The Case Diary includes the latest information on our activites. The Diary archive, available via the links on the left, includes diary entries as well as all the information from our What's New section.
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30/03/05 Science and Engineering in Further Education CaSE today held an Opinion Forum with scientists and engineers in the further education , to gain a deeper understanding of the problems faced by the sector. "Futher education is the poor relation of the education system," said Rosemary Davies of CaSE, "and we wanted to make sure that we understood what was going on. We had representatives from various colleges and from all the scientific and engineering disciplines. We were able to get a valuable picture of what is going on, and after further meetings with the sector, we will produce a report highlighting some of the main issues affecting science and engineering in further education colleges." This was the first in a new series of Opinion Fora that CaSE will be holding to engage with the widest possible range of people involved in science and engineering in the UK. 23/03/05 The Future of Science CaSE today highlighted some of the potential pitfalls for the future inherent in the way science is funded and organised in the UK. As part of the Cambridge Science Festival's meeting on the Future History of Science, CaSE Director Dr Peter Cotgreave outlined how the tendency towards big science will need to be counterbalanced with new ways of ensuring that lone mavericks will be able to make new discoveries. "It's also true that as science budgets rise, politicians take a closer and closer interest in what is being done with the money, and start to set political priorities that may clash with what the research community understands to be the most exciting opportunities. That will have to be handled carefully if we are to preserve the things that gave us the one of the best sciencs bases in the world." 22/03/05 Engineering CaSE today engaged with the engineering community at the Engineering Professors' Council annual meeting. As a guest speaker, the Director of CaSE, Dr Peter Cotgreave, raised the issues of engaging young people in science and engineering, poor funding of univesity research and the continued failure of some parts of British industry to invest in research and development. 21/03/05 Policies for the Next Five Years CaSE today launched a programme of science policies for the next five years.Speaking at the launch of Science Policies for the Next Parliament: Agenda 2005-2010, Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of CaSE, said: “The current Government has done much that is good for science and engineering, but there is a long way to go before we can achieve the Prime Minister’s aim of making the UK the best place in the world to for research and for science-based industry. This document sets out a detailed analysis of the current situation, and makes more than 60 recommendations for the Parliament and Government that will be elected at the coming General Election. 21/03/05 Campaign for Science & Engineering Save British Science today announced that from now on, it will operate under a new name - The Campaign for Science & Engineering, or CaSE for short. At a press launch in the House of Commons, Chairman Professor Richard Joyner said, "Under the CaSE banner, we will be able to do what the science and engineering community needs us to do". 16/03/05 Budget SBS today welcomed the Chancellor's strong rhetoric about science in his budget but warned that on one area - university funding - the government may still be underestimating the size of the problem. 15/03/05 Scientific Innovation SBS today pressed the Chancellor to use his budget today to promote scientific innovation. In an article for the Financial Times,SBS argues that there is critical gap in the economy between blue skies research in the public sector and product development in some parts of private industry. "We need targeted schemes to make sure that brilliant British ideas the taxpayer has funded are protected until they are proved to be feasible," says the article, "then UK companies could justify the expensive investment needed to develop the ideas into profitable services and products". 14/03/05 Science Careers SBS today highlighted the poor career structure for scientists in the academic and public sectors. In an interview for BBC Radio, SBS pointed out that short-term contracts, poor remuneration and decreasing freedom to pursue one's own research interests were all factors that made reserach careers less attractive than they used to be. The world is a hugely competitive place these days, and the UK cannot compete with China and India in terms of costs, we have to compete in terms of being clever, making new products and processes that other people around the world are prepared to pay for," said Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of SBS, "and that means having the best science base in the world." 08/03/05 Science in Scotlnad SBS was today delighted to be able to take our concerns about Scottish science direct to the politicians who can make a difference. At a dinner in the Scottish Parliament, an SBS delegation met with Nora Radcliffe MSP (Lib Dem), Dr Elaine Murray MSP (Lab), David Davidson MSP (Con), Robin Harper MSP (Green) and Brian Adam MSP (SNP). Professor Hugh Pennington of SBS's Advisory Council and Dr Vicki Stone of the Executive Committee joined with staff to discuss a wide range of issues from science in Scottish schools to the need to make better economic use of Scotland's science base. "This was an extremely useful meeting," said Vicki Stone, "and SBS will be providing the MSPs with more information and comment to help them keep scientific issues alive on the Scottish political agenda." 07/03/05 Science Budget Allocations SBS today welcomed the Prime Minister's confirmation of extra money for science, but warned that new safeguards are needed to preserve the fundamental research base on which the UK's technological supremacy has traditionally been built. 06/03/05 Science in Northern Ireland SBS today highlighted issues concerning science and technology in Northern Ireland. Publishing the text of a speech given at the University of Ulster a few weeks ago, SBS pointed out that Northern Ireland has an excellent high quality research base, and a more vibrant sector of innovative small and medium-sized companies, but it lacks the levels of public investment enjoyed elsewhere in the UK, and need more large science-based companies to locate facilities in Ulster if its economy is to thrive in the longer-term. 02/03/05 Scientific Careers SBS today highlighted the problem of poor careers advice for youngsters wanting to study science. In an article in the Daily Telegraph, SBS asks "Just what can you do with a science degree?". The article highlights how advice to youngsters still does not give them proper information about the wide range of opportunities available to science graduates. "Students gave evidence to Parliament last month to say their schools had been poor at providing advice and information, and careers advisers say they have good books about getting in the law or the media, but little material on developing careers in science," said Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of SBS. 01/03/05 Science & the General Election SBS was today delighted and proud to be one of the organisations involved as sponsors of the event Science and the General Election, coordinated by the Royal Society of Chemistry on behalf of the scientific community. "We think it is hugely important that politicians make their case to the scientific community, and to wider society in respect of their science policies," said Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of SBS, speaking in Westminster after Lord Sainsbury (Labour), Robert Key MP (Conservative) and Evan Harris (Lib Dem) set out their science agendas for the coming five years. |