UK: Language degree review announced

31 May 2009

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has confirmed that it will examine modern foreign language provision amid concern about university budget cuts, reports BBC News. Several universities have had reduced funding for languages following an assessment of research by the funding council.

The Hefce said it was concerned about the health and sustainability of modern languages The review will look at whether languages need to become more closely linked to research in other subjects.

Professor Michael Worton, Vice-provost of University College London, will lead the review. He said in some institutions languages were becoming an intrinsic part of other disciplines such as history, political science, or medicine and pharmaceutical research. "I will be looking at the health of the discipline, the decline in student numbers for some languages, and to set out a road map to go forward," he said.
Full report on the BBC News site

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