Independence threat to Scottish universities

A number of professors at Scottish universities have come out in support of a 'yes' vote in the independence referendum on 14 September. Of course, it is likely, that all sorts of views on the matter will be found among the professoriat but those who advocate independence ought not to advocate it without considering the possible repercussions of the Scottish electorate voting this way. 

The recent spat over whether Scotland should seek to re-establish a monetary union with the United Kingdom after a 'yes' vote is only a taster of the numerous weekly disputes that will pepper the two years or more after a 'yes' vote before independence is achieved. Not all the ambitions of the Scottish Government outlined in its long white paper on independence will be achieved. There will be horse trading on a gigantic scale and Scotland's universities will be one of the pawns. University research funding in Scottish universities will be under particular jeopardy. Under current UK arrangements Scottish institutions compete successfully to get 14% of funding for research council and charitable research funding while only having 8% of the UK population. After a 'yes' vote why should a repudiated rest of the UK feel that it should continue this cross border subsidy? A 'yes' vote could be very harmful to university research funding in Scotland.

Advocates of independence also make much of the continuation of free university tuition for Scottish students but this has only been made possible by relatively generous funding to the Scottish Parliament by the UK government.But there is much to be concerned about with this policy.There is no guarantee that they will be maintained after independence and profound questions arise about the equity of free tuition. Why should the poorer half of the population contribute to the free higher education of a student population heavily skewed towards the better-off half? Wouldn't fees with targeted financial assistance to poorer students be a more effective and just way of funding higher education tuition? Perhaps the cost burdens of current arrangements may well force an independent Scottish Government to reconsider current policies.

Everything in the garden of higher education in Scotland will not be rosy if there is a 'yes' vote in the referendum.There could well be some big thistles to confront.

Letter in Times Higher Education 27 February 2014