Shitij Kapur tells audience at Blavatnik Awards they “cannot take the future for granted.” University-based science faces a triple threat of eroding government support, geopolitical tensions and a “backlash against intellectuals”, the vice-chancellor of King’s College London has said. Shitij Kapur was speaking at a ceremony for the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK, held in London on 4 March. The awards, worth £100,000 each, are given annually to three researchers under the age of 42.
Before presenting the awards, Kapur said: “We find ourselves in precarious times and cannot take the future for granted. “The success of modern science, especially university-based science, has been characterised by three things: significant public and philanthropic support; significant public mandate for universities and scientists; and an unprecedented culture of sharing,” he added.
University Science Faces Triple Threat, Says King’s Vice-Chancellor
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