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Support our university sector

According to official figures, the funding gap in higher education between Wales and England grew by 53% last year. The Funding Gap Report for 2005/06 shows that in one year, the deficit in public funding of universities in Wales, compared to England, rose from £40 million to £61 million, although what is even more worrying is that this gap is predicted to rise again in 2006/07 to £70 million.

This blog has repeatedly written about the importance of the university sector and I am over in the USA this week repeating the message, namely that the real trick for prosperous economies is linking science and enterprise, the laboratory and the market-place together

As numerous business experts will tell you, the Holy Grail is the creation of an entrepreneurial, technologically competent workforce that can create high value-added ideas, businesses and products, as has happened in key growth regions such as Silicon Valley, Route 128 and, of course, the Research Triangle in North Carolina (where I am visiting this week).

If the Assembly ain't serious about supporting the university sector, then we might as well forget about the economy.

Comments

Anonymous said…
BBC Wales have completely ignored this story.

What on earth are they playing at?
April 23, 2008 9:30 am
Dr. Christopher Wood said…
... and US universities patent their inventions and discoveries ... without protecting their intellectual property there would be very little interest from investors in commercializing them. Chicago University files more patents than all of the universities in Wales combined.

I once worked at a Chicago law firm that drafted many patent applications for a major player in the Research Triangle, NC. I wrote a few of them. Companies there file lots of patents. Will you bring this lesson back to Wales Glyn?
April 23, 2008 11:11 am
Anonymous said…
'If the Assembly ain't serious about supporting the university sector, then we might as well forget about the economy'

despite yours, mine and other people's best efforts Dylan our political class and some business leaders even in these uncertain times seem unable to grasp the opportunities before them, hardly a surprise but extremely worrying in the short, medium and long term for even modest economic growth and closing the GDP gap between Wales and the UK, which in tern would help improve people's living standards, wages and business all of the policies the Labour Party and more recently Plaid Cymru keep on saying they want, but to do this as we all know you have to keep the brightest and best in Wales we have to look after them and nurture them for all our benefit. I have worked all around the world it is really encouraging to see large numbers of highly qualified students from Wales and at the same time disheartening that they are giving their services to companies in other countries. Action is indeed needed as NOW.

Hope the lecture goes well, good to see that after Joe's great win on the weekend others are still out there fighting for Wales in America :)
April 23, 2008 11:25 am
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