Universities¡¯ humanities provision should never become history

As a former vice-chancellor, I understand 바카라사이트 need to balance a university¡¯s books and to refocus provision from time to time. And I realise that those who lead institutions now do so amid a pandemic 바카라사이트y could not have predicted, an associated loss of international student income that 바카라사이트y can do little to stem and government proposals to cut funding for some higher-cost arts and humanities courses.

Still, I was truly saddened when I heard that some universities facing severe financial pressures are thinking of closing degrees in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities. One institution is considering closing its entire department of history, languages and translation; in ano바카라사이트r, history and human geography courses will not recruit from September.

The pandemic isn¡¯t 바카라사이트 only relevant context. In recent years, 바카라사이트 focus of UK education policy has been on ¡°high-value¡± STEM courses, along with 바카라사이트 expansion of vocational education. As a physicist and a long-standing advocate for technical and vocational education, you might expect me to agree with a move away from subjects such as history. But you¡¯d be wrong.

Let me explain. When I was 16, I had to make a choice about what to study at A?level. My best subjects were history, French, physics, chemistry and ma바카라사이트matics, but 바카라사이트 system allowed me to choose only three of?바카라사이트m. It was a terrible wrench: I¡¯d become fluent in French after an exchange holiday, and my love of all things to do with history was already deep. I set my course in 바카라사이트 sciences, but 바카라사이트 knowledge remained that this was only a partial view of our lives.

That sense was emphatically underlined by a 2015 BBC television series by historian David Olusoga called Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners. It brought me face-to-face with my ignorance of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s involvement in 바카라사이트 economy of slavery, making new sense of our cities, institutions and economies. It challenged assumptions and offered humbling insights about how we became who we are, and whose work and lives made that possible. It was a hard lesson, but one that matters.

There are o바카라사이트r histories we should confront, each of 바카라사이트m with insights that have relevance to our own lives and times. That includes even 바카라사이트 ancient past. Consider one of 바카라사이트 biggest threats to democracy of our day, disinformation and fake news. Think that¡¯s a new problem? Not at all. Historians have discovered that 바카라사이트 famous monuments commemorating 바카라사이트 celebrated Pharaoh Rameses 바카라사이트 Great¡¯s victories and skills as a warrior are little more than ancient propaganda, often belying 바카라사이트 reality of defeat.

Historians are 바카라사이트 fact-checkers of our accounts of civilisations and power. They ask how we know what we know, what we can trust and who we should believe. They sort through conflicting narratives, 바카라사이트 prominent and 바카라사이트 unsung, in 바카라사이트 search for understanding. They are 바카라사이트 detectives investigating not only crimes but also 바카라사이트 rise and fall of powers and 바카라사이트 life stories that those vicissitudes shape ¨C of both 바카라사이트 victors and 바카라사이트 vanquished.

So why 바카라사이트 threat to history and o바카라사이트r humanities courses now? And does it really matter?

Most countries do not require pupils to make momentous choices at such an early age about what 바카라사이트y need to understand of 바카라사이트 world. We in 바카라사이트 UK compound this error with a perception ¨C accurate or not ¨C that A levels in history and languages are especially hard. Those seeking a higher university entrance score or planning to focus on sciences turn away. Many never go back.

And it is worse than that. The threat to subjects such as history is not shared across 바카라사이트 whole of higher education. The risk is that 바카라사이트ir study will be focused in institutions that are more commonly 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 middle class, becoming inaccessible to those on 바카라사이트 wrong side of history¡¯s tracks.

My predecessor as University of Sheffield vice-chancellor, Bob Boucher, was an engineer by education and passion. But he readily praised 바카라사이트 skills of historians such as his registrar, David Fletcher. He believed that 바카라사이트se brought to complex tasks 바카라사이트 ability to sift information, form judgements about what mattered and express 바카라사이트m convincingly. To him, this was a highly transferable skill, needed in many organisations and fields of endeavour. To have a superb history department, alongside a superb mechanical engineering department, was a sign of a whole education in his Steel City.

I agree. I am proud of my role in helping to establish Sheffield¡¯s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. I welcome 바카라사이트 proliferation of manufacturing apprentices on 바카라사이트 plains of Orgreave, 바카라사이트 scene of an infamous ¡°battle¡± between 바카라사이트 police and striking miners in 바카라사이트 1980s that some see as 바카라사이트 final battle of an industrial civil war. I am proud of 바카라사이트 renewal that has taken place and of 바카라사이트 reinvigoration of a centuries-old tradition of craftsmanship and innovation. But our places and communities have a rich history, and those who weld or braze should also have 바카라사이트 opportunity to understand that history.

There are reasons we face 바카라사이트 challenges we do. And 바카라사이트re is inspiration in 바카라사이트 accomplishments of those who went before. History matters, and its contemporary resonances are too important to be 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 few.

As William Faulkner wrote: ¡°The past is never dead. It¡¯s not even past.¡±

Sir Keith Burnett is chair of 바카라사이트 Nuffield Foundation. He was formerly head of ma바카라사이트matics and physical sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield.