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Financially sustainable Universities – Diversifying Income Streams. Thomas Estermann Head of Unit Governance, Autonomy & Funding Financing the Students’ Future (FINST) Consultation Seminar Liverpool, United Kingdom 25 November 2011. Profile of EUA. Established in 2001
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Financially sustainable Universities – Diversifying Income Streams Thomas Estermann Head of Unit Governance, Autonomy & Funding Financing the Students’ Future (FINST) Consultation Seminar Liverpool, United Kingdom 25 November 2011
Profile of EUA • Established in 2001 • Non-governmentalmembership organisation • 850 individual university members • 35 National Rectors’ Conferences Members • 46 countries • Independent voice for the university sector
Financial Sustainability Universities Funders Public authorities
State of play • On average, almost ¾ of universities’ funding comes from public funding sources
Funding challenge 1: Complex financial management • Some universities have more than a 100 funding sources! • Different accountability regimes – high costs of compliance!
Funding challenge 2: Increasing co-funding • Do not cover the full costs of an activity • Widens the FUNDING GAP
Funding challenge 3:European funding schemes: co-funding and complexity
Impact of the economic crisis on higher education in Europe
What can authorities do? • Implement smart funding incentives: • Matched funding schemes: instrument with much potential, under-used in Europe • Improve funding modalities: • Simplification of funding schemes • Funding on a full cost basis • Support the development of full costing in universities • Improve framework conditions – autonomy and governance reforms • Support leadership development and professionalisation of management
What can universities do? • Integrate income diversification in the overall strategy • Identify the strengths & specificities of the university to develop a branding strategy • Analyse perspectives for income generation of your activities • Invest in people, leadership and management • Communicate (internally and externally) • Change structures and organisation • Provide internal incentives
Efficiency measures • Internal: • Restructuring of academic units • Centralising services • Outsourcing services • Cooperation • Sharing services, equipment, facilities • Public private partnerships
Some aspects to keep in mind • Additional funding cannot replace sufficient public funding • To foster diversification, upfront investments are necessary • All actors need to work together!
Further Information:www.eua.be/eudisFollow on twitter:thomas.estermann