Dear Professor Larner, President and Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University,
We are writing this open letter to express our disappointment at the recent decision by Cardiff University not to run its Applied Environmental Geology MSc programme for the academic year 2024/2025. We are concerned that this decision may have a tangible negative impact on the economic sectors populated and supported by geoscience graduates should the course remain permanently closed.
The Applied Environmental Geology MSc programme at Cardiff University has, for over three decades, produced high-calibre graduates that have gone on to work across a vast range of sectors across the UK and abroad, particularly in geotechnical, environmental, natural resource management, industry regulatory and business development roles. The broad scope of subjects covered on the course, combined with the requirement for a project dissertation blending on-the-job experience and academic standards, has produced students that are well placed to become engaged and productive employees upon graduation.
Across the UK (and internationally), growing project portfolios drive demand for novel approaches, technologies and skills to support major construction projects requiring ground engineering and geoenvironmental skills [1]. This demand is apparent in organisations of all scales, from multinationals to SMEs, and across the private and public sectors. Although the number of geoscience graduates is currently in decline, there is continued and growing demand for such skilled practitioners to drive innovation and best practice. Numerous initiatives are currently underway to try and tackle enrolment decline [2] [3] [4] [5], and many across industry and beyond believe that these numbers can and will recover to meet demand. The skills that these graduates possess contribute to tackling some of the biggest challenges facing our global society. Chief amongst them are those posed by global warming and the resulting need to find sustainable solutions to achieve net zero emissions whilst also adapting our infrastructure, our cities and our economy so that they are resilient to the effects of the earths’ changing climate [6]. Geoscience graduates are particularly well placed to tackle these issues thus supporting all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals [7].
Given the high demand for, and current shortage of, students with these essential skills, we feel it is shortsighted of the university to suspend the course for this academic year. Furthermore, considering the fundamental role of geoscientists in tackling long-term societal challenges, the decision to close Wales’ premier MSc in Applied Environmental Geology runs contrary to the ambitions of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, a unique and groundbreaking piece of legislation that seeks to secure a sustainable future for all.
We hope that this decision can and will be reversed in future years, and provide this open letter to the university to demonstrate the level of support from alumni and industry representatives for the continuation of the MSc Applied Environmental Geology course at Cardiff University in the very near future.
Yours sincerely,
Jim Whiteley BSc MSc PhD CGeol, Engineering Geophysics Lead, AtkinsRéalis
Stuart Archer BSc MSc CGeol RoGEP, Principal Engineering Geologist, AtkinsRéalis
Professor James S Griffiths BSc PhD CGeol CEng RoGEP FIMMM FGS PFHEA, Emeritus Professor of Engineering Geology & Geomorphology, University of Plymouth
Paul Maliphant BSc MSc FGS CGeol (ret), Business Development Advisor, Mott MacDonald Ltd and former member of the External Advisory Board of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University
Ryan Barrett BSc MSc FGS GMICE, Weather Resilience & Climate Change Adaptation Specialist, Network Rail
Dan Raynor BSc MSc FGS CEng MICE, Associate Director, Arup
David Giles BSc (Hons) PhD CGeol FGS FHEA Registered Ground Engineering Adviser 80674415, Technical Director, Card Geotechnics Ltd, Council Member Geological Society and Former Applied Environmental Geology MSc Examiner
[1] Kajastie, N. 2023. GE100 2023: Ground engineering skills in demand. Ground Engineering Magazine. emap Publishing. geplus.co.uk/features/ge100-2023-ground-engineerin...
[2] GSL-UGUK, 2019. Enrolment in crisis: A UK-wide strategy for exciting, engaging and retaining students in the geosciences. Joint report by the Geological Society of London and University Geoscience UK. geolsoc.org.uk/~/media/shared/documents/education%...
[3] BGA, 2024. British Geophysical Association Geophysics Questionnaire. geophysics.org.uk/bga-geophysics-questionnaire/...
[4] Anderson, A., 2023. Global Geoscience Enrolment. Geoscientist Magazine. geoscientist.online/sections/unearthed/global-geos...
[5] Menteth, T., 2024. Geoscience alliance launches to attract more students into industry. Ground Engineering Magazine. emap Publishing. geplus.co.uk/news/geoscience-alliance-launches-to-...
