SELLING SCOTLAND'S SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE

097/2005 | 27 October 2005

Scotland's top scientists say that the country must do much more to market itself as a global centre of academic excellence if it is to compete internationally in ten years’ time.

And they propose the establishment of an advanced study institute for strategic debate on the role of the sciences in determining economic growth and employment in future.

A report from the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), following a joint session at Holyrood with the Parliament's Futures Forum on 2 September, notes that applied research in Scotland lags behind the rest of the UK.

It makes proposals on the creation of centres of excellence and increased support for academic researchers early in their career. It also argues for stronger collaboration between universities and industry.

The full report, “Attracting, Retaining and Recognising Scotland's Research Talent”, is available on the websites of both the Scottish Parliament and the Royal Society.

Alex Neil MSP, a member of the Forum's board, said: “By examining the importance of scientific research to Scotland in ten years’ time, we can start planning for it now.”

More than 100 of Scotland’s top scientists discussed the impact of research talent on Scotland’s future at the SFF / Royal Society of Edinburgh colloquium in the Parliament’s Main Chamber on 2 September.

They said that, if Scotland is to compete in the global marketplace, the country must be marketed as a centre of academic excellence. They called for the establishment of an advanced study unit as “a meeting place, think tank and focus for strategic debate on different scientific disciplines”.

The colloquium also examined fears that Scotland is suffering, or will suffer, a ‘brain drain’, exacerbated by more selective research funding in England, but today’s report highlights a lack of clear evidence. There were similar perceptions reported in Australia, but a systematic, in-depth study revealed no major problem in the southern hemisphere.

Delegates concluded there needs to be a proper assessment of the number of researchers coming in to and leaving the country, and of what stage of their career they are at.

Background Note on Scotland’s Futures Forum (SFF)

The SFF Board met on 18 August. Board members are: Sarah Boyack MSP, Campbell Christie, John Elvidge, Margaret Ford, Alex Neil MSP, Tim O’Shea, and Susan Rice.

SFF ran a session in June 2005 with Children in Scotland on ‘re-imagining the children’s workforce of the future”, with contributions from Hungarian and Swedish experts. A copy of the report is being sent to every MSP in November. Other developments include:

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland has offered SFF assistance to undertake any financial research required by MSPs during futures projects.
• The Tomorrow Project and the Scottish Executive has agreed to partner SFF in holding a futures networking event in the Parliament each year, linked to the themes of ongoing futures project work. The first has been arranged for December 2005.
• Lord Browne, Group Chief Executive of petroleum company BP plc, has agreed to address MSPs on global futures at an SFF event in June 2006.
• SFF is developing a Futures event with the Cross Party Group on the Economy and the BBC series Dragons’ Den on future conditions for entrepreneurs in Scotland.
• Senior civil servants from the Northern Ireland Office have been to Holyrood to examine how the SFF model can be adapted for futures thinking in Northern Ireland. The Office of the French Prime Minister has described SFF on its website as “creative and innovative” and “an initiative to be watched”.
  

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