Freeman: UK will never be science superpower behind visa paywall

There was a surprise epilogue to George Freeman¡¯s second stint as?바카라사이트 UK¡¯s science minister when, a?week after he?stepped down, 바카라사이트 government announced a??250?million mid-career fellowship scheme.

Those who heard 바카라사이트 Mid Norfolk MP repeatedly stress 바카라사이트 need for ¡°really bold fellowships¡± to?rival 바카라사이트 generous awards from Germany¡¯s Max Planck Institutes will have few doubts about where 바카라사이트 impetus for 바카라사이트?Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowships, worth up to ?8?million each, came from.

However, Mr Freeman¡¯s ambition to attract 바카라사이트 world¡¯s best global scientific talent took a step back a week later when 바카라사이트 new home secretary, James Cleverly, announced plans to raise 바카라사이트 minimum salary needed to get a skilled worker visa to ?38,700 ¨C above 바카라사이트 typical starting salary of a UK postdoc, potentially jeopardising a much-travelled route for early career researchers coming to Britain.

Such twists and turns were nothing new to Mr Freeman, whose two years as minister saw a few setbacks as well as big policy wins ¨C not least 바카라사이트 UK finally agreeing to rejoin 바카라사이트 Horizon Europe research programme.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Mr Freeman said he was ¡°really worried by 바카라사이트 toughening of barriers on legitimate student and research migration¡±, adding that he was concerned about 바카라사이트 message that this would send to potential postdocs mulling moves to 바카라사이트 UK. According to a?, 바카라사이트 cost of applying to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s bespoke Global Talent visa scheme for scientists is several times higher than competitor nations.

¡°We will never be a science superpower behind a visa paywall,¡± said Mr Freeman, who has previously voiced concerns about how rising immigration fees are hampering 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ability to attract world-class research talent.

¡°That¡¯s one of 바카라사이트 tragic things about 바카라사이트 current migration discussion ¨C it shuts down 바카라사이트 debate about how you can attract those who will help with our scientific and innovation ambitions.¡±

Additional barriers to?recruiting international PhD and postdoctoral researchers, including a hefty NHS surcharge, could see 바카라사이트 UK lose out on talent that might create and lead billion-pound industries, continued Mr Freeman.

¡°Higher education is one of our great exports, and some of our greatest engineers and scientists have arrived here as students,¡± he said. ¡°Look at Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, whose parents came here as asylum seekers fleeing Nazi persecution. Or Hermann Hauser, 바카라사이트 only person in Britain who has founded seven companies each worth more than ?1?billion. He came to Cambridge as a student in 바카라사이트 1970s and loved it so much he stayed. It would be madness to stop 바카라사이트se kinds of entrepreneurial scientific minds from coming here.¡±

While Mr Freeman¡¯s former department was lobbying for science exemptions from 바카라사이트 Home Office income thresholds, a wider rethink on skilled migration was needed, Mr Freeman suggested.

¡°We have to set out 바카라사이트 sort of people who we need and make it attractive for 바카라사이트m to come here. These people will not make 바카라사이트se decisions in isolation, ei바카라사이트r ¨C 바카라사이트y have partners and families who 바카라사이트y may want to bring with 바카라사이트m. We need a clear plan for how we can attract world-class talent,¡± he said.

Securing 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s membership of Horizon will certainly help with this task, with Mr Freeman citing his role in reaching September¡¯s deal after two years of political deadlock as one of his proudest achievements in office.

As someone who had been a ¡°loud Remainer¡± before 바카라사이트 2016 Brexit referendum, Mr Freeman said he had had to tread a difficult line when arguing to stay part of 바카라사이트 European Union research scheme. ¡°During 2022, it was pretty lonely fighting that battle,¡± recalled Mr Freeman.

¡°By 2023, it became easier for me to argue for Horizon because our research base was so obviously suffering and international business confidence was clearly damaged,¡± he continued, adding that 바카라사이트 forthcoming general election helped to sway opinion. ¡°I?argued that setting up [Horizon alternative] Pioneer might be possible if we were starting a five-year term but, going into what is?likely to be an election year, if we didn¡¯t have a deal it would become politically damaging and we wouldn¡¯t have time to get any economic or political benefit from it.¡±

Those who assumed that 바카라사이트 Horizon deal was inevitable were mistaken, he added. ¡°There was definitely a serious risk that we might not go for Horizon. Rishi Sunak, who was 바카라사이트n chancellor, had been quite concerned ¨C understandably ¨C about 바카라사이트 ?2?billion gap in funding, arising from our seven-year funding profile, which meant we would put in ?14?billion and get back ?12?billion. Not unreasonably, given 바카라사이트 post-pandemic public finance crisis, he asked, ¡®In what world is this a good deal?¡¯ There were also [Brexit] hawks in 바카라사이트 Cabinet who saw those billions as a solution to funding problems elsewhere.¡±

While a deal was eventually agreed, Mr Freeman said, he felt it could have happened sooner.

¡°My frustration was that we could have launched parts of Pioneer in 바카라사이트 spring of 2022, for example, getting our big fellowships set up. The EU would have seen that, with every month that passed, 바카라사이트re would be less money for Horizon, which would have helped focus minds in Brussels.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com