News & Views item - November 2005

 

 

"I’m from Missouri and I am well aware of the old adage that sometimes to get a mule to move, you first have to whack it over the head with a two-by-four." (November 4, 2005)

    Former University of Michigan President James Duderstadt calling on US Midwestern universities and colleges to pressure legislators for funding to help move the region from a manufacturing-based economy to one that’s knowledge-based.

 

This past September Duderstadt, as Project Director for the Millennium Project of the University of Michigan, published the detailed 107 page assessment A Roadmap to Michigan’s Future: Meeting the Challenge of a Global Knowledge-Driven Economy -- A Strategic Roadmapping Exercise.

 

As what may be considered an over reaching view he says that Midwest states that cut taxes rather than invest in higher education and innovation are "consuming the seed corn for (their) future" and claims there is growing recognition around the world that economic security, social well-being and national security are all linked to education and innovation.

 

He shows that "drastic cuts in state appropriations over the past five years are crippling the state's public universities."

 

There are clear parallels with the pressures being exerted on Australia's public universities with one outstanding exception - the Australian Federal Government continues to point with pride to its annual budget surpluses and year after year cuts taxes rather than invest in higher education and innovation thereby consuming the seed corn for the nation's future.

 

Duderstadt, along with his charts depicting university appropriations, includes one of unemployment rates and median incomes for individuals attaining eight educational standards -- from those not finishing high school through those obtaining doctorates.

 

And just for good measure he produces a chart of President Bush's non-defence R&D budget showing the President's obsession with manned rocketing to the Moon and Mars through the proposals of NASA budgets, which despite the increases will be reducing support for scientific projects (see below).

 

     [FYES = Fiscal-Year-Equivalent Student]

 

 

On November 4 news@nature.com reported:

NASA administrator Mike Griffin has confirmed speculation that even more of its science projects would be cut or delayed in an attempt to keep President Bush's 'vision for space' alive.
    On 3 November, Griffin told a US House Committee that NASA is US$3-5 billion short on funds to finish the space shuttle programme through to its retirement in 2010. Such shortfalls mean NASA has had to get its priorities in order and make some serious cuts to close part of this funding gap. To that end, Griffin unveiled a series of belt-tightening measures that will see key research programmes in life science and nuclear energy "discontinued, de-scoped or delayed".
    The bad news isn't exactly a surprise. Griffin's testimony, given in his second appearance before the committee in four months, follows much speculation about how NASA would stretch its budget to cover the retirement of the shuttle, completion of the International Space Station (ISS), and its new vision to return astronauts to the Moon.