Laurie Taylor column

Lapping speaking.

Morning, Lapping. Targett here. Jamie Targett. Head of corporate development. Just giving you a quick bell about your draft RAE submission.

Will it do?

Well, it's definitely in the right ballpark. You were well up to speed with "rigorous". Nine uses altogether. And you also had four "radical transformations", six "interdisciplinarys", 11 "strategic outcomes", four "unique opportunities" and "innovatives". Wicked stuff.

Thank you.

And I also liked your three "intellectual infrastructures" and seven uses of "groundbreaking".

One does one's best.

But on the downside, I was a tad worried about "global centres". You only had two when the departmental average is four. Something to think about.

Indeed.

And you should take another look at "research". There are at least five places where you've used it without the word "critical". Remember, research is always "critical".

Mea culpa.

And remember - this is on page 44 - we don't just have "debates". We always have "debates around" or "debates which shape". Am I right?

Of course.

Otherwise no major problems. A few more synergies and fusions wouldn't go amiss.

Right.

And you could buck up your own conference visit to the Isle of Man. "Fostering connections" is poor stuff. How about "forging international relationships"?

I'll get it changed.

And last but not least. There's a pencilled annotation at the bottom of page 95 that should probably be erased.

Annotation?

It appears to read "Stuff this for a game of soldiers".