News
The high court is to rule on whether ministers acted legally in allowing universities to charge tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year from this autumn.
In November, two teenagers took the government to court, arguing that the decision to almost treble fees contravened human rights and equality legislation.
Callum Hurley and Katy Moore, who were both 17 at the time, made their case before Mr Justice King and Lord Justice Elias at the high court. The ruling is expected on Friday morning.
The pair were represented by Sam Jacobs of Public Interest Lawyers. Jacobs argued that there were two grounds for bringing the case. Firstly, he said the rise in fees was in breach of the right to education protected in the Human Rights Act 1998.
That right does not guarantee free higher education, but it does place curbs on steps that limit access to higher education, he said.
He also argued that the government had failed to give "due regard" to promoting equality of opportunity as required under the Race Relations, Sex Discrimination and Disability Discrimination Acts.
Female, disabled and ethnic minority graduates tend to earn less over their lifetime than white, male graduates without disabilities, Jacobs said.
The decision to treble fees was a "major policy change affecting the life chances of a generation of students and billions of pounds of public expenditure", the documents outlining the claimants' argument said. "Such a decision should not have been taken without the appropriate degree of rigorous attention to equality needs."
At the beginning of the case, Hurley, who is from Peterborough, said he was representing thousands of students from poor backgrounds who would be deterred from applying to university because of how much they would have to pay back once they graduated. Neither of his parents went to university.
Moore, from London, said her peers were confused about how much they would pay in tuition fees once they graduated. "This makes it difficult to decide what to do about our futures," she said.
Figures published by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (Ucas) at the end of January show students from deprived homes have been less deterred by higher fees than those from better-off backgrounds.
The application rate from the most disadvantaged fifth of the population was down 0.2% in England. Among the wealthiest quintile, it fell 2.5%. The analysis was based on a ranking of neighbourhoods according to the participation of young people in higher education.
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CBI policy plan 2012 Themes, projects and timelines
AURIL is a member of the CBI and has represented the sector on its Inter Company Academic Research Group (ICARG) since its formation
The CBI has issued its policy plan for 2012 which can be viewed
here
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After 12 years of running AURIL as Executive Director, Philip Graham has taken this chance to step down. Philip has said “It has been a real privilege - I have met and worked with some brilliant and fascinating people all of whom shared a belief that KT was essential to all countries’’ well-being and I am proud to say that within the UK, in KT terms, we punch well above our weight.”
You can view Philip's resignation letter
here
and David's response
here.
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Completion of £3.5m creative industries studio complex will contribute £69 million to Scottish economy
A groundbreaking studio complex for artists and creative businesses, newly completed in Glasgow’s Merchant City, is predicted to contribute £69 million to the local economy. The £3.5 million regeneration of South Block, a former textiles warehouse, has been carried out by Wasps Studios, a Scottish social enterprise and charity. It provides an exciting mix of low-cost studio space for fine artists and craftspeople, plus offices for social enterprises. High-quality office space is also available for commercial businesses from Scotland’s vibrant creative industries.
http://www.scottish-enterprise.presscentre.com/Press-releases/Completion-of-3-5m-creative-industries-studio-complex-will-contribute-69-million-to-Scottish-economy-438.aspx
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Cultural intermediation & the creative economy
At the end of 2011 funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council was given to undertake a project looking at processes of cultural intermediation in the creative urban economy. This work is being funded under the Connected Communities initiative and is a joint research project between the University of Birmingham, University of Salford, Birmingham City University, Liverpool John Moores University, City University and the University of Cardiff as well as Visiting Arts.
The project formally begins in April. In the meantime updates will be available at http://culturalintermediation.wordpress.com/
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Campaign resource pack - Universities Week
The campaign resource pack for this year’s Universities Week campaign (30 April – 7 May 2012) has just been uploaded to the Universities Week website http://bit.ly/xotWJe
The pack includes:
· Practical ideas and advice for your own activities planned during the week
· Templates for case studies and facts
· Promotional materials template
Please feel free to forward this on to colleagues in other departments who may be interested.
A full suite of Universities Week logos is also available to download from the website – for you to use on your marketing materials for events and other activities taking place before, during and just after the Week.
Case study and facts request
You will have received our request form for case studies that will form the basis of the two planned reports for Universities Week 2012. The two separate reports will look at the impact and contribution that universities are making on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sports industry and UK society as a whole. This will include everything from the training of world-class athletes at university through to the research & development, legacy and Cultural Olympiad contributions.
