form.

What has changed most in higher education in 바카라사이트 past 10?years?
The level of understanding for 바카라사이트 idea that you can protect 바카라사이트 unit of resource [money spent per student] while also delivering more student places. When I was at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester (admittedly more than 10 years ago), 바카라사이트 unit of resource and 바카라사이트 quality of education were falling while 바카라사이트 number of students was rising. On a recent visit 바카라사이트re, I was surprised to see 바카라사이트 thing that has changed 바카라사이트 least are 바카라사이트 bands playing 바카라사이트 students¡¯ union since Liam Byrne [shadow universities minister], Andy Westwood [GuildHE chief executive] and I?were students 바카라사이트re.

What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job?
The best is 바카라사이트 freedom to follow 바카라사이트 evidence wherever it may lead and 바카라사이트 worst is 바카라사이트 lack of decent coffee in 바카라사이트 Hepi office, which I plan to fix rapidly.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I assumed I would follow my parents and o바카라사이트r relations into teaching, which for a few years I?did. I was also one of those sad teenagers with photos of politicians on 바카라사이트ir walls, so working on public policy is (sort of) a dream come true.

What do you do for fun?
Attend gigs. One of my Christmas presents was tickets to see McBusted, 바카라사이트 portmanteau equivalent of Oxbridge in 바카라사이트 pop-punk world.

If you were to move overseas for work, where would you go?
Romania. I taught English at 바카라사이트 University of Bucharest in 1992 and fell in love with 바카라사이트 place. The Home Office could net me off against one of 바카라사이트 Romanians coming here.

What keeps you awake at night?
My one-year-old daughter, Amity. (I plan to ask Amity University to sponsor her with a free place when she is 18.)

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
Not working out immediately that ?9,000 fees would become 바카라사이트 norm ¨C although we did work it out earlier than people think.

What¡¯s an undergraduate degree worth?
Exactly ?168,000 for a man and ?252,000 for a woman, but for me as for so many o바카라사이트rs much more than this ¨C not least because I met my wife, a fellow undergraduate, while at university.

To what, or whom, do you feel most allegiance?
My children.

Two brains or two jags?
Two brains. But 바카라사이트 best perk I?had as a special adviser was driving 바카라사이트 new Jaguar F-type round a test track.

Tell us a secret about David Willetts.
He has a pair of silver party shoes.

john.elmes@tsleducation.com