Libby Aston, director of the University Alliance of larger, business-focused universities said: “This is not about bogus language colleges. These changes would have serious consequences for universities across the country and will be yet another blow to the economy. Now is not the time to be taking spenders and knowledge out of the economy nor […]
Following the Science and Technology Select Committee’s report on Technology Innovation Centres Libby Aston, Director at University Alliance, said “Universities are driving growth through innovation and enterprise; they are not just part of a growth strategy, they are central to it. Technology Innovation Centres will be part of a much bigger picture of joining university […]
While the Education Bill is mainly focussed on schools, there are two key areas that will have an impact on universities: The clause on charging real interest rates on student loans will enable a more progressive student support system to be implemented. Given the significant role of universities in providing teacher training, changes here will […]
Responding to the HEFCE funding for 2011-12 Libby Aston said, “We’re now starting to see what these cuts mean for universities. While we support HEFCE’s approach to managing the reduced allocation, we must again question whether the total level of public and private investment in universities is sufficient. “Despite severe spending cuts in many countries, […]
The UK needs more graduates if we are to come out of this recession able to compete in the global marketplace. Today’s figures are a welcome sign that applications are continuing to grow each year. Given that 80% of newly created jobs are in high-skill areas that require a hightech and innovative approach, universities are […]
Responding to the publication of the Association of Graduate Recruiter’s survey, Libby Aston, Director of University Alliance, said: “This is great news for graduates. It is particularly striking against the backdrop of the ONS reporting the economy contracted in the last three months of 2010. We strongly believe universities and graduates are key to delivering […]
Responding to the Government’s Grant letter to HEFCE outlining funding for 2011-12, published on 20 December 2010, Libby Aston, Director of University Alliance, said: “Nobody likes cuts but we appreciate efforts to protect university funding in a year of significant transition for the sector. The focus now must be on ensuring that the limited public […]
Following the Commons vote yesterday to increase graduate contributions to universities Libby Aston, Director of University Alliance, said “There is an urgent need for the government and universities to undertake a major public information campaign to address the serious misconceptions about what this decision will mean for students, parents and graduates. We believe these proposals […]
Debate must not be clouded by misconceptions about what the proposals would mean. We believe these proposals would be better described as a university graduate contribution system. Students would not pay anything upfront: it is graduates who would be asked to make a contribution. This would work like a tax on income above £21,000, for […]
In response to the Universities that Count Annual Report 2009: ‘The Environmental and Social Responsibility Benchmarking Programme for Performance Improvement in UK Higher Education’ Libby Aston, Director of University Alliance, said: “This report shows that Alliance universities have again excelled in the area of environmental and social responsibility. “This report highlights the University Alliance members’ commitment to and achievements […]