LETTER:Oxford vs 'Disneyland' - the spires aren't always inspiring

From Mr E. David Le Cren

Sir: Does Niall Ferguson's article mean that the traditional university is on the way out? The university, as a community of scholars devoted primarily to original research and creative intellectual activity and to teaching students how to think critically and rigorously, must surely be one of the major achievements of the millennium. Is it now to become another victim of market forces, "Thatcherism" and short-term expediency?

Yours faithfully,

E. David Le Cren

Appleby, Cumbria