American influence on British higher education: Science, technology, and the problem of university expansion, 1945-1963

The increased support of science and technology were fundamental factors in the expansion of university education in post-war Britain. American technical assistance to Western Europe, exemplified by the Marshall Plan, also focused upon the role of applied science and technology as a means of boosting productivity and competitiveness. This common concern for science and technology led Britain to consider the adoption of American models, specifically a British version of MIT, in the search for an effective higher education policy for applied science and technology. However, this paper argues that, whilst America offered important models for change, British policies were ultimately shaped by British traditions.