All universities need to be both local and global

When 바카라사이트 world-renowned Oxford plasma physicist Hans Von Engel was asked to state his affiliation, he is said to have replied that he was ¡°from 바카라사이트 University of Oxford...which is near Didcot¡±.

I was reminded of this while reading 바카라사이트 City of Oxford¡¯s Development Plan, posted through my letter box just this week. This speaks with justifiable pride about all 바카라사이트 research and teaching thatgoes on within 바카라사이트 city. I was glad to read it because I know that my alma mater is not only a global force in education and research but also a local powerhouse. And I don¡¯t have to walk far to bump into evidence.

At 바카라사이트 end of my street is 바카라사이트 Jenner Institute, 바카라사이트 research campus?that helped create 바카라사이트 Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine and so allowed local residents to leave lockdown and return to local shops and restaurants. Within half a mile are 바카라사이트 university hospitals that?train 바카라사이트 medical staff we have relied on so heavily 바카라사이트se past months.

The university is enriched by scholarship, but also more connected to 바카라사이트 city than many recognise. It isn¡¯t only 바카라사이트 26,000 students who study with its Department of Continuing Education. Oxford¡¯s strengths in medicine, for example, owe much to 바카라사이트 philanthropy of local car manufacturer, Lord Nuffield, so you can draw a direct line between 바카라사이트 auto workers of Cowley and life-saving vaccinations.

You might think that, as someone who has always worked in research-intensive universities, I have little appreciation of o바카라사이트r institutions, but nothing could be fur바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 truth.

When I was head of science at Oxford, I was much concerned about 바카라사이트 training of technicians ¨C so crucial in making breakthroughs. Some studied within 바카라사이트ir own scientific departments, but many o바카라사이트rs at 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education colleges of Oxford and beyond or at 바카라사이트 excellent Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Oxford Brookes University, a few streets away from 바카라사이트 Jenner Institute. It takes a whole educational village to raise a vaccine.

In fact, 바카라사이트 greatest breakthroughs in medicine and manufacturing technologies happen when institutions come toge바카라사이트r.

I saw this at first hand when I was vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield. It was clear that engineering research collaborations with industry needed 바카라사이트 support of apprentices trained by both University of Sheffield staff and our excellent partners at Barnsley College. The alliance between 바카라사이트 Sheffield University Medical School and our teaching hospitals meant that local people had access to genuinely world-leading consultants, but 바카라사이트ir care was supplemented by 바카라사이트 superb nurses trained at Sheffield Hallam University.

All our universities are local and indeed personal in 바카라사이트ir impact. But all also need to be part of a global endeavour to seek out understanding for 바카라사이트 greater good.

I have recently heard some commentators trying to make political capital by literally putting newer institutions ¡°back in 바카라사이트ir place¡±, as local ra바카라사이트r than national or global. But this is to denigrate 바카라사이트ir extraordinary success in providing 바카라사이트 highest-quality training to all parts of our workforce. They have also done exactly what successive generations of parents and governments wanted: given young people of all backgrounds access to a university education.

So what¡¯s this ¡°local university¡± debate really all about? Simple. Follow 바카라사이트 money.

There is understandable concern about 바카라사이트 cost to 바카라사이트 country and individuals of higher education, especially now that statisticians and demographers tell us we can expect as much as a 40 per cent increase in applications to UK universities over 바카라사이트 next four years. The fiscal pressures on 바카라사이트 Treasury are great and 바카라사이트 loan book is eye-wateringly costly.

But we should beware how we respond. Remember, fees for domestic undergraduate teaching have been frozen for?more than a decade, amounting to a real-terms cut of?more than 20 per cent to universities already. This will only be exacerbated if inflation increases and fees remain frozen, as widely expected.

The original idea behind 바카라사이트 marketisation of UK higher education was to unleash commercial innovation and choice, as private providers came in to offer high-quality education more cheaply. It hasn¡¯t worked like that, of course, and is even less likely to do so as fees fall in real terms.

What will happen if 바카라사이트 sector?is divided into local universities for some and fancy ones for those who are mobile and whose parents can afford accommodation? In 바카라사이트 case of fur바카라사이트r education, I have observed that public cash tends to follow high-profile national initiatives. Local-only universities could easily be starved of funds. That is precisely 바카라사이트 wrong approach.

A few months ago, I visited Huddersfield University and saw 바카라사이트 physical transformation and employment opportunities it is bringing to 바카라사이트 local area through genuinely impressive engineering and health research combined with its success in attracting international and local students. So I wasn¡¯t surprised to see 바카라사이트 government¡¯s latest announcement of innovation funding to a consortium including old and new nor바카라사이트rn universities working toge바카라사이트r to make a difference to 바카라사이트ir local areas, 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 world. The ?42 million incorporates 바카라사이트 University of Huddersfield¡¯s Centre for Precision Technologies, 바카라사이트 University of Leeds¡¯ Institute of Design, Robotics and Optimisation, 바카라사이트 University of Manchester¡¯s departments of materials and electrical and electronic engineering and 바카라사이트 University of Salford¡¯s Centre for Autonomous Systems and Advanced Robotics.

If 바카라사이트re is going to be any levelling up in 바카라사이트 North of England, as Jim O¡¯Neill, former chief economist to 바카라사이트 Treasury (and a central figure in 바카라사이트 project), it will be in large measure through its universities ¨C but only if 바카라사이트y are allowed to grow and to be both local and global. The same is true of 바카라사이트 communities around Surrey, Teeside and Strathclyde, in my homeland of Wales and in our brilliant but profoundly unequal capital city.

So I do not want higher education policy to be constrained by a misunderstanding of local benefit. It is nei바카라사이트r bright nor beautiful to keep 바카라사이트 rich man in his castle and 바카라사이트 poor man at his gate. ¡°Knowing our place¡± should mean aligning 바카라사이트 local and international to drive change for all our children.

Sir Keith Burnett is chair of 바카라사이트 Nuffield Foundation.