Embedded inside Parliament, influence of academics grows

When the current UK Houses of Parliament were completed in 1860, not only had the architects erected a structure that would come to be seen as a global beacon of democracy, they had also installed a number of symbolic features that highlighted the relationship between academia and the UK legislative process.

Down the corridor from the House of Commons chamber is the Commons library. Its location is no accident, said Oliver Bennett, head of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). “I think when the Victorians were designing the building, they really wanted evidence and information to become core to how Parliament functions,” he said.

Academia has a pivotal role to play in the legislative system, Mr Bennett added. But a 2017 survey by POST found that of 1,162 academics polled, 57 per cent expressed low confidence in their potential to successfully engage with Parliament, with only 10 per cent rating their chances as high.

“I think perhaps many academics, for obvious reasons, don’t really understand what the role of Parliament is. Therefore that’s quite difficult for them to then write something in a way that is relevant,” Mr Bennett said.

To help bridge the gap, POST introduced Thematic Research Leads (TRLs), an initiative that is set to be ramped up this month after a successful trial. Based on the concept of chief scientific advisers, the roles – advertised exclusively to mid-career academics – are intended to bring impartial expertise, policy knowledge and academic networks to a variety of teams both inside and outside Parliament. They spend three days a week working in Parliament, while continuing their role at their academic institution for the remaining two days.

Three academics were initially appointed in 2023, covering research on climate change, governance, and international affairs. Eight more researchers will start later this month, dealing with new themes including business, crime and transport.

What distinguishes the scheme – thought to be the only one of its kind in the world – is that academics participate directly in the legislative process, by providing written evidence to select committees and preparing briefing papers to act as a “bridge” between Parliament and the research community.

“For a select committee to effectively hold the government to account, they need to make impactful reports with strong recommendations and conclusions that the government is almost forced to accept if the evidence is unequivocal,” Mr Bennett said. “[MPs] have come to Parliament to make a difference in the world, and evidence helps them to make their case for the change that they want to see. So it’s a strategic priority for Parliament.”

One committee paper published last year on the geopolitical implications of climate change in the Arctic, which was supported by Kristen Harkness, professor of international relations at University of St. Andrews and one of the first TRLs, received international recognition and demonstrated that “the UK really understands the issues out there, which really resonated because naturally the TRL had supported the committee to understand those issues”, Mr Bennett explained.

Varuna De Silva, reader in machine intelligence at Loughborough University and the new TRL for AI and digital, said that while the research leads may be the face of the scheme, they are merely the “channels” that enable greater academic engagement with Parliament, and a major element of the role is involving and recruiting the wider academic community. In doing so, the programme also promotes a greater diversity of voices within Parliament, Mr Bennett added, be that women, minority groups or scholars from outside the Russell Group.

There are obvious benefits to the academics involved, too. Rick Whitaker, professor of politics at the University of Leicester and outgoing TRL for Parliament, public administration and the constitution, said that although the roles are advertised exclusively to those below professorial level, he and the other academics on the trial scheme had all been promoted to professors while they were taking part.

Meanwhile, Dr De Silva hopes that his work in Westminster will help attract international students to his department at Loughborough, where he will maintain his post, because “it gives a sense that there are experts who are teaching in these places as well”.

Mr Bennett stressed that the scheme’s expansion was a “strong signal” that academic contributions are valued within Parliament. “This is part of a wider and longer-term trend”, and something that POST is looking to expand on, he said.

Overall, he said, improving links between academics and the legislative process will benefit wider society as academics feed detailed, relevant research and up-to-date information into briefing papers on bills that are provided to MPs and Lords to inform wider parliamentary debates. “There are real-world democratic implications for the work we do,” Mr Bennett said. “Evidence and informed debate can lead to better legislative outcomes.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com