Really dismaying that I was halfway through the quotation before I realized this was the UK’s assault on universities we were talking about
I venture to say that a good chunk of Northeastern US regional economies are also heavily reliant on universities, NIH grants, medical centers and research
FAFO — 1229, Paris — the townspeople get annoyed at the rowdy students, the guards kill some students, the university strikes and shuts down, and the townspeople discover that really, they needed all that money they were taking in from the rowdy students.
That, and numbers: British steel was about 2000 jobs in one place. The UK HE sector this year is 200-300 job losses 10 times, but harder to see in aggregate (for those who don’t want to see it).
Given how govt policy is impacting Labour voters and their voting intention, it would be entirely consistent of govt to destroy major employers in Labour constituencies.
One thing people on the right should understand is that if universities are fair game, the next president may decide to do the same to all the Christian colleges and take away their tax exempt status. That would be just desserts.
Maybe universities could cut the salaries of their presidents and cut...oh idk.... football and just focus on academics for a change. For profit education kinda stinks. We need universities but not ones that put profit above educational quality.
Lancaster in the North West would be in real trouble without the great Lancaster University that supports the economy and the culture in the wider community
And most of the people whose jobs will be at risk will not be high-paid academics (if that in itself isn't an oxymoron) – huge numbers of admin staff, catering, cleaning, maintenance – as well as local pubs and shops that rely on the student trade.
Definitely a must read for @jessphillipsmp.bsky.social @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social @yvettecooper-mp.bsky.social @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social Current visa proposals will kill off a sector that is a significant contributor (around £130bn pa) to U.K. GDP.
In a number of EU countries university tuition fees are zero or nominal to all EU students and in some cases UK students too. The UK is by far the most expensive for domestic students. Education is a public good and an investment in the population, but one the UK seems unwilling to make.
Good for Scotland. NI has reduced fees for its students, around 50% English fees. I agree it is a choice in England, and a bad one for the country overall.
Soon ejacation will disappear and be replaced with proper jobs down the pits when men were men. We'll all go back to having heart attacks at 60 which will sort out the pensions bill and social care, and get the NHS waiting lists down. Then women can go back to cooking and raising bairns. 3 cheers!
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I venture to say that a good chunk of Northeastern US regional economies are also heavily reliant on universities, NIH grants, medical centers and research
If you mean England, make it clear you're talking about England.
I'd be interested in Male v Female employees from both industries; jobs and pay.
https://bsky.app/profile/altnps.bsky.social/post/3lphfu3wqbs2y
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/13/university-of-greater-manchester-suspends-vice-chancellor-amid-investigation?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
It's a choice. We're doing it to ourselves.