Episode 8: Physics, Philately and Dominant Dons at the University of Stamford

For this edition of My Imaginary University I invite Iain Mansfield, think tank researcher and former special advisor to several government ministers, to create his ideal HE institution. Iain's imagined university has a long history, dating back to the 1330s, and is a small but perfectly formed collegiate institution based in Stamford in Lincolnshire. The University of Stamford delivers on educational excellence and rigour as well as widening participation and specialises in core science and arts disciplines (plus stamp collecting) with a strong liberal arts leaning - all freshers have to study both maths and history. League table ambitions are relatively modest and the university is relaxed about regulation too.

There are some notable features though including the sovereignty of the academic senate, a de-emphasising of efficiency and a strong sense of vice-chancellorial accountability. Not only this, the students' union is an entirely voluntary activity - no student auto-enrolment here -  and there is a ban on any kind of collective positions on big issues.

Inspiration is provided both by the Chancellor, a resurrected G K Chesterton, and the university song, Sogno di Volare or The Dream of Flight, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, which really captures the ambition of the institution.

There are certainly some distinctive features at the University of Stamford across every aspect of institutional operations.