The Conundrum That is Gordon Brown. (May 17, 2007)

    In just six weeks time Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown (56), will take over the Prime Ministership from Tony Blair. The effect that transition will have on on the UK's and particularly England's academe and research, scientific and otherwise is by no means clear.

Gargi Bhattacharyya

Dr. Brown, he holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Edinburgh, has been a champion of science and the tertiary sector throughout his years as Chancellor and by many is considered the brains behind the Blair government's direction and management of his nation's economy.

Now with his elevation to No. 10 Gargi Bhattacharyya* warns in The Guardian, "Gordon Brown needs to listen to his fellow academics and save the university sector from its funding crisis," while Nature in its lead editorial today warns:

...there are two notable concerns on the horizon. One is that, faced with day-to-day responsibility for everything from hospital waiting lists to the occupation of Iraq, Brown is bound to leave decisions about science and innovation in the hands of colleagues. Few senior Labour politicians other than Brown have shown much interest in, or commitment to, science, so this change could bode ill.

 

Second, Brown's electoral prospects are less bright than those of Blair before the past three elections. Brown leads a party with which the electorate is disenchanted against a Conservative opposition that has found new appeal under the leadership of David Cameron. There is scant indication that the Conservatives are champing at the bit to invest money in the universities. Instead, they are likely to seek reductions in public spending in almost all areas that are less politically sensitive than health or schools — areas such as scientific research.

And with that Nature urges Britain's researchers to make the case for continued strong support for them and the universities, pointing out somewhat ruefully, "Their current happy state is not of their own making... the research community has done little to improve its lot... [but it must now] communicate their accomplishments to politicians of all parties and to the public at large, thus justifying the generosity they have received."

Dr Bhattacharyya tells us, "...unlike some of the other scholars turned politicos of recent government, Brown has worn his big brain as a prized asset. No false blokeiness for him, forays into cosmetic dental work and the Arctic Monkeys aside. So when things sour and Blair waltzes off to some superficial schmaltz and another press conference, Gordon sits at home, writes a book about political idealism, or does some calculations and all that bad-tempered brooding is because the world does not see the value of his exceptional cleverness. Don't we just know how he feels?"

Dr Bhattacharyya follows hoping that the pressures of the Prime Ministership will still leave room for Dr Brown to give some thought to some of the matters that need attention in academe. Some excerpts:

• Higher education is being fragmented by attempts to introduce the market and in the process the ethos of learning and scholarship and the integrity of education are under serious attack... no-one who works in the sector believes that the funding crisis has been fixed.

• The question for a Brown government is not only how to find university funding but also how to stabilise it so that jobs and vulnerable disciplines are not lost.

• Higher education benefits the whole of society... The loss of university jobs and subject areas causes long-term damage to education and to society and the economy. This damage cannot be undone easily.

• My students long for what they imagine the authentic student experience to be... a chance to develop their own intellectual capacities and inclinations under the tutelage of knowledgeable scholars. This is almost impossible given the numbers on most courses.

• We need to regain the ethos of university education in a way that feels real to students and that is resourced adequately.

• Proposals to reward institutions that are able to raise private funds, another passing promise in the project to secure the Blair legacy, will distort the planning and provision of higher education. Less prestigious institutions or those with less wealthy alumni will suffer.

• ...someone looking ahead to their own legacy might use their big brain to re-imagine universities as a national treasure not unlike the NHS, something that the public blame you for not spending money on.

*Gargi Bhattacharyya BA (Oxon), PhD (London) is a Senior Lecturer in Race and Racisms, Sexualities and Social Identities and Structures at the University of Birmingham.