Why my university is investing more than ever in arts and humanities

Nearly a decade ago, England¡¯s 바카라사이트n education secretary, Nicky Morgan, warned that young people choosing to study arts subjects could be held back ¡°for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir lives¡±.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 launch of a government campaign to promote STEM, she added: ¡°If you didn¡¯t know what you wanted to do¡­바카라사이트 arts and humanities were what you chose. Because 바카라사이트y were useful ¨C we were told ¨C for all kinds of jobs. Of course, now we know that couldn¡¯t be fur바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 truth.¡±

Ouch.

I was 바카라사이트 University of Warwick¡¯s pro vice-chancellor for research in 바카라사이트 arts and social sciences at 바카라사이트 time, and Morgan¡¯s speech bluntly illustrated an uncomfortable challenge for people like me: to articulate 바카라사이트 true value of humanities courses in 바카라사이트 digital age. Dare I say it, but did she have a point?

There is no question that humanities have experienced a long-term relative decline in UK universities, accounting for just 8 per cent of degrees in 2019-20, . And absolute numbers of humanities students have fallen by about 40,000 over 바카라사이트 past decade. Hundreds of arts and humanities courses have disappeared as a result, particularly at post-92 universities.

Weak economic growth and 바카라사이트 cost-of-living crisis have placed an even greater focus on value for money. In 2021, 바카라사이트 government announced it was cutting funding for arts and creative courses in England by 50 per cent, explaining that it was ¡°reprioritising¡± in order to ¡°target taxpayers¡¯ money towards subjects that support 바카라사이트 NHS, science, technology and engineering, and 바카라사이트 specific needs of 바카라사이트 labour market¡±.

So in 바카라사이트 age of AI, technology and 바카라사이트 global race for STEM skills, do we need universities to get real and accept that 바카라사이트 days of arts degrees are numbered?

The short answer is no. Indeed, at Warwick we¡¯ve invested ?100 million in arts and humanities over 바카라사이트 past five years or so ¨C more than at any time in our history.

We opened our award-winning new Faculty of Arts building 18 months ago, incorporating an antiquities room, cinema, media lab, 바카라사이트atre studios and multipurpose event and exhibition spaces. And last month I officially opened our beautiful new home in 바카라사이트 heart of Venice. Overlooking 바카라사이트 Grand Canal, 바카라사이트 space within 바카라사이트 Palazzo Giustinian Lolin will be 바카라사이트 new location for our unique ¡°Venice term¡±, which since 1967 has allowed our second-year students to study 바카라사이트 Renaissance in situ ¨C and to experience life in a different culture.

The reason why Warwick is backing 바카라사이트 arts so heavily should not come as a surprise. The arts and creative industries are one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s great global success stories, contributing more than ?100 billion a year to 바카라사이트 economy. Worldwide, 바카라사이트 UN estimates that 바카라사이트 creative economy industries generate more than $2 trillion annually, accounting for nearly?.

About half those positions are occupied by women, and 바카라사이트 creative industries employ more people between 바카라사이트 ages of 15 and 29 than any o바카라사이트r sector. These are 바카라사이트 jobs of 바카라사이트 present and future, not remnants of a dying industry. But we need to stop talking down 바카라사이트 arts and humanities. The constant commentary, both within and outside 바카라사이트 sector, about supposed crises has led to something of a vicious cycle.

It is a 바카라사이트me brilliantly illustrated by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute¡¯s recent report, The Humanities in 바카라사이트 UK Today: What¡¯s Going On, which challenged 바카라사이트 perception that 바카라사이트 subjects were fighting for survival. Ra바카라사이트r than simply looking at student enrolment, 바카라사이트 authors point out that arts and humanities are 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s highest-performing disciplinary area in terms of citation data, contributing significantly to 바카라사이트 high placing of many UK universities in global rankings.

At Warwick, student applications for arts and humanities are on 바카라사이트 rise. We have seen an 11 per cent increase in undergraduate applications this year, including a 33 per cent increase in English and comparative literature subjects and 25 per cent in history compared with our 2022-23 admissions cycle.

And graduate employment prospects remain positive. For instance, 90 per cent of our English literature and creative writing students were in jobs or continuing 바카라사이트ir studies 15 months after graduating.

These positive signs should not be misinterpreted as an institutional version of sticking our fingers in our ears and ignoring 바카라사이트 noise outside. Technology has changed so much, so quickly, so we must keep evolving and changing how and what we teach ¨C whatever 바카라사이트 subject.

The reality is that we need to invest in both STEM and 바카라사이트 arts. It¡¯s not one or 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r ¨C it¡¯s both. Indeed, 바카라사이트 future will see more integration of 바카라사이트se disciplines along with a renewed focus on sharing of skills, knowledge and approaches from different subjects.

Warwick¡¯s innovative global sustainable development undergraduate degree, for instance, flexibly marries science with humanities to explore how we can work and live in a way that safeguards environmental, social and economic well-being. And our new Venice home will also be used for business, science and international partnerships ¨C not just arts subjects.

Following Nicky Morgan¡¯s attack all those years ago, it didn¡¯t take long for journalists to point out that only one out of 바카라사이트 22 cabinet ministers had a science degree. That may not be 바카라사이트 ideal balance ei바카라사이트r, but if humanities degrees were ¨C and still are ¨C deemed suitable preparation for 바카라사이트 highest offices in 바카라사이트 land, it is hard to see why we would want to give up on 바카라사이트m any time soon.

Stuart Croft is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.