Edinburgh University is being very po-faced today after its minor mauling on the Apprentice last night. Beleaguered contestant Michael (the nice Jewish boy who doesn't know the meaning of Kosher) was unmasked as an Edinburgh classics graduate, to which Margaret, one of Suralan's head honchos, replied pointedly, "Edinburgh isn't what it was."
The university's press office was fielding phone calls this morning, but the rebuttal took several hours to carefully formulate.
Just before lunch today, we were told: "The University of Edinburgh is regularly ranked among the top 50 universities in the world and is currently going through a period of unprecedented growth. The university is ranked fifth in the UK and Europe and 23rd in the world by the Times Higher Education world university rankings 2007."
Shame they didn't mention the Guardian guide, which ranks it a heady ninth in the country. "Edinburgh is a venerable institution - founded in the 1580s - and has forged a special position in academia. Its national and international reputation is excellent, and it has a large, diverse and multi-national student body," it says.
Any Edinburgh graduates out there to venture an opinion? Anyone think it wasn't the university but the subject - classics - that deserved the dig?
