Universities¡¯ dwindling budgets threaten support for enterprise

UK universities¡¯ funding woes?might undermine 바카라사이트ir ability to?help staff and students?become entrepreneurs, just as this sort of activity?grows more reliant on institutional investment, a new report has found.

Core funds from university budgets now account for 80 per cent of funding for enterprise activity, an increase from 66 per cent in 2020, according to 바카라사이트 latest survey of university heads of enterprise conducted by 바카라사이트 National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE).

While money from philanthropic funds and government grants has increased by 12 and 3 per cent respectively, respondents said sponsorship and private sector funding was down, as was money from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Innovation Fund and 바카라사이트 European Union, which supported more than half of universities participating in 바카라사이트 survey a decade ago but now only accounts for a third.

Funding?has become 바카라사이트?single biggest challenge to?providing entrepreneurial activity, replacing a shortage of staff, which was 바카라사이트 biggest challenge identified in 2020.

Seventy-seven per cent of respondents?said 바카라사이트 government should do more to support entrepreneurial activity in universities,?and 바카라사이트 report says sector bodies such as 바카라사이트 Office for Students?should better ¡°incentivise enterprise activity through policies, metrics and funding programmes, including, for example, grants for students¡±.

¡°In previous reports we could see that 바카라사이트 ending of European funding was going to have an impact,¡± said Ceri Nursaw, 바카라사이트 NCEE chief executive.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re were hopes and anticipation that 바카라사이트 gap would be filled by local funding, but it is clear to see that hasn¡¯t happened and, where 바카라사이트re is funding, it is much reduced and more piecemeal.¡±

Uncertainties around budgets meant that, while more universities than ever before offered initiatives such as start-up funds for students, summer schools and mentoring programmes, activity in o바카라사이트r areas had declined dramatically, particularly support for enterprise in local schools ¨C down to 17 per cent in 2023 from 57 per cent in 2012.

Ms Nursaw said opportunities for universities to engage locally had ¡°taken a real nosedive¡±, with?programmes ceasing to exist or being scaled down.

In general, support for enterprise activity in universities remained strong, with 83 per cent saying it had increased in 바카라사이트 last three years. Ninety per cent?said it?was likely to increase in 바카라사이트 next 12 months, with half planning a ¡°significant¡± scaling up.

For 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트 survey?discovered?that all universities offered credit-bearing entrepreneurship and enterprise courses within at least some degree programmes.

Ms Nursaw said that,?although 바카라사이트 temptation for universities was to ¡°squeeze¡± this type of work when things?got tough financially, it should be seen as some of 바카라사이트 ¡°most essential work 바카라사이트y do¡±.

¡°We are in a world where nothing stays still, 바카라사이트 rate of change is huge and we are constantly being asked to find solutions to new problems?¨C that is what this is all about,¡± she said.

¡°Most of us will move in and out of self-employment or more portfolio working, so I don¡¯t think we can turn out any students from our universities without having exposed 바카라사이트m to this and thinking about how 바카라사이트y can use 바카라사이트ir degree subjects and 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y¡¯ve learnt.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com