Congratulations to Rhun ap Iorwerth, Wales’ new First Minister

We congratulate Rhun ap Iorwerth on becoming Prif Weinidog (First Minister) of Wales. His achievement in leading Plaid Cymru to recent success in the Senedd elections marks a notable moment in Wales’ political journey.

We have enjoyed positive working relations with former First Ministers in the past and look forward to working with Mr ap Iorwerth and his new team of ministers.

We welcome his party’s manifesto commitment to ‘commission an independent, comprehensive and sector-wide review of higher education and how it is funded in Wales’. We are ready to play our full part in that review, just as we did with our recent response to the Welsh Government’s call for submissions on the future of tertiary education in Wales, which also included recommendations to:

• prioritise the critical research and innovation system;
• invest in research, and review the funding model;
• utilise Wales’ National Academy;
• appoint a Minister for Research and Innovation.

We also look forward to supporting the new government’s wider work, driving improvements in health, environment, culture, and more, with expert advice from our Fellowship of Wales’s leading minds.