Time to leave, but also to get on with the job
27 Jun 2016 by Evoluted New Media
My initial reaction, perhaps like many, is that I’m relieved that the referendum campaign is now over.
My initial reaction, perhaps like many, is that I’m relieved that the referendum campaign is now over.
Not least because the debate didn’t always bring out the best in us. However, the referendum provided a valuable, and perhaps unique, opportunity for the sector to collectively consider and reflect on how science and engineering interact with the EU and also how we might like it to look different – whether the country voted to remain or leave.
How the EU interacts with UK science and engineering is an important, but perhaps often invisible, piece in a wider puzzle. Research is one of the areas where the relationship between the EU and the UK is healthiest. Back in December we published a report about the role of EU membership in UK science and engineering research. This included asking scientists and engineers themselves about how they saw the UK interacted with the EU on research and its impact on UK science. And researchers themselves are overwhelmingly positive on the EU, with 93% agreeing that EU membership is a major benefit to UK science and engineering. Other surveys and polls of the sector examining voting intention showed that a clear majority were voting remain.
In the end, of course, the result went the other way.
Although it is unlikely to have played much of a role in the decision to vote leave or remain for most, the role of EU membership in UK science and engineering research is not simply a question of importance to the UK science base, but also to the wider UK public. First-class research is critical to innovation and industry in the UK, with a skilled workforce and a strong research base being considered vital for the UK’s future prosperity. Investment in UK science and engineering creates a virtuous cycle, bringing in industry investment, raising productivity, and creating more high-value jobs. Science and engineering are also essential in producing more effective medicines, cleaner energy, generating new technologies, and tackling the major challenges facing our society now, and in generations to come.
So the job now is to ensure that we work together as a sector so that science thrives in this new environment. What could immigration policy look like? What will our relationship be with EU science structures and programmes? Could UK funding step in where EU funding drops? What agreement will we reach with our European neighbours regarding movement of people for research and study?
There are lots of questions. We know for certain how the UK have voted, but lots of uncertainty remains. CaSE will do what we can to ensure the needs, concerns and proactive ideas from the sector are heard so that we can all work towards a good outcome for science in the long-term.
Author: Naomi Weir, Assistant Director at CaSE
