Funding Universities

[Hegemonicretribution]

I was just working out my statement for uni application this time around and was browsing through brochures as you do when I discovered who it was that were involved in Durham's funding. GSK Shell and BP to name but a few. I knew about the funding of American Universities and schools, and acadamies and other Universities in the U.K. but didn't realise how far reaching it is.

I have been in an active boycott of most of the sponsors of Durham (my first choice) for over 5 years and have a major ethical problem with it. I don't know if anyone has an oppinion on the funding or is going through something similar themselves at the moment?

[Che NJ]

I think it'll be hard to find a college that doesn't have at least one corporations sponsoring something. Look at it this way, You can go to that University and take whatever that corporation has to offer and contribute nothing to that company's industry once you graduate. If the subject you are studying has nothing to do with them, I wouldn't worry about it. You aren't giving anything back to them unless you plan on geting into the energy industry. The point of their sponsoring univeristies is to train people to sell labor power to them. If you want nothing to do with them, who cares?

[rioters bloc]

we've been fighting to get corporations of campus for years... so far it hasn't been all too successful [especially since the government KEEPS CUTTING FUNDING from education - so fucked] but it's been an experience nonethless.

[Hegemonicretribution]

I will be avidely fighting this cause as soon as I get there, but I still feel I am selling out to some extent by going there. I won't be going towards any of them afterwards, I want to do PPE so there isn't a direct link to any sponsors, but I have problems buying drinks that have been colled in a cocal-cola fridge. Perhaps taking their money is O.K. as long as I devote my life to the cause of smashing them at least.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

I recently started a thread about the flaws of the NUS and I realise now how I should have put this in. This is the sort of thing I think the Union should be acting on, instead of marching against the War. Only a small number of students would get involved in this sort of action and debate and if the Union would only do it's job properly and protect it's subjects and their "industry" (don't know whether i can call being educated an industry, but you know what i'm getting at) then maybe something could be done.

The involvement of private companies in out Universities is nothing but a bad thing and allows the government to spend more on unneccessary things outside of the public service. Plus, I'm sure some students will fall into the trap of being lured by these sponsors adverts which fly around at the end of year two "advising" them on career options.