Some of its strategy planning personnel are the guestlecturers of the ChinaReal EstatePresidentTrainingCamp and the members of BeijingHuaxiaEconomicExpertsConsultancy Group;
Roger Kline of the lecturers' union Natfhe said the Russell Group represented a sixth of UK universities - but already received a third of all public money going into higher education and 60% of all research council funding.
Lecturers in the new universities responded to Prof Sterling's remarks by accusing the group of "threatening to take their bat and ball home if they can't make the rules".