The Government is committed to investing 2.4% of GDP, both public and private in research and development by 2027. This was announced by the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, Chris Skidmore, during his lecture for the Society of Antiquaries of London [Alliance member] and the Arts and Humanities Research Council on the subject of “The Value of the Humanities to Universities and Contemporary Society”.
“This includes investing in the researchers of tomorrow, the people who we actually need to do the research on the ground, estimated at some 260,000 extra researchers… New ways of doing research, particularly by reflecting upon the merger of disciplines is vital if we are to stand any chance of meeting the huge environmental, societal and technological challenges of the future I’ve just mentioned…
…The first four of these grand challenges are focused on the global trends that will transform our future, and include Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data, ageing society, clean growth, and the future of mobility.”
Chris Skidmore, MP, made a good argument for the contribution of the humanity disciplines to society, which may be less tangible, but their influence is all around us:
“They enable us to think critically and communicate. They give us a moral compass by which to live. They boost our appreciation of beauty. And they help us make sense of where we have come from and, indeed, where we are heading to. That’s why I set out early on that “the last thing I want to see is value judgements emerging which falsely divide the Sciences and Engineering from the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
…For innovation doesn’t just need to happen in technology and science: the same must be the case for the arts and humanities also… …It is the joint application of the humanities with emerging technologies that will also further innovation”
You can read the full speech here.