Microsoft boss: Salmond is 'wrong' on universities

Published on Thursday 1 November 2007 01:17

ONE of Bill Gates's top lieutenants has warned the Scottish Government that it is wrong to try to fund universities almost entirely through public money.

Bob McDowell, a Microsoft vice-president, who is due to meet Alex Salmond, the First Minister, today, spoke out about the need to have stronger business connections with universities to help pay for students' courses.

One of the first moves of the SNP administration was to announce its plans to scrap the graduate endowment - the payment made by graduates after they leave university.

Mr Salmond has championed the Scottish Government's aim of reintroducing "free" university education, but Holyrood is facing an increasingly large bill from the sector.

Scotland's universities have asked for an extra 168 million in government funding to help compete with English institutions, which have more money to spend, principally because they can charge student fees.

Mr McDowell, a patron of the University of the Highlands and Islands, said: "The university infrastructure in Scotland clearly is an asset, but I don't think there is enough integration between universities and business."

Mr McDowell criticised Scotland's tertiary education system for being "for the most part funded publicly". Singling out the lack of any graduate contribution, he said: "On this one, you are wrong. Those that go through the system get the value in the quality of their life. Why wouldn't they owe something back?

"Why would all the citizens contribute to something a small percentage get the value out of? I don't get it."

Mr McDowell said it was common for businesses in the United States to contribute financially to universities.

"We get better employees; we get some influence over what they are taught."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We understand the need for business and universities to work closely. We are not complacent about that, but recent evidence suggests that Scotland is generally better at that than the rest of the UK.

"On the issue of financing, we took the decision that access to universities should be on the ability to learn, not on the ability to pay and graduates make a significant contribution to university funding through the tax system."

THE DILEMMA

UNIVERSITIES have asked the Scottish Government for 168 million in extra funding amid fears they will be unable to compete with their English counterparts.

Since English universities were allowed to begin charging fees in 2005, Scottish principals have feared the day when the cap on top-up fees will be scrapped and English universities could charge what they like, creating a lucrative revenue stream not available north of the Border.