A top university has come under fire after only 18 people showed up to a day-long conference – on MY LITTLE PONY.
The University of Brighton spent more than £400 hosting the nine-hour discussion on the ‘transcultural phenomenon’ of the children’s toy.
But the money-making exercise fell at the first hurdle, because only 14 attendees paid the £30 entrance fee, leaving them with just £16 profit.
The other four attendees were given free tickets to the event at the West Sussex university.
Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Every penny spent by a university has to deliver lasting academic value, both for the student and, down the line, for the economy.
“Eyebrows will be raised about whether that is the case for studies on children’s toys.”
A University of Brighton spokesman said the university was committed to “a broad portfolio of applied research” that often had low profile but with high public benefits.