With the appointment of Theresa May as the new Prime Minister, CaSE
has examined her science credentials and asks, will the former Home Secretary be a pro-science Prime Minister?
The early signs are encouraging.
Last week CaSE welcomed the new PM's commitment to science and research and her priority of providing reassurance to scientists working in the UK and abroad.
The PM's first weeks in office have seen sweeping changes across Whitehall, with implications for both the Higher Education and science briefs. CaSE looks at the opportunities and challenges the new Government structure poses for UK science and engineering, as well as providing a full list of key cabinet appointments related to the sector. CaSE Chair Professor Graeme Reid has written a piece on the early signals coming from the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Moving forward from the EU Referendum
A month on from the result of the EU Referendum, CaSE Director Dr Sarah Main
has outlined her priorities for the UK's negotiations to leave the EU.
Immediately following the result, Dr Main called on the scientific community
to make their voice heard in the upcoming Brexit negotiations while CaSE's Chair
wrote for The Guardian, on why science should take a seat at the negotiation table. The Chair and the Director also gave evidence to the Commons Science & Technology Committee on the implications of Brexit for UK science and engineering.
Meanwhile on the CaSE guest blog, Ian Robinson, an immigration law partner at Fragomen Worldwide, discusses
what Brexit will mean for immigration and how he is advising his clients.
Ahead of the second reading of the Higher Education and Research Bill, CaSE convened a workshop attended by around 40 CaSE members and collaborators. The workshop was kindly hosted by the Royal Society and, coming just before the second reading of the Bill in the Commons, provided an opportunity to go through the research and innovation aspects of the Bill in detail. CaSE will be engaging with the Bill Committee in the coming weeks. Read the
event summary on our website.
New Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland
CaSE has welcomed Professor Sheila Rowan MBE as the new Scottish Chief Scientific Advisor. It's great news for Scotland that a Chief Scientific Advisor has been appointed after 18 months of the post lying vacant, and we look forward to supporting her work as she provides vital scientific context to political deliberations in Holyrood.
Guest Blog
Dr Nick Goldspink, of N8 Research Partnership,
examines the financial barriers universities face when attempting to share their resources.
Ian Robinson, an immigration law partner at Fragomen Worldwide, discusses what Brexit
will mean for immigration.
Dr David Pye, Chair of the Biochemical Society's Policy Committee,
gives his thoughts on Sir William Wakeham's review of STEM degree provision and graduate employability.
Peter Finegold, Head of Education and Skills at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers,
reflects on their report 'Big Ideas: The Future of Engineering in Schools'.
Our
guest blog brings together topical comment and views from members and collaborators across the science and engineering sector. If you would like to write an article for our blog, please
get in touch.
CaSE Diary
Below are just a few of the meetings and events CaSE has attended over the last month. You can read the full diary
here.
28/07 Deputy Director Naomi Weir met with Royal Royce
22/07/ CaSE met with the BBC Today Programme
21/07 CaSE met with Cabinet Office officials
13/07/ CaSE met with the British Society of Immunology
12/07 CaSE Director Dr Sarah Main spoke at a Universities UK research policy seminar, attended by University Pro-Vice Chancellors