[6] Bevan., J.2021. More than Zero: why Net Zero alone won’t save the planet - and what will. [Speech]. 16 March 2021, Whitehall and Industry Group. gov.uk/government/speeches/more-than-zero-why-net-...
[7] Gill, J. C. 2017. Geology and the Sustainable Development Goals. International Union of Geological Sciences, 40, 70-76.10.18814/epiiugs/2017/v40i1/017010. episodes.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.18814/epiiug...
Dear signatories,
Thank you for supporting the open letter to Cardiff University expressing disappointment at the recent suspension of the MSc Applied Environmental Geology course.
After forwarding the letter to the university at the end of August, we received the following response from Professor Wendy Larner, President and Vice-Chancellor in late September:
"Thank you very much for contacting me with regards to the Applied Environmental Geology MSc programme (AEG) and my apologies for being slow to respond because of the summer break.
As you mention, AEG has a rich history of providing high calibre graduates with skills that are directly applicable in industry and as a University that is something that we value greatly. Unfortunately the number of students applying to study on AEG are small, decreasing and have not recovered since the pandemic. This, together with an immediate capacity issue with staff with the requisite experience to deliver AEG, led to the decision to pause, but not to close, the programme.
During this pause, and as I think you already know, we are reviewing the content of the programme with the aim of relaunching an updated offering that will be more attractive to applicants and provide our students with the relevant skills that will be needed over the next decade. As part of this review we will actively seek the input from a wide variety of stakeholders, including industrial contacts, and we would be delighted if you and your colleagues would like to be a part of that process.
To this end, I am cc-ing the Head of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Pro Vice-Chancellor for the College of Physical Sciences and Engineering so that they are aware of your concerns in this matter and hopefully your willingness to participate in working with us as we work to embed new skills, expertise and experiences with our programmes to ensure that AEG can be a success in the future."
We have yet to receive a detailed update from the relevant School and College, but will post any updates here.
The content of the Professor Larner's reply is a reminder to us all that if we want postgraduate courses that produce students who can better society through the application of geosciences, we need to use them. To that end, I would urge everyone to do what they can to continue spreading the message around the societal benefits and rich career opportunities that geoscience affords.
Jim Whiteley
Dear signatories,
Last week, Ryan Barrett and I received the following message from Professor Jenny Pike, Head of School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Cardiff University.
“Firstly, thank you for your support within the University for MSc Applied Environmental Geology, and for the support of the wider community of alumni from AEG. It was helpful to raise the profile and key role that the programme has played for the past 30 years. However, with the initial loss of a core post, our fixed-term colleagues not being extended last year … we have insufficient capacity remaining to continue our discussions with Engineering about revising the programme to be less intensive to deliver (by sharing some content), and then insufficient remaining expertise to deliver our parts of it. We have taken the decision to move from pause to programme closure.
Going forwards, Engineering will be revising their Geoenvironmental MSc programme and we will help them with that, and we will also return to a new MSc programme that was paused half-way through the development and approval process last year, Geoscience for Environmental Sustainability, that focusses on upper crust and that we have the expertise to deliver, and I hope that this may bring back some the elements of AEG.”
Clearly this is not the outcome that we had hoped for, but in the light of recent news from the university [1] it is perhaps not surprising. Prof Pike has said that there are currently no academic staff losing their positions within the school in this round of consultation, but the loss of academic staff more widely will be of consternation to those working in the school.
The loss of the MSc AEG will be undoubtedly felt by industries within Wales and beyond. With the course set to close completely, this marks the end of our direct engagement with the school and university for now. I will be reaching out to the recently formed UK Strategic Geoscience Alliance [2] to explore ways of preventing the closure of the next MSc AEG; I would encourage those who feel strongly about the future of geoscience and its critical role in our society to do the same.
Jim Whiteley
[1] Morris, S., 2025. Cardiff University to cut 400 staff and drop subjects including nursing and music. The Guardian. theguardian.com/education/2025/jan/28/cardiff-univ...
[2] Davies-Vollum, S., 2024. A Geoscience Strategic Alliance. Geoscientist Magazine. The Geological Society of London. geoscientist.online/sections/unearthed/a-geoscienc...