Uni feasibility report will be released, but ED not saying when
AN INDEPENDENT report looking into whether a university could be located in Guernsey will be published, but only after Economic Development has had a chance to consider it fully.
In Wednesday’s States meeting, committee president Neil Inder resisted calls for the £250,000 taxpayer-funded report to be made public immediately.
He also said that the former Castel Hospital, which has been touted for a university, should become housing.
Following pressure from former ED president Charles Parkinson, the committee has clarified that the report will be published eventually, although it has not said when.
Deputy Parkinson was a little underwhelmed by the clarification.
‘It sounds a little bit more positive than what was said in the Assembly but it doesn’t sound as if there’s any real impetus behind the process and who knows how long it could take them to consider it?’
Deputy Parkinson was president of Economic Development last term when the committee commissioned the study from Oxentia, Oxford University’s innovation consultancy.
He is project’s main cheerleader and believes it would have a profound impact on economic regeneration, would unlock local talent, transform lives, and make people better off.
‘I always advocated it as an economic project first and foremost and something that would pay for itself, and with a wider economic benefit that a university can become a centre of industry in that often a science park grows around a university with businesses seeding off the research that’s being undertaken.
‘So I think the benefits are multiple, also reputational because if we do it right it will be a world class institution that people will look up to and something that Guernsey can be proud of, which will show the island as a centre of excellence.
‘And it will provide local employers with a better educated pool of talent to recruit from. I think it’s a really win-win idea.’
The current president of Economic Development is much cooler on the idea, but the committee has consulted with its counterparts on Education, Sport & Culture, and it wants further consultations with ‘key stakeholders’ before taking a decision.
Deputy Inder did not expect the report to stay under wraps forever.
‘Economic Development will shortly be considering the report into the feasibility of an international university and, in line with open government, my advice to the committee will be that we publish the report after the committee has had a chance to consider it.’
