Huddersfield University ready for government funding cuts

Jan 25 2010 by Nick Lavigueur, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD University is well prepared for Government funding cuts, its vice-chancellor has claimed.

More than £900m of cuts are thought to be on the way for higher education nationally over the next three years.

But Speaking to the Examiner, university chief Bob Cryan said it was still unclear as to how deep the cuts would be.

And he said they had known for some time that cuts were coming and had changed their business model to generate new sources of income.

Last week business secretary Lord Mandelson said that universities must “take their share of the pain” as the UK economy struggles to get back on its feet.

And he also said many universities were failing to invest enough in producing skilled graduates who could fill jobs such as building the next generation of nuclear power stations.

But Mr Cryan said the skills mismatch Lord Mandelson was referring to had to be looked at in the context of student demand.

He said: “Universities have had to close down physics and chemistry departments because of the lack of interest by students. These are the very areas that are critical to the nuclear industry.

“The problem is far more complex than just whether or not a university will run a degree programme.

“As a vice-chancellor I would have no hesitation in creating a degree programme where there is high student demand.