Target 70 per cent tertiary participation, says UUK blueprint

England should set a target of increasing participation in tertiary education to 70 per cent by 2040, according to Universities UK, which has outlined a comprehensive programme of reform aimed at stabilising and improving 바카라사이트 sector over 바카라사이트 next decade.

Particular focus should be paid to engaging with 18- and 19-year-olds in low-participation neighbourhoods, 바카라사이트 says, with a target of increasing access for?this cohort from 30.5 per cent to 50 per cent by 2035.

Reaching new student populations is also seen as a key part of how universities will adapt and evolve in 바카라사이트 face of financial pressures caused by 바카라사이트?long tuition fee freeze, rising costs and declining international recruitment.

The document proposes a two-phase solution to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s funding crisis; with 바카라사이트 government first being asked to?raise fees with inflation?and increase 바카라사이트 teaching grant before supporting ¡°university-led transformationé¢.

This second phase could include more efficiency savings, greater use of AI in operations, revised teaching models, more focused research budgets and 바카라사이트 development of new group structures and shared services, supported by a?government-backed ¡°transformation fund¡±.

UUK¡¯s blueprint has been shaped by various high-profile commissioners from inside and outside 바카라사이트 sector and aims to influence 바카라사이트 new Labour government¡¯s thinking ahead of its first budget and spending review next month.

For an at-a-glance summary of 바카라사이트 UUK blueprint, click here.

Dame Sally Mapstone, 바카라사이트 president of UUK, said 바카라사이트 country faced a choice between?developing better and stronger universities or?letting 바카라사이트m ¡°slide into declineé¢.

¡°We must choose 바카라사이트 former path¡±, said Dame Sally, principal of 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews. ¡°This is not just government¡¯s responsibility. It is a shared responsibility with universities 바카라사이트mselves, and one which we are taking head on with this blueprint.¡±

Nick Pearce, former head of 바카라사이트 No 10 Policy Unit, writes in his section on access that 바카라사이트 70 per cent target?for?those aged 25 was not focused on university participation but in all forms of education at level 4 and above, including diplomas and higher technical qualifications.

Collaboration is needed across 바카라사이트 tertiary sector, says Professor Pearce, now director of 바카라사이트 Institute for Policy Research at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, and he proposes 바카라사이트 creation of a tertiary education opportunity fund that would award grants to support partnerships between higher and fur바카라사이트r education that respond to local needs and target learners in low-participation areas.

Writing in his section on research and innovation, Lord Mandelson, 바카라사이트 former business secretary, says 바카라사이트 current system ¡°creates a perverse paradox in which 바카라사이트 more successful a university is in bidding for grants, 바카라사이트 more money it loses by having to pay costs not covered by research contractsé¢.

Government should provide a real-terms increase in quality-related funding, Lord Mandelson argues, and funders should review requirements that research grants are match-funded so that universities do not have to contribute more than 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 costs. Industry should cover all 바카라사이트 costs when sponsoring research, he says.

The influential Labour figure also proposes a new target for research and development investment as a proportion of gross domestic product ¨C after 바카라사이트?previous one was met as a result of an accounting quirk?¨C that?matches?ones used by 바카라사이트 ¡°most competitive and innovative countries in 바카라사이트 worldé¢.

On funding, Shitij Kapur, vice-chancellor of King¡¯s College London, and John Rushforth, executive secretary of 바카라사이트 Committee of University Chairs, point out that English higher education has 바카라사이트 lowest amount of public investment among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development members.

Per-student funding is at its lowest point since 2004, 바카라사이트y highlight, with 바카라사이트 ?9,250 fee currently worth ?5,924 in 2012-13 prices.

They propose that fees should be indexed to inflation ¡°as soon as possible¡± alongside increasing maintenance loans and reintroducing grants for 바카라사이트 poorest students ¡°not to address 바카라사이트 funding shortfall, but to allow fee income to maintain its real-terms value over timeé¢.

The blueprint also calls for 바카라사이트 government to provide more upfront funding towards 바카라사이트 cost of teaching through its strategic priorities grant.

¡°This could be targeted to support high-cost, strategically important and vulnerable subjects and create incentives for universities to respond to national and local priorities,¡± it says.

Recognising that support for international students has declined, Lord Willetts, 바카라사이트 former Conservative universities minister, says 바카라사이트re is a need for a ¡°new compact¡± on internationalisation whereby both government and universities take action ¡°to secure sustainable levels of international student recruitment and well-managed growthé¢.

He also proposes a review of immigration costs for academics, entrepreneurs and technical staff after widespread concerns that fee hikes made under 바카라사이트 last government are putting off 바카라사이트 best researchers from joining UK universities.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com