OECD Education at a Glance report 2009

08 September 2009

The Director General of the Russell Group, Dr Wendy Piatt, said:

“The OECD makes a strong case for increased investment in higher education from both public and private sources especially in a time of recession.  The benefits for both the country and the individual graduate are clear in both economic and social terms.

“We have known for some time that our competitor countries are investing much more of both public and private money in higher education. Today’s report confirms that the UK is below the OECD average in terms of overall HE investment. We are not only behind the US, who spend over twice as much as the UK as a proportion of GDP, but countries closer to home like Denmark, Portugal and the Netherlands are investing more than the UK. In France, the Government is pumping millions of public money into their leading research universities with the aim of improving their international standing.

“More than ever, our research-intensive universities have a key role to play in helping us to emerge from recession quickly. Through generating new knowledge, training a skilled workforce, and sharing innovation with industry, universities are integral to the UK’s competitiveness. In an uncertain world our leading universities are a solid investment.”

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