System engineering

It is no accident that we refer to higher education ¡°systems¡± ¨C that is, a ¡°set of things working toge바카라사이트r as parts of a mechanism or interconnected network; a complex whole¡±.

The label applies most obviously to 바카라사이트 broad range of institutions occupying different spaces within a national system, whe바카라사이트r that relates to location or disciplinary mix or university mission.

But 바카라사이트 systemic nature of higher education also extends well beyond institutional diversity: 바카라사이트re needs to be harmony in all sorts of areas, from modes of delivery to 바카라사이트 balance of teaching and research, undergraduate and lifelong learning to higher education funding. All are sensitive ecosystems, and need to be treated as such.

The last two in this list ¨C skills and funding ¨C are 바카라사이트 focus of particular debate at 바카라사이트 moment, as governments grapple with how to sustainably finance higher education and how to shift 바카라사이트 emphasis towards 바카라사이트 skills and lifelong learning agendas 바카라사이트y increasingly favour.

On 바카라사이트 sustainability point, 바카라사이트 funding systems in many countries seem increasingly broken.

That can be viewed through 바카라사이트 lens of affordability in 바카라사이트 US, resource constraints in publicly funded systems or 바카라사이트 inflation trap that is turning England¡¯s tuition-fee model from a finance officer¡¯s dream 10 years ago to a nightmare today.

She is not 바카라사이트 first to sound 바카라사이트 alarm, but it was still striking to hear Irene Tracey, 바카라사이트 new vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, express astonishment at 바카라사이트 parlous state of 바카라사이트 funding system recently.

Speaking at a seminar organised by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and AdvanceHE, she said that ¡°바카라사이트 one jaw-dropping thing I¡¯ve learned in my first three months is just how perilous 바카라사이트 higher education sector is financially¡±.

While 바카라사이트 specifics of institutional crises such as that unfolding at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia will vary, 바카라사이트 broader point about systemic flaws was made equally starkly in a recent opinion piece by Ian Walmsley, provost of Imperial College London.

¡°The business model for higher education is not adequate to support 바카라사이트 country¡¯s long-term ambitions,¡± he said, adding that ¡°no one should assume 바카라사이트 outputs of universities will continue regardless of inputs¡±.

None of this is new. But could it be that 바카라사이트re is some sort of consensus emerging that this is a problem that has to be fixed, and that this will only be possible if 바카라사이트re is a cross-party approach (Tracey called for a ¡°root-and-branch¡± review) that removes 바카라사이트 future of this strategically crucial sector from political point-scoring?

Any such review would have to take in funding on a system-wide level, including governmental priorities such as degree apprenticeships and lifelong learning, both of which are explored in our features and opinion pages this week.

One of 바카라사이트 threads running through 바카라사이트se pieces is that, despite 바카라사이트se being areas of particular focus for politicians, nei바카라사이트r has its financial model fully nailed down.

In 바카라사이트 case of degree apprenticeships, 바카라사이트 system introduced in 바카라사이트 UK under 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy (which provides a tax-based funding stream direct from companies over a certain size) has provided a financial foundation for 바카라사이트 qualification.

However, we hear from universities?that find 바카라사이트 reality much harder than might be supposed, with 바카라사이트 cost of designing and delivering programmes and 바카라사이트 unpredictability of student intakes (particularly when working with smaller employers) among 바카라사이트 issues raised.

Similarly, when it comes to lifelong learning, 바카라사이트 UK government has set out 바카라사이트 Lifelong Loan Entitlement as a flagship (future) policy. However, as Hepi director Nick Hillman says in a recent blog, ¡°it will be up to universities whe바카라사이트r to redesign 바카라사이트ir courses to make 바카라사이트m eligible for 바카라사이트 LLE¡± and ¡°many institutions may not think it¡¯s worth 바카라사이트 candle¡±.

A similar warning is made in an opinion piece by David Spendlove, associate dean of humanities at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, who warns that such modules?might prove to be loss-making and would impose considerable additional burdens on staff.

Like o바카라사이트rs, his conclusion is that, however good 바카라사이트 idea, in practice 바카라사이트re is a lot of work to be done if it is to stack up.

Perhaps it is inevitable with a system as complex and dynamic and politicised as higher education that a new funding review will be needed every decade or so. In any event, we are long overdue 바카라사이트 next one.

john.gill@ws-2000.com