UK Universities – private finance for public benefit?

The University of Hertfordshire will be hosting the BUFDG 2007 event at the de Havilland Campus on the outskirts of Hatfield, just 25 minutes from London. The de Havilland Campus has a main auditorium capable of seating up to 460 delegates and surrounding smaller rooms for group sessions. Accommodation is onsite in modern, en-suite halls of residence.

The theme running through the conference this year is the dilemma facing many Senior Managers in Higher Education - that the institutions exist for the benefit of the public and wider society, but increasingly rely on the capital markets, banks and private investors to provide a majority share of the finance and on private “customers” for more income.

Tony Hall addresses conference first, telling us of his experiences at the Royal Opera House, a national institution that had problems similar to those of universities. Many of the conference sessions look at how finance can be raised and others look at how a little can be made to go a long way, perhaps with David Russell unveiling the Magic Porridge Pot of money on Wednesday.

This year’s conference agenda is also an ambitious attempt to respond to feedback from delegates and sponsors, by offering a wide selection of workshops as part of the main programme. With many sessions on a similar theme, but spread across the timetable, if a delegate wants to attend four sessions on student housing financing, they can! Not only that but as far as possible, sponsors in similar areas of business are not pitched against each other. Although many of the main programme workshops are led by representatives of commercial organisations, they are not sales pitch opportunities, but serious sessions that provide professional development as well as industry knowledge.

With the de Havilland Campus being so close to London we hope that Directors who do not usually travel to conference will find this closeness an incentive to attend. Even if you cannot spend three days out of the office, it is our hope that the programme is attractive enough to lure you to part of the proceedings. And remember, if you decide to stay only one or two days, the conference fee covers a deputy to attend in your place on the remaining day(s).

At the end of the conference, we would like to know what you thought of it, as it is only through feedback that improvements will be made. Please fill in the feedback survey! And if you do not come, please let us know why, especially if it is because of the programme content.