Bil Addysg Drydyddol ac Ymchwil (Cymru) – Cyflwyniad y Gymdeithas
The Society welcomes the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill, and we hope that the legislation will provide a strong and sustainable framework for the tertiary education and research sector of Wales to respond and adapt to the various changes, challenges, and opportunities it will face in the next decades.
Higher education institutions play a critical role in the research ecosystem of Wales and it is vital that the research sector is primed and ready to benefit from the UK Government’s increase in investment. We believe that the Bill is an opportunity to move the sector in Wales into a stronger position to benefit from the R&D levelling up agenda.
In recognition of the importance of research, we would like to see a stronger commitment to supporting research activity on the face of the Bill, in line with the intention and ambition set out in the Explanatory Memorandum for the Welsh HE sector to deliver world-leading research. We would also like to see within regulations an expectation that the Commission and the Research Innovation Wales Committee would have an observatory function to work to identify areas in which to build capacity.