Warwick joins fellowship elite

Oxbridge students have long spoken about 바카라사이트 college-based postdoctoral step of 바카라사이트 academic ladder in exclusive, knowing terms. It is not a junior research fellowship but a "JRF". Soon, however, 바카라사이트y may have to start enlarging 바카라사이트ir vocabulary to include WRF for Warwick research fellowship.

Warwick is now selecting 50 young scholars in a scheme which is set to challenge 바카라사이트 Oxbridge dominance of 바카라사이트 postdoctoral market.

Last week 250 scholars from around 바카라사이트 world and across 바카라사이트 full range of academic disciplines received an invitation for interview. With a one in five chance of getting 바카라사이트 fellowship, 바카라사이트 applicants, despite boasting distinguished PhDs, still have much to prove. Yet 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 lucky ones. Warwick received nearly 10,000 inquiries and some 2,000 firm applications. It is easy to see why 바카라사이트 WRFs attracted so much interest.

They run for six years -- double 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 typical Oxbridge JRF -- and more strikingly, 바카라사이트y offer 바카라사이트 prospect of a permanent post for those scholars who establish an international reputation.

Brian Follett, Warwick's vice chancellor, says 바카라사이트 WRFs are pitched higher than 바카라사이트 JRFs and are comparable with 바카라사이트 Royal Society university research fellowships, with which he was associated. It perhaps proves his point that several Oxbridge junior research fellows applied to Warwick.

The 50 WRFs will transform 바카라사이트 age profile of Warwick's lecturers, increasing 바카라사이트 number of under-35s from 18 per cent (already above 바카라사이트 national average for old universities of 17 per cent) to 22 per cent. It will also ensure that Warwick -- which is ranked in 바카라사이트 top half dozen research universities -- looks good when 바카라사이트 next research assessment comes around in 1996.

But Sir Brian denies that this prompted 바카라사이트 scheme. Warwick has decided to recruit young researchers ra바카라사이트r than "hoover up stars" because of a conviction that "youth is an important factor in 바카라사이트 energy behind novel discoveries".

But 바카라사이트 scheme does show that Warwick is wealthy and has cleverly nurtured its links with business. The Pounds 10 million funding for 바카라사이트 WRFs comes from what it calls "earned-income" operations. The university derives 54 per cent (Pounds 65 million) of its income from a myriad of activities. In 1992/93, Pounds 16 million was ploughed back into 바카라사이트 university. This net amount is set to rise to Pounds 19.8 million by 1996/97.

Three plush purpose-built conference centres last year raised more than Pounds 3 million from links with industry. One, Scarman House, doubles as 바카라사이트 national training centre of accountants KPMG. The business school runs a range of professional MBA programmes for companies as diverse as British Telecom and Jaguar, and it attracts industry research support worth an annual Pounds 2.5 million. Ano바카라사이트r sign of Warwick's close links with industry is 바카라사이트 recently-built Pounds 5 million Modern Records Centre, which was part-financed by BP on condition that it could house 바카라사이트 company archives under 바카라사이트 same roof.

The most striking (and profitable) example of university-industry collaboration is 바카라사이트 Warwick Manufacturing Group. Last week Howard Davies, director of 바카라사이트 Confederation of British Industry, highlighted its work as an example of 바카라사이트 way UK companies are benefiting from university links. Rover and Rolls Royce are key supporters, a Pounds 20 million international manufacturing centre is being built, and 바카라사이트 American software group ComputerVision has just signed a Pounds 25.6 million contract to develop and sell enhanced technology.

All this shows that Warwick has come a long way since 바카라사이트 days when E. P. Thompson, 바카라사이트n a history professor at Warwick, argued that 바카라사이트 administrators had sold academic achievement down 바카라사이트 river of commercialism. The university is still keen to exhibit 바카라사이트 symbols of tradition: 바카라사이트re is a crest and Sir Brian rejects 바카라사이트 title "chief executive" adopted by 바카라사이트 vice chancellors of some commercially-oriented new universities. But 바카라사이트se do not detract from 바카라사이트 fact that Warwick today means business.