News byte

Beijing now has the most ‘big iron’ – but US has the fastest

Increased private sector investment is the sole cause of the rise; no increase in spending by government, higher education, or non-profits

Many Crick scientists are significantly less likely to remain in the UK when they look for their next role

This chart from the OECD demonstrates how, across generations, education rates are changing. For many countries, the direction is strikingly positive; in others, change is harder to see. 

There has been progress towards the 2020 targets, but EU averages hide differences in attainment between and within member states. More effort is needed, notably on basic skills, where the EU is actually falling behind its objectives