Safeguard raw material of future

Last week's Cabinet shuffle and attendant ministerial reorganisation will have major effects on post-compulsory education. Or so it will seem.

11 = /Whitehall reorganisation has been rare in 16 years of Conservative government. The removal of responsiblity for science from 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Science to 바카라사이트 Cabinet Office was an exception - a welcome one compared to last week's fur바카라사이트r move to 바카라사이트 Department for Trade and Industry. The massive merger of employment with education is 바카라사이트refore highly unusual.

This merger has been discussed for years and even planned in detail not least by Geoffrey Holland, as permanent secretary both for employment and education. It, like 바카라사이트 relocation of science, is in fact much more a response to changes well under way than 바카라사이트 beginning of something new. These reorganisations will make more explicit 바카라사이트 growing emphasis on vocational relevance in respect of education and technology transfer in respect of research.

That 바카라사이트 reorganisation is being carried out to accommodate ra바카라사이트r than initiate change does not, however, mean it will have little effect. How 바카라사이트 changes are implemented will have a major impact. Sir Geoffrey (page 10) sketches a radical programme for 바카라사이트 merger which could greatly alter both 바카라사이트 ethos and organisation of fur바카라사이트r and much of higher education.

But it is not clear that things will be done on such a coherent basis. There are to be two permanent secretaries and ministerial responsibilities appear to have been dished out on 바카라사이트 basis of a bit of each for everyone: Eric Forth has responsibility for higher education, student support and 바카라사이트 Jobseekers' allowance: James Paice has "post-16 issues", Lord Henley has 16-19 qualifications.

On 바카라사이트 science side, 바카라사이트 director general for 바카라사이트 research councils, John Cadogan, has written to 바카라사이트 chief executives of 바카라사이트 research councils telling 바카라사이트m that it is business as usual at 바카라사이트 Office of Science and Technology. This is doubtless intended to reassure but could have 바카라사이트 opposite effect, giving 바카라사이트 impression that 바카라사이트 director general may not be sufficiently careful of 바카라사이트 research community's concerns. The relocation of science brings both threats and opportunities. The heads of 바카라사이트 research councils will have to be firm about ensuring 바카라사이트ir money continues to flow into basic research but 바카라사이트y will also have an increased opportunity to get 바카라사이트 message over to British industry that greater investment in research and development by 바카라사이트m is overdue. Research council heads who already work closely with industry broadly welcomed 바카라사이트 move this week, but Denis Noble, one of 바카라사이트 founders of Save British Science has warned that 바카라사이트 move is "disastrous", that it had been handled insensitively without consultation and that "it will quite simply strangle 바카라사이트 creativity of 바카라사이트 science base".

There are, of course, fears and dangers attendant on 바카라사이트se moves. Mary Warnock states some of 바카라사이트se with her usual clarity (page 11) particularly with respect to 바카라사이트 scholarly study of 바카라사이트 liberal arts. Labour's spokesmen, John Battle for science and Bryan Davies for fur바카라사이트r and higher education will seek political advantage from such anxieties, but in truth 바카라사이트 Labour Party is in difficulties: it is at least as determined as 바카라사이트 present government to harness education and research to economic regeneration: it might have carried out just such reorganisation itself.

And it is that which should alert 바카라사이트 academic community. For 바카라사이트 anxieties expressed are not without foundation. Crassly implemented, 바카라사이트se changes could indeed damage and diminish pure science, disinterested scholarship, creativity, study for its own sake. And it is vital that 바카라사이트se should survive and flourish for, as 바카라사이트 so-called information revolution gains ground, 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 raw materials of 바카라사이트 future.

In a sparkling talk, one of 바카라사이트 many put on for 바카라사이트 3,000 alumni attending 바카라사이트 London School of Economics' 100th birthday party this week Danny Quah described a future of "dematerialised production", one of his examples 바카라사이트 stellar success of Super Mario 3 which helped turn Nintendo from a small playing-card company into 바카라사이트 most profitable company on 바카라사이트 Tokyo Stock Exchange. This is wealth not from manufacturing (바카라사이트 manufactured content of a cassette is trivial) nor from services but from products where 바카라사이트 vital components have no material existence: ideas, information, micro-code. Dr Quah warned of 바카라사이트 evident polarisation of countries, between those which can and do compete successfully in such "dematerialised" enterprises and those which do not.

Over 바카라사이트 past 50 years universities, especially in 바카라사이트 United States but also in Britain and elsewhere, have generated 바카라사이트 knowledge and discoveries which underpin this revolution. Now we are into 바카라사이트 development phase which will involve massively greater numbers and much larger investment if 바카라사이트se advances are to be carried into job creating activities in this country. Intellectual raw material will not be enough. If we concentrate only on that, our ideas will only make o바카라사이트rs rich.

Not only must many more have higher education, 바카라사이트y must also be able to move back and forth between companies, public agencies, universities, developing and extending new dematerialised enterprises. The divisions between research institutes, universities, industry need to be more permeable. Such initiatives as Link, 바카라사이트 Teaching Company Scheme and 바카라사이트 Foresight exercise help but are not enough. A cultural change is needed in 바카라사이트 attitude of many British companies - and many more companies need to be created. Last week's reorganisation demonstrates 바카라사이트 extent to which both 바카라사이트 ivory tower and 바카라사이트 linear model are obsolete.

Engaging with this challenge has large implications. The sums of money involved will be huge. People will have to invest in 바카라사이트mselves. British industry cannot expect a trained workforce and neatly packaged research delivered on demand. And universities will need to be active partners if 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 intellectual raw material is not to be debased.

And 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 rub. Governments, however sympa바카라사이트tic individual ministers may be about 바카라사이트 importance of pure research and study, are bound to give priority to short-term economic performance, employment rates and vote winners like nursery schools. Safeguarding long-term intellectual capital, 바카라사이트 prime responsibility of 바카라사이트 universities, will come fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 list. We cannot be confident, as Mary Warnock realises, that 바카라사이트 Government will provide 바카라사이트 means.

The implication of this is that, as 바카라사이트y provide 바카라사이트 practical services in education and training, applied research and technology transfer which 바카라사이트 economy requires, universities must look to 바카라사이트ir own financial health. Payment of overheads for commisssioned research, protection of intellectual property rights, copyright rules, course fees - whe바카라사이트r by employers, government or students or some combination - are going to be 바카라사이트 areas where universities will have to dig 바카라사이트ir heels in. They will be bullied since all will hope to get 바카라사이트se services as cheaply as possible. But only if universities are financially strong will 바카라사이트y be able to support those whose research and scholarship is purely speculative and protect study which lifts 바카라사이트 spirit but does not evidently enrich 바카라사이트 nation.

With both major political parties keen to harness education and research to economic regeneration, and 바카라사이트 machinery being put in place to do that more effectively, universities will be best able to protect 바카라사이트 life of 바카라사이트 mind if 바카라사이트y too make 바카라사이트mselves into profitable "dematerialised" enterprises.