THE UNIVERSITY.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18668, 17 April 1926, Page 7

THE UNIVERSITY.

INTEREST OF BRITISH DEBATERS. EXCHANGE OF STUDENTS ? (SrKCIAL TO "'THE PRESS.") t WELLINGTON, April 16. Mr Paul Reed, of the London University, who is one of the Home Universities' debating team, stated to-day that he and his colleagues have read the report of the Royal Commission into University matters, and had discussed it fully among themselves. -Naturally, we are very interested in the problems of the University of New Zealand which are very much the same as those lacing the newer civic Universities in England," he said. Oxford, Cambridge, and London Universities draw their students from all parts of Great Britain, from all parts of the Empire, but the civic Universities, for instance the Manchester University, probably draw 90 per cent, of thenstudents from their immediate neighbourhoods, though students from elsewhere may attend them to take special courses. Many of these civic Unjyersities are, comparatively spealiing, young, for the majority of them have been founded during the last 30 or 40 years. They have very much the same problems in building themselves up as your University has. From the ,report of the Royal Commission, and from our discussions with your University authorities, we shall be able, I hope, to take back ideas of value to Great Britain, and possibly to leave some useful ideas behind. "In the matter of building up University systems, the Dominions haive rather had the advantage in the past, in that they havo been able to send Home Rhodes Scholars, and later to benefit from the experiences of these men. , Thero has been no exchange, however. Possibly it would have been quite a good thing in every way if Mr Cecil Rhodes had awarded a certain number of scholarships whereby English students might have attended Dominion Universities. Up till recently there has, perhaps, been no inducement in the direction of students from Home attending overseas Empire Universities, but there are such Universities to-day which English or Scottish students might very well attend." According to information received by the Victoria College Council from Sir James Parr (Minister for Education) legislation is to be introduced at the first available opportunity to give effect to the recommendations of the University Commission. Power will be included in the Bill for the appointment of an academic head at Victoria College, as recently asked for by the College Council.