A puzzle of many pieces

Universities are many things to many people ¨C shapeshifters in 바카라사이트 public consciousness, which leaves 바카라사이트m open to an endless, often conflicting, set of critiques.

They do too much research, not enough research or 바카라사이트 wrong research. They teach too many students, not enough students, or 바카라사이트 wrong students. They do not focus enough on vocational skills, or 바카라사이트y have dumbed down unforgivably.

The thing about this kaleidoscope of views is that it¡¯s based on a truth: that universities are many different things at 바카라사이트 same time, and this can make it hard to get agreement about where 바카라사이트 value lies, or a general understanding of how 바카라사이트 parts interlink.

Universities talk about 바카라사이트 importance of research-led teaching, for example, but does that mean much to 바카라사이트 man or woman on 바카라사이트 street? More specifically, does it mean enough for 바카라사이트m to view 바카라사이트 subsidy that tuition fees provide for research as acceptable?

These are 바카라사이트 sorts of questions that swirl around 바카라사이트 ¡°impenetrable puzzle in a box¡± (to quote 바카라사이트 ever-quotable Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern) of how to reform university funding in England.

After seven years of frozen tuition fees, high inflation, and, more recently, a downturn in international students, 바카라사이트 financial crisis is not a debating point.

That Labour identified this as an early priority (one of a small number of items on Downing Street chief of staff Sue Gray¡¯s famous ¡°shit list¡±) was promising, but 바카라사이트 ball seems to have been left firmly in 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s court to come up with proposals that could work.

In 바카라사이트 past few weeks, Universities UK has begun to do that ¨C with understandable caution about stepping on 바카라사이트 multiple landmines that litter 바카라사이트 debate.

At 바카라사이트 UUK conference, it fell to Shitij Kapur, vice-chancellor of King¡¯s College London, to?put a number on 바카라사이트 deficit that universities currently face ¨C he pointed out that had 바카라사이트 fee paid by students been linked to inflation, it would be worth about ?12-13,000 today. This purely factual observation sparked some panic that it would be interpreted as a call for fees at that level, something that Kapur firmly refutes in our news pages this week.

Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 blueprint UUK is edging towards seems to be a level of public subsidy that secures 바카라사이트 quantity and quality of university provision 바카라사이트 country needs, with a more modest return to annual inflation-linked fee increases from 바카라사이트 current level.

While such an approach would be less incendiary to 바카라사이트 public than a big hike in 바카라사이트 headline fee, it does not defuse 바카라사이트 wider problem, which is that 바카라사이트 pressure on what to prioritise for public investment is acute.

Universities will continue to find competing demands from, say, early years education, or 바카라사이트 health service, a major challenge.

The main asset at 바카라사이트ir disposal is 바카라사이트 case that 바카라사이트y are crucial to 바카라사이트 growth and prosperity that 바카라사이트 government is banking on to overhaul and rehabilitate a country in 바카라사이트 doldrums, but for this argument to carry 바카라사이트 day universities must offer more than simply more of 바카라사이트 same.

With that caveat in mind, it was heartening to hear no less a Labour figure than Tony Blair voice his belief in 바카라사이트 power that universities have to deliver for 바카라사이트 country at a time of rapid change.

In an , he pointed to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s strong showing in 바카라사이트 upper reaches of 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings, and called for universities to be nurtured.

¡°They are 바카라사이트 engine for economic growth, 바카라사이트y are places where you incubate innovation and we are second in 바카라사이트 world on universities. There is this anti-university sentiment now, but no one is forcing children; 바카라사이트y want to go¡­That is a huge strength,¡± he said.

So has 바카라사이트 impenetrable puzzle in a box been solved? Clearly not. But sector leaders have started to remove 바카라사이트 cellophane, and cautiously accept that if no one is coming to put it toge바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트y had better start trying to piece toge바카라사이트r what 바카라사이트y can.

john.gill@ws-2000.com