There is also a number of interesting facts to support the case study material so please do remember to complete the form (available on the Universities Week website http://bit.ly/wZ3IhD
byFriday 27 January 2012)
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Research Councils UK (RCUK) has today (4 January) published the RCUK Impact Report 2011 which complements the impact reports prepared by the individual Research Councils for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.
The report details the various activities through which the Research Councils are working together to achieve greater impact. This includes collaboration with partners in key commercial sectors, the Technology Strategy Board and governmental departments. It also highlights the impact of the six major cross-Council themes and how the Research Councils will develop the impact agenda through the current spending review period. The report concludes by setting out aims of the RCUK Impact Strategy.
For the full story, click here
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Technology Strategy Board announces Satellite Applications Catapult centre
The Technology Strategy Board (www.innovateuk.org) has announced that it will establish a new Catapult centre in Satellite Applications. The new Catapult will be a technology & innovation centre to help UK businesses develop new satellite-based products & services, & stimulate growth across the UK economy. The Catapult will focus on applications of R&D in four growth areas: communications, broadcasting, positioning & observations.
Satellite services are expected to be an important growth area for the UK economy in the next decade & beyond. Worldwide, the Space sector is expected to grow to £400bn by 2030. The Satellite Applications Catapult will help to achieve targets set out in the UK Space Innovation & Growth Strategy to grow UK market share from 6% to 10% by 2030 and create 100,000 now high value jobs.
For full details click here
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David Willetts speech – Our hi-tech future – Policy Exchange, Westminster, 4 January 2012
In a speech at Policy Exchange, Universities and Science Minister David Willetts argued that our greatest national assets - our universities, our science facilities and researchers - are the best single hope for making our way in the high-tech world of the future, creating jobs and opportunities and boosting high tech economic growth.
For the full story and the speech please click here
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More finance options for business
Vince Cable has announced details for an industry-led Taskforce to help diversify business finance.
The Taskforce will investigate the challenges facing businesses in diversifying their finance.
It will be led by Tim Breedon, Legal and General chief executive and current chairman of the Association of British Insurers. He will be supported by a panel of experts drawn from the business and finance community.
Tim Breedon said:
“As banking reforms progress, it is vital for the UK economy that the flow of credit to businesses is maintained.
"Non-bank finance is likely to make an increasingly important contribution, so we need to develop alternatives that work for firms and help them deliver growth in the broader economy.”
The focus will be on debt and credit products, looking at a range of finance choices, old and new, from corporate bonds to ‘crowd-funding’.
They will work with businesses, lenders, investors and providers of alternative finance to examine structural and behavioural barriers to raising non-bank finance. It will set out what steps are needed to ensure businesses can access a wider range of alternative finance sources.
Read more about the BIS Finance Fitness campaign, helping businesses access the finance they need to grow.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
“Businesses across the UK are still in many cases unhappy with the way they have been treated by banks.
“We have secured a rise in new lending from the biggest banks this year and credit easing is designed to provide another immediate boost. But I want to see as much competition in the market as possible and for businesses to have access to a wide range of finance sources.
“There are exciting innovations emerging that provide alternatives to bank lending. Businesses are selling bonds directly to their customers, missing out the middle-men. And peer-to-peer lending has opened up opportunities for savers to invest directly in the fortunes of UK businesses. I want to investigate and dismantle any barriers to these and future innovations."
Access to finance
The Taskforce was announced as part of the credit easing package in the Autumn Statement. It will report to Government ahead of the 2012 Budget statement.
Other measures announced in the Autumn Statement included:
- A package of credit easing measures, including a National Loan Guarantee Scheme and Business Finance Partnership to ease the provision of credit through bank and non-bank channels.
- Extension of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee from January 2012 to include businesses with up to £44m annual turnover, and the accreditation of new lenders.
- Working with the British Bankers’ Association’s Business Finance Taskforce to improve the lending environment for businesses
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Universities Are Central To Innovation
HEFCE welcomes the Government's Innovation and Research Strategy published today, which recognises that universities are a central element to the nation's innovation system.
