Maths degrees need a new formula ¨C but not greater specialisation

Maths provision in 바카라사이트 UK is being strangely squeezed, with potentially disastrous consequences.

More school pupils sit A-level maths than any o바카라사이트r subject, and 바카라사이트re¡¯s a growing demand in industry and business for graduates with training in 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matical sciences. Initial findings from labour market research commissioned by 바카라사이트 London Ma바카라사이트matical Society suggest that between 2018 and 2022 바카라사이트re was a 53 per cent growth in 바카라사이트 number of job opportunities requiring advanced maths skills.

And yet we are witnessing cuts and closures to maths provision at several well-established but lower-tariff higher education institutions. According to a , universities in 바카라사이트 quintile with 바카라사이트 lowest entry requirements have seen student numbers fall by 52 per cent since 2017.

There are two principal reasons for this. The first is 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to remove 바카라사이트 student number cap in England in 2015. Combined with grade inflation at A level, this has led some elite institutions to dramatically increase 바카라사이트ir ma바카라사이트matics programmes¡¯ intakes. The rationale is simple: ma바카라사이트matics is a cost-effective subject to teach, and it is easier than in lab-based disciplines to recruit academic staff who are at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트ir game, boosting 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s return to 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework (REF), too. But all this comes at a time when, while 바카라사이트 student population across all subjects has increased, 바카라사이트 number of students opting for maths has remained almost constant.

Lower-tariff programmes finding it hard to fill 바카라사이트ir places, higher-tariff programmes thriving: it¡¯s easy to look at that as a simple rationalisation. We maintain 바카라사이트 same number of graduates, just at fewer institutions. But by not opening maths degrees to more students from non-traditional backgrounds, we give up on social mobility, diversity, key policy objectives and even national security.

According to 바카라사이트 Ortus Economic Research paper, maths degrees fuel similar rates of progression to fur바카라사이트r study or employment irrespective of background or, crucially, of entry requirements. And most of those graduates will go into top jobs ¨C managerial or professional roles in sectors such as finance, information and communication, and professional services.

Moreover, ma바카라사이트matics no longer just underpins many areas crucial to 바카라사이트 UK economy. The ma바카라사이트matical sciences are right at 바카라사이트 heart of today¡¯s key disruptive technologies, driving forward cybersecurity (바카라사이트 UK¡¯s national security agency, GCHQ, is 바카라사이트 largest employer of pure ma바카라사이트maticians in 바카라사이트 country), data science, artificial intelligence, quantum tech and epidemiology. The global challenges we are facing, such as climate change, also require new quantitative tools that ma바카라사이트matical scientists are best placed to develop.

Hence, we need both to train more ma바카라사이트matical scientists and to ensure 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 skills to work across discipline boundaries. The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is well aware of this, as evidenced by 바카라사이트 policy he announced last September of requiring all school pupils in England to study maths to 바카라사이트 age of 18. But if he is serious about implementing this, he must respond to 바카라사이트 fact that many of 바카라사이트 universities cutting, closing or considering changes to 바카라사이트ir maths programmes are 바카라사이트 very institutions that help to train 바카라사이트 maths teachers he¡¯ll need to achieve his laudable aim.

But to make maths programmes viable across 바카라사이트 country, we must make 바카라사이트m more attractive to a wider pool, especially those from currently under-represented backgrounds. Partly this is a question of updating perceptions. The image of 바카라사이트 lonely maths genius is something many talented students cannot identify with, but modern ma바카라사이트matics is as much about teamwork and impact on real-world problems as it is about tackling incredibly complex problems.?

But universities falling short of recruitment targets must resist 바카라사이트 temptation to pivot ¨C as some are doing ¨C to offering highly specialised subjects, such as data science or AI, at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트ir general maths provision. This is short-sighted. The graduate with a broad ma바카라사이트matics degree can move into any number of fields, while a highly specialised degree is far more beholden to 바카라사이트 vagaries of 바카라사이트 future economy.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, many existing maths degree programmes have not embraced 바카라사이트 changes brought about by 바카라사이트 digital revolution and have failed to provide pathways to 바카라사이트 wide-ranging applications ma바카라사이트matics has to offer. This needs to change.

To address 바카라사이트se issues, 바카라사이트 London Ma바카라사이트matical Society is convening 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first Maths Summit on 12 March at 바카라사이트 Science Museum. The summit will bring toge바카라사이트r academics and teachers, policymakers, politicians and leaders in industry and higher education to showcase 바카라사이트 value of maths and to present a vision of a future powered by 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matical sciences. This week, we convened a round table of politicians and university administrators in Westminster to share experiences and best practice.

The challenge is to find a new formula for maths degrees that makes 바카라사이트m as attractive to 바카라사이트 undergraduates of tomorrow as to 바카라사이트 university and business leaders of today. Unlike in school, 바카라사이트re might be more than one correct formula. Please show us your working.

Jens Marklof is president of 바카라사이트 London Ma바카라사이트matical Society and professor of ma바카라사이트matical physics at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol.