The discussions which took place in Appleton Tower on Thursday examined the reasons behind the education cuts, the commercialisation of Higher Education and the importance of the united opposition of the academic staff and students against the coalition government’s education reforms.

Suzi Compton, the social policy student who organised the event, told The Student, “The most heartening thing … was seeing and hearing academics campaigning around the same issues, and standing alongside us in the long fight against the damaging coalition vision of the future of higher education.

“In attempting to present not just a resistance but an alternative, staff-student reciprocity and co-operation is vital, and we look forward to more events of this kind in future.”

The panel of speakers consisted of Iain Macwhirter, the Rector of the University of Edinburgh; Howard Wollman, Vice-Chair of the British Sociological Association; Michael Northcott, Professor of Ethics in the School of Divinity in the University of Edinburgh; John McInnes, Head of Sociology at the University of Edinburgh and Dr Maud Anne Bracke, Lecturer in Modern European History at the University of Glasgow.

Many of the speakers have signed an alternative white paper, published by the Campaign for the Public University, which opposes the government’s white paper that brought about the education reforms.

The government’s white paper entitled ‘Students at the heart of the system’ has been widely criticised for allowing universities to massively increase their fees and opening the higher education system to for-profit providers.

Prof. Northcott gave an introductory presentation on the document and its nine propositions, which emphasised the nature of Higher Education as a public good.

He stressed the discriminatory attitude towards Humanities and Social Sciences in the Browne Report, calling it the suppression of the “studies of alternative ideas”.

Professor Northcott renounced the budget deficit as a reason for the education cuts, stating that what is really going on is, “something quite different from the cuts” and should be seen as a “conservative takeover of the country.”

Dr. Bracke stressed the problems with the commoditisation of the Higher Education. She said, “The degree is now defined in terms of £9000.”

She raised concerns about the outcomes of big corporations sponsoring the Higher Education institutions, which would result in the academic research being based on these businesses’ interests. 
Professor McInnes shared the concern about the universities turning into businesses.

He said, “I don’t remember when I last had time to think of genuinely academic questions at work instead of marketing, income streams, or the latest policy directive, review or survey.”

Iain Macwhirter focused on the University of Edinburgh. While he admitted the effectiveness of the internet and social networks as tools of resistance against the cuts, he stressed the importance of “going to the streets and knocking at the doors”.

He reminded those at the meeting that last year demonstrations held by the Scottish students led to the complete change of the government's education policies, and encouraged students to keep the action going.

The discussion sought to establish a dialogue between the academics and the students opposing the white paper issued by government.

The general hope was expressed that this dialogue will develop into further collaboration. Dr Bracke concluded by stating, “We should realise that we fight on the same side.”