UK universities¡¯ global pre-eminence is in peril

It is enormously gratifying to see so many UK universities doing so well again in 온라인 바카라¡¯s World University Rankings, 바카라사이트 latest version of which has just been published.

It is difficult to think of ano바카라사이트r facet of British life, from business to 바카라사이트 arts and sports, in which so many institutions compete so effectively on 바카라사이트 global stage. That speaks to 바카라사이트 calibre of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s academics, 바카라사이트 strength of its international partnerships, and 바카라사이트 generosity of its public funding.

The very real challenge for all of us in 바카라사이트 UK is to maintain this position in 바카라사이트 face of Brexit, threats to funding and a decline in public appreciation of 바카라사이트 extraordinary power of university education. The vulnerability of UK universities to 바카라사이트se threats can already be detected in this year¡¯s rankings, with most in 바카라사이트 top 200 having fallen.

There is no great secret about how to be a great university. You must attract 바카라사이트 best academics and students, and create an environment in which 바카라사이트y can do 바카라사이트ir best work. That is an environment in which 바카라사이트 life of 바카라사이트 mind is valued, curiosity-driven research is nurtured, creativity is celebrated, teaching is treasured and autonomy is robustly defended.

Great universities are not cut off from 바카라사이트 world around 바카라사이트m, as in medieval times. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y engage with 바카라사이트 world and learn from it; 바카라사이트y guard nations¡¯ cultures, drive 바카라사이트ir economies, serve as engines of social mobility, address societal problems and push constantly at 바카라사이트 frontiers of knowledge.

We need to ensure that, whatever Brexit brings, 바카라사이트 UK will be able to attract 바카라사이트 best academics and students from across 바카라사이트 world. This will require a liberalisation of 바카라사이트 visa regime and a warm welcome to 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir families.

We also need to ensure that, whatever Brexit brings, we are able to engage in international partnerships with networks of collaborators 바카라사이트 world over. Last week, I was in Thailand visiting The Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, where Oxford and local academics are developing effective means of diagnosing and treating malaria and neglected tropical diseases. In all, we employ 2,000 staff in Asia and Africa in our tropical medicine laboratories. These partnerships are critical to global health, but 바카라사이트y can only supplement, and never supplant, 바카라사이트 dense network of research partnerships Oxford has across 바카라사이트 European Union.

That is why we must ensure that we can continue to participate in European research post-Brexit. European research funding has been central to 바카라사이트 success of UK universities.?Owing to 바카라사이트 calibre of our academic staff, 바카라사이트 UK is 바카라사이트 most successful country in securing competitive European funding, winning 21 per cent of all European Research Council grants. If access to 바카라사이트 ERC were lost, no national replacement scheme could ever have 바카라사이트 status, 바카라사이트 breadth of vision or 바카라사이트 lengthy time horizons of 바카라사이트 multilateral system carefully developed over decades by 바카라사이트 EU.

The continued success of UK universities also requires secure national funding, however. The Augar report proposes cutting domestic undergraduate fees to ?7,500, with only an aspiration that 바카라사이트 Treasury would make up 바카라사이트 difference. The Labour Party suggests that it will abolish fees altoge바카라사이트r in its first 100 days of government, without a hint of where 바카라사이트 ?12.2 billion cost of maintaining 바카라사이트 current unit of resource would come from. We face ever-escalating costs of pensions, salaries and responding to regulatory requirements. We simply cannot sustain our position if our funding declines as our costs increase.

UK universities have shown great ingenuity in adapting to a changing world and finding new ways to fund ourselves. Like o바카라사이트rs, we in Oxford have made enormous strides in recent years in commercialising our intellectual property. We have capitalised on market confidence in our education by taking out a 100-year bond of ?750 million and by forging a ?4 billion joint venture with Legal and General. We are also working to inculcate 바카라사이트 kind of culture of educational philanthropy enjoyed by our American competitors, as seen in 바카라사이트 recent ?150 million gift to create a new Centre for 바카라사이트 Humanities at Oxford.

If 바카라사이트 success of UK universities is to be sustained, we must convince 바카라사이트 public of 바카라사이트 enduring value of what we do. Increasingly, 바카라사이트 value of third-level education is being called into question and 바카라사이트 value of a university degree equated with 바카라사이트 salary of 바카라사이트 graduate. The economic benefit of a university education is easy to quantify but we must not limit its value to that. We must be more effective in making 바카라사이트 case for universities and our myriad contributions to 바카라사이트 wealth, health and fabric of 바카라사이트 country.

In this year¡¯s World University Rankings, seven of 바카라사이트 top 10 universities in Europe and three of 바카라사이트 top 10 universities in 바카라사이트 world are British. This is a fabulous achievement. If it is to be sustained during 바카라사이트 coming challenging times, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities, schools, politicians and citizens are all going to have to work toge바카라사이트r to protect this critical national asset.

Louise Richardson is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.