I am not sure about the title of the series of articles that the NZ Herald is running in response to the Brash Taskforce, but the first from Auckland University Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon is a good one. I don’t agree with McCutcheon in terms of his comments re interest free student loans and student support, but his overall view that we must increase funding for research and education is undoubtedly true, and the real lack of doing this is one of the great shames of New Zealand’s response to the recession. The full article is worth a read, but this paragraph probably sums it up
I would invest in education, valuing our teachers – from pre-school to professors – as the professionals they truly are. I would focus on supporting our most able students to continue on to postgraduate study and research careers, rather than terminating the very scholarships that keep our best doctoral students in New Zealand, as the government has recently done.
Posted in Economy, Science and Education. |
Barack Obama is facing all kinds of issues in the US at the moment- healthcare reform, whether to put more troops into Afghanistan, climate change, you name it. All the while, he faces huge expectations on the left and visceral anger on the right.
But one thing he can point to is a stimulus package that has made some big investments in covers green jobs, extensive social assistance and research. The stimulus package included $21.5 billion in funding for research and development, particularly in leading edge genetic research. The money has been spread around the US, and is having a great effect in encouraging research where private sector funding has dried up.
This is the kind of long term thinking that has been missing from NZ’s response to the recession. Of course we don’t have $21 billion to do this, but our government has set on the sidelines, and worse still pulled back from research funding. If we want to improve productivity and develop a new economy, we need large scale investment. On this issue, the Obama administration is showing the way. (Hat tip: Lloyd Morrison)
Posted in Productivity and Science. |
Sometimes science is not the sexiest subject in the world. Certainly for those of us subjected to reciting the periodic table and lectures about turning off bunsen burners it did not come to life. But in New Zealand we have some terrific scientists who have the ability to bring to life their subject area. One of those is Peter Gluckman.
As such there is a lot to applaud in the government’s announcement that he will be acting in a part time capacity as a Science Advisor for the PM. Gluckman is a world leading scientist who at the Liggins Institute has pioneered studies of child development and its link to health in later life. Having him as a voice in the ear of the PM is great.
But the reality is all the advice in the world will mean next to nothing if resources are not available. Gluckman himself says he will not be involved in discussions about funding. There is a need for urgent discussions. As my colleague Moana Mackey has noted, the government is gutting science funding. They have ditched the $700 million Fast Forward fund in favour of a very modest $30 million agricultural science fund. They also ditched the R and D Tax Credit which was set to help increase our pitiful private sector spend on research and development.
And just last week Bill English let slip that tertiary education was a likely loser in the Budget. The linkage between universities and science and innovation in New Zealand needs to be enhanced, not cut back. In the midst of a recession it is the very time we need to invest in education and science so that we are able to jump start the economy and create jobs. The government bangs on about improving productivity. One of the keys to that is increasing R+D and innovation. It seems the government thinks the only way to productivity is to cut staff.
Gluckman says as part of his role he “wants to make science sexy and attractive”. Without funding from government and support to private research and development it is looking to be as unattractive as an ACT caucus pyjama party.
Posted in Science, Peter Gluckman, Innovation and Education. |
