Responding to the emergency Budget, GuildHE’s CEO Alice Hynes called for the government to take account of the contribution higher education makes to the UK’s economic recovery by the improvement to the nations’ human capital and also to the significant export income from the internationalisation and HE’s global presence.

“Much reliance is being placed on the outcome of the Browne Review, if the consequences of the proposed 25% across the board cuts are not to create unproductive damage to the higher education system. The higher education sector has already taken a set of cuts ahead of the General Election and it will be both unfair and counterproductive in terms of stimulus to the business sector if it takes an even higher share of this overall squeeze. Why would students at home or from abroad be prepared to pay more if they don’t see a fair and proportionate investment in the higher education infrastructure from the Government. Sadly those who argue for the growth of lower skilled workers outside higher education are not looking at the global competition – high value work in the new industries is delivered by graduates and postgraduates.”  

For more information, please contact:
Alice Hynes
GuildHE Chief Executive
Tel: 020 7387 7711
Email: alice.hynes@guildhe.ac.uk

Notes to editors

1. For full details of the budget see https://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2010_june_budget.htm

2. GuildHE is a recognised representative organisation within the higher education sector. 

3. GuildHE members are among the most dynamic and fastest-growing institutions in higher education. For a list of GuildHE institutions, please visit: https://www.guildhe.ac.uk/en/members-list/