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Journal the Journal of the Foundation for Science and Technology (Formerly Technology, Innovation and Society) fst journal The Journal of the Foundation for Science and Technology (formerly Technology, Innovation and Society) Volume 19, Number 4, March 2007 Universities Lord Rees: Promoting excellence in teaching and research Professor David Eastwood: The university in contemporary society Nick Butler: Universities in the wider world Science education Professor Anne Glover: Are we losing the plot? Professor John Holman: The purposes of science education Bob Kibble: Science teaching in Scotland The Stern Review Sir Nicholas Stern: The economics of climate change James Smith: The challenge to the energy sector Andrew Harrison: Tackling aviation emissions Sir Partha Dasgupta: Accounting for well-being Evidence-based policy making Phil Willis: Scientific advice and policy making Professor Paul Wiles: The civil service and scientific advice John Gummer: Science, truth and politics Obituary Sir Gareth Roberts THE FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE AND fst TECHNOLOGY THE FOUNDATION The Foundation for Science and Technology FOR SCIENCE AND 10 Carlton House Terrace TECHNOLOGY London fst SW1Y 5AH Telephone 020 7321 2220 THE FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Registered Charity No: 274727. A Company Limited by Guarantee No: 1327814 Fax 020 7321 2221 PRESIDENT The Rt Hon the Lord Jenkin of Roding e-mail [email protected] VICE PRESIDENTS The Earl of Shannon Editor The Lord Flowers FRS Sir John Maddox FRS Sir Brian Jenkins GBE Sub-editors COUNCIL Wendy Barnaby, Judy McBride, CHAIRMAN Simon Napper, Charles Wenz The Earl of Selborne KBE FRS Production & Layout James McQuat The President of the Royal Society The Lord Rees of Ludlow PRS The President, The Royal Academy of Engineering The Lord Browne of Madingley FREng FRS The President, The Academy of Medical Sciences Professor John Bell PMedSci www.foundation.org.uk The President, The Science Council Sir Tom McKillop FRS FRSE FMedSci Chairman, The Engineering and Technology Board Dr Michael Howse OBE FREng (acting) Chairman, The Arts and Humanities Research Council Professor Sir Brian Follett FRS Chairman, The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Dr Peter Ringrose Chairman, The Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils Professor Sir Graeme Davies FRSE FREng Chairman, The Economic and Social Research Council Ms Frances Cairncross CBE FRSE Chairman, The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Professor Dame Julia Higgins DBE FRS FREng Chairman, The Medical Research Council Sir John Chisholm FREng CEng FIEE Chairman, The Natural Environment Research Council Mr Edmund Wallis FREng Chairman, The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council Mr Peter Warry FREng Sir Michael Atiyah OM FRS PRSE Professor Polina Bayvel FREng The Lord Broers FRS FREng Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield KCB The Lord Haskel Dr Geraldine Kenney-Wallace FRSC Sir John Krebs FRS Sir Hugh Laddie The Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve CBE PBA The Lord May of Oxford OM AC Kt FRS FMedSci The Lord Oxburgh KBE FRS The Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior FMedSci Professor Sir William Stewart FRS FRSE The Lord Sutherland of Houndwood KT FBA FRSE Dr Mark Walport FMedSci The Baroness Wilcox Sir Peter Williams CBE FRS FREng Dr Robert Hawley CBE DSc FRSE FREng (Deputy Chairman) Mr Patrick McHugh (Honorary Secretary) Mr Tony Quigley (Honorary Treasurer) DIRECTOR Dr Dougal Goodman FREng Neither the Foundation nor the Editor is responsible for the opinions of contributors to FST journal. © 2007 The Foundation for Science and Technology. ISSN 1475-1704 fst journal Volume 19, Number 4, March 2007 c o n t e n t s THE COUNCIL OF THE FOUNDATION ............ .inside front cover fst journal UPDATE The Journal of the Foundation for Science and Technology Climate change, intellectual property rights, research budgets, science in (formerly Technology, Innovation and Society) Volume 19, Number 4, March 2007 Government, nuclear power ............................. 2 Universities Lord Rees: Promoting excellence in teaching and research Professor David Eastwood: The university in contemporary society UNIVERSITIES Nick Butler: Universities in the wider world Science education Professor Anne Glover: Are we losing the plot? Promoting excellence in teaching and research Professor John Holman: The purposes of science education Bob Kibble: Science teaching in Scotland The Stern Review Lord Rees of Ludlow ....................................... 3 Sir Nicholas Stern: The economics of climate change James Smith: The challenge to the energy sector Andrew Harrison: Tackling aviation emissions Sir Partha Dasgupta: Accounting for well-being The university in contemporary society: lessons from history Evidence-based policy making Phil Willis: Scientific advice and policy making Professor Paul Wiles: The civil service and scientific advice Professor David Eastwood .................................. 