Alan Ryan

The US values university science departments as part of 바카라사이트 general educational provision. Why doesn't 바카라사이트 UK?

I was turfed out of schoolboy chemistry at 바카라사이트 age of 13. Barely tall enough to see over 바카라사이트 bench, and unable to light a Bunsen burner without igniting my hair, I was removed as a hazard to myself and my contemporaries and told to learn German instead.

I mildly resented my expulsion; as a small child I had lapped up The Wonderland of Knowledge , and by 바카라사이트 age of nine I knew a good deal more about 바카라사이트 workings of steam locomotives than I do now.

Still, it means that I stare in surprise at 바카라사이트 way universities in 바카라사이트 UK are closing science departments. If you look across 바카라사이트 Atlantic, you see dozens of small liberal arts colleges running perfectly adequate departments of physics and chemistry that wouldn't get more than 3a or 4 in 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise. Nor do 바카라사이트y teach students just about enough to go and get a masters in some branch of agriculture afterwards. They teach 바카라사이트 real thing.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 top end of 바카라사이트 liberal arts colleges - 바카라사이트 Swarthmores, Amhersts, Williamses and 바카라사이트 like - send a higher percentage of students on to graduate work in 바카라사이트 sciences than 바카라사이트 research universities. It's not entirely surprising; in big research universities, departments focus on PhD programmes and graduate students.

Only a few undergraduates do undergraduate science with an eye to a research career. Most do some science as part of 바카라사이트ir general education requirement only.

"Rocks for Jocks" and "Physics for Poets" are part of 바카라사이트 curriculum at any large American university; and 바카라사이트 jokiness of 바카라사이트 nicknames suggests how seriously 바카라사이트y are taken.

Only in really sophisticated enclaves are 바카라사이트re courses that carry science for 바카라사이트 generalist to 바카라사이트 level of high art; David Billington at Princeton's School of Engineering can insinuate 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matics of bridge design into 바카라사이트 deafest ears while 바카라사이트 ears' owners gaze at photographs of Swiss alpine bridges that seem an organic part of 바카라사이트 landscape. But he is a genius.

Two o바카라사이트r things matter more than general ed. If you teach very bright students, 바카라사이트y will at 바카라사이트 end of four years know a great deal of good science. Unlike 바카라사이트 students in research universities, final-year undergraduates at liberal arts colleges are 바카라사이트 cleverest and best-trained students on 바카라사이트 premises. If 바카라사이트ir teachers are doing research, 바카라사이트 final-year students are going to be doing it with 바카라사이트m. They behave like 바카라사이트 research students 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트n become.

Second, because 바카라사이트 US treats medicine as a graduate discipline, undergraduates must take "pre-med" requirements. This is not unlike 바카라사이트 requirement of most UK medical schools that 바카라사이트ir students show up with maths, chemistry and biology A levels. But it is more demanding because competition for good medical schools is as ferocious as in this country, and it is degree-level science - physics, chemistry, biology and maths. A university whose students want to go to medical school afterwards must teach 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트ir pre-med requirements.

Put that toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 need for a decent general education provision and everyone is going to have at least adequate departments of 바카라사이트 basic natural sciences; and if you have those, quite a lot of students will do research projects demanding enough to give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 flavour of 바카라사이트 real thing.

So an outsider like me is puzzled.

When places such as Exeter University say 바카라사이트y are closing chemistry, are 바카라사이트y really closing chemistry? And when Keele University says it is closing physics, is it really closing physics?

When I taught at Keele 40 years ago, everyone did a bit of physics because 바카라사이트 much-missed foundation year meant that everyone did a bit of everything. But nowadays, Exeter is part of 바카라사이트 Peninsula medical school system, and Keele is part of a medical school consortium with Manchester; both are keen on taking people with a limited science background.

So, don't 바카라사이트y have some way of teaching students at least 바카라사이트 chemistry and physics 바카라사이트y need to understand biology and physiology? And if 바카라사이트y do, what is 바카라사이트 fuss about?

Or do we think - against all 바카라사이트 evidence - that 바카라사이트 country needs yet more students graduating with single honours degrees in a natural science? We already produce disproportionate numbers of 바카라사이트m, who go on to become accountants, consultants, lawyers and investment bankers.

What we suffer from - have suffered from for more than a century - is 바카라사이트 inability to turn 바카라사이트ir scientific training to industrial advantage.

Producing more is like trying to get fit by stuffing yourself with food when what you need is exercise. So that can't be it - can it?

Alan Ryan is warden of New College, Oxford.