THE £1.7m in student fees and donations accepted by two Scottish universities from the Libyan government of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and oil companies in the country, revealed in The Herald today, show the extent to which the shortfall in higher education funding is driving universities to take risky decisions.
It appears the universities of Strathclyde and Dundee failed to heed the alarm bell ringing in March when Sir Howard Davies resigned as director of the London School of Economics over its ties with the Libyan regime. Universities across the UK are all seeking outside sources of income to boost the funding gap and the recruitment of more overseas students has become vital to their balance sheets. Like other British businesses, universities were no doubt encouraged by Tony Blair’s 2007 “deal in the desert” to regard Libya as a country with which, despite its despotic ruler, they could have links without losing respectability.
Balancing money and morals
THE £1.7m in student fees and donations accepted by two Scottish universities from the Libyan government of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and oil companies in the country, revealed in The Herald today, show the extent to which the shortfall in higher education funding is driving universities to take risky decisions.
It appears the universities of Strathclyde and Dundee failed to heed the alarm bell ringing in March when Sir Howard Davies resigned as director of the London School of Economics over its ties with the Libyan regime. Universities across the UK are all seeking outside sources of income to boost the funding gap and the recruitment of more overseas students has become vital to their balance sheets. Like other British businesses, universities were no doubt encouraged by Tony Blair’s 2007 “deal in the desert” to regard Libya as a country with which, despite its despotic ruler, they could have links without losing respectability.
Most read Most commented
Don't show me this again.