5 John Gummer: Science, truth and politics Obituary Sir Gareth Roberts Universities in the wider world THE FOUNDATION Nick Butler .............................................. 7 FOR SCIENCE AND fst TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE education Science education – are we losing the plot? Professor Anne Glover ...................................... 8 The purposes of science education Professor John Holman ..................................... 9 Science teaching in Scotland Bob Kibble .............................................. 10 THE STERN REVIEW The economics of climate change Sir Nicholas Stern ........................................ 11 The challenge to the energy sector James Smith. 15 Tackling aviation emissions Andrew Harrison ........................................ 15 Accounting for well-being Sir Partha Dasgupta ...................................... 16 EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY MAKING Science advice and policy making Phil Willis .............................................. 18 The civil service and scientific advice Professor Paul Wiles ...................................... 20 Science, truth and politics John Gummer ........................................... 21 OBITUARY Sir Gareth Roberts ....................................... 23 COMMENT A question of identity Archimedes ............................................. 24 EVENTS .............................................. 24 FST JOURNAL >> MARCH 2007 >> VOL. 19 (4) update EU commits to 20 per cent cuts in emissions of the pressures on other DTI budgets; nevertheless, they say they are disappointed that any shortfalls have been made at the The Council of European Union environment ministers, meeting expense of investments in research. Research Councils fund in Brussels on 20 February, agreed to commit the EU to a reduc- projects over many years and large proportions of the budgets tion of at least 20 per cent (on 1990 levels) of greenhouse gas are committed several years in advance. emissions by 2020. This is described by the Council as a “firm, The EYF reductions for each Council are: independent commitment”. • Arts and Humanities Research Council – £5.3 million; However, the EU is willing, says the Council, “to commit to • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council a reduction of 30% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 com- – £6.7 million; pared to 1990 as its contribution to a global and comprehensive • Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils agreement for the period beyond 2012, provided that other – £0.5 million; developed countries commit themselves to comparable emission • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council – £29.0 reductions and economically more advanced developing coun- million; tries adequately contribute according to their responsibilities and • Economic and Social Research Council – £3.0 million; respective capabilities.” • Medical Research Council – £10.7 million; Natural Environment Research Council – £9.7 million; Several member states – including Poland, Hungary and • Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council – £3.1 million. ❐ Finland – were reported to have opposed aspects of the decision. • The EU has agreed to a burden-sharing arrangement to try to www.rcuk.ac.uk reach the emissions cuts required under the Kyoto Treaty but many countries are struggling to achieve their targets. ❐ Science in the service of Government www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/ en/envir/92864.pdf To determine how effectively Government departments are using science in planning and policy-making, the Government’s Call to strengthen intellectual property Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King, has set up a rolling programme of reviews. The third of these – into the Health & rights Safety Executive (HSE) – was published on 21 February. The final report of the Gowers Review on intellectual property To formulate a view on the quality and use of science in HSE, (IP) was published on 6 December 2006. While the Review con- the review focused on 10 success criteria that underpin good cludes that the UK has a “fundamentally strong IP system” it sets practice in the use of science by Government departments, to out a number of reforms. identify both areas of good practice, especially those that could In order to provide support for businesses using IP, the be adopted elsewhere, as well as areas for improvement. review recommends that: According to Sir David King, “Every Government depart- • the UK Patent Office be restructured as the UK Intellectual ment needs to draw on the highest quality science and research Property Office, with recommendations for it to provide greater as part of the policy-formulation process. Policy solutions which support
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