By Chris Carr, vice-chancellor, University of Cumbria

Last updated 16:10, Monday, 26 May 2008

The UK has always been regarded, in an international context, as having very good universities.

The research effort in British universities is a powerful one, universities provide graduates who are very employable in both the public and private sectors, and our universities have sustained their competitiveness in relation to the recruitment of international students, despite the increasing competition from universities in other parts of the world.

In a major speech late in February the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, said: “We can say with confidence that the great majority of what we do is good, much is excellent, and a significant part is genuinely world-class”.

But British universities cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

Universities in other countries are developing quickly, and the competitive global context in which we must work means that we need to have a clear view of how our universities are going to develop so as to maintain the position we currently hold.

In the speech referred to above John Denham gave a simple example of the challenge we face: “Between 2004 and 2007, China rose from 24th to 18th in the world university ranking. Its share of world academic publications and citations rose from two per cent in 1996 to six per cent in 2005. The Chinese State Statistical Agency already claims that China has taken second place from the UK in the global ranking for total science publications.”

This illustrates how just one rapidly developing country is accelerating the pace of its investment in, and growth of, its university sector. The same picture is being repeated throughout the world, not just in the highly developed economies of Europe, North America and Australia, but also in India, South East Asia, the Middle East and the Gulf. Nations have realised the importance of harnessing the maximum effect the intellectual talents of their young people.

What then, are the things which UK universities must do in order to maintain our elevated position as a nation which is very serious about higher education and its universities?

One of the most important things is to ensure that a growing percentage of our young people see a university education as part of their natural aspirations. According to some figures from the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills the percentage of 15 year olds in the UK who expect to have a university-level education is 32 per cent – and this is lower than the comparable figure in many other European counties.

We must continue our drive to have an increasing proportion of our young people attend university.

This is a particular challenge for us in Cumbria, where some parts of the county participation rates fall as low as 16 per cent.

In what other ways can UK universities work to ensure that they maintain their position as part of what is a genuinely world-class higher education sector in this country?

The research activity of universities is a significant way in which they contribute to the national economy and to cultural life, and any university which aspires to make a full contribution to the regional and national economy will need to harness its research capabilities.

It is very early days for us at the University of Cumbria, but this is an agenda we are taking seriously. W we will seek to develop niche research areas where we can use the characteristics of the sub-region to best advantage.

The people of Cumbria can expect to see the university beginning to advertise for important research leadership posts over the next year.

An early example will be when we place an international advert to recruit a professorship in transport and logistics, sponsored by Eddie Stobart Ltd.

This initiative will demonstrate not just the importance we are attaching to specialised research, but will also be an important example of the significance of close partnerships between the university and employers.

Our future prosperity as a nation will depend, in part, on entrepreneurs being able to translate ground breaking research into services and products which will enable them to compete on a world stage.

Close employer-university relationships will be a very important feature of the economy in the future.

This will require much hard work and commitment by both parties, coupled with some imaginative investment and effort.

When one mixes together innovative ideas and the teaching of high level skills, and adds entrepreneurial knowledge and flair, the outcome will be one from which everyone will benefit.