Council for the Defence of the British Universities
{{primary sources|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = Council for the Defence of British Universities
|image = Logo of CDBU.png
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|caption = CDBU
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|abbreviation = CDBU
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|formation = {{start date and age|2012}}
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|type = CLG
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|region_served = United Kingdom
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|leader_title = Chair of the Executive Committee
|leader_name = Julian Preece
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|website = [http://cdbu.org.uk/ CDBU Official website]
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The Council for the Defence of British Universities (CDBU) is a group of individuals who express worries about the long-term direction of higher education policy in the United Kingdom and lobby for fundamental changes. They particularly oppose the marketisation of Higher Education in the country.
The CDBU was founded in November 2012
{{cite web
| url = https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/nov/12/council-for-defence-of-british-universities
| website = The Guardian
| date = 12 November 2012
| title = Academics have started to argue back on higher education reforms
| author = Sir Peter Scott
| access-date = 21 July 2020
by 66 founding members, including
Sir Michael Atiyah,
Sir David Attenborough,
Sir Colin Blakemore,
Dame Ruth Deech, Baroness Deech,
Sir Deian Hopkin,
Sir Tim Hunt,
Sir Paul Nurse,
Dame Bridget Ogilvie,
Sir Roger Penrose,
Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow,
Quentin Skinner, and
{{cite web
| url = http://cdbu.org.uk/download/cdbu-founding-members/?wpdmdl=2409&masterkey=5a55ffe69a91b
| website = CDBU
| title = CDBU Founding Members
| access-date = 21 July 2020
}}
It is incorporated in England as a not for profit company limited by guarantee.
{{cite web
| url = https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07972001
| website = Companies House
| title = COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF BRITISH UNIVERSITIES (Company number 07972001)
| access-date = 21 July 2020
}}
Governance
The CDBU is run by an executive committee whose chair is Julian Preece.{{Cite news |date=2023-07-19 |title=What’s the real worth of ‘low-value’ degrees? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/19/whats-the-real-worth-of-low-value-degrees |access-date=2024-08-18 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} Current members of the executive committee are Susan Bruce, John Holmwood, Ron Barnett, Kelli Rudolph, Benedict Loewe, Christopher Cunningham, Carlos Azevedo, Steven Jones, Terrence Karran, James Ladyman, Anne Sheppard, Aneez Esmail and David Wolton.{{cite web
https://cdbu.org.uk/who-we-are
| website = CDBU
| title = CDBU: Who We Are
| access-date = 17 April 2024
}}
The current chair of the board of trustees (since 2020) is Rowan Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth.{{cite web
|url = http://cdbu.org.uk/cdbu-announces-new-chair-of-trustees-and-responds-to-government-restructuring-regime/
|website = CDBU
|title = Press Release: CDBU announces new Chair of Trustees and responds to government "Restructuring Regime"
|date = 21 July 2020
|access-date = 21 July 2020
}}
Campaigns and activities
CDBU's three main campaigns are dealing with the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), precarious employment in Higher Education, and private for-profit universities. CDBU organises eventsE.g.,
{{cite web
| url = http://sighe.uk/03June2019/
| access-date = 21 July 2020
| website = Special Interest Group Higher Education (SIGHE) of the Worshipful Company of Educators
| title = The Future Role of the Educator in Higher Education
}}
and annual lectures; the speaker of the 2019 CDBU lecture was Stephen Toope, the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University.
{{cite web
| url = https://www.v-c.admin.cam.ac.uk/professor-stephen-j-toope-0/selected-speeches-professor-stephen-j-toope/making-case-universities-how
| date = 31 January 2019
| website = Cambridge University
| author = Stephen Toope
| title = Making the case for universities: how do we best tell our story?
| access-date = 21 July 2020
}} The speaker at the 2017 AGM was FT journalist and writer, Martin Wolf.{{Cite web |date=2017-01-27 |title=Martin Wolf: HE bill’s market vision ‘defective’ and ‘unworkable’ |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/martin-wolf-he-bills-market-vision-defective-and-unworkable |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=Times Higher Education (THE) |language=en}} The guest speaker in 2013 was Stefan Collini.{{Cite web |date=2013-10-24 |title=Collini lambasts Oxford’s economic defence of humanities |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/collini-lambasts-oxfords-economic-defence-of-humanities/2008392.article |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=Times Higher Education (THE) |language=en}}