Decline of Technology in the UK

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.

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.