The Guardian, The spending review is just the start of a battle for UK research
With November 25th approaching, how the Comprehensive Spending Review will change the future of higher education and research has caused concern. The leaked BIS 2020 document hinted reductions to more than half of their partner organisations, cuts in operating costs, and reducing BIS sites by over 90% into ‘centres of excellence’. Added to this is the awaited Green Paper, proposing further changes such as the regulatory landscape and teaching framework.
As with other proposed policies and cuts across government departments, criticism as to whether reforms are being pushed through Parliament as financial measures rather than public policy matters may be justified. At the same time, we may find solace that the Green Paper is now in the process of Government ‘write round’, which means that all ministers will get to comment on the paper. Nevertheless, there is still a sense that ‘current perturbations are motivated less by evidence, or the lessons of international experience, and more by a desire to curb spending’.
Following Science is Vital’s rhetoric, there is a need for unity across the HE community, who also need to continue conducting evidence-informed research on the impact of emerging policies.