NEWS RELEASE - WARNING OVER CORPORATE INFLUENCE AS KPMG RUNS UNIVERSITY CLEARING PROCESS
News release - 17.08.11
Contact: Rosie Venner, 0121 200 3355 or Symon Hill, 07920 037 719
Warning over corporate influence as KPMG runs university clearing process
The Student Christian Movement (SCM) has warned that an increase in private sponsorship of university places is likely to lead to undue influence from corporations with dubious ethics.
The warning came as KPMG prepared to run its own clearing process following the publication of A Level results tomorrow (18.08.11). KPMG, the accountancy firm which is sponsoring at least 100 degree places, has run its own corporate application process in parallel with the general application system. Price Waterhouse Coopers is sponsoring a similar number of places.
The government is keen to encourage more 'off-quota' places sponsored by private companies, on top of a reduced number of public places.
But SCM, Britain's oldest national student organisation, said that academic independence has already been damaged when arms companies have sponsored engineering and management courses.
They gave the example of Loughborough University, where representatives of BAE Systems sit on engineering course committees. Students have said that the case studies are skewed towards the arms industry and that the sponsorship provides a recruiting ground for BAE.
Hattie Hodgson of SCM said:
"Arms dealers such as BAE already wield too much influence over a number of courses and departments. The government has opened the door to a potential privatisation of higher education by squeezing the number of public places, hiking up fees and allowing corporations - some of them with questionable ethics - to gain undue influence over education. These measures will only exacerbate inequality and social problems in the UK."
SCM has long supported campaigns by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) for an end to arms companies' recruitment and influence within higher education.
ENDS
Notes
- The Student Christian Movement is an ecumenical student-led movement passionate about faith and justice. SCM brings students together to explore how to live out the Christian faith in today’s world. Please see http://www.movement.org.uk.
- SCM is Britain’s oldest national student organisation, founded in 1889.
- Study War No More, published by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR) in 2007, investigated arms company influence within 26 UK universities. Please see http://www.studywarnomore.org.uk (please note this site is not run by SCM).
- SCM supports the CAAT Universities Network’s efforts to end arms industry involvement in higher education. Please see http://universities.caat.org.uk (please note this site is not run by SCM).