91Èȱ¬

A private university at Fort Regent could generate jobs and attract foreign students to the island.

A group of islanders are getting together a business plan to get the project off the ground.

Sir Nigel Broomfield, who is chairing the group, said they were half way towards raising the money to pay for a business review.

He said it was an ambitious plan that could bring huge economic benefits to Jersey.

The idea is to open a not-for-profit university in St Helier, with Fort Regent as the preferred site.

But Sir Nigel said the University of Jersey steering group needed to do a study first to see if it was worth doing.

He said the idea was to set up an undergraduate and post-graduate university that not only attracted local students, but also those from overseas.

In addition to the economic spin-offs of more students in town, he said there would be local jobs and a growing network of former students around the world with a link to Jersey.