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Research Assessment Exercise Wales 2008

The term 'world class' or 'world leading' is one that is often bandied around in policy circles in Wales.

Therefore, many in higher education have been waiting, with some anticipation, for the results of the latest Research Assessment Exercise which rates various departments according to their research excellence.

The top mark of 4* equates to 'world leading' research and 3* to internationally excellent. Overall, 17 per cent of UK university departments fell into that 4* category and 37 per cent into the 3* category.

There will be many ways that HE institutions will examine this data and I am sure marketing officers across the sector are working on ways to spin the results.

However, it is worth noting that there is world leading research IN EVERY UNIVERSITY in Wales, and the trick is to build on this success across the sector. In particular, HEFCW and the Welsh Assembly Government must not forget the 4* researchers within our smaller institutions that, unlike the prevalent view of some elitists within our educational system, clearly have much to offer the nation in niche areas of expertise.

Finally, I would like to list and congratulate those departments that have scored more than the national average as 'world leading research departments' and for putting Wales amongst the best globally in their subjects. I am particularly pleased that CAWCS - the University of Wales' only research centre - has had some of the best ratings in Wales and is going to head to head with Cambridge as the leading institution in Celtic Studies.

(The proportion of 4* research is in brackets).

Aberystwyth
Computer Science and Informatics (25%)
Geography and Environmental Studies (20%)
Politics and International Studies (40%)
European Studies (20%)
Celtic Studies (25%)
Drama, Dance and Performing Arts (30%)

Bangor
Electrical and Electronic Engineering (30%)
Psychology (20%)
Music (25%)

Cardiff
Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology (20%)
Allied Health Professions and Studies (20%)
Computer Science and Informatics (20%)
Civil Engineering (25%)
Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering (20%)
Architecture and the Built Environment (20%)
Town and Country Planning (30%)
Business and Management Studies (35%)
Law (25%)
Sociology (25%)
Psychology (25%)
English Language and Literature (35%)
Communication, Cultural and Media Studies (45%)

Swansea
Allied Health Professions and Studies (20%)
Computer Science and Informatics (25%)
Civil Engineering (35%)
Celtic Studies (20%)

University of Wales
Celtic Studies (35%)

Comments

Anonymous said…
didn't your old department at Bangor achieve the only "best in the UK" rating for a Welsh University - accountancy & banking? thought you may have noted that as opposed to highlighting the entrepreneurial celtic studies..

Disappointing that cardiff fell so far down the Times HE Table but imagine it's more a financial game they are playing by including more researchers in the hope of capturing far more of the available monies. Mind you only 67% were entered?

Aber entered circa 94%, Bangor 79%, Swansea 88%, Newport 13% etc.

When you look at the results it really is quite impressive - not so much the institutional ratings - but that the research strengths are in what seems more ike more "proper" research areas. Computing, electronic engineering, civil engineering, cognitive & health and psychology, health sciences etc. Even music I would rate highly - to produce 25% world leading research is impressive when you think about the esteemed institutions in Europe and nearer home.

Not sure what happened to UWIC's sports sciences departments - perhaps splitting the submission was a mistake..?

Overall, not brilliant across the board but some fantastic specialisms now clearly developing. UWIC need to take heed of Newport's clever submission (or was it?) - to rate 55th by only putting 28 staff forward was clever, but will probably not pay off this time around. But good kudos for relatively little effort

To summarise, well done but need to move on and further specialise and improve. Much more joint working and submissions next time...back to a federal Uni anyone?

Mr logicmanblue
December 18, 2008 11:17 pm
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans said…
Thanks for this. I wrote the piece just before I got on the plane from Singapore and had about half an hour to look at the results on the spreadsheets and picked out the main details only. I also looked for our research centre's excellent results which, if we want tp push the spin to its limit out, makes makes us the University with the best average research grading in the UK :)

So belated congrats to Bangor Business School who have invested heavily in professorships and it seems to have paid off, although the same probably cannot be said of the rest of the institution.

As for institutional cross-collaborative strategies for research, watch this space....
December 20, 2008 5:38 am
Anonymous said…
Don't be an apologist for Bangor. In the sciences, where it counts, they ahd a higher proportion of 1* and 2* scores than 3* and 4*. Despite spending millions of pound sof public funding, they are worse off than ever.
December 20, 2008 6:37 pm
Anonymous said…
i must be bored but... in a swansea v Bangor head to head in the sciences (where both were entered) this is how it paned out:

Research area Inst Ave 4*

Health Services - Swan - 2.15 (0)
- Bang - 1.9 (5)
Biological Sci - Swa - 1.9 (0)
- Ban - 2.1 (5)
Computer Sci - Swa - 2.9 (25)
- Ban - 2.5 (15)
Elect Engineer - Swa - 2.0 (10)
- Ban - 2.95 (30)
Psychology - Swa - 2.2 (5)
- Bang - 2.75 (20)
Sport Sciences - Swa - 1.35 (0)
- Ban - 2.25 (10)

So there you have it... head to head Bangor came out trumps and produced world leading work in all areas submitted. In the sciences alone swansea had three areas with no world leading stuff produced at all.

In summary 12% of Bangor research is world leading, 11% of Swansea. And both institutions have almost identical 3* 2* and 1*
Bangor has 48% of its work in top two grades, Swansea 47% - this puts them pretty equal i think? Aber were 48% too but had 16% at 4* - excellent stuff

it's all stats of course but the only institution to show real increased value across the board in the RAE has been Aber and well done to them

On the Lancaster university alternative league Aber are actually 24th ranked, Swansea 37th, Bangor 41st and Cardiff 47! Newport 103, Glamorgan 83.. But no one can really use this league table but it's interesting...

Cardiff still a country mile ahead of all the others of course - including celtic research institutes.....

Mr Logicmanblue
December 20, 2008 11:31 pm
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans said…
Mr LogicMan Blue - you must be bored!! Interestingly, you have also shown that the results can be spun in any way you wish to which, you could argue, devalues them considerably. The main issue is how HEFCW will fund research in Wales and whether they will provide funding for the fledgling sprouts of research excellence in the post 1992 institutions. I have my doubts and that any formula will be biased in favour of the existing institutions. However, we will see.
December 21, 2008 6:58 am
Anonymous said…
any institution that submitted research which never scored a 4* should ask serious questions of themselves ie. "what's the point being involved in research in these areas if you are not producing any world significance material?"

Investment must reflect specialisms and more joint working promoted further. I too doubt if post92s will see much of the hefcw funding pool, other than glamorgan, and i understand why.

Somewhere along the line we seem to forget about students - there's nothing wrong with being a (occupational) teaching intensive institutions. Indeed we need them, now more than ever. It's not all about cutting edge research - it's also about tomorrow's technicians, designers, managers and competent workforces.

ps. yes i was bored, the household are all suffering with this winter bug and the computer is in a sterile room ;-)

Nadolig Llawen

Mr Logicmanblue
December 21, 2008 2:54 pm
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