The UK government wants to encourage the formation of a new class of university that will focus on science, technology and postgraduate training. Science minister David Willetts said on Wednesday that there would be no extra public funding for the new institutions but that they would help to build the UK's research base through private and international investment.
In a speech at the Policy Exchange thinktank, Willetts said the government's ambition was to make the UK the "best place in the world to do science". Globalisation was still at its earliest stages when it came to higher education, said Willetts, and so it was a good time to attract international investment to the UK.
"There's a lot of talk about British universities setting up campuses abroad. But then you think there is international resource here and perhaps some [overseas universities] might want to make a partnership with a British university or a British business and set up some kind of operation here," he said.
An existing British university might build a new campus or set up a new international partnership, or a foreign university might want to set up a research institute in the UK. A big city might offer a location for the new institution, for example, in the way New York has done in its recent competition inviting proposals for a new graduate school on the site of a disused hospital on Roosevelt Island.
Willets said the government wanted proposals from local economic partnerships, universities, businesses and international partners.
"There will be no additional government funding," said Willetts. "This time we will be looking to private finance and perhaps sponsorship from some of the businesses that are keen to recruit more British graduates." He said the government would seek to remove, through legislation if necessary, any regulatory red tape in setting up the new institutions.
"The aim is to attract more internationally mobile research to the UK," said Willetts. "We've got this internationally respected science research base, public money is limited and we always have to be smarter and smarter about how we attract in private investment as well."
Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, welcomed Willetts's ambitions to make the UK an attractive place for international research. "We should aim to be the best place in the world for science, but we're currently way behind nations such as Germany, Japan and the US in terms of business and industry investment in research.
"Today David Willetts reiterated a whole series of positive measures the coalition is taking to incentivise more private sector investment – but no political party has yet outlined a clear alternative vision for the UK economy. The government should spell out what they think a 'rebalanced' economy looks like. What would really count as 'success' for their innovation policies?"
Comments
4 January 2012 5:20PM
If we want to encourage scientist cut the fees for science and engineering courses
4 January 2012 5:23PM
If they grant the foreign students visa's or if the British students can afford the fees.
4 January 2012 5:28PM
Can someone please explain why they call this inept man "Two Brains"? As far as many of us can see, he barely has one!
4 January 2012 5:33PM
Private Universities for the Rich and Thick.
4 January 2012 5:42PM
Set up new STEM centres reliant entirely on donations or controlled by dodgy outfits looking to monetise all research output? Does he have any idea how much equipment and consumables cost, let alone the salaries of the research personnel and support/admin staff? Is he living in fairy land?
4 January 2012 5:47PM
Leaving aside the fees debacle and associated reforms I actually have more regard for Willetts than many of his predecessors. But does he really think that the UK university sector, which is one of our few national world-class performers, can really be "the best place in the world to do science"? Does he know extent of national investment in science research in many large Asian countries.? Does he appreciate the paucity of mathematics education that exists in the UK's schools?
Get real Willetts. What you should be doing is encourage investment in our current world-class institutions, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Imperial, UCL etc. Not try to persuade some honour-seeking capitalist to invest in a some run-down science park in the back of nowhere.
4 January 2012 6:10PM
The best place in the world to do science... if we hadn't savaged the funding of science.
4 January 2012 6:11PM
If he wants credibility, why is he talking to the Policy Exchange "think tank"?
There does not seem to be much of substance in this - it reads like a "nice to have" aspiration.
4 January 2012 6:24PM
As David Willetts has mentioned the Cornell/Technicon NYC campus, let's explore the differences in approach.
NYC notes that California is doing all the running on high tech industries, and although it has fabulous universities, it wants another technology base. So it offers a selection of prime city sites, plus $100m in capital. The competition between the global universities who want a fab new NYC campus not only generates great ideas, but the winning team levers $350m out of a donor to help set it up.
In the UK, David Willetts announces an eight point plan.
Yes. A plan that is to make a bunch of announcements, publish a couple of reports and set up a council.
