A Guernsey university could still happen, says deputy who backed concept
THE deputy who has long championed the idea of an international university in Guernsey has not ruled out trying to have the matter debated by the States.
However, he did not hold out much hope of the idea being accepted just yet.
Charles Parkinson was the Economic Development president when it commissioned the £250,000 investigation into the feasibility of a university, and he also chaired the university working panel.
Following the publication of the report this week, current ED president Deputy Neil Inder said the committee did not intend to take the matter any further due to the capital investment that would be required.
‘Clearly the response of Economic Development is disappointing,’ said Deputy Parkinson.
‘I’m not entirely surprised, though, in view of the comments previously made by Deputy Inder and others.
‘His attitude was clearly very negative from the outset and they’ve only released the report very reluctantly and very
late.’
Deputy Parkinson said an international university would have had huge reputational benefit for the island as well as boosting the economy through bringing in students.
One of the options put forward suggested the university could pay for itself inside four years.
As things stand, the report will not be debated by the States at all, so the only way it could come before members would be via a requete.
‘If I thought there was a groundswell of support then I would bring a requete,’ said Deputy Parkinson.
‘But of course, we’d be up against the Van Party and the Guernsey Party bloc.
‘I don’t think I’d waste my time pursuing something which I thought there was no way of the States supporting, but I’ll talk to other members and see whether there’s any appetite.’
ED said it would not be supporting the idea ‘at the current time’ and that left the door open for it to come back in the future. ‘But I think this will need to be by a more adventurous committee,’ said the former president.
‘My guess is that the current Committee for Economic Development and others like them may change their minds if there’s a downturn in the Guernsey economy because they’ll have to come up with significant schemes to diversify it. At the moment, of course, the finance sector is still in robust health.’
The report’s preferred model for a university would need £30m. capital investment, plus some £100m. in upfront costs to develop the campus.
After 10 years it estimated that the university could be contributing some £35m. in GVA (gross value added) to the island annually.
Undergraduate courses were estimated as likely to cost £11,250 a year.
n The report gives two different figures for the estimate of annual GVA after 10 years, with the figure of £35m. ($46.7m.) referred to more than once, while a figure of
£26.3m. ($35m.) is referenced in a conclusion, suggesting the latter was based on a misreading of the £35m. referred to elsewhere.
