HEA head Tom Boland insists the State must maintain investment in research so we're ready for the world recovery, writes DICK AHLSTROM
PEOPLE ARE at the core of Ireland's drive towards a knowledge economy, so it is essential that the capacity to produce excellent post-graduates and post-doctoral researchers is protected, despite the economic downturn. This will leave Ireland in a stronger position when the economy improves, according to the chief executive of the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
Tom Boland took over at the HEA in January 2004 and so has experienced a period of heavy support for the research community via the authority. The last two funding rounds alone moved more than €570 million into scientific and humanities research here.
Now we are facing into tougher times, given a startling decline in our economy that has left the Government billions of euro out of step with current planned expenditure. Cutbacks are promised to help correct the situation, with the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, due to deliver an unprecedented early Budget next week.
Boland has seen cutbacks before and although a realist, he retains strong optimism for higher education research. "I would be surprised of it lasts less than two years or so," he says of the downturn. "Such is the scale of the international problem now, it is hard to see it unwinding itself for two years and this to be followed by a period of adjustment."
Even so, the tide will turn. "Recovery, as night follows day, will come," he says. "I think the big thing for Ireland at the moment is to have our focus firmly on the future and on the situation we need to be in when the world economy swings around. We have to make more educated guesses as to where things will be when it is good again."
But how will research, the key driver for our hoped-for knowledge economy, fare given the need for fiscal rectitude? "I am quite convinced that the Government is convinced in the value of higher-education research," he states. "What I would expect is that, as the Government uses its limited public resources it will keep a high priority for higher-education research. That is what is most likely to help us when the economy turns around."
Central to this is maintaining the capacity within our higher-education institutions to produce superb graduates who have the opportunity to go on to become the next generation of post-graduate and post-doctoral researchers. "The essential benefit that the Higher Education Authority has propounded from the outset is people," Boland says.
Commentators like to see discoveries announced and patents and inventions. "We need that but people are the key output and the big outcome as a result is developing the economy."
To be able to build a knowledge economy we will need the "knowledge workers" that higher education research provides, he says. "There is no future for Ireland in depending on significant levels of low-skilled jobs."
Supporting such research unfortunately costs money, a difficult subject as the Budget date approaches. Boland acknowledges that there are "strong competing priorities" demanding support from the Government, but he fully expects our ongoing science and technology investment to be one of them. "I would still expect it to be a priority."
He remains confident that our progress towards a knowledge economy, based on creativity and research, will continue apace. "Yes, I am confident because we have done it before and in darker economic situations. We are also proceeding from a much better base," he says.
"There is an irrefutable logic and few opposing voices to the idea that there are huge benefits in investing in research. It really is the only show in town for us."