And rather idiotic attack on one of the UK's most successful export industries.
Criticising Vice Chancellors and senior management for spending money on overseas trips is completely unfair and ignores key aspects of their strategic role.
****ing tossers.
That said, staying in the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore is taking the piss a bit.
The point is that the sweet tuition fees from hard-working parents DOESNT get spent on that. THe overseas work is a commercial venture that generates considerable income. You may spend 100 grand a year on visits to a partner but that partnership generates 1.5 million a year in fees. Almost all of that 1.5 million gets reinvested on campus so this activity actually adds funds what you do on campus.
Obviously, if you can prove it doesn't make any money and Vice Chancellors are simply pissing that up the wall for a jolly, by all means attack them.
The rather nasty attack on someone for spending 400 quid on a meal in New York was horribly unfair. There were three of us there and I refused to go into two far more expensive restaurants.....
Raffles is ludicrously expensive and we would never stay there. THe E&O in Penang is reasonably priced and we always stay there. THe rules are simple, we dont take the piss. If you dont take the piss with flights and hotels you cant really take the piss on the drink....
In KL I negotiated us a corporate rate that works out at just above 100 quid a night which is a superb deal for such a great hotel.
Most of my trips are bloody hard work and not a lot of fun. Economy flights, irritating partners, moaning colleagues.
The New York trip was a blast from day one and the only one I have genuinely enjoyed (perhaps apart from the trip to Malaysia which began with our cup final win over Hull).