I think that they've taken this nudge theory stuff too much to heart. In Government you have to do things to make things happen. Mayor Bloomberg (not exactly a socialist) thinks so.
4 January 2012 6:27PM
Privatisation of Higher Education Phase 2.
These wunch of bankers would flog their dear old granny without a seconds thought.
4 January 2012 6:38PM
This is scarcely credible - has he no advisors, has he not spoken to HE scientists/engineers??
4 January 2012 6:46PM
Given that there's no government funding, no further support for the existing universities to expand, and that businesses might just want to continue working with actual universities, 'Willetts invites private sector to create high-tech magic pony farms' might have been a better headline.
4 January 2012 6:48PM
Various governments have underfunded research for years, in comparison to manay other countries. Eg For years the US government much more money per capita into University research than we have. We are quite a way down the list.
There is more incentive for a British University to expand in new markets abroad rather than setting up another campus here, as UK student numbers are dropping Consdering this is meant to be a new Tory inspired HE market place, he doesn't seem to have thought though the basic economics!
4 January 2012 6:49PM
Hmmm...
Instead of setting up some new centres why not fund the ones we have properly? I've heard that its possible that next year the BBSRC will fund only 10 PhD students between Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester. Total. Shared between all of them! These aren't ex-poly of BF nowhere universities, but world-class institutions that do some very good work. And they might only 10 biotechnology and basic biology students between them. How on earth is that investing in Science? If private money must be used, then instead of setting up new universities, requiring wasteful duplication of administration, teaching resources and core facilities, why not encourage them to sponser students at existing universities?
And anyway, even if these place do get set up, how are the students going to get into the country? This governments cap on immigration makes it increasing hard to get a visa to come here unless you are a big earner (which science post-grads definitely arn't).
4 January 2012 6:50PM
Pollyanna 12 asked:
Can someone please explain why they call this inept man "Two Brains"? As far as many of us can see, he barely has one!
I can help, it's a misquote. His nickname is in fact 'Two Brain Cells'.
4 January 2012 6:58PM
These international investors - wouldl they be expecting (and getting) the ownership of any valuable research/inventions which might result from their, um, investment?
4 January 2012 6:59PM
would, even
4 January 2012 7:01PM
"Science minister David Willetts..."
A bold claim. In fact his field is Philosophy, Politics and Economics eg: Balderdash. He's only in place long enough to ensure, other than his pension, that genuine scientific progress is squandered in favour of typical Tory free enterprise - maybe the cheap R&D BAE will get will result in them naming a child targeting landmine after him? ;)
4 January 2012 7:05PM
Willetts can say whatever he wants to grab a headline. But in fact is that he is presiding over the worst periods for science funding in a generation. Interesting that he chose to say this at Policy Exchange. He very well knows that every time he turns up at any University he is roundly booed off.
4 January 2012 7:10PM
By a minority of students. The others would rather hear what he has to say and then take him apart bit by bit. Sadly, because of a minority of idiots, the majority never get the opportunity to really stick it to the man.
4 January 2012 7:19PM
Typical lying labour MP's and supporters when spouting increased student fees will put off science study.
Student fees are zero, nothing, zilch.
Graduates fees are zero, nothing, zilch, if they do not have a job or are employed and earning less than £21000 per year, and even then are far less than 1997 to 2010, and after 30 years do not need to be paid off.
Typical labour spin, smear and lie tactics.
4 January 2012 7:23PM
I'd much rather question his logic than boo the man.
Got to have some intellectual fun!
4 January 2012 7:30PM
EPSRC research budget 2012-2013 - £750M (temporary increase)
EPSRC research budget 2013-2014 - £250M (significant cut)
That's some boost. A thin bit of jam with gruel to follow.
4 January 2012 7:49PM
Really? Are they going to give scientists secure long-term contracts and a decent salary?
No, thought not.
