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The Government must provide universities with strong support if they are to play a full role in transforming lives and helping the economy to grow, the new president of Universities UK (UUK) has said in her first major speech.
Speaking with delegates at UUK’s annual members’ conference at the University of Surrey on Wednesday, Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow called on the Conservatives to pay attention within four key areas, including: delivering teaching excellence through funding, and committing to closing the gap between the UK’s investment in research and innovation and that of its major international competitors.
She also said the Government needs to support universities in attracting qualified international students and staff, and must recognise the benefits of European Union membership for universities too.
Describing how quality teaching can only be delivered with stable and sustainable funding, she said: “Remember, our graduates are our teachers, our doctors, our engineers, innovators, and wealth-creators.”
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When speaking about investment in research and innovation, Professor Goodfellow said the UK has invested ‘significantly less’ in research as a proportion of GDP than the OECD and EU averages, despite being a world-leading research power, and said: “We must act now, or the UK’s position will be further challenged.”
The UK is also losing out to other countries when it comes to international higher education and visa rules, the professor said, who then went on to urge the Government to remove international students from their net migration target, adding: “They come to the UK, study for a period, and then the overwhelming majority go home.”
Finally, turning to the upcoming referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, she said the country’s membership makes its outstanding universities even stronger, contributing to economic growth, employable graduates and cutting edge research discoveries, and rounded-off: “In the referendum debate, universities must stand up and be counted. We should be a powerful and positive voice.”
