UCU, staff and local MPs tell education minister physics at Reading must not be axed

The delegation told the minister that if the UK was really committed to providing a science base that could compete in the 21st century then the country needed everyone to be encouraging more pupils and students to study the sciences. Members of the physics department told the minister about the work the award-winning department at the university had undertaken and why the planned closure just does not make sense.

In recent weeks UCU, government ministers, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the higher education funding council for England (Hefce) and the Institute of Physics (IOP) have all made encouraging noises about the future of science and innovation in Britain. However, Sally Hunt told the minister that warm words would count for little if vice-chancellors still had the power to close down strategically important departments.

Reading University announced its plans to shut its physics department in September, despite the fact that in its March financial review the university senate stated that physics was not under threat. The department's fate will be decided on 20 November at the next meeting.

Sally Hunt said she did not expect the minister to infringe on the university's autonomy but reiterated her concern that major decisions, such as the proposed closure at Reading, could be taken without any need for the university to act transparently or be accountable to anyone for the decision.

Sally Hunt said: 'We cannot have a situation where individual university vice-chancellors can shut departments whenever they like. We all need to be working together to secure the future of UK science. Warm words and concrete goals from government must be matched, not hampered, by the actions of vice-chancellors.

'The government has made its position on the importance of UK science quite clear, but where is the strategy for making it happen? With every departmental closure, the gap between intention and reality grows. Just last week the prime minister said he thought the development of science was as important as economic stability for future prosperity. However in China and India they are opening, not closing, science departments.'