"what can be said with confidence is that the Enlightenment in Scotland was at least in some part both a product of and a contributor to the patriotic Scottish mission - clearly in evidence at the end of the 17th century - of national improvement."
Chris Whatley’s contribution to the book which accompanied the BBC TV series In Search of Scotland describes Scotland in the late 17th and early 18th century as the crucible of the modern world. From the Union of 1707, he traces the boom in Scottish trade, mill and factory-led industrialisation and the rapid expansion of the coal mining industry, resulting in Scotland being the most heavily urbanised state in Europe at the turn of the 18th century. He also describes the ambition of the Scottish intelligentsia and the transformation of Scottish Universities, beginning in the late 17th century from theology to medicine, law and other subjects with practical applications such as chemistry. By the 1730s traditional disciplines were breaking down with philosophers, lawyers, mathematicians, scientists, economists and others working to understand the human condition and the steps necessary to ensure the continued improvement of Scotland. Surprisingly, he also points out that many of the literati had links with industry and manufacturing, with the emphasis on solving practical problems in industrial settings.
21st century Scotland is a different kettle of fish. In the last few years we have been preoccupied with a different form of constitutional change and the growth and development of public services without any meaningful debate about the need for economic growth and wealth creation. Little has been said about how Scotland can best respond to the challenge of globalisation, European enlargement and devolution. Finance and Enterprise Ministers are now beginning to describe the problems but have not developed the policy base which will enable us to tackle them. The first ray of hope is not the dawning of a second Enlightenment but a series of commentaries orchestrated under the auspices of the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde which has invited some of the world’s leading economists to consider how Scotland can best respond to its current challenges.
The first of these commentaries, from William Baumol, Professor of Economics at New York University, focuses on innovation and enterprise and argues that the four principal sources of innovation should be small firms, large firms, government and universities. Professor Baumol proposes a range of policies to stimulate enterprise in each of these sectors but makes it clear that all four have to work in a coherent way. He is also clear that universities cannot be regarded as the only source of innovation and enterprise and that they have to be properly funded to undertake the basic research to support the development of new ideas and new products. The remainder of this series will unfold during 2003/2004 and my hope is that this will stimulate debate about the future of the Scottish economy.
So what has this got to do with the current discussions about future funding of universities? Quite simply it provides the context in which we are operating. My own view is that growth in the Scottish economy and the place of universities in the search for national improvement is much more significant than the current debate about top-up fees in England. If you have ever watched young children playing football you will know that all 20 outfield players often follow the ball and fail to think about the wider aspects of the game. We must not get into the position in Scotland that we all follow the ‘top-up fees ball’ and ignore the wider economic and social context.
Universities Scotland has recognised the dangers of following the debate in England too slavishly. In their evidence to the Enterprise and Culture Committee’s current enquiry into the impact on higher education in Scotland of changes in policy on university fees in England, they have focused on the question of what Scottish higher education can do for Scotland and its people. On the question of money, Universities Scotland has made three points:
For centuries our universities have played a part in Scotland’s prosperity. Unless we ensure that we continue to have an internationally competitive higher education system, we can kiss goodbye to the notion of a thriving knowledge economy and our ability to attract highly educated, creative and adaptable people to live and work in Scotland. We must not continue to be mired in constitutional change - the focus must now be on putting the performance of the economy at the centre of Scotland’s future development. A down payment of just over £100M over the next five years would ensure that our universities could continue to play a critical role in the patriotic Scottish mission of national improvement.
Alan Langlands
October 2003