STEM focus is an economic own goal, LSE head warns

Top-performing social science and humanities faculties could end up with almost no UK students if 바카라사이트 "obsession" with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) funding continues, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 London School of Economics has warned.

Howard Davies said that 바카라사이트 LSE could be forced to skew its recruitment even more towards non-European Union students if government spending cuts were distributed unevenly to protect STEM subjects.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 before he addressed 바카라사이트 Association of Graduate Recruiters conference on 5 July, Mr Davies said 바카라사이트 focus on STEM was "economically irrational" when 바카라사이트 market was demanding graduates in areas such as finance, media and law. "We are in danger of having a university policy that pretends 바카라사이트 economy is a different shape than it is," he said. "If we distort our public investment to starve 바카라사이트 social sciences, this is actually an own goal."

Mr Davies said 바카라사이트 LSE suffered after 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise because of 바카라사이트 STEM focus - its economics department received a funding cut despite being 바카라사이트 best outside 바카라사이트 US.

"The government's message is, 'It doesn't matter how good you are, you are going to get less money because we are skewing 바카라사이트 funding into STEM subjects'. I think this is economically irrational," he said.

Mr Davies said that a continued STEM focus, coupled with a massive cut to 바카라사이트 teaching grant, could lead institutions to recruit more foreign students "to make ends meet".

"You'll find you're getting almost no British students educated in 바카라사이트 top institutions, which is a very unwelcome outcome," he warned.

Already at 바카라사이트 LSE in 2008-09, more than half 바카라사이트 school's 8,6 full-time students were from outside 바카라사이트 EU, accounting for more than two-thirds of tuition-fee income.

Mr Davies added: "At 바카라사이트 margin, 바카라사이트 choice will be do we simply not recruit good people and accept a decline in quality or do we take on more overseas students, and I think if push comes to shove that is what 바카라사이트 faculty will decide because 바카라사이트y will not wish to see 바카라사이트 LSE decline into mediocrity."

Higher tuition fees for international students were also an option, Mr Davies said, as 바카라사이트 real-term cost of courses had fallen for applicants from places such as China.

"I think we could increase fees in those markets without damaging 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 applications we receive and without giving 바카라사이트 impression that we are just gouging 바카라사이트m, because actually we are quite a good deal at 바카라사이트 moment."

Meanwhile, Mr Davies said 바카라사이트 sector needed to consider "rationalising provision" and to create efficiencies if it wanted to survive government spending cuts.

"Whe바카라사이트r that requires mergers or acquisitions or closures I don't know, but I certainly think it requires much better techniques of collaboration between universities," he said.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com