Crisis talk

Universities’ woes have split opinion—but some solutions should not

When is a crisis not a crisis? Apparently, when it affects higher education funding—at least as far as ministers are concerned.

Speaking at the Research Professional News Live summit in London last week, science minister Andrew Griffith reinforced comments made by his boss Michelle Donelan the week before, when she told a Lords committee that there was no “crisis” in higher education funding. Griffith struck a slightly softer tone, saying “we overuse the word crisis”—but his message was clear: the challenges facing UK universities are no bigger than those facing many sectors in many countries.