Vice-chancellors are showing ¡°striking levels of anger and frustration with the government¡±, a survey has found.

The sixth annual PA Consulting survey of UK vice-chancellors also found a number warning that any political fallout with China could hit valuable student flows to the UK and research partnerships.

The survey report is based on responses from ¡°around one third of institutional heads across all types of HE provision and all parts of the UK¡±, with some vice-chancellors adding personal observations on the basis of anonymity.

¡°From the position of a few years ago, where government priorities and funding were the dominant factors in institutional strategies, government interventions are now regarded as the greatest constraint and threat to future success,¡± says the report, Here Be Dragons ¨C How Universities Are Navigating the Uncharted Waters of Higher Education.

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It adds that ¡°nearly 70 per cent of respondents rated ¡®government policies, from domestic or overseas authorities, that undermine market opportunities¡¯ as a major concern¡±.

Specific examples of problematic government policies were those on international students and teacher training, the report notes.

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It refers to vice-chancellors¡¯ ¡°striking levels of anger and frustration with government¡±.

One vice-chancellor quoted in the report says: ¡°I don¡¯t think the government knows what it is doing and, worse, it doesn¡¯t seem to care. It views the market as sovereign and seems not to be bothered about the consequences.¡±

Mike Boxall, a higher education specialist at PA Consulting and co-author of the report, said that the relationship between vice-chancellors and government has turned to ¡°disillusionment¡±.

Paul Woodgates, the report¡¯s other author and another higher education specialist at the management consultancy, said that ¡°at one level the government would be pleased¡± by feelings among vice-chancellors.

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The government has wanted universities to ¡°stand on their own feet and be accountable to students¡±, and ¡°what we are seeing is largely a consequence of that¡±, he added.

But he continued that the atmosphere of antagonism ¡°does have implications for the way that the government interacts with the sector¡± and might also affect how the government thinks about regulation.

The survey also asked vice-chancellors what they feared could be future ¡°black swan¡± events ¨C unforeseen developments that bring disruptive change.

The report says that there was ¡°concern about future political falling-out with China leading to restrictions on student flows to the UK and/or academic partnerships in China, with real worries that future tightening of visa restrictions could precipitate this situation¡±.

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Mr Boxall said that vice-chancellors had volunteered their concerns about the relationship with China without being prompted. He noted the ¡°huge reliance of the sector on China¡±, both in terms of international student recruitment and, increasingly, in research links.

Vice-chancellors were also asked about future policy change. There was a high level of consensus ¡°on the likelihood of radical reforms¡± to the student loans system, the report says, ¡°with 60 per cent thinking this ¡®very¡¯ or ¡®highly likely¡¯, and on tighter regulatory controls on private providers (nearly 70 per cent)¡±.

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john.morgan@tsleducation.com