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| Lack of top researchers could harm UK plc, Dyson warns | Lack of top researchers could harm UK plc, Dyson warns |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| By Hannah Richardson BBC News education reporter | By Hannah Richardson BBC News education reporter |
| Inventor James Dyson is warning that UK business could be damaged unless more UK-based students take postgraduate research courses. | Inventor James Dyson is warning that UK business could be damaged unless more UK-based students take postgraduate research courses. |
| Firms could have to take their research and development work abroad in the future if home-grown talents are not nurtured, he warns. | Firms could have to take their research and development work abroad in the future if home-grown talents are not nurtured, he warns. |
| Mr Dyson says some 70% of engineering and technology post-graduates in UK universities are from overseas. | Mr Dyson says some 70% of engineering and technology post-graduates in UK universities are from overseas. |
| He says many take their expertise home with them when they finish. | He says many take their expertise home with them when they finish. |
| The inventor and founder of the household appliance manufacturer, Dyson, highlights figures which shows how dominant overseas student are at post-graduate level in science, technology and engineering subjects. | The inventor and founder of the household appliance manufacturer, Dyson, highlights figures which shows how dominant overseas student are at post-graduate level in science, technology and engineering subjects. |
| "Of the additional 3,825 post graduate engineering students in 2008 only 70 came from the UK," he says. | "Of the additional 3,825 post graduate engineering students in 2008 only 70 came from the UK," he says. |
| The figures are from a report he wrote last year on improving the UK's potential for exports and are based on data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. | The figures are from a report he wrote last year on improving the UK's potential for exports and are based on data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. |
| "Although the number of students doing post-graduate engineering and technology courses has risen by a fifth over the past five years, the growth has almost all been made up of overseas students," it adds. | "Although the number of students doing post-graduate engineering and technology courses has risen by a fifth over the past five years, the growth has almost all been made up of overseas students," it adds. |
| Mr Dyson told the BBC News website there would be a huge impact on the economy if this trend was not reversed and called for more government grants to encourage UK students to study postgraduate courses. | Mr Dyson told the BBC News website there would be a huge impact on the economy if this trend was not reversed and called for more government grants to encourage UK students to study postgraduate courses. |
| "We [as a business] work with technology that is developed in British universities. If that's not being done by English people then we can't recruit them." | "We [as a business] work with technology that is developed in British universities. If that's not being done by English people then we can't recruit them." |
| This is because they often return overseas when they have finished their courses, he says. | This is because they often return overseas when they have finished their courses, he says. |
| "We will be hamstrung without our scientists," he adds. | "We will be hamstrung without our scientists," he adds. |
| Mr Dyson stresses that his own company carries out all its research and development in the UK and pays its taxes here, although its product assembly takes place abroad. | Mr Dyson stresses that his own company carries out all its research and development in the UK and pays its taxes here, although its product assembly takes place abroad. |
| He currently has no plans to change this. | He currently has no plans to change this. |
| More grants | More grants |
| But he warns: "If we can't recruit engineers and scientists here from universities - particularly those who have been on postgraduate courses - then we will have to go and recruit from foreign universities and locate our research in foreign countries." | But he warns: "If we can't recruit engineers and scientists here from universities - particularly those who have been on postgraduate courses - then we will have to go and recruit from foreign universities and locate our research in foreign countries." |
| He says: "Now more than ever, the UK needs to create and export inventions the world wants to buy. | He says: "Now more than ever, the UK needs to create and export inventions the world wants to buy. |
| "As a nation we've become too scared to take risks, but it's through experimentation and failure that new ideas are born." | "As a nation we've become too scared to take risks, but it's through experimentation and failure that new ideas are born." |
| Universities UK said that at postgraduate level, in particular, the UK attracts large numbers of students from around the world. | Universities UK said that at postgraduate level, in particular, the UK attracts large numbers of students from around the world. |
| "Around 40% of postgraduate students in the UK are international students and they sustain our research base in key areas. | "Around 40% of postgraduate students in the UK are international students and they sustain our research base in key areas. |
| "Almost half of our postgraduate research students are international, compared to one-third in the US," a spokesman added. | "Almost half of our postgraduate research students are international, compared to one-third in the US," a spokesman added. |
| Growing debts | Growing debts |
| Mr Dyson argued that more students from the UK should be encouraged to stay on and take postgraduate courses and called for grants to help them do so. | Mr Dyson argued that more students from the UK should be encouraged to stay on and take postgraduate courses and called for grants to help them do so. |
| "We should be actively encouraging people to be post-graduates and to take on doctoral work at university," he said. | "We should be actively encouraging people to be post-graduates and to take on doctoral work at university," he said. |
| This could include increasing access to grants and loans from central government to help them do this. | This could include increasing access to grants and loans from central government to help them do this. |
| Currently postgraduates have to fund the tuition costs of the courses they study, although there are grants available from research councils and businesses that can help. | Currently postgraduates have to fund the tuition costs of the courses they study, although there are grants available from research councils and businesses that can help. |
| Fees are not regulated and are charged at the market rate. In engineering they range from £3,500 to £10,000 depending on the course of study and institution offering it. | Fees are not regulated and are charged at the market rate. In engineering they range from £3,500 to £10,000 depending on the course of study and institution offering it. |
| Mr Dyson also suggested higher undergraduate tuition fees could put even more students off staying on at university after they graduate. | Mr Dyson also suggested higher undergraduate tuition fees could put even more students off staying on at university after they graduate. |
| He said: "If you have borrowed a lot of money to do your undergraduate course - you probably want to go out into the world and earn a salary money to pay that off. | He said: "If you have borrowed a lot of money to do your undergraduate course - you probably want to go out into the world and earn a salary money to pay that off. |
| "You are putting off the time when you can start paying back your loan and then you have to borrow money to do a post-graduate courses." | "You are putting off the time when you can start paying back your loan and then you have to borrow money to do a post-graduate courses." |
| He said there were concerns that postgraduate course fees could rise as universities tighten their budgets. | He said there were concerns that postgraduate course fees could rise as universities tighten their budgets. |
| Cuts impact | Cuts impact |
| Paul Marshall, executive director of the 1994 group of smaller research intensive universities, said: "Post graduate students have so far been missing from the funding debate. While undergraduate students will be able to pay for tuition out of subsidised loans and a host of support measures, no such mechanisms are in place for those looking to study at a more advanced level." | |
| And he warned that post graduate courses are not going to be spared the impact of cuts to the teaching grant. | And he warned that post graduate courses are not going to be spared the impact of cuts to the teaching grant. |
| He added: "Put bluntly, course funds are going to be chopped without any support for students whose contributions will have to replace them." | He added: "Put bluntly, course funds are going to be chopped without any support for students whose contributions will have to replace them." |
| Mr Dyson made his comments as he prepared to launch new business incubator units at the Royal College of Art's new Dyson Building in Battersea - partly funded by the James Dyson Foundation - the inventor's charitable arm. | Mr Dyson made his comments as he prepared to launch new business incubator units at the Royal College of Art's new Dyson Building in Battersea - partly funded by the James Dyson Foundation - the inventor's charitable arm. |
| He hopes the units will help encourage young inventors to follow their ideas in design and engineering. | He hopes the units will help encourage young inventors to follow their ideas in design and engineering. |