Reviews & Analysis

Science parks are all the rage, not just as locations for new industries but as means of making universities grander places. What follows is a symposium of sometimes fulsome opinions, often by managers of science parks, of their advantages to researchers.

In the first of a monthly series of articles, written in the main by people who are professionally involved in recruitment, Larry Botheras sets out some ground rules for those considering a career move into industry.

Alison Abbott and Declan Butler compare and contrast the cases of Germany and France. What is it like to work in these two very different countries?

Increased awareness of the importance of the environment, accompanied by tighter legislation, has increased the number of jobs available in conservation, but has also made them highly prized.

Many companies are looking beyond the academic records of applicants these days, and are searching for potential managers. A few of those taken on can look forward to truly international careers.

In spite of "the recession, there is still room in computing for recruits with practical minds and an interesting background. Working in the vacation will pay off.

Once-secure employment in the public service is now threatened by the brooding of most governments about its cost, but the rewards (intellectual and otherwise) may still be substantial.

The decision of school-leavers In the United Kingdom to go on to higher education in the next few years will be affected by the introduction of student loans.

Despite the fall in the number of young people in recent years, there is cause to believe that student numbers will be 'holding up' and that employers will develop new approaches to recruitment.

The reduced numbers of students In higher education likely to result from demographic changes in the 1990s will have to be countered by changes in attainment and participation rates.

The demographic changes predicted for the 1990s may not have the effects that had been expected as there will be a rising proportion of students from non-traditional backgrounds.

Employers may have to pay a high price for not taking the responsibility for training their own staff in information technology skills.

The science of 'biotechnology' will be judged during the 1990s by what new products are launched, not by promises. But there will still be a demand for qualified workers.

Demographics and a harsh economic climate are changing the way governments approach higher education. Finance and other support are being sought from the private sector.

Traditional academic opportunities and freedoms are not the flavour of the nineties in Britain. What, then are the prospects?

Supply and demand for graduates in the United Kingdom seem set on on convergent paths for the next decade, but graduate unemployment may persist.

Business links between Europe and the United Kingdom are increasing and barriers to mobility of labour are coming down. There are new opportunities for both employers and individuals.