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Ahead of her retirement, Professor Liz Barnes, Vice-Chancellor of Staffordshire University, spoke to University Business about the importance of universities, the impact of Covid-19 and the need to get your hands dirty.

"The key thing in this job is making decisions, being resolute and seeing them through. And that is tough at times," she said.

She said: “I’m just sad that the media and government share quite a negative perspective on what universities are doing and I am disappointed because I think that universities are one of the country’s greatest assets.”

“In Stoke on Trent, about 17% of young people go to university – but go to some of the places in the south-east and that figure is over 70%. That can’t be right.”

Read the interview in full here.