8. Plaid Cymru Debate: The Higher Education Sector

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:17 pm on 26 June 2019.

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Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru 6:17, 26 June 2019

(Translated)

To Rhun, thank you for explaining the economic impact of higher education. You said that alarm bells should be ringing about what’s happening across the whole of Wales, and how important HE is in terms of local economies. I've spoken to people in the sector who are saying, 'If this university were to disappear, then the whole town would die.' So, we have to be alive to that when we're talking about the future viability of the HE sector.

You mentioned a tracking system and how to attract students back to Wales. On the committee that I chair—the Welsh language committee—dentists had come in to talk about Welsh language regulations, and they say that they don't have Welsh-speaking dentists because they all study in England. Well, we have to be concerned about that, surely. We do have to encourage them to remain in Wales to study in Wales.