Higher education expert calls for new university named after the Queen to be built here in Milton Keynes

Nick Hillman is director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), the UK's only independent think tank devoted to higher education.

He published a speech today (Wednesday) on how higher education changed during the Queen’s reign – and why the country should now consider establishing a new university in her name.

The Queen’s was a huge supporter both here in the UK and throughout the Commonwealth. She was Patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities for 33 years and she established the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes, which remain the highest honour that a UK further or higher education institution can achieve.

Nick said: “As a country, we have universities named after King George IV (King’s College London), Queen Victoria (Queen’s University Belfast) and Queen Mary (Queen Mary University of London). We also have a number of Oxbridge colleges named after Royals. How fitting it would be if we were now to found a new university in the late Queen’s memory.”

He added: “I tentatively suggest we might want to investigate the possibility of doing that here in our own county, perhaps in Milton Keynes, which was formally designated as a city earlier this year as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.”

The siting would be ideal as MK is within the part of the country with the the largest settlement of people to be without a regular university, said Nick.

“Neither the University of Bedfordshire’s Milton Keynes Campus nor the good-but-awfully-named MK:U project – which hasn’t received the public funding that was hoped for – have changed this,” he stated.

“If this seems unfair to other parts of the UK, I wonder if we could have a competition, as with city status, to determine where such a new university (or universities) might go.

"If this all sounds mischievous or opportunistic, I would merely ask if not now, then when? We cannot sensibly serve the future growing demand for higher education from existing institutions alone.”

Cranfield University, charged with delivering the MK:U project with MK Council and Milton Keynes Development Partnership, was quick to approve the idea of a Queen Elizabeth II University in Milton Keynes.

Their spokesman said: Nick Hillman … is saying Milton Keynes is an outlier in not having its own university, and that it is the ideal location for a new institution in the late Queen’s name. With MK:U continuing to build its presence in the city and already delivering courses, we have a provider ready to step up and support this idea.”

“It certainly feels like a fitting way to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II whilst building on Milton Keynes’ new city status.”

Meanwhile, MK Council is still waiting to hear about funding of the MK:U project. A multi million pound bid was submitted to the government last month for money that would fund a new space for MK:U students in the city centre.