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Decline of Technology in the UK

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Edward Lever
Edward Lever
Posts: 734
Joined: 22nd Dec 2005
Location: UK
quotePosted at 22:48 on 3rd June 2015

I was saddened to see a report that the University of Reading is planning to close its Systems Engineering and Robotics Department (see BBC Report) due to low enrolment and poor research results. UK students seem to want to study the 'softer' subjects these days. This is in stark contrast to the attitude of students from the Far East (China in particular) who flock to the more prestigious UK universities such as Imperial College to study Science and Engineering. 

It seems that young people in the UK  do not see technology as an attractive option, with the result that we are becoming a nation of service industries and banking, rather than a leader in technical developments. The UK has produced many technological 'firsts' in the past, but I fear these days are over. Perhaps Napoleon was right in saying 'L'Angleterre est une nation de boutiquiers' - a nation of shopkeepers.

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Dave John
Dave John
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Joined: 27th Feb 2011
Location: England
quotePosted at 22:54 on 3rd June 2015
A very sad state of affairs Edward, when you think back over the years of some of the most groundbreaking technological breakthroughs that have come out of these Islands and vastly improved the world to boot
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Ron Brind
Ron Brind
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Joined: 26th Oct 2003
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quotePosted at 07:35 on 4th June 2015

We have created these lazy students Edward by giving them everything. Good ere innit...

One day they will wake up and find that students from the Far East have actually got their jobs. I think it will take a generation at least to even begin to turn this around, but how we start is another matter.

It's very sad to hear that University of Reading is closing it's doors to Systems Engineering and Robotics Department and a pity that the 'minority' as always seems to be the case when an important decision is made, can't persuade them to rethink things.

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Edward Lever
Edward Lever
Posts: 734
Joined: 22nd Dec 2005
Location: UK
quotePosted at 10:16 on 4th June 2015
On 4th June 2015 07:35, Ron Brind wrote:

We have created these lazy students Edward by giving them everything. Good ere innit...

One day they will wake up and find that students from the Far East have actually got their jobs. I think it will take a generation at least to even begin to turn this around, but how we start is another matter.

It's very sad to hear that University of Reading is closing it's doors to Systems Engineering and Robotics Department and a pity that the 'minority' as always seems to be the case when an important decision is made, can't persuade them to rethink things.


It is not entirely the fault of the students, it is the lack of opportunity. The reality is that so many technology jobs have disappeared from the UK. The old UK technology companies which old timers like myself grew up with, such as Ferranti, ICL, Racal, Decca, Marconi, GEC, Plessey, EMI, Thorn, McMichael, Pye, English Electric, and many more, have either disappeared completely or have been merged and reduced in size. The jobs which these companies supported have disappeared for ever.

It is a sad fact that the clever hard-working Far Eastern students are more likely to be finding jobs in the Far East when they graduate.



Edited by: Edward Lever at:4th June 2015 17:18
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rustyruth
rustyruth
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Joined: 23rd Oct 2012
Location: England
quotePosted at 19:33 on 4th June 2015
On 3rd June 2015 22:54, Dave John wrote:
A very sad state of affairs Edward, when you think back over the years of some of the most groundbreaking technological breakthroughs that have come out of these Islands and vastly improved the world to boot

Sir Tim Berners - Lee, a British Computer Scientist, inventing the World Web Web in1989 changed things around the world in ways he probably could never imagine at the time. He's just one of many names that spring to mind.
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