Professor Dame Sally Mapstone highlighted the need for government support to ensure universities continue to drive social change, create jobs, and address national challenges.
Professor Dame Sally Mapstone highlighted the need for government support to ensure universities continue to drive social change, create jobs, and address national challenges.
The newly appointed president of Universities UK Professor Dame Sally Mapstone has called for sustainable funding to safeguard higher education and its crucial role in society.
Speaking at UUK’s annual conference, Mapstone recognized the contributions of universities in driving social change, creating jobs, and addressing national challenges, as per a press release. However, she cited the need for government support to ensure these benefits continue.
A recent report by London Economics revealed that in the 2021-2022 academic year, UK universities had a substantial economic impact of £116 billion ($145 billion) and supported 760,000 jobs.
Nearly half of these jobs – or some 382,500 – were indirectly created, as local businesses such as restaurants and retailers reaped benefits from the economic stimulus universities provided.
Combined with existing evidence indicating that a single cohort of international students contributed £14.8 billion ($18.5 billion), the total economic impact from UK universities in 2021-22 exceeded an impressive £130 billion ($162 billion).
However, Mapstone, who serves as principal and vice chancellor of the University of St Andrews, said that this positive momentum is at risk due to dwindling funding.
She said that funding levels have hit a 25-year low, with projected tuition fees in England amounting to only £5,800 ($7,248) at 2011-12 prices by 2025-26.
Mapstone called for sustainable funding, increased public investment, and a potential reevaluation of how higher education is funded, all while maintaining and reforming the income-contingent loan system in England.
She also appealed for increased public investment and a potential reevaluation of who bears the costs of higher education.
Mapstone said that higher education and research straddle the boundary between public and private goods, necessitating a careful balancing of the funding model.
Moreover, she also underscored the role of universities in stimulating robust economic growth, contending that the UK economy faces a growth problem, and universities have a pivotal role to play in addressing this challenge.
Increased levels of higher education have consistently contributed to productivity growth in recent years, and research collaborations between businesses and academic partners offer a substantial return on investment, with every £1 ($1) invested yielding £7 ($9) to £8 ($10) in net Gross Value Added.
Mapstone urged the university sector to be efficient and ensure quality education delivery to earn increased public investment. Failing to do so, she argued, would risk the reputation of universities as institutions dedicated to the best interests of students.
The London Economics report, commissioned by UUK, was also released alongside a collection of case studies illustrating how universities are positively impacting local communities, ensuring that individuals across the UK reap the rewards of its globally renowned higher education sector, regardless of their academic qualifications.
Meanwhile, Mapstone also warmly welcomed the recent announcement of an agreement on association with Horizon Europe, noting the pivotal role of international collaboration with close partners in the government’s vision for the UK as a global science superpower.
She added that Horizon Europe has been the cornerstone of scientific collaboration for over three decades, enabling groundbreaking achievements unattainable without such extensive cooperation.
