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Andrew Oswald's view that universities are not primarily places for students will bewilder funding councils, most academics and the hordes of young people on campuses who are wandering around under an apparently hopeless delusion.

It is also symptomatic of the one-dimensional thinking that divisive funding mechanisms such as the research assessment exercise have produced. Oswald may have legitimate grounds to dispute the kidnapping of the word "university" by organisations outside the education system, but his real concern is seemingly to drive forward the case for privatisation.

Philip Martin
Director, English Subject
Centre Learning and Teaching Support Network
Royal Holloway
University of London