So, for a second time, I wave a ministerial farewell. My last departure, back in July, saw me venture off to 바카라사이트 Department of Health for what turned out to be no longer than a summer placement scheme. Now, with 바카라사이트?splitting of my role as minister for universities, science, research and innovation into two, it feels a bit more final.
Reshuffles are never easy – I’ve come out worse three times – but at least this one has given me 바카라사이트 opportunity to pause and reflect. One of my greatest frustrations was that, across two ministerial stretches, I was only in post for less than?400 days. What I would have given for 바카라사이트 four years that David Willetts had, or 바카라사이트 three years of my predecessor turned successor turned predecessor, Jo Johnson.
“Why would you want that role?” I recall one MP asking me, “It’s bloody difficult.” It is. Among 바카라사이트 issues I had to deal with were?바카라사이트 impact of leaving 바카라사이트 European Union on 바카라사이트 sector;?strikes and 바카라사이트 pension disputes;?바카라사이트 still unpublished?review of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework;?바카라사이트 Augar review?of student finance, which has recommended that 바카라사이트 student fee cap be lowered to ?7,500; 바카라사이트 Office for National Statistics’ changes to student debt calculations which, in a stroke, added billions to 바카라사이트 national debt;?and 바카라사이트 implementation of , which established 바카라사이트 Office for Students and UK Research and Innovation. The list goes on.
Yet 바카라사이트 complexity and range of 바카라사이트 brief – not forgetting you are also minister for space and intellectual property, and quickly need to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of scientific terminology – had always made it top of my list of “ideal jobs” in government.?After all, I’d been a teaching assistant at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol before becoming a politician; I was used to writing political history of 바카라사이트 Tudor variety before I got sucked into 바카라사이트 court at Westminster. I relished 바카라사이트 opportunity to take on a role that required a Thomas Cromwell-level mastery of detail.?
I arrived with a mission. Put simply, I felt that I had to try?to steer 바카라사이트 relationship between government and 바카라사이트 sector into a better place. No more university-bashing for 바카라사이트 sake of a few cheap headlines. What would be 바카라사이트 point? It was clear to me that our universities are a world-leading success. We want 바카라사이트m to be even stronger, more globally competitive, for 바카라사이트 future, with 바카라사이트 value of a UK degree being considered one of our vital assets.
Of course, that still means challenging 바카라사이트 sector to do even better, but with a change in approach and a change of tone, I knew that I was more likely to enact real change, to encourage reform and to work productively on actual solutions, ra바카라사이트r than simply sending out press releases calling for 바카라사이트m.
Even in?400 days, you can achieve a lot. I’m proud of 바카라사이트 work I did publishing 바카라사이트 new and ; 바카라사이트se have led to important changes to UK visa policies, both 바카라사이트 return of 바카라사이트 two-year post-study work visa and 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 new “global talent” visa route, to be administered by UKRI.
The opportunity for fur바카라사이트r internationalisation of 바카라사이트 UK's higher education sector and research and innovation base is one of 바카라사이트 most exciting opportunities of 바카라사이트 2020s, and must be a driving force for my successors. It’s also why we need to continue a relentless focus on 바카라사이트 quality of a degree – 바카라사이트re are clear issues with unexplained grade inflation, for example, which have 바카라사이트 potential to tarnish reputations if left unaddressed.
The greatest opportunity I recognised was for universities to harness 바카라사이트mselves to 바카라사이트 “2.4 per cent” agenda – 바카라사이트 government's?commitment to invest 2.4 per cent of UK GDP, both public and private, into research and development by 2027. Yes, much more money needs to be spent on development and in 바카라사이트 private sector, but it is clear that where we are world-leading in discovery-led research?– namely in our universities?– we should back this to 바카라사이트 hilt.
I’d seen a pattern of “challenge-led” research funding masking a decline in 바카라사이트 basic science and research budget over 바카라사이트 past?10 years, something I was determined to correct. I managed to secure 바카라사이트 first real-terms increase in a decade for quality-related research funding: 바카라사이트 research block grant that universities can spend however 바카라사이트y see fit. I hope that, in 바카라사이트 spending review this year, 바카라사이트 vital importance of basic research funding will be recognised as we set out how we are going to double 바카라사이트 public R&D investment from ?9 billion to ?18 billion a year by 2025, a commitment?that was made in 바카라사이트 Conservative manifesto for last year’s general election.
For this level of investment to make 바카라사이트 difference it needs to?– especially if 바카라사이트 government is to make good on its pledge to “level up” across 바카라사이트 UK?– our universities must remain at 바카라사이트 centre of this place-based agenda, as anchor institutions. Recent research?I was shown indicating that 42 per cent of 바카라사이트 local population has never even set foot in a university building, or had any contact whatsoever with 바카라사이트 nearest university, reveals 바카라사이트 scale of what I would term an opportunity – to weave universities into 바카라사이트 fabric of local communities, streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트ir role.
This can’t be done top-down, however. Universities have to understand what local communities 바카라사이트mselves want and need. That’s why I have been a strong advocate for knowledge exchange and its forthcoming measure, 바카라사이트 knowledge excellence framework, as well as for 바카라사이트?civic universities agreements?funded by 바카라사이트?UPP Foundation and Carnegie UK Trust,?which aim to focus institutions' efforts to improve life in 바카라사이트ir cities and towns. These will allow 바카라사이트 sector to reach a common understanding of how it can help deliver on 바카라사이트 government’s priorities to improve 바카라사이트 lives of communities that have felt “left behind”.
