Monday 9 November 2009

Hands off, Mandy

As higher education is now one of the largest employers and earners of foreign currency in the UK I am not surprised that Dame Peter Mandelson is trying to get his claws into it.He has promised to consult "all who would be affected by any changes in student funding". I think we all know what the outcome will be - but I await his phone call. I wont hold my breath though.

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Chinese Take Aways

So, Dame Peter Mandelson has now set his sights on our Universities. He says that the output should reflect the needs of its customers (the students) and business requirements. If our universities were not providing excellent, world class education I do not understand why demand for places from overseas students constantly outstrips supply. UK business schools consistently punch above their weight in the global marketplace. Oxford, Cambridge and UCL have set the benchmark for excellence for centuries and institutions such as Warwick have come from building site to seriously compete with the best in the world in less than fifty years.

Mandelsons interest in our manufacturing sector has resulted in it being 'lifted and shifted' to China. Is this what he wants for our higher education sector?