Inaugural Lecture: Professor Frans Berkhout
The Value of a University Education

The Student Producer of The Educational Experience

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What is The Value of a University Education?

Education produces value in the way of private benefits

Pursuit of Knowledge

Meta skilss and capabilities

Social Networks

A credential, allowing access to certain jobs

Graduate premium

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Supported by graphs depicting supportive data stating that those with university degrees will and do earn more money than those who do not.

trustworthy data?

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I see the ‘graduate premium’ is in there; i regard that as ‘dirty’ data, normally, since they normally refuse to split out high-paying graduate-only professions, egMedicine,Dentistry,Veterinary,Architecture,LawConsider the size of these, the money they command, and then you'll see that it must distort massively when compared to "non-graduates".A fair comparison can only be made when restricted to roles that have both graduate and non-graduate paths to attaining them.For instance, search for 'medicine' or 'medical' in this PDF: http://www.if.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Graduate_Premium_final.compressed.pdfBut if a source was provided for better data, please share! - TD

Education produces value in the way of public values

Human Capital and economic productivity

Innovative capabilities

Social mobility

An engagd and capable polity

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Supported by data showing that those who lack a university education are more likely to vote for populist political parties because they feel left out of from the opportunities and changes taking place in the world around them.

Shared values and dynamic culture

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Taking Action
What to do?

Collective effort to reshape the debate that threatens to weaken and damage the historical reputation of university

Reinvent the process of education

Collaborative approach to creating the education experience

Engage with the public debate

Restate the public good value of a university education

Advocate for more balanced funding model, supporting private and public values.

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Moving forward

We must recognise that both the production and consumption of knowledge has greatly changed and remains is in a perpetual, radical and rapid changing state. Universities must align their strategies, strategies and processes in account of this.

Universities do not necessarily need to be regulated but should instead think about Self-regulation

Universities must seek and enable their own capacity to define what they stand for and maintain their independence from both the private and public sector.