I recently wrote an article about the need for science policy in the EU, I also spoke about the need for investment in science at the Lib Dem federal conference in Brighton this year. A common theme in both is the need to invest in science to get the economy moving, not just for today, but to build an economy for the future.
So it was with interest that I read the report from the Higher Education Committee stating that the postgraduate system in the UK is failing to produce the number of highly skilled staff required by a modern economy. Universities are seen to be attracting more overseas students (who pay higher fees) than training UK students.
As a result the UK is falling behind in terms of investing in research, and it is predicted that this will lead to long term failings in the UK economy.
There is an ever increasing need for more technical experts, which require postgraduate degrees to improve innovation in the UK. For this reason I reiterate the calls from the Science Policy paper, to make a postgraduate loan available for studies, but also to increase the rate of investment in STEM subjects by 3% above the level of inflation.
