Universities are important for their own sake, as centres of enquiry and learning, yet the UK’s higher education sector also has a vital role to play in the economy. Universities generate and transfer commercially useable knowledge.They prepare people for the world of work. They employ nearly 400,000 people around the country. Higher education is one of our great export industries.
The Government has made a clear commitment to universities, by putting student finance on a sustainable footing and by maintaining and ringfencing the science and research budget for the next four years.
The best universities, meanwhile, are seeking stronger links to business and making sure their graduates have the skills employers need. There is a greater understanding of the capacity of universities to provide regional economic leadership than ever before. As many of the chapters here show, much regeneration, economic development and regional employment is directly attributable to the presence of a university. That is one reason why we are pleased to see universities represented at the heart of the new Local Economic Partnerships.
Many employers questioned as part of the 2011 CBI Education and Skills Survey expressed concern about the content of some degrees and stressed the need for greater focus on practical and teamworking skills. I hope that business will become more directly engaged in higher education – sponsoring students and where appropriate helping in course design, as well as supporting research.
Indeed, I want all our universities to look more closely at how they work with business: to promote better teaching, employer sponsorship and innovation. We have asked Professor Sir Tim Wilson, the former Vice Chancellor of Hertfordshire and one of the authors here, to review universityindustry collaboration.
We will take the evidence in this important new publication into account as we prepare our research and innovation strategy, which will be published later this year. I urge the University Alliance to participate and thank them for bringing so many experts together here.
Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
