The Principal of Queen Mary, University of London, Professor Simon Gaskell, responds to the publication of Lord Browne's proposals for higher education.
He says: "The publication of the Browne review represents one step in the progression of events that will shape the future of UK Higher Education. Additional critical steps will include the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review and, looking further ahead, the publication of the promised White Paper in the autumn of 2011.
"The context for undergraduate education in HE is established by a set of requirements that include the enhancement and maintenance of standards of both teaching and research, the promotion of fairness of access to HE, and the financial and academic sustainability of our universities. It is therefore encouraging that Lord Browne has acknowledged each of these issues in his Review.
"Queen Mary acknowledges the importance of addressing the balance between public and private contributions to the costs of Higher Education, recognising that it produces benefits for both the individual and society at large. It is essential that implementation of this approach should be informed by the twin principles of the financial contribution from the individual not preceding graduation and of graduate payments being linked to ability to pay. It is therefore welcome to see that both these principles are reflected in the Review. We also recognise the value of a scheme that maintains the link between the graduate and his or her institution of study.
"Queen Mary will continue to thrive as an institution committed to educational provision across the intellectual spectrum from medicine through the life, physical and social sciences, to the arts and humanities. We reaffirm our objective of providing the finest education to those students most able to benefit from our programmes, regardless of their financial background. We look forward to the Government announcing its response to the report and confirming the funding regime, so that Queen Mary can finalise its plans for continuing success as a highly regarded educational institution."
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