4 January 2012 7:58PM
Willetts is frighteningly unaware of what is going on in the new universities - Engineering and Science degrees handed out to all and sundry, and not only to foreign students but to many others who shouldn't be anywhere near a university. This, I believe, is the main issue and stands a chance of creating a crisis of academic confidence in HE with major repercussions.
4 January 2012 8:08PM
This is an interesting idea. It seems like the Coalition has been trying to find good models to serve as inspiration for changes that they'd like to bring to Britain. The problem with all of these ideas is that in essence they seek to overturn the recent, long-standing model of education in Britain - that it is publicly financed. Continued investment in science, engineering, technology, and medicine is a good thing, but there isn't enough opportunity out there for everyone, and in my opinion it's unwise to subject British universities to the risks that come with the market.
If this idea worked you might end up with a British MIT or Rockefeller (not a bad thing), but this idea doesn't answer the fundamental questions that are being asked about education in Britain such as: is a quality education a right that everyone should enjoy? How can the coalition ensure that students in the UK earn their university places based on merit and not finances? The engineering and physics centuries may have stepped aside to make way for biology, but continued investment in these areas is critical; what specific steps will the Coalition take to ensure that research and development in these areas remains strong?
GerryP, Loredan, and RhysGethin all make good points. RhysGethin makes a particularly important and oft-overlooked point: the employment rights of researchers must be addressed if Britain is to retain its track record of strong research performance. Engage further with CaSE and Science Is Vital, Mr. Willetts.
4 January 2012 8:45PM
I became disabled a couple of years ago, I am now unable to do the job I used to do so I had hoped to retrain, perhaps to get a degree. Sadly its made impossible by this governments policies, so I'm doing a degree with the Open University which the government is also trying to cut back. In this country now thanks to our masters no one but the rich have a chance to get a degree now. As for " two brains " being his nickname, I think two brain cells might be more appropriate.
4 January 2012 8:52PM
If you want to cut funding for science then fine. But please spare us the bullshit.
4 January 2012 8:55PM
Re:
1. Does he appreciate the paucity of mathematics education that exists in the UK's schools?
2. What you should be doing is encourage investment in our current world-class institutions, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Imperial, UCL
Well said those two points, but eveyone is mistaken to think this is just about money.
As a person who did his undergrad at the first uni on your list and now a postgrad at the second
I can tell you that no matter where they come from,the typical school leaver now is mathematically aged
at about 11/12 of 20 yrs ago - the GCSE grade B standard is what you'd find on an independent TV quiz show, and an A /A* just slightly above.
This is because for 40 years Socialistic thinking has pervaded and dominated education, which has engendered a culture wherein;
social good = egalitarianism = dumbing down = that's okay because now we have achieved
a 'level playing field'
Who in hell wants a level playing field? - the stupid perhaps, craving equality with the clever.
Oxon Cantab UCL Imperial ....even Harvard now - badly need a return to excellence and elitism
and stop admitting the 'affirmative action' quota who've done some 'community work' or whose school was 'deprived'. My school was inner city / 'deprived' -exclusions , drugs , the usual blah blah blah ...
- I went down the library every night andin vacations to get my four A* -
because most of my teachers totally sucked.
Whether business will regenerate excellence is a redundat argument until we get rid of
"all people are created equal " - no they're not.
4 January 2012 8:59PM
...sorry typos in my post - reading and writing on blackberry
james (cantab student @ wotever . so wot )
4 January 2012 9:06PM
This is true to a large extent and connects with my comment above, i.e. student quality at the universities is very poor especially in maths, but they graduate and become Bachelors of Science nevertheless. This is a scandal waiting to be aired in the media.
4 January 2012 9:19PM
Well I am a scientist, who did both my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the UK and guess what? I had to move abroad to find a job as there is no work for me in Britain.
The Science minister can set up all the committees he likes and set all the targets he pleases, but the truth is that having moved abroad I have far better job prospects and a 25 - 50% higher salary than would be on offer to me in the UK. It's not realistic to expect the UK to become the home to the best science in the world under those circumstances.
