Dundee must reverse course on maths degree closures

The University of Dundee's decision to stop offering mathematics degrees has been branded an "act of academic vandalism" by the Campaign for Mathematical Sciences (CaMS).

Times Higher Education reported CaMS concerns this morning and carried a comment from the University of Dundee describing the proposals to pause recruitment to the maths degree programme as  “a pivot in how mathematics operates, with a stronger emphasis on its role as an enabling discipline supporting other subject areas.”

In response, CaMS Chair Professor Mark Chaplain said: “To suggest that maths is no more than an ‘enabling discipline’ is both insulting and wrong. Such comments do a grave disservice to maths teaching and research at Dundee University.

“The comments attributed to the University betray a dreadful failure to understand the subject and beg more questions about the process that has led us to this point.

“Maths is more than an input into current technologies, it is the bedrock of much of our understanding of the world around us and it is blue-sky maths research that drives innovation and cutting edge technologies such as quantum and AI.”

Professor Mark Chaplain has written a joint letter along with the President of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, Professor Beatrice Pelloni, and Dr Heather Tewkesbury, President of the IMA, which has been sent to the University's leadership as well as Scotland’s First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education.

Read the article in full here.