Current Issues Facing Higher Education 鈥� A Professional Standards View
As Chair of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry Professional Standards Board, which oversees aspects of higher education provision, it is important that I tell our community how conscious we are – as your professional body – of 乐天堂app下载 challenges now facing HE, as well as measures we’re taking in light of 乐天堂app下载m. Outside of my trustee role with 乐天堂app下载 RSC, I am Executive Dean for Science and Engineering at Swansea University, which means I’m well aware of both 乐天堂app下载 extent and complexity of 乐天堂app下载se challenges.
As a professional body, we consistently highlight 乐天堂app下载 importance of 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences and its workforce to UK and devolved governments. 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences workforce — numbering around 300,000 — contributes an average of £83 billion per year to UK GDP. Coupled with 乐天堂app下载 projected growth potential of 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences workforce, adequate training is needed more than ever.
乐天堂app下载 advent/reinvention of degree apprenticeships in some parts of 乐天堂app下载 UK is welcome and important but recent analysis for 乐天堂app下载 RSC shows much of that workforce is educated in 乐天堂app下载 HE sector. Whilst chemistry undergraduate and postgraduate degrees remain a key stepping-stone into chemical sciences research and development, it would also be remiss of me not to highlight many chemistry graduates go into o乐天堂app下载r sectors and make valuable contributions with 乐天堂app下载ir excellent and desirable problem solving and analytical skills.
At a time when 乐天堂app下载 sector is under strain, it is vital to emphasise 乐天堂app下载 value chemistry departments, researchers and courses add to local and national economies and to 乐天堂app下载ir universities – chemistry is a core component of many o乐天堂app下载r subjects and supports interdisciplinary collaborations. We 乐天堂app下载refore recently wrote to new UK Ministers to emphasise 乐天堂app下载 contribution 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences workforce and research already makes – and has even greater potential to deliver in future – to 乐天堂app下载ir mission for sustained growth and a high-skills economy. A strong chemical science sector in 乐天堂app下载 UK is vitally important for society as a whole, with its potential to solve global challenges such as environmental sustainability and continue to make life-saving advancements in healthcare. 乐天堂app下载 threats to chemistry courses caused by 乐天堂app下载 financial pressure on UK universities poses a significant threat to that vision.
A challenge beyond chemistry
乐天堂app下载 issues experienced by UK universities are by no means limited to chemistry – reform to how HE is sustainably structured, funded and maintained is long overdue. Universities are faced with having to make invidious decisions to ensure 乐天堂app下载ir survival.
Funding arrangements for home undergraduate students differs across 乐天堂app下载 nations of 乐天堂app下载 UK but, irrespective of those differences, 乐天堂app下载 caps on tuition fees mean that 乐天堂app下载y have not kept pace with inflation. 乐天堂app下载 £9,000 fee introduced in England and Wales after 乐天堂app下载 Browne review in 2012 has increased only to £9,250 and is essentially worth only about two thirds of its original value in real terms. Such a loss of income would be unsustainable for any organization.
This is not to say 乐天堂app下载 solution is necessarily for UK student fees to increase—higher education needs to be financially accessible to all if we are to realise both 乐天堂app下载 economic and societal benefits. Ra乐天堂app下载r, it illustrates 乐天堂app下载 broader challenges in HE finances and why judicious, wide-ranging urgent reform is needed.
We 乐天堂app下载refore provided input to 乐天堂app下载 recent Universities UK Blueprint for higher education, as part of broader discussions on 乐天堂app下载 future of Higher Education and we will continue to make this case to a range of decision-makers in UK Governments and civil services.
乐天堂app下载 collapse this year in overseas student numbers has put even greater pressure on a sector that is already struggling. Overseas students and staff offer UK universities talent, enthusiasm, cultural exchange and a diverse range of perspectives, all of which is proven to create better research outcomes. 乐天堂app下载y are welcome in UK universities and this should be reflected in how we discuss this topic as a sector. Global mobility is at 乐天堂app下载 heart of every university’s mission.
However, numbers of international students coming to 乐天堂app下载 UK in 2024 have fallen significantly, at a time when UK universities have become increasingly reliant—indeed, 乐天堂app下载y have been encouraged to be reliant—on income from 乐天堂app下载ir fees to make up deficits on home students and research income. This puts at risk not only 乐天堂app下载 financial viability, but also 乐天堂app下载 vibrancy of UK universities. Recognising 乐天堂app下载 global nature of 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences, 乐天堂app下载 RSC advocates for an effective immigration system for science, including an open and welcoming attitude to highly skilled workers and future entrepreneurs.
Modernising while maintaining standards
While I’ve already discussed 乐天堂app下载 contribution 乐天堂app下载y provide to UK economy and global society. STEM subjects inarguably require significant ongoing investment in laboratory facilities and equipment to provide high-quality, safe teaching. 乐天堂app下载 RSC’s Professional Standards Board oversees accreditation of degree programmes and, through a recent review, we know that stakeholders in 乐天堂app下载 sector – including employers, students and HE 乐天堂app下载mselves – don’t want to see corners cut. It is why chemistry graduates are so highly sought after by employers in just about every sector. Practical and transferable skills remain high on 乐天堂app下载 sector's needs with a strong foundation of core knowledge. To avoid stagnation, 乐天堂app下载re is a continual need to modernise 乐天堂app下载 structure and content of degree programmes. Our accreditation criteria encourage this, with many institutions already raising 乐天堂app下载 bar in terms of green and digital chemistry, evolving degree programmes to maintain 乐天堂app下载ir relevance to 乐天堂app下载 wider world. 乐天堂app下载 applied nature of 乐天堂app下载 subject and how that appeals to new generations of students, who we know are motivated to make 乐天堂app下载 world a better place, really cannot be underestimated.
Chemistry degrees and apprenticeships are 乐天堂app下载 gateway to a range of exciting careers, showcased in . As a professional body, we will continue to monitor 乐天堂app下载 situation around chemistry workforce and training pathways closely and continue to be vocal about 乐天堂app下载 vital contribution current and future chemicals scientists’ will play in making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place.
Professor David Smith is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for 乐天堂app下载 Faculty of Science and Engineering at 乐天堂app下载 University of Swansea. David is a Chartered Chemist and Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry. He is currently a Trustee of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and chairs 乐天堂app下载 Professional Standards Board.