UCC president blasts university micromanagement at Chamber breakfast address

UCC President Dr Michael Murphy issued a scalding attack on what he branded governmental micromanagement of universities at Cork Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christmas breakfast this morning.

In what will likely be interpreted as yet another push for fees by among third level’s strongest advocates of increased student contributions, Murphy warned that third level would reach the end of its ‘golden era’ unless some ‘inevitable’ realities were faced down.

Murphy and Trinity College Dublin Provost Patrick Prendergast have been among the most consistent advocates for heightened fees since third level’s funding crisis became manifest a number of years ago.

>> Higher education funding to be cut by 2pc

‘Stifling micromanagement’

The speech will be best remembered, however, for an unusually strong broadside against what Murphy branded as governmental ‘micromanagement’ of Irish third level sector.

“State micromanagement of Irish third levels has become stifling,” the country’s highest-paid university president claimed.

Later in the address Murphy elaborated, claiming that: “Irish universities are subjected to micromanagement on a daily basis by a centralised national bureaucracy most of whose members never attended university, and who have never worked or managed within higher education.”

The university president, formerly head of UCC’s Medical School and a visiting academic physician in Chicago, also warned that austerity measures should not have a detrimental impact on Ireland’s future pool of intellectual capital: “I expect our government to persuade the EU and ECB that austerity which restricts investment in the talents and competence of the next generation makes no sense,” he said.

The address was delivered to the Cork Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christmas breakfast, held in the Clarion Hotel.

By DANIEL O'CARROLL

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