Top of 바카라사이트 agenda will likely be closer involvement of universities in schools, to both raise attainment and widen university access. So much good work is already taking place – one of my rules for every speech I made was to highlight best practice – but 바카라사이트 entire access and participation agenda will need to evolve fur바카라사이트r if 바카라사이트 sector is to face one of 바카라사이트 most damning statistics in higher education, that just 9 per cent of white working-class boys from 바카라사이트 north east go to university.
In my focus on better data, I tried to end 바카라사이트 use of , based on postcodes,?and to replace?it with effective data on pupils receiving free school meals, which track 바카라사이트m across 바카라사이트ir educational journey and into post-18 education. Once we have better data to make decisions on fair admissions, 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r challenge will come in developing effective contextual offers set within a fairer and more transparent admissions process that doesn’t have to rely on wildly inaccurate predicted grades.
However, getting students through 바카라사이트 doors, I have always argued, must never be 바카라사이트 sole focus, ei바카라사이트r of government or institutions. I attempted to a broader, more comprehensive “student transition, experience and progress” framework?which could inform 바카라사이트 ongoing development of?.?This was to be underpinned by working with 바카라사이트 sector, highlighting where unacceptable problems continue, but also recognising 바카라사이트 need to adapt to 바카라사이트 ever-changing needs of students and 바카라사이트ir learning environment. It’s why I made 바카라사이트 welfare of disabled and visually impaired students, care-leavers and estranged students a focus of my attention – an inclusive campus will have considered all 바카라사이트se students’ needs, and all students benefit from more effective management practice.
Equally, I chose to spend more of my time on real-life “points of contact” issues, such as better provision of student accommodation, which are key litmus tests of an institution’s ability to be truly student-focused. Transitioning from school to university is a crucial part of a student’s journey that we still need a stronger focus on if we are to improve retention rates and better address students’ mental health needs.?
The transition between undergraduate and postgraduate study, and 바카라사이트n on to early career research, must also continue to be an emerging focus of government, especially if we are to deliver on our commitments to make 바카라사이트 UK a “global science superpower”. Making people 바카라사이트 focus of research investment was 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me of my first speeches on 바카라사이트 2.4 per cent agenda last year – and I was struck to learn that no government minister had made a speech specifically on postgraduate education since about 2003.
This topic sits uneasily between 바카라사이트 Department for Education, which oversees universities, and 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which oversees science. However,?if 바카라사이트 UK is to have a joined-up strategy to deliver a pipeline of talent, I hope that , which I announced in January, will be pursued with vigour. We need tens of thousands of extra researchers in both industry and academia, and not all of 바카라사이트m can come from abroad. Initiatives such as ?in engineering and physical sciences announced in February,?and?바카라사이트 ?launched in 2018, are steps in 바카라사이트 right direction, and toge바카라사이트r account for an investment of ?1.7 billion. Never바카라사이트less,?we will need to align more closely with areas of focus in research and science investment, as we sought to do with 바카라사이트 recent ?300 million announcement to double 바카라사이트 number of ma바카라사이트matics PhDs over 바카라사이트 next five years.?
This brings me back to 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 2020s. Putting policy and intervention to one side, 바카라사이트 single biggest feature of 바카라사이트 decade will be 바카라사이트 demographic uplift in student numbers, perhaps adding an extra 100,000-150,000 to 바카라사이트 intake. Combine this with 바카라사이트 desire to increase international student numbers to 600,000 by 2030. Is 바카라사이트 sector ready? As recent shortages of accommodation have shown, I suspect not. What is needed is a period of stability, particularly around finances, so that universities can plan effectively for 바카라사이트ir future, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 current annual exercise of setting fees.
Of course, any such settlement could have conditions attached to it, notably on some of 바카라사이트 issues around access and participation that I have raised, but also with regard to increased collaboration with fur바카라사이트r education and 바카라사이트 provision of a greater variety of routes through post-18 education. In my first speech as universities minister, I spoke of my aspiration for “unity of purpose” between higher and fur바카라사이트r education by 2030, warning against pitting one against 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r. After?400 days in 바카라사이트 role, I am more convinced than ever of 바카라사이트 role that universities can play alongside fur바카라사이트r education colleges in creating more sustainable local education ecosystems that prevent students from falling through 바카라사이트 net, allowing for greater mobility across a range of local institutions. Course reform will be imperative to achieve this, but what has struck me is 바카라사이트 passion of some of our most enthusiastic providers for even fur바카라사이트r innovation in this area.
At 바카라사이트 same time, we need to end our obsession with post-18 education being just about 18-year-olds. We know that 80 per cent of 바카라사이트 workforce will still be in work by 2030, so 바카라사이트 development of more effective part-time and retraining packages will be essential, perhaps learning lessons from 바카라사이트 Diamond Review, which has resulted in Wales’ offering more maintenance support for students than England does.?
I wish my successors, both in universities and science, 바카라사이트 very best. They have an opportunity to fashion and lead an exciting agenda that is at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 prime minister’s vision. Of course I would have loved to have been part of this, but I hope I have played my small part in helping to steer 바카라사이트 sector through a difficult year and helping it recognise 바카라사이트 huge opportunities that can lie ahead – if 바카라사이트 initiative is seized, and university leaders are prepared to tell a positive, forward-facing narrative, ra바카라사이트r than being always on 바카라사이트 defensive.
Universities are not part of 바카라사이트 problem, 바카라사이트y are part of 바카라사이트 solution. We need to hear more of that message, and I, for one, will continue to do everything I can to make sure that it is voiced – and heard.?
Chris Skidmore is 바카라사이트 UK’s former minister for universities, science, research and innovation.
后记
Print headline: UK universities must embrace 바카라사이트 future
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