University bosses spent £150,000 on flights – Union

Ifeyinwa Susan Francis

The university said the flights were taken as part of its plan to announce more overseas campuses in the next 12 months.

A union has condemned Coventry University bosses for spending thousands of pounds on first class flights whilst staff are being made redundant.

According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request senior leaders spent about £150,000 on flights between January and November, 2024.

However, Coventry University Group (CUG) said less than £30,000 of the spend was funded through grants and contracts with overseas partners.

A spokesperson said they had increased the number of students studying from overseas and needed to develop relationships in other countries.

The group previously announced in December 2023 that it needed to deliver nearly £100m in cuts over two years.

The vice-chancellor Prof John Latham CBE, spent £7,870 on one business class flight with Emirates.

With other flights above £4,000 in first or business class taken by staff including deputy vice-chancellor Prof Richard Wells.

A Coventry UCU spokesperson said they wanted to see “responsible leadership” from the university

CUG said it had a “clear strategy” to generate growth and income from delivering education in international markets.

This includes campuses or hubs in several countries, including Egypt, Singapore, Kazakhstan, China, and India.

A spokesperson said the group had £150,000 of 50,000 students studying at its sites in other parts of the world and was expected to announce more overseas campuses in the next 12 months.

“None of this happens remotely, we need to develop relationships and this means flying to countries where we do business they said.