| Practice area: | Education and Labour Markets | Higher education | Secondary education |
|---|---|
| Client: | British Science Association |
| Published: | March, 2022 |
| Keywords: | 2022 impact assessment quantitative analysis |
The British Science Association (BSA) commissioned London Economics to support their development of a set of indicators and an index for science engagement and inequity across the United Kingdom. In creating a map of science engagement, the analysis was not just intended to be a means of identifying those regions and sub-regions where science engagement provision is most prevalent, but equally as importantly, a means to highlight gaps in science engagement provision, inequities, and areas for development.
The analysis indicates that the locations identified as having most opportunities to encounter and engage with science are large cities, generally with a number of more research-intensive higher education institutions located within their boundaries. Clearly, the presence of higher education institutions is also likely to be correlated with the proportion of the resident population in possession of degree level qualifications, but also the incidence of STEM related businesses given the research spillovers that often occur in and around higher education institutions.
In terms of the Local Authorities ranked in the highest-10 of the overall opportunity to engage with science index, there were three Local Authorities based in Scotland (Glasgow City, Aberdeen City and City of Edinburgh), two in the East of England (Cambridge and Stevenage), two in the South West (City of Bristol and Cheltenham), one in London (City of London) and two in the South East of England (Reading and Oxford). In the other regions of the United Kingdom, the highest ranked Local Authority in the West Midlands was Birmingham (ranked 11th), East Midlands (Oadby and Wigston.
(12th)), Northern Ireland (Belfast (20th)), Wales (Cardiff (24th)), North West (Rossendale (27th)), Yorkshire and the Humber (Ryedale (52nd)) and North East (Newcastle upon Tyne (83rd)). At the lower end of the potential for science engagement ranking, the Local Authorities generally include more rural Local Authorities and include Shropshire (West Midlands), East Lindsey (East Midlands), West Suffolk (East of England), Dumfries & Galloway (Scotland), South Somerset, Dorset, Teignbridge and Sedgemoor (South West) and East Riding, Yorkshire (Yorkshire and the Humber). The only non-rural area included in the list is Doncaster (also Yorkshire and the Humber). The lowest ranked Local Authorities in the South East were Swale (371st), North West (Blackpool (370th)), East of England (East Suffolk (369th)), North East (Gateshead (368th)), London (Waltham Forest (365th)), Wales (Conwy (362nd)), and Northern Ireland (Ards and North Down (316th)).
The full report is available here.