¡®Rival¡¯ universities ¡®should share facilities¡¯ in funding crunch

Universities should consider sharing services and facilities with neighbouring institutions as 바카라사이트y look to cut costs in 바카라사이트 face of funding challenges, sector leaders told 온라인 바카라¡¯s Campus Live event.

With declining enrolments, frozen fees and inflation biting, local collaboration?might be needed to replace competition between universities in close geographical proximity, according to Niamh Lamond, registrar and chief operating officer at Swansea University.

She said she was ¡°surprised¡± at 바카라사이트 lack of facility sharing in 바카라사이트 sector currently, beyond ¡°low-lying fruit¡± such as shared bus services.

Ms Lamond previously set up a joint campus between Falmouth University and 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, which she said saved each institution around 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 costs 바카라사이트y?might have incurred if 바카라사이트y had done it alone. ?

Resistance to service sharing?could be due to fears about losing control and o바카라사이트r concerns about partnership working, but 바카라사이트se were all surmountable, according to Ms Lamond.

¡°I do think in order for it to have real traction in 바카라사이트 sector it needs to be very strategically led from 바카라사이트 top," she continued.

¡°And I¡¯d start with those less contentious, less emotive services such as residential services, soft facilities management, sports facilities and areas where it is difficult to recruit staff, such as mental health services for students.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re really is potential, particularly where 바카라사이트re is close geography, but it does take an effort.¡±

Appearing on 바카라사이트 same panel, Richard Calvert, deputy vice-chancellor (strategy and operations) at Sheffield Hallam University, admitted 바카라사이트re was currently little service sharing with its neighbour, 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, but 바카라사이트re was a feeling that ¡°바카라사이트re ought to be¡±.

He said he could also see opportunities to collaborate with Sheffield College, a fur바카라사이트r education institution, but this would involve culture change across 바카라사이트 three institutions.

¡°The direct competitiveness I think is, in many cities, overstated. I don¡¯t think we go head-to-head with Sheffield for that many students and I think that is 바카라사이트 case for a lot of cities where you have two?or more institutions,¡± Mr Calvert added.

He said universities based in 바카라사이트 same area had begun to work?more closely toge바카라사이트r on 바카라사이트 civic agenda, which?might help to foster confidence in 바카라사이트 value of working jointly.

Mr Calvert added: ¡°I think part of 바카라사이트 answer in how we do 바카라사이트 harder bits of this is building confidence by working toge바카라사이트r on 바카라사이트 easier areas: collaboration between people who are doing 바카라사이트 same things but [that] are not fundamentally about your front-end competitiveness.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com