Slavonic Studies at Glasgow - Please write to the Scottish Education Secretary

Tue Nov 22 12:45:57 UTC 2011

Dear Colleague

A REQUEST FOR HELP

We have raised a petition (No. 1395) in the Scottish Parliament, requesting the Scottish government to introduce 
targeted funding for lesser taught languages and cultures at Scottish Universities, the way this exists in England. 
The petition was signed by more than 3300 signatories, many of them well known academics from many countries.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Petitions_Archive/PE1395.pdf

We have active support of at least a dozen Members of Scottish Parliament and the Shadow Education
Secretary Ken Macintosh (Labour) has presented  a motion to parliament
in our support, (Motion S4M-01308) see below.

We have been invited to meet Mike Russell, the Scottish Education Secretary to discuss the issue on 13th December 2011. 

WE HAVE A REQUEST TO MAKE, in this final stage of this campaign. 

Could you please write to Mike Russell, the Scottish Education Secretary, to
ask him to introduce targeted funding for lesser taught languages and cultures
such as Czech, Polish, Russian and the programme of Slavonic Studies at the
University of Glasgow?

A sample letter is below, but if you agree with our arguments, please
use your own words.

I am also enclosing a background document regarding this issue for your information.

Thank you for your support.

Jan Culik

___

A possible sample letter to Mike Russell, the Scottish Education Secretary:

cabsecell at scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Michael Russell MSP
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Dear Mike Russell,

I am writing to you to ask you  to introduce targeted funding for lesser
taught languages and cultures, such as Czech, Polish, Russian and the
programme of Slavonic Studies, at  Scottish universities.

If such funding is not introduced, the unique provision for the
language-based study of Central and Eastern Europe will disappear in
Scotland. Scotland will suffer strategically, economically, culturally
and politically.

Enclosed please find two documents detailing the reasons why targeted
funding for lesser taught languages and cultures should be introduced
with utmost urgency.

[The two documents are enclosed]

Thank you very much

[your signature]

------

Motion S4M-01308 - Future of Slavonic and Other Modern Languages in
Scotland (Eastwood):

That the Parliament notes the economic and cultural importance played by
modern languages; further notes the practical and cultural importance of
producing experts in Central and East European languages and cultures;
acknowledges that targeted funding for strategically important but
vulnerable subjects exists in England but not in Scotland; is concerned
that the non-existence of such funding both disadvantages students
studying these subjects in Scotland and threatens the future of Slavonic
languages and cultures at the University of Glasgow, which has a
worldwide reputation for excellence in this area of study; is further
concerned that, once lost, Czech and Polish degree courses will cease to
be taught at any Scottish university; considers that, as a consequence,
Scotland would be damaged economically, socially and culturally, and
suffer a diminution of its international reputation, developed by
successive administrations in Scotland since 1999, and considers it
vital that the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council explore
all available avenues in order to protect this essential national resource.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/currentmsps/Ken-Macintosh-MSP.aspx

----

A  BACKGROUND DOCUMENT:

Petition 1395: 

Targeted Funding for Lesser-Taught Languages and Cultures
at Scottish Universities

Petition rationale

Petition 1395 seeks targeted funding from the Scottish Funding Council to safeguard the teaching of strategically important, vulnerable languages and cultures at Scottish universities.

Ring-fenced funding exists in England and Wales under the Strategically Important and Vulnerable Subjects initiative. Target areas include area studies and related minority languages, including the former Soviet Union, Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. http://www.hefce.ac.uk/aboutus/sis/. Czech, Polish and Russian need to be targeted for Scotland.

One of the Scottish Funding Councils stated legal obligations is to have regard to the economic, social and cultural needs of Scotland.

Scotlands economic needs

Central/Eastern European economies are booming and present exciting opportunities for Scottish businesses. To benefit fully, it is vital to understand the languages and cultures of the relevant countries. EU accession countries and Russia are major economic players.

