…is so important that we are ambitious to make the most of the positive outcomes that stem from successful collaboration between universities and business: stronger research, job-ready and entrepreneurial graduates, better businesses and communities, and economic growth. With SMEs accounting for 99% of all UK businesses, they are critical to our economic wellbeing and have shown repeatedly to be engines of growth and the principle source of new em…
…ain how reducing university places, and ultimately the number of graduates coming out of our higher education system, fits within this economic vision. Our global competitors are increasing the number of graduates in the workforce to grow their capacity for economic growth. Emerging economies get this; India, for example, wants to more than double the size of its university system to become a “knowledge powerhouse”, increasing the country’s studen…
…force for local, national, and international industries. The University is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone can flourish. They are a University of Sanctuary, recognising their commitment to creating a welcoming culture for people seeking sanctuary within, and beyond, their campuses. USW has three main campuses in Cardiff, Newport, and Pontypridd. The University works closely with their partner colleges, an…
…urrent student numbers will not suffice. “We are falling behind our global competitors who are continuing to increase their proportion of graduates in the workforce in order to innovate and grow their economies. In an increasingly competitive global and innovation-led economy, we cannot afford to ignore the importance of graduates in achieving future growth.” — end — Notes to editors: University Alliance response to the White Paper can be accessed…
…oven excellence, with the critical mass to address national challenges and compete internationally”. Hefce responded by cutting the amount of research funding allocated on the basis of two-star (“internationally recognised”) research. Ms Hackett said she strongly backed focusing funding on excellence but said that the report proved that this was not the same as concentrating it on large departments: “We would like the government to reiterate that…
…fund a healthy and excellent research base, universities will struggle to compete in an increasingly well-funded global sector. Alliance institutions also drive innovation because we know that research that creates real social and economic impact is critical to growth in local communities as well as regional and national economies As the higher education market at home diversifies, students are likely to recognise the value of joining universitie…
…ate investment through the sale of bonds. Repayments would be made on an income contingent basis following the completion of the course – once a graduate reaches a minimum earnings threshold. The proposal addresses two fundamental weaknesses of the current system. It reduces the costs to Government of the current loans system – freeing up taxpayers money to invest in a higher number of students. It also replaces the current complicated system that…
…offering”2. The higher education sector is, however, much broader and more complicated than this would suggest. Universities operate in a long-established, complex, semi- regulated market that not only pre-dates the introduction of fees for home, undergraduate students but was only marginally affected by their introduction. As largely autonomous institutions in receipt of public funding, universities operate within an eco-system of regulation, fun…
…be the same as others’. Professor Andrew Wathey, for University Alliance, comments: “It is the principle of funding excellence in research that has driven up the quality of the UK research base since the introduction of the RAE. This principle is not a luxury but an essential if we are to continue to maintain the breadth and depth of the UK research base. In a tight fiscal environment this principle becomes more important, not less.” The UK opera…
…communities and regions. Alliance universities are well-connected in their communities, and partner with industry and businesses to apply research and share knowledge and innovation; helping industry take action and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and finding sustainable solutions to the challenges facing businesses. Our institutions have been working to make the building and construction industry more sustainable, focusing on the material…
