Engineer readers believe the new organisation to support space technology teaching in the UK will be most valuable to strengthen STEM take-up
A clear majority of the 221 readers who responded to last week’s poll believe that the new Space Universities Network, formed to provide resources and organise events to support the teaching of space science and engineering in the UK, will be most valuable in helping to promote the uptake of science, technology, engineering and maths, with 58 per cent choosing this option. More optimistic responders comprised the next-largest group, with 26 per cent saying that the network would make the UK a world-leading nation; another 10 per cent took the more pessimistic option, saying that other nations were now too far ahead for the UK to catch up. Only 6 per cent declined to pick an option.
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Just don’t expect governments of whatever hue to maintain a consistent funding policy for this if the economy takes a dip. It would be nice to think that a fixed % of GDP could be allocated, but I somehow doubt it. Still, fingers crossed…
One cannot but applaud this initiative. BUT…(here goes Mike with one of his caveats!)
We in the UK make hardly any machine tools, textile machines, food machines, extrusion items, injection moulding units and import far too high a percentage of just about every other mechanism in home, farm, office, shop, garage, service area,,,..you add to the list: I am sure there are lots more aspects to manufacture where we are no longer active.
Now I recognise that these might not be areas that will get academics onto the intellectual equivalent of Britain’s got talent or the X-factor: but surely our ‘leaders’ only have to look at those nations who do make this day-to-day, almost mundane but ESSENTIAL kit and notice the difference(s) in their financial and industrial success? What will have to happen before ‘they’ take note? And when might such occur?
As I believe is the case, we know less about most of the deep oceans than the surface of our nearest neighbour in Space. Not as sexy (are you sure!) but 20 X more important?
At least it will identify areas where the industry has lagged and need rejuvenation plus the look around all that needs to be squared up and assimilated. A good apportunity. There is only one thing to remember that human skills need to be updated and sustained. There is no human skill that is a waste or useless.
“Aerospace” is usually “defence”. Selling missiles to governments to pay for that satellite watching floods. There might be limited interest in the younger generation to sell their soul.