I’ve made my feelings known on the Digital Economy Bill and the outdated approach the Government is taking regarding the penalising of illegal file-sharing. Unfortunately, a greatly reduced version of the Digital Economy Bill was passed on Wednesday night in the Commons, focusing on these preventive and negative aspects of the original Carter bill, whilst eliminating much of the progressive Digital Britain agenda, including broadband for everyone anywhere as a democratic entitlement.
On a more positive note, I’m delighted to report that we have an anonymous donation of £1.55m towards the costs of the new building. And HEFCE has now agreed that funding for the original 100 additional student numbers awarded to us as part of our recent settlement covers the duration of study for each student. Our original concern was that we would receive this funding for 2010/2011 only. HEFCE has also announced its University Modernisation Fund intended to help institutions to generate efficiency savings and fund limited numbers of additional entrants. We are considering bidding for a small number of student places, but will have to seriously weigh up the impacts of this in the longer run.
And finally, next week, I’m off to Italy by invitation of the Politecnico di Milano. Politecnico di Milano is ranked as one of the most outstanding European universities in Engineering, Architecture and Industrial Design and a leading research institution. I will be speaking to a number of academics and business people there on the relocation of Ravensbourne. So good that our ambitious vision is generating interest in academic circles across the globe.
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