Professor Prentice speaks to Nuala McGovern about funding in higher education, international students and freedom of speech on campus
Professor Prentice speaks to Nuala McGovern about funding in higher education, international students and freedom of speech on campus
"The Higher Education sector in the UK is brilliant, really incredible, I'm not even sure people realise how strong it is.”
One year into the role our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, speaks to Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4. She calls for a national conversation to address the university funding crisis, welcomes the new Labour government’s support for international students and talks about how education is one of Britain’s great exports. “We want to keep it that way and that's going to require a sector-wide conversation about finances."
She also reflects on how free speech and protests are viewed differently in the UK and US. As part of her efforts to encourage people to be able to disagree agreeably, she mentions convening the Vice-Chancellor’s Dialogues, a forum to discuss challenging topics with the widest range of viewpoints.
When asked about her own upbringing as the daughter of a single mother, she said, “Even though my mother never could have imagined my path, I could never have taken my path without her...I learned the value of education. My mom felt not having access to higher education limited what she could do and I think she was right about that."
Listen to the whole interview on BBC Sounds, Spotify or Apple Podcasts
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