部长访问布鲁内耳大学
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The Prime Minister Tony Blair and Minister for Higher Education Bill Rammell visited Brunel University today (Thursday 15 February) to launch a potential £600 million boost to higher education fundraising.

The new initiative aims to increase voluntary giving to Higher Education providers in England by providing £200 million over three years, starting in 2008, and will match-fund donations on a 2:1 private-to-public basis to promote a culture of individual giving to higher education, similar to that in the US, which will outlast the lifetime of the scheme. The scheme is intended to stimulate additional private cash donations to the sector of over £400 million, hopefully resulting in generating a total of £600 million for higher education.

PM Tony Blair said: "We recognise that universities need the funding to compete and to improve participation. Variable tuition fees from 2006 – and fees in 1998 – gave universities substantially more money, and we have greatly improved investment in world-class research.

"Our critics said tuition fees would harm participation. But the figures yesterday showed that student applications are not only raising again, but they are at their highest ever level. However, it is important that our universities have every opportunity to raise the resources they need.

"That's why this fundraising plan is so important. It will incentivise all universities to raise more charitable and private funding. Increasing voluntary giving is a vital step in enabling institutions to build up substantial endowments over the longer term, so that they can improve infrastructure, teaching, and student bursaries."

Mr Blair went on to praise the work going on at Brunel: "Here at Brunel I have just visited the Wolfson Centre for Materials Processing and seen some remarkable technological advances that are being worked on. Brunel is to be congratulated - you now have something like 14,000 students here and are really at the cutting edge of understanding the synergy between education in a traditional sense, and the skills and technology that our businesses need."

Brunel Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Jenks said: "I think this is a fantastic initiative and one that will be really important for the Higher Education sector. I am proud that the Prime Minister chose Brunel University to share his announcement with us and I look forward to seeing the culture of giving to Higher Education grow".

Earlier in the day the Prime Minister visited Brunel's Wolfson Centre for Materials Processing, where he met Brunel graduate Ayaz Siddiqui who founded the Brunel Stepping Stones club for those who have pledged a legacy to the University. Mr Siddiqui's pledge is intended to benefit the Wolfson Centre, which is based around a purpose-built processing hall containing hi-tech equipment where a range of research for industry and biomedicine is carried out, although not for many years yet he hopes!

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