The government review of the relationship between universities and business has issued its interim report. Media coverage of the report has focused on its calls for reform of governance at Oxford and Cambridge.
The government review of the relationship between universities and business has issued its interim report. Media coverage of the report has focused on its calls for reform of governance at Oxford and Cambridge.
Statement from the University of Cambridge's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Alec Broers:
"We welcome this important and balanced report, and the contribution it makes to the debate on business-university collaboration.
"The University of Cambridge has had a formidable track record in recent years when it comes to breaking down the barriers between science and business, with well over 200 collaborative ventures with UK companies alone. It has also attracted an impressive range of investments from international businesses, and has over 90 ventures with companies in other countries. In the last four years, there have been 70 licences granted globally and a number of Cambridge’s own spin-out companies enjoy global success. We have been discussing our IPR policy here in Cambridge, and expect to publish a further position paper shortly.
"In particular, I welcome Richard Lambert’s praise for the Praxis programme, the UK’s first national training programme aimed specifically at people working in the area of technology transfer in universities and research institutions. This national development was conceived in Cambridge, and is a product of our collaboration with MIT. We are pleased that Lambert acknowledges that the teething problems of CMI are now behind us.
"Cambridge is repeatedly judged to be the best university in the UK. This report acknowledges that Cambridge has strengthened its intellectual leadership of the UK university sector in recent years. It also describes Cambridge as a world-class university, comparing with the best in terms of teaching and research.
"There is a great deal of debate about how Cambridge might reform its governance without undermining the features that make Cambridge world-class. A significant reform programme is underway but, as the Lambert report itself recognises, we have to strike a balance when modernising to ensure that we do not threaten the very culture that has contributed to our exceptional success."
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