London's “world-class” universities can replace the military in projecting Britain’s influence overseas and bring long-term economic benefits to the UK, a top London academic said today.
Professor Malcolm Grant, the provost of University College London, said that despite heavy criticism of the London School of Economics’ involvement with Colonel Gaddafi’s regime in Libya, institutions should not be deterred from working with foreign governments.
The LSE’s decision to accept a £1.5 million gift from a foundation run by the former Libyan dictator’s son, Saif, was deemed in a report by the former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, to have put the university’s reputation at risk.
But universities could play a vital role in improving Britain’s future by selling their expertise to countries such as China, India, and expanding nations in central Asia and the Gulf, said Professor Grant. They could help to maintain British influence by operating overseas, including setting up “niche” projects, such as UCL’s campus in Qatar offering postgraduate degrees, he said.
Another option was to offer advice on how to set up and run faculties and degree courses. “In an era in which we no longer have military power, universities can project British influence through ‘soft power’ instead,” he said.
He emphasised that operating overseas should not involve becoming “complicit” with the actions of questionable regimes. Benefits for our universities included generating income and working with talented foreign students, while longer-term UK influence could result from stronger links with overseas students and nations.
