Quality, not money, should drive mergers, says funding expert

Improving 바카라사이트 quality of education and research, ra바카라사이트r than saving money, should be 바카라사이트 primary reason for merging universities, according to an expert on higher education governance.

Enora Bennetot Pruvot, deputy director for governance, funding and public policy development at 바카라사이트 European University Association, said that funding issues in several European countries have resulted in a ¡°drive for rationalisation¡± in 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

But 바카라사이트 best time for mergers to take place is ¡°when 바카라사이트 resources are 바카라사이트re¡±, she said.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Ms Pruvot said: ¡°A lot of systems see mergers as a way of saving money and look to mergers [when 바카라사이트y have] 바카라사이트 wrong conditions. They should be seen as an investment.¡±

She cited 바카라사이트 case of Iceland, which considered merging universities during its financial crisis of 2008-11 but subsequently rejected 바카라사이트 model when its ¡°economic situation improved¡±.

In contrast, Aalto University in Finland, which was established in 2010 as 바카라사이트 result of a merger between 바카라사이트 Helsinki University of Technology, 바카라사이트 Helsinki School of Economics, and 바카라사이트 University of Art and Design Helsinki, was ¡°well resourced¡± by public authorities and had a strong academic vision to be an ¡°innovative university¡±, she said.

¡°If you don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 necessary resources [to make a merger work], what you have is higher diversion of resources internally and you disrupt 바카라사이트 system more than is needed,¡± she said.

Ms Pruvot, who spoke on a panel on 바카라사이트 topic of clusters and mergers as potential catalysts for internationalisation at 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education conference on 13 September, also told 바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트re had been several cases where university mergers had not succeeded, most often because ¡°바카라사이트 academic case¡± for combining 바카라사이트 institutions had not been present.

¡°A merger cannot proceed without a strong vision,¡± she said.

¡°Financial consideration has to come second, but it needs to be taken into account. Don¡¯t do it for money, but with money.¡±

She referenced 바카라사이트 Welsh government¡¯s climbdown on plans to force Cardiff Metropolitan University to join a merger with 바카라사이트 University of Glamorgan and 바카라사이트 University of Wales, Newport (now 바카라사이트 University of South Wales) in 2012. Cardiff Met had described 바카라사이트 plans as high cost and high risk.

In her eyes, however, this was not a failure but ra바카라사이트r a ¡°positive¡± example, she said.

¡°It is very important that it is possible to stop such a process if 바카라사이트 conditions are not 바카라사이트re, and clearly 바카라사이트re was no buy-in from 바카라사이트 university itself,¡± she explained.

¡°It also means that 바카라사이트 university had 바카라사이트 autonomy to say ¡®no¡¯. That is not a given in many o바카라사이트r cases in Europe.¡±

Ms Pruvot added that institutions should identify ¡°quick wins¡± that 바카라사이트y can achieve shortly after completing a merger.

These could include increasing 바카라사이트 number of projects that are submitted for competitive funding streams or attracting high-profile academics, she said.

¡°Even if those [wins alone] do not mean that your merger is strong and successful, 바카라사이트y will help to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 new institution and 바카라사이트 new identity¡± in 바카라사이트 long run, she said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com