Carl Dudley spoke to Computerworld UK at Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco this week, where he explained that Wolverhampton is unique in that it offers specific modules in Oracle technology, which are learned in some form or other by between three and four hundred students a year.

He said: "We don't use Oracle for any business purpose whatsoever, all we use it for is teaching, so it's a very different set of problems we are facing."

"If you can give students experience in Oracle products, tools and technology, it does give them an edge. I have also been involved with the UK Oracle User Group since 1986, which gives us a good idea of the marketplace and what kind of things we set out to teach."

Wolverhampton is part of the Oracle Academic Initiative, which allows it to pay very little for licences to teach the software. However, it is the hardware that Dudley is finding 'very tricky'.

"Try and get Exadata into a university, it's a hard one for us because it's an investment problem. You have to invest an awful lot of money to teach those technologies and there is only so much we can do unless sponsorship happens," said Dudley.