The strategy acknowledges that our universities are excellent in research, teaching and knowledge exchange. It also acknowledges that they can and do make a vital contribution to the effort to grow a different - more sustainable and globally competitive - economy. We look to businesses to create the wealth and jobs of the future that will make our living standards grow, and provide funds for critical public services. But we need a sound knowledge base to underpin the economy of the future, and universities are a vital part of that. The strategy also recognises that universities play a vital part in their local areas as centres for innovation networks and clusters; and that the world-class distinction of our universities draws innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers to these shores, as well as helping to develop our local talent.
The UK research base is recognised in the strategy for its high quality, productivity and impact. The dual-support system for funding research has driven these successes forward; with HEFCE funding for quality-related research (QR) providing the flexibility to underpin innovation and responsiveness in the research base. We will provide over £6 billion in QR over 2011-15 to support this. In conjunction with the other UK higher education (HE) funding bodies, we are introducing a new system of assessing research excellence, the Research Excellence Framework, which will provide a firm basis for our future funding to recognise and reward excellent research, including work that benefits the economy and society.
Success in connecting with business and the wider economy and society is recognised in the strategy: knowledge services provided by universities to businesses and other users totals over £3 billion. We are allocating £600 million over 2011-15 through Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) to accelerate this success. We look forward to responding to the recommendations of the Wilson Review, which will address how relations between business and HE can be improved further, once it is published in 2012.
Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said:
'Graduates are highlighted as important contributors to innovation: 'innovation-active' businesses have double the share of graduates of other businesses. HEFCE is working to sustain the flow of graduates and postgraduates in the science, technology, engineering, mathematical and other key subjects that are critical to technological innovation, as well as the broader range of disciplines that contribute to innovation and growth, through the development of our new teaching funding policies.
'The role of universities and colleges in delivering the skills needed in an innovative economy is noted in the strategy. In relation to skills, HEFCE also welcomes the Government's growth review on education and training published on as part of the Autumn Statement on 29 November. This recommends that Sector Skills Councils and other employer bodies help develop robust accreditation frameworks that tell students about the courses employers really value. The Higher Education Public Information Steering Group will consider any proposals for inclusion in Key Information Sets (the bodies that will accredit courses from September 2012 already include the Society of Biology, Skillset and the British Computer Society). This development will help inform student choice: to extend that further we are talking to other accrediting bodies about inclusion in the 2012 Key Information Set.
'In these tough times, it is important to be positive and to emphasise the world-class innovation assets of the UK, including its fine universities and colleges. The Innovation Strategy, and the Government's overall approach to growth, places great responsibility on universities to deliver for our economy, society and the public, but it also opens up great opportunities to contribute. A vital message in the strategy is the importance of collaboration: between universities and business, between parts of the innovation ecosystem, and between funders. HEFCE supports the strategy and will work closely with other funders, partners and universities to deliver it
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Student Loans Company's fraud alert
The Student Loans Company is contacting some of its customers by telephone amid fears of a fraud attack.
The company says it is calling those customers whom it has "identified as being at risk of having their details compromised".
The student loan system is facing sustained "phishing" attacks, with 1,400 websites shut down this year.
Customers are being told to be "vigilant with their personal details".
The company says it cannot confirm whether or not any private details of customers have been hacked - arguing that it does not want to supply any further information which could be useful to fraudsters.
'Ongoing enquiry'
It also declines to say how many customers are involved as "this is an ongoing enquiry".
But it says the calls to specific customers are being made as a "preventative measure".
The Student Loans Company has four million customers - administering loans to current students and repayments from former students.
But in response to what is believed to be a phishing-style attack - where fraudsters attempt to obtain information such as by email - the company has been directly calling some of its customers.
"We are currently contacting a number of students by telephone who we have identified as being at risk of having their details compromised, to advise them of the necessary security steps they should follow to ensure their details are protected," said Heather Laing, fraud prevention and detection manager for the Student Loans Company.
"We would advise all students to be vigilant with their personal details. Student Finance England or the Student Loans Company will never ask you to verify your personal or bank details by email."
The student loan system has become a target for fraudsters, with the police pursuing extensive phishing operations.
The company has warned of a significant increase in attempted fraud incidents, such as emails dishonestly seeking personal information such as bank details.
The Student Loans Company has also published advice to prevent fraud, telling students and former students to be wary of contacts seeking personal and financial details.
It says that such scams are common at the three main instalment payment dates in September, January and April.
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