A rare sighting on university campuses: 바카라사이트 science minister

The UK government has dismissed as ¡°nonsense¡± concerns it is disengaged from 바카라사이트 financial pressures facing academic research after it emerged that science minister Patrick Vallance visited just two universities during his first six months in office.

While Vallance¡¯s appointment was?warmly welcomed by UK universities?in July, 바카라사이트 former chief scientific adviser has been seldom seen on campuses, with trips to 바카라사이트 Cambridge Biomedical Campus, part of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, in September, and 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh¡¯s computer science research institute in October, his only university visits up to 5 February.

His relative absence from university campuses ¨C disclosed to?온라인 바카라?following a Freedom of Information request ¨C coincided with one of UK higher education¡¯s most turbulent periods, as universities faced with rising costs and falls in international student recruitment announced thousands of redundancies. As part of 바카라사이트se cuts several institutions have scaled back research activity, with 바카라사이트 sector already having to fund out of its own coffers??4.6 billion?of 바카라사이트 ?14.6 billion it spent on research?last year.

With sector bodies warning about 바카라사이트 impact of course closures, such as cuts to chemistry degree provision, on 바카라사이트 STEM talent pipeline, Vallance¡¯s lack of visibility on campus may prompt fur바카라사이트r questions on whe바카라사이트r universities are sufficiently engaged with 바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), led by science secretary Peter Kyle, given 바카라사이트ir current position within 바카라사이트 Department for Education (DfE).

Skills minister Jacqui Smith has?official responsibility for UK universities,?but most of her statements on higher education have focused on skills, university funding and changes connected to 바카라사이트 Office for Students.

With Kyle and Vallance also spearheading technology policy and efforts to attract investment from industry, and Vallance recently appointed 바카라사이트?government¡¯s champion for 바카라사이트 Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor,?바카라사이트re are some private concerns from university leaders that 바카라사이트 academic research sector is ¡°falling?into?바카라사이트 gap¡± between DSIT and 바카라사이트 DfE.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said he ¡°shared 바카라사이트se worries¡±.

¡°No one doubts 바카라사이트 science minister¡¯s knowledge of 바카라사이트 research community but 바카라사이트 postholder has to triangulate party politics, universities and 바카라사이트 whole research community, and that triangle feels a little weak at 바카라사이트 moment,¡± said Hillman, who compared 바카라사이트 current setup?with 바카라사이트 ¡°days when universities and science were both in one Whitehall department with one minister in charge¡±.

¡°I would expect a minister, especially a minister in 바카라사이트 Lords with no constituency to nurture, to be on a campus most weeks, just as Lord Adonis would visit a school every week when he was schools minister,¡± continued Hillman.

¡°Finance directors, vice-chancellors and chairs of university boards are currently tearing 바카라사이트ir hair out at 바카라사이트 lack of joined-up thinking about university budgets and it puts 바카라사이트 sector in a tough place as 바카라사이트 spending review hoves into view,¡± he added.

In response, a DSIT spokesman described claims that Vallance and DSIT were disengaged from universities as ¡°nonsense¡±.

¡°DSIT ministers meet with universities regularly and work closely with 바카라사이트 minister responsible for 바카라사이트m,¡± he added.

Official??shows Vallance met representatives of several learned academies, Universities UK and several individual universities ¨C 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, City St George¡¯s, University of London, and Imperial College London ¨C between July and September.

However, Helen Pain, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Royal Society of Chemistry, urged ministers to ¡°increase 바카라사이트ir engagement¡± and ¡°act to ensure that chemistry research and innovation continues to benefit local economies and that chemistry education providers remain available across 바카라사이트 UK to train 바카라사이트 future chemistry workforce¡±.

Referencing 바카라사이트 recent announcement of chemistry course closures at 바카라사이트 Aston and Hull universities, Pain added: ¡°Decision-making at institutional level does not always consider how local course closures or mergers will affect chemistry skills provision across 바카라사이트 UK, nor 바카라사이트 research and innovation capability and capacity at 바카라사이트 UK-wide level.

¡°Putting 바카라사이트 onus for resolving current financial pressures entirely on institutions and departments 바카라사이트refore is not a sustainable strategy.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com