4 January 2012 9:36PM
At the Tory party conference, David Willetts waxed lyrical about Broccoli.
Now he's going to launch satellite technology with a catapult?
4 January 2012 9:41PM
First, the plural of MP is MPs (without an apostrophe). In this context an apostrophe would be used only to indicate ownership, for example: the MP's car.
Turning to the substantive point, I just checked Imperial College's undergraduate prospectus which informs readers -
Cambridge's estimated annual cost for graduate students 2012/13 states a 'University composition fee' for home/EU MSc students of £3,807 and a college fee of £2,358 making a total of £6,165.
4 January 2012 10:04PM
"International investors"? He means outpacing the University of California for the most Chinese students (qualified or not) but willing to pay full fare and more for their "education".
4 January 2012 10:08PM
Before we get too excited here are some facts:
- In August of this year, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council announced plans to scrap 1,000 engineering and physical sciences PhD places.
- Many Russell Group universities no longer receive their own allocation of PhD studentships but have to share them with other institutions.
- Most research councils are cutting back on project grant funding. E.g. the success rate for Medical Research Council grants has dropped from 27% to 17% in the last four years. Thus, PhD students are now supported by meagre funds.
- Most companies (or indeed international universities) can't take up the slack as they are struggling with a global economic meltdown
I don't see how the above facts justify the statement that Britain will be "the best place in the world to do science”. If you judge David Willetts by his actions, he is actually destroying the science base of this country.
4 January 2012 10:29PM
Obviously we have a "glut" of science graduates if some are struggling to get jobs. I'm not saying that science, maths, computing and engineering degrees aren't useful but this government aren't doing much to support the industries that employ them. For example, all our entry level (as well as more senior roles) jobs in IT banking are now off shored to India.
4 January 2012 10:36PM
As someone who is currently studying at UCL a return to excellence would be a damn good idea. Start by getting rid of unconditional offers based on results/reference/personal statement and stick to interviews. I still cannot quite work out how some of the people got onto my course because they are seriously struggling with pretty basic stuff.
4 January 2012 11:28PM
Why should be Britain be the best in Science?
The education standards in Science subjects are way below those of the Far East (as indicated by a comparsion by the Institute of Chemistry a few years ago).
Take for example the Oyster Card in London, a ticket that enables one to travel by public transport. There has been talk (and talk is all politicians do) about integrating it with a credit card so that one can make purchases in supermarkets for instance. A great idea in my humble opinion.
I can understand if the technological side of creating such a card is complex (if this is new idea) but the fact is such a card already exists in other countries like Hong Kong and Singapore to name a few. All that is required is to copy the idea! Why has that been done?
I challenge Willetts to present a sample of the Science exams faced by students of the Far East to those in the UK in order for the general public to decide how much improvement is required here.
4 January 2012 11:34PM
'Let's make Britain the best place in the world to do science.' - using the time-honoured scientific tradition of wishing and waiting for someone else to make it happen.
4 January 2012 11:42PM
Willetts is no Scientist and as I imagine, there aren't many at all within Politics (reasonable assumption).
Therefore whenever such an issue is addressed, surely it would make sense to seek the advice of the real pros, ie renowned scientists.
However, year on year there has been a debate between politicians / teachers at schools insisting standards have remained the same as opposed to lecturers who say the standards have dropped significantly.
Durham university's investigation states the A-Level grade has dropped by as much as two grades over the last twenty years.
Why do Politicians not believe such proof? How can they justify that standards have been maintained?
Willetts, get a paper (Scientific A-Level, not Andrex) from 20 years ago and compare to today's. Speak out if you need help as I'm sure you will.
5 January 2012 12:05AM
You don't have to go to the Far East to do that, just come along to UCL where 1/4 of the students seem to be from China!
5 January 2012 6:42AM
Love it! "independent TV" as a pejorative term. This right takes me back.
5 January 2012 8:21AM
You mean 'cheap R&D in vesy specific areas' or 'product engineering'.
