Universities belong in the science department

Higher education should sit with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, says Anastasia Bektimirova

In its first six months, the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (Dsit) has been a hive of activity. Action plans have been published on artificial intelligence regulation, semiconductors and quantum technologies, with new funds and policies to match. The direction is set, and the pace is quickening. But the department still has one hand tied behind its back: it does not have responsibility for universities.

Dsit’s greatest strength has been its clarity of purpose and responsibility. By drawing together science and technology briefs that had previously been scattered across Whitehall, prime minister Rishi Sunak brought much-needed focus to Britain’s science superpower ambitions.