In 2009, Scotlands trade with Russia was worth £195 million and £60 million with the Czech Republic. The figure for Poland is even higher: European Enterprise Network figures show Scottish companies do more business with Poland than with Australia, Turkey or Russia.
http://www.enterprise-europe-scotland.com/sct/news/index.asp?newsid=2415

Job opportunities for young people

Graduates who understand Central and East European languages and cultures have a competitive edge in the job market and also in the workplace.
The 2010 Confederation of British Industry report shows 36% of companies recruit employees specifically for their language skills. 72% of UK international trade is with non-English speaking countries, but only 1 in 10 of the UK workforce is estimated to speak a foreign language. The 2008 CBI/Pertemps employment trends survey shows 74% of employers are concerned about school-leavers lack of modern language skills.

Scottish communities

Scotland has a large Central and Eastern European community. There are 65,000 Poles in Scotland; 35,000 Russian speakers in Glasgow-Edinburgh and 3,000 Czech/Slovak speakers in Govan alone: all eligible to vote in Scottish Parliament, local government and European elections.

Scottish public services need employees at all levels who understand Central and Eastern European cultures and can communicate, translate and interpret in the relevant languages.

Preserving Scotlands unique provision

Glasgow is internationally renowned for its outstanding Czech, Polish and Russian provision. If Scotland allows its expertise in these areas to be lost, it will lose out economically, culturally, socially and politically.Unless the recently abolished undergraduate Czech, Polish and Slavonic degree courses are reinstated, and the currently suspended postgraduate diploma courses in Czech, Polish and Russian allowed to run, there will be nowhere left in Scotland to study Czech or Polish to degree level from September 2012. Targeted funding needs are modest, but urgent.

Further information

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Michael Russell 
will be meeting on Tuesday, 13 December 2011 with the following petitioners:

Hugh McMahon, former Member of the European Parliament breakplough at btinternet.com
Jan Čulík, Senior Lecturer in Czech Studies, University of Glasgow Jan.Culik at glasgow.ac.uk
Mary Heimann, Reader in History, University of Strathclyde mary.heimann at strath.ac.uk
Amy Mackinnon, Honours student in Russian,University of Glasgow mackinnon.ak at gmail.com
Matthew Lee, Postgraduate in Czech, University of Glasgow, matthewlee_2 at hotmail.com

Glasgow in particular, to me, has meant the place where Eastern European languages are kept alive as an area of study... an outpost of something important and enlightened happening

Sir Tom Stoppard, OBE (speech to the public petitions committee of the Scottish Parliament 20 September 2011)

Czech Studies at Glasgow undoubtedly play a major international role in the field of Central and European Studies

Jan Kavan, Foreign Secretary of the Czech Republic (1998-2002) and former President of the United Nations General Assembly (2003-3)

There is a strong tradition and heritage between the University of Glasgow and the Czech Republic 

Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, on the occasion of the awarding of a new PhD Scholarship in Czech Studies to the University of Glasgow (September 2010)

The Committee is concerned about the poor linguistic performance of the Scottish population compared with much of Europe

European and External Relations Commitee of the Scottish Parliament 

As a business leader who has held leading roles in two major Scottish business organizations, I believe the tendency to cut Humanities departments is not only wrong in its own right but is also harmful to the economy

Martin Stepek, Scottish businessman of Polish origin, Family Business Ambassador Award holder 

As a member of the Polish diaspora and someone who seeks to improve his ability to speak Polish, I strongly oppose any decision to curtail the teaching of the Polish language at my former university

David Jenkinson, member of the Sikorski Club, Glasgow

These proposed cuts will devastate a fine university and its proud history of educating people in Scotland and beyond. Cultural competence is vital to understanding and engaging with the world around us

Dr Johanna Kershaw, Clare College, Cambridge 

For background see also Help Save Modern Languages at the University of Glasgow (online petition February 2011) www.ipetitions.com/petition/glasgowmodernlanguages/

For recent media coverage (STV, BBC, The Herald, The Times, Independent, Daily Record, Evening Times, Scotsman, UK Press Association, etc) see www.savesmlc.wordpress.com/news

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