Well, if Tesco and Poundland and others are using uwaged staff, why can't the highly qualified graduates be given away as well?
5 January 2012 8:26AM
From' zero fees' to ' not need to be paid off' make your mind up, tory troll.
You appear to be a man of learning - rearrange this lot 'Clue got fucking not a you've, you have'.
5 January 2012 8:30AM
You'll have to talk to old Aunty Margaret about that one - it was on her watch that anyone could creater a new HE establishment and call it a 'Uni'. It was purely to entice (rich) foreign students to 'boost' the economy while using the credibility of the existing establishments as bait.
Worked out well, didn't it.
5 January 2012 8:33AM
Ah, trying to find your MIT and Ivy League niche are you?
Might want to advertise England's FOR SALE sign in a louder voice, global distribution, send Cam out, he seemed to do so well with the sale of UK arms, albeit, why then Rolls Royce in Germany and the talk of shutting down one factory, but now I'm nit picking, silly me. On second thought, perhaps Cam isn't our best Salesman. London's apparently calling out far and wide, come one, come all, we have education, health and people for sale.
5 January 2012 9:09AM
Here we go again, another ‘white hot heat of technology’ dream. I heard this the first time and it also will not amount to anything. There is not the industry to employ the scientist and technologists or enough students to make the university science departments viable. My old chemistry and physics departments are now rolled into one building and termed ‘forensic science‘, the electronic faculty is now termed ’ digital art’ a euphemism for computer games.
There is not the interest in the sciences in this country anymore, this is an old country obsessed with pensions, mortgages and grandchildren. In this aspect we are not unique, it has occurs in many well developed countries. In Japan this lack of interest is termed ‘Rika-Banare’ or science shunning. Science works best when the country is lean and hungry when the benefits are obviously apparent as in Japan in the sixties and seventies and China now .
5 January 2012 9:29AM
Through the mid to late 1990s I spent five years endeavouring to set up a “Technology Diversification Centre” to bring advanced technologies, principally materials technology based from advanced industries, such as aerospace, into more mainstream industry. That was based on experience I had in helping individual companies, including one that tripled its turnover as a result. My proposal won monies from the European Konver Fund and, as events developed, would have resulted in not only a Centre in the south of Hampshire but a major centre at a London University co-sponsored by a major Bank. Recipients of Konver funding cannot be individuals so that which my proposal won was through a local Borough Council. That Council decided that, despite all of the foregoing, I was not capable of running the project, gave it to someone else, who took it off in a different direction, committing certain illegalities on that and other projects in the process. The project was wrecked; there was no investigation and no reporting.
The loss to the region following the demise of that project is at least in the low hundreds of millions of Pounds over the last decade. I also have other interests, very different to my engineering ones, which a former Chief executive of my local Chamber of Commerce, among others, rates as being worth at least 10% on local tourism. Due, with the exception of the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Southern Entrepreneurs, to the “coincidental” lack of business support in Hampshire following the above events I have been unable to pursue those matters with a loss to the region of 800M Pounds to 1Bn Pounds over the same period.
The project I developed, particularly with the university connection is much in the vein of the approach of David Willetts in his current proposals for high technology, university linked endeavour without Government funding.
At the time of my project's impending demise and after, I sought the help and support of my local Member of Parliament but after meeting him he said, in a letter, that he could not help as the matter was a dispute between the Council concerned and myself. I live in Havant, Hampshire. My local M.P. was then, and is now, David Willetts. It is a great pity that Mr Willets does not act in the manner he wishes others to act. Our local economy would be much better off if he did.
5 January 2012 9:41AM
The problem is that Germany, the US and others have the same idea, except that they are injecting new funding. This 'policy' from Willetts amounts to jack sh*t without funding. What company will invest in science R&D in the UK as a result of this announcement that wouldn't have done so before. Not. One.
Something for something, and nothing for nothing. Our under-investment in science and technology will really bite us in the ass over the coming decades, as the innovative new businesses start up elsewhere.