Open Letter to the University of Dundee

Open Letter to the University of Dundee in response to its plans to end undergraduate mathematics

We, the undersigned, call on the University of Dundee to reconsider its plans to withdraw standalone undergraduate mathematics provision and to avoid measures that would further erode academic capacity in the mathematical sciences.

The University has announced cost-cutting measures affecting academic staff, including the withdrawal of standalone undergraduate mathematics provision. We recognise the financial pressures facing universities, but mathematics is a foundational discipline: it underpins research, innovation and teaching across science, engineering, business, data science, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Once such capacity is lost, it is difficult to rebuild. The University of Dundee has a strong record in mathematical sciences research, reflected in its REF performance, and these proposals risk undermining that strength.

These proposals will cause long-lasting consequences. In particular:

• Removing undergraduate mathematics provision risks breaking the academic pipeline that sustains research and teaching. Without a dedicated degree pathway, the University risks reducing the flow of talent into postgraduate study and weakening the critical mass of expertise needed to maintain a vibrant mathematical sciences community.
• The proposals could significantly weaken long-term mathematical capacity within the University. A smaller mathematical sciences presence would reduce the University’s ability to support interdisciplinary teaching and research and limit its capacity to respond to future opportunities.
• The loss of a mathematics degree would reduce opportunities for students from Dundee and the wider region. A mathematics degree provides an important route into highly skilled professions and offers a valuable pathway for social mobility. Closing that route would disproportionately affect students who may be less able to relocate elsewhere to study.
• The proposals come at a time when demand for mathematical and quantitative skills is increasing across the economy. Employers in sectors ranging from finance and technology to manufacturing, health and public services are seeking graduates with strong mathematical capabilities. Mathematics is required to contribute to future workforce needs and to support Scotland’s ambitions in innovation and economic growth.

Taken together, these changes risk lasting damage that would be difficult to reverse. Mathematics is not merely a service discipline; it is a strategic capability that underpins a wide range of subjects and research areas. Once expertise, reputation and student demand are lost, rebuilding them can take many years and require significant investment.

We urge the University’s leadership to set out a clear vision for how mathematical capability will be sustained and developed without a dedicated undergraduate programme, and to work with the wider mathematical sciences community to identify sustainable alternatives. We therefore call on the University of Dundee to reconsider these proposals and to protect mathematics as a strategic discipline for its students, its research, and the wider Scottish economy.

[Signatories]

Professor Beatrice Pelloni, President, Edinburgh Mathematical Society and Heriot Watt University, U.K.

Professor Mark Chaplain, President, London Mathematical Society and University of St Andrews, UK