- The Labour Party appeared close to ending the long-running saga over its fees and funding policy as 探花视频 went to press. By releasing a story about 拢2聽billion set aside by the government 鈥渢o cover potential write-downs in the value of existing student loans鈥, reported by the Financial Times on 23聽February, Labour seemed to be clearing the ground for an announcement at the end of the week on whether or not it will opt for a 拢6,000 tuition fees policy. Leading the fight against 拢6,000 fees has been Lord Mandelson, the former Labour business secretary, who appeared at a Universities聽UK conference on 20聽February and told reporters that an election pledge to hold a review of higher education would be better than opting for a fee cut. 鈥淚聽would hope that鈥hatever conclusions the Labour Party reaches, if they want to change the current approach they leave the door slightly ajar,鈥 he said. On 21聽February, 罢丑别听罢颈尘别蝉 reported that Ed聽Balls, the shadow chancellor, 鈥渋s considering cutting some of the tax breaks handed to those saving for a pension as he tries to find the 拢2聽billion needed each year to reduce [tuition] fees鈥. Measures being considered, the newspaper said, included lowering the 拢40,000 annual tax-free allowance that savers can put towards a pension, or cutting the 拢1.25聽million lifetime allowance. Such a move would likely affect many vice-chancellors. Given that the UUK board angered Labour by publicly attacking the 拢6,000 fee concept, this side-effect might encourage the party to pursue the revenue-raising idea. Labour was incensed that the UUK board published its letter in The Times 鈥 which the party believes is hostile towards it 鈥 rather than a friendlier paper such as The Observer and that it had not tipped off Liam Byrne, the shadow universities, science and skills minister, to warn him that the letter would appear. So UUK should not expect any favours from the announcement.
- 鈥奣he University of Bolton loaned almost 拢1聽million to its vice-chancellor to help him buy 鈥渁聽luxurious Edwardian house鈥, the Daily Mail reported on 23聽February. George Holmes borrowed 拢960,000 to buy the detached four-bedroom house so that he could be closer to Bolton, after having undertaken a 100-mile round trip each day from his home in Yorkshire for the past eight years, the paper said. The two-year bridging loan, which will be paid off when his home in聽Wakefield is sold, 鈥渉as helped to secure the continued services of an excellent vice-chancellor鈥, the university said. It follows a payment of 拢47,200 made two years ago to incentivise Professor Holmes to remain in his 拢199,000-a-year post, the Mail said.
- 鈥奝oking fun at the University of Leicester for banging on about its discovery of Richard III is now almost as wearisome as the university鈥檚 barrage of publicity itself. But news that an escort agency has jumped on the bandwagon to generate business takes things to a new level. 鈥淢idland Belles is offering people the chance to visit the reinterment of the former Plantagenet monarch, at Leicester Cathedral, on March聽26, with one of its 鈥榚ducated and beautiful鈥 escorts,鈥 the Leicester Mercury reported on 17聽February. 鈥淭he website shows a selection of 10 scantily-clad ladies, which customers can book for the day (and night) and take to any of the events organised by Leicester Cathedral during the week of March 23.鈥 Knowledge transfer, impact, benefits for local business: it ticks so many of the boxes required of universities these days. However, this may be the first occasion when the University of Leicester keeps quiet about a聽Richard III story.
- 鈥奣wo Thai students have been jailed for staging a satirical play aimed at their country鈥檚 monarchy, The Guardian reported on 23聽February. Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Porntip Mankong, 26, will serve two and a half years each for insulting the royal family after The Wolf Bride, a satire set in a fictional kingdom, was performed at Bangkok鈥檚 Thammasat University in October 2013. The pair were sentenced after admitting lese-majesty, which carries a maximum penalty of 15聽years in prison. It is part of a wider crackdown on perceived slurs on Thailand鈥檚 87-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is seen as a demigod by many of his subjects, since a military junta took power in May.
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