Alan Thomson reports from the Liberal Democrat conference in Harrogate
Vice-chancellor Howard Newby has defended universities' role in regional economies against claims that many remain ivory towers.
A speech by Professor Newby, president of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, was read to a fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrats' conference in Harrogate. Professor Newby was unable to attend the conference.
In the speech he said that he hoped he had challenged some of the prejudices about universities' role in the regions.
He said: "Our global mission, research pursuits and social inclusion aims are not mutually exclusive, and don't compromise regional engagement.
"Responding to these different demands requires some rethinking, but ultimately this will enhance the regional agenda. We need to link funding to university missions to a greater extent and to facilitate serious regional collaboration.
"In certain UK regions there are natural groupings of institutions, yet currently there are no financial incentives or cultural imperatives to create systemic regional higher education."
Phil Willis, the Liberal Democrats further and higher education spokesman, said that higher education should have been included in the recent Learning to Succeed white paper that set up new national and regional funding and planning bodies for post-16 education.
But he said that the reason that it was excluded was because universities see central planning as synonymous with interference.
But Mr Willis warned: "The dominant market position of universities will be challenged by further education and the private sector.
"Competition for national and international funding will become tougher. Universities will rely on the regions."