PROFESSOR OF JUNKETS

Prof racks up £37k bill for exotic foreign trips as university records £14.4m deficit and workers ballot for strike action

- JENNIFER HYLAND

THE head of a cash-strapped university where hundreds of staff face job losses enjoyed a luxury £5970 junket to Barbados, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

Professor James Miller, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), claimed an astonishing £37,429 in expenses over the last two years visiting exotic locations which included Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and South Africa.

The revelations come as lecturers and staff ballot for strike action over potential job losses after the uni recorded a £14.4million deficit in 2023/24.

Despite the financial crisis the uni boss, who earns £288,000 a year including pension contributions, is among 12 senior UWS staff who have claimed more than £163,000 in expenses in less than two years.

The university refused to confirm if Prof Miller travelled on first or business class flights or reveal which luxury hotel he stayed at in Barbados.

Last night politicians criticised the eye-watering expenditure as scores of staff face losing their jobs and as universities face teaching budgets being slashed.

Scottish Tory shadow cabinet secretary for education and skills Miles Briggs said: "Eyebrows will be raised at this spending on overseas trips while the university faces cuts.

"But the entire further education sector is under pressure for every penny thanks to the SNP government's failure to produce a realistic funding model." Scottish Labour education spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy added: "At a time when university finances are stretched to breaking point and jobs are at risk, it is vital every penny is being spent wisely.

"Scottish Labour is working with the sector to develop a new funding model that will allow our world-class universities to thrive."