More cerebral collaboration needed

Published on Monday 16 March 2009 00:14

SCOTTISH universities raise almost half their budgets from private donations and research grants. This is an impressive record of self-help but the economic crisis means it is likely all universities will have to try even harder to raise their own funding, especially in Scotland where students do not pay fees.

Last August, the UK government launched an incentive scheme in England and Wales which provides an extra 200 million in state funding to match any private, voluntary donations raised by universities. The idea is to encourage universities to increase efforts to help themselves financially. A similar scheme is being discussed in Scotland but is opposed by some university principals, particularly from the newer institutions, who feel it will only widen the gap between poorer and richer institutions.

These worries are genuine but misplaced. In the English incentive scheme, the least experienced fundraising institutions get 1 for every 1 donation raised. The most experienced fundraisers (eg Oxford and Cambridge) have to attract 3 in outside donations for each 1 of matching funding. In addition, funding is capped to ensure the older, more famous institutions don't get all the money. It is not beyond the wit of the Scottish Government and the universities to devise an incentive scheme that benefits all institutions, while respecting the special needs of some.