Universities could save £3bn by outsourcing, says thinktank
Universities could save nearly £3bn a year if they shed their “outdated ways” and privatised many of their services, a right-of-centre thinktank claims today.
A report by Policy Exchange argues that if universities outsourced much of what they offer – such as the running of their student residences, their campus catering and the maintenance of their buildings – they could save 30% from the £9bn they spend on goods and services each year.
This would leave them with more teaching and research funds, the thinktank said. Its report, Higher Education in the Age of Austerity, accuses university managers of failing to “embrace the private sector” and “not being imaginative enough” …