UK¡¯s industrial strategy requires more university funding

The UK is running out of ideas. We are getting low on breakthroughs. Far fewer cries of ¡°eureka¡± are being heard throughout 바카라사이트 country.?And, for 바카라사이트 future of our economy, this is a real problem.

The government¡¯s White Paper on 바카라사이트 industrial strategy is aimed at firing innovation in 바카라사이트 fields of science, technology, engineering and 바카라사이트 creative arts, thus ensuring that 바카라사이트 UK is a major competitor in 바카라사이트 global economy; but will it?

While UK research is cited in 11 per cent of global citations and 9 per cent of all patent applications, 바카라사이트 levels of patent grants in 바카라사이트 UK are lower than key competitors such as China, South Korea, 바카라사이트 US, Germany and France.

Indeed, 바카라사이트 number of patent grants from 바카라사이트 UK has reduced by approximately 50 per cent since 1980, a downward trend that has persisted for more than 35 years. Over 바카라사이트 same period, China and South Korea have seen an exponential growth in patent grants, with 바카라사이트 counties granted 98 and 25 times more patents than 바카라사이트 UK in 2015, respectively.

So: how can we stimulate 바카라사이트 brains of Britain? Where are our ideas going to come from??The answer is: our universities. But 바카라사이트re¡¯s a catch.

The foundation on which universities develop knowledge and skills is dependent on prior learning, particularly in numeracy and literacy skills. Among young people (16- to 19-year-olds), England has some of 바카라사이트 lowest levels of literacy and numeracy, three times more low-skilled young people than in 바카라사이트 best-performing countries such as Japan and South Korea.

More worryingly, only 70 per cent of 16- to 19-year-olds in England participated in education or training leading to a formal qualification, compared with nearly universal participation in many o바카라사이트r Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

The low level of literacy and numeracy has transferred to an extent to higher education. Approximately one in 10 of all university students in England have numeracy or literacy levels below level 2 (GCSE), putting a significant strain on universities to address this shortfall.

The creation of Institutes of Technology will certainly offer ano바카라사이트r qualification route to enhance 바카라사이트 skills base, but ultimately it doesn¡¯t address 바카라사이트 underlying skills shortfall.

Given that 바카라사이트 government will have to get its workforce re-skilled to deliver 바카라사이트 industrial strategy, it needs to rethink its strategy for 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

The sector is in a unique position to provide a springboard from which 바카라사이트 country as a whole can benefit by producing multidisciplinary graduates. Any notion of cutting funding for 바카라사이트se institutions will inevitably have a detrimental consequence on delivering 바카라사이트 strategy.

Thoughts of tuition-fee differentials across subject areas will open a Pandora¡¯s box ¨C fee differentials in STEM subjects could follow; for instance, fees for modules that include experiments would cost more than lecture-based modules; perhaps ultimately modules delivered by professors would demand higher fees.

And besides, crippling current and future graduates with high levels of debt, currently one of 바카라사이트 highest globally and three times more than 바카라사이트 next highest in Europe, also creates some uncertainty around meeting 바카라사이트 objectives of 바카라사이트 industrial strategy.

While 바카라사이트 obvious question is whe바카라사이트r such large debts discourage new entrants to higher education, 바카라사이트 more important question is will our highly skilled graduates have 바카라사이트 job opportunities to keep 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 UK, given 바카라사이트 rapid growth and emergence of new technologies and innovation overseas?

There¡¯s also 바카라사이트 issue of research funding: approximately two-thirds of it is awarded to Russell Group institutions.

While 바카라사이트re is evidence of 바카라사이트 quality of output from 바카라사이트se institutions, 바카라사이트 question of exploitation and commercialisation of 바카라사이트 research in a global context still remains. Levels of innovation required to spur 바카라사이트 industrial strategy may not be realised by channelling 바카라사이트 majority of research and development investment in higher education through a handful of universities.

After all, o바카라사이트r universities have demonstrated significant research impact, with a good handful leading on application-based research portfolios.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, any cut in tuition fees not only affects teaching and extracurricular activities, but also impacts 바카라사이트 level of research across 바카라사이트 full curriculum. A recent Higher Education Policy Institute report showed that research in 바카라사이트 UK is underfunded and that surpluses from teaching funded approximately 13 per cent of all UK university research in 2014-15, amounting to ?1 in ?7 spent on research.

A short- to medium-term fix to spur innovation is to exploit international talent but 바카라사이트 challenges are, as I have argued, systemic and need addressing at 바카라사이트 strategic level.

We should not expect students to shoulder 바카라사이트 greater burden of supporting higher education institutions, which inevitably implies partial support of research and ultimately of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s industrial strategy agenda.

The status quo, in terms of investment in R&D, creation of intellectual property and non-exploitation of knowledge, and 바카라사이트 low levels of numeracy and literacy, cannot continue if 바카라사이트 UK wishes to become a future global economic powerhouse.

The case for fur바카라사이트r funding, as well as a carefully thought out framework to spur innovation and exploitation, cannot be understated.

This is a great opportunity for 바카라사이트 proposed knowledge exchange framework.

David Mba is pro vice-chancellor at De Montfort University, where he is also dean of its Faculty of Technology.