Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast 3: Higher Education and Piers Morgan
Apr 1, 2015
Jane McKenzie, The I's education correspondent, dives into the current crisis in higher education, spotlighting the troubling rise in tuition fees and its impact on student choices. She discusses how universities prioritize career outcomes over critical thinking and the ethical dilemmas of funding sources. McKenzie contrasts the lavish pay of vice chancellors with ordinary lecturers, and humorously critiques media scandals involving Piers Morgan, blending insights on journalistic ethics with tales of tabloid absurdity.
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High Fees Push Students Toward Vocational Degrees
- Tuition fee hikes shifted student choices toward vocationally valuable degrees.
- Jane Mackenzie notes humanities will suffer as universities prioritise careers and measurable outcomes over producing well-rounded thinkers.
Research Money Dictates University Focus
- Research funding now shapes university priorities alongside tuition income.
- Jane Mackenzie explains funding comes from research councils, charities like Wellcome, and corporate partners such as Boeing, steering focus to fundable fields.
Corporate Grants Can Turn Universities Into Private R&D
- Corporate-funded research often becomes proprietary and unpublished.
- Jane Mackenzie warns companies paying for studies may block publication of failures or rivals' access, turning universities into R&D arms for industry.