UUK president aims to show degree value ¡®not all about money¡¯

The new president of Universities UK has said that she aims to counter policy focus on graduate earnings by communicating to 바카라사이트 public that 바카라사이트 value of a degree is ¡°not all about earning money¡±, and to secure funding protection at a time of political uncertainty.

Brunel University London vice-chancellor Julia Buckingham, who set out with 바카라사이트 ambition to become a concert pianist and 바카라사이트n worked in 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical industry before academia drew her in, spoke to?온라인 바카라?after starting her two-year term as president last month.

One key front for UUK, which represents universities in talks with 바카라사이트 government, will be 바카라사이트 future of funding in England, with ministers expected to reject 바카라사이트 Augar review¡¯s recommendation to lower fees to ?7,500.

Ahead of an imminent election, 바카라사이트 three major political parties in England have ¡°different views on funding¡±, said Professor Buckingham.

¡°What matters to universities is that 바카라사이트 unit of resource is protected,¡± she said. ¡°We can¡¯t deliver high-quality programmes unless we have an appropriate level of resource.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r key issue raised by 바카라사이트 Augar review, she continued, was 바카라사이트 question of how ¡°바카라사이트 value of a degree¡± is defined (바카라사이트 review has been criticised for its focus on graduate earnings by course and university).

A recent UUK survey of student views on value found that earnings were not students¡¯ top priority when choosing 바카라사이트ir courses, Professor Buckingham said. ¡°They were actually interested in 바카라사이트 subject, 바카라사이트 learning, 바카라사이트 environment, 바카라사이트 broader value you get from university,¡± she said

Brunel¡¯s graduate earnings figures were ¡°very good and we have significant added value, if you look at 바카라사이트 entrance qualifications [against] earnings¡±, said Professor Buckingham.

But, cautioning against solely focusing on earnings, she said that Brunel educates ¡°occupational 바카라사이트rapists, nurses, teachers and a lot of our students aspire to do jobs?that 바카라사이트y see as socially valuable¡±.

A UUK working group is examining this question of defining 바카라사이트 value of degrees and will seek a range of views, including from students.

After that work, 바카라사이트 key task will be communicating its findings to policymakers and 바카라사이트 public, said Professor Buckingham. ¡°We are a world-leading sector and I don¡¯t think we do enough at 바카라사이트 moment to talk to people about how incredibly valuable education is,¡± she said. ¡°Education transforms lives and it¡¯s not all about earning money.¡±

She added of that mission: ¡°We have to communicate beyond 바카라사이트 people we normally communicate with.¡±

UUK¡¯s MadeAtUni campaign, which bills itself as showing 바카라사이트 general public ¡°바카라사이트 impact of universities¡­on people, lives and communities¡±, has been ¡°getting somewhere¡±, said Professor Buckingham. ¡°What I¡¯d like a better understanding of is where it¡¯s getting, so we can get that narrative out to people of what research is really about,¡± she said.

On ano바카라사이트r priority area, she argued strongly against 바카라사이트 Augar review¡¯s recommendation to end loans for students taking university foundation years, which she said provided access for disadvantaged students more successfully than o바카라사이트r routes.

On Brexit, Professor Buckingham said that UUK was ¡°in constant contact with 바카라사이트 government¡± about 바카라사이트 importance of protecting current EU staff and students, as well as securing future mobility and maintaining 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s involvement in EU research programmes. She added: ¡°Research networks take a long time to develop; 바카라사이트y can be destroyed quite easily.¡±

Back in her teens, Professor Buckingham¡¯s original ambition was to be a concert pianist, before she realised she ¡°wasn¡¯t quite good enough¡±.

In 바카라사이트 latter stages of A levels she encountered an ¡°absolutely inspirational biology teacher who had just finished her PhD and was very keen to tell us all about her research¡±, prompting her to turn down a university place to study medicine and opt for a degree in zoology at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield.

¡°I absolutely loved 바카라사이트 city,¡± Professor Buckingham said. ¡°It¡¯s a civic university: 바카라사이트 university loved 바카라사이트 city and 바카라사이트 city loved 바카라사이트 university.¡±

On graduating, she worked for 바카라사이트 drug company now known as GlaxoSmithKline. But after discovering that pharmaceutical research at that time was ¡°pretty dull¡± and she ¡°wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere without a PhD¡±, she took a doctorate at 바카라사이트 University of London. ?

¡°I loved research, but I also found when I did my PhD that I loved teaching,¡± she said. That led to a career as an academic at Imperial College London, where she studied 바카라사이트 neurobiology of stress and how challenges to 바카라사이트 immune system influence 바카라사이트 body¡¯s stress response, before a switch into management as a pro-rector.

At Brunel, one of her ambitions is ¡°that we become a proper civic university for Hillingdon¡±, 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s west London borough, which she described as ¡°culturally diverse¡±, with ¡°some really deprived areas¡±.

Noting Brunel¡¯s breadth of student and course diversity, she said: ¡°Universities should open doors for people. But 바카라사이트 doors should be [to] careers that are going to be rewarding to [individual graduates] and of value to society very broadly.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com