The United Kingdom could face everything from power blackouts to water problems unless the government boosts the number of engineers in training, warns a new report from the Royal Academy of Engineering.
The study, released this week, says that not enough engineering students are completing their degrees. "Current low standards in basic mathematics and physical science education are having direct repercussions on the capacity of engineering undergraduates to meet the demands of their course," it says. Engineering's share of undergraduate enrollments has shrunk by half in the last decade and 46 university programs have closed, it notes.
To reverse the trend, the academy recommends improving math and physical sciences teaching; increasing pay for Ph.D. students, postdoctoral researchers, and lecturers; recruiting more women into engineering; and incorporating business courses into engineering programs. As Science went to press, the government had not responded to the report.
