IN my first engagement as Education Minister, I opened the Digital Economy Research and Development event in Cardiff. Research and development undertaken at Welsh universities is invaluable to businesses, industry and the economy.
We can be proud of the calibre of higher education institutions in Wales. Universities the length and breadth of the country continue to gain outstanding international reputations, acting as centres of learning and knowledge, while playing a major role supporting the Welsh economy through pioneering research and innovation.
Their research programmes are having an impact on a global scale. Universities are working together to lead the way in improving our understanding of how climate change will affect the earth’s environment and all our lives.
The Welsh Assembly Government recently funded a £4m research programme to bring together nearly 200 experts in four Welsh universities, to ensure we have a sustainable, low-carbon future.
But we can and must do more. The First Minister outlined in his manifesto the need for “a more focused agenda on winning more research money for universities in Wales”. That will be a priority as we move ahead.
Following the recent review of higher education in Wales by Professor Merfyn Jones of Bangor University, we have outlined clearly how we want to develop the sector, making it sharper and more effective to meet the complex and changing demands of the 21st century.
Improved access, flexible learning, better collaboration between universities and business, more world-class research and the development of the university Heads of the Valleys initiative and launch of the Coleg Ffederal – to offer more courses in Welsh – are the cornerstones of this transformation. Our higher education strategy was published a few weeks ago and I have now asked officials to develop an implementation plan to take forward the strategy.
For higher education to continue to be a success and an internationally recognised force, we must make sure that it’s flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of society in Wales. We also need to make sure that our universities and our further education colleges in Wales work together to make a wider choice of learning pathways available to school leavers in every part of Wales.
As the First Minister also said, we need to match better university courses and the Welsh economy, and also drive partnerships between higher education and our major anchor companies.
We want to see universities providing high quality education for people from all backgrounds with access based on ability and achievement. Financial barriers must not deter potential students from less privileged backgrounds going to university.
With this in mind, from 2010-11 more grant support will be targeted at the students who need it most – with improved Welsh bursaries being made available to those from low income households.
With the Welsh Assembly Government being the single largest investor in higher education in Wales, spending some £400m a year, it is imperative that we get the most out of the vibrant higher education sector in Wales. Graduates are the doctors and scientists, the business leaders and educators of the future.
Ideas that emerge through university research can be the basis of the business ventures of the future to create new employment opportunities here in Wales. Universities’ contribution to communities, the significant impact they have on business and the economy, as well as to Welsh cultural life as a whole, can never be underestimated.
I look forward to meeting students and staff of our universities in the new year. Through their academic excellence and passion for learning, we can continue to build Wales’ reputation for international higher education excellence, while reaping the benefits that successful universities can bring closer to home in Wales.
Western Mail column
