Mathematics is not redundant

This is simply insane — shaping a university so as to chase buzzwords is disgraceful.

As a student of both math and physics I can say that it indeed makes a great difference whether or not you learn from best practitioners. Abandoning pure mathematics in favor of AI and computation is absurd as the latter emerged from millennia of studying the former, thus shows utter ignorance towards the challenges of the future und is unacceptable for an institution bearing the name university!

Without mathematics, the world would not be would it is today. To take it for granted is detrimental to future generations.

This is an outrageous decision.

It is insane to cease research in pure math.

I am not a Math student myself but I recognize the value of pure mathematics and how collaboration between pure mathematicians and data scientists can yield more fruitful results than either party would alone.

This is an outrageous assault on science, I hope it will not go through.

Utterly disgusted. Absolutely unjustified decision, pure mathematics have place at each and every university worldwide!

This is a fatal mistake. Future research in the wanted areas will require more (not less!) research in pure mathematics.

What in the hell?

The University VC has just proved himself a clueless and extremely harmful nuisance to his own institution. If the Exective Board wants to show that they are not redundant, they need to stop this stupidity immediately.

Leicester has a long and distinguished history in pure mathematics, for instance in mathematical logic and algebra. This proposal in extremely damaging.

Leicester is one of the gems of pure mathematics in the UK. To close it down is an act of cultural vandalism which will leave a tree without roots. It also makes no sense as a business plan. The adverse publicity will also scare off any decent potential applicants for the supposed replacement posts in data science and AI. Data scientists are in strong demand: why should they work for an employer who could sack them so readily?

Unacceptable! No student to this University!

Such a decision is very short sighted and ignorant of the work of the researchers working in pure mathematics at Leicester.

Utterly despicable

Making your pure mathematicians "redundant" is not possible (in American English) because no mathematics is redundant. But firing them will harm the reputation of Leicester and consign its students to second-rate educations.

Fundamental research in pure mathematics is vitally important, and to shut it down would be a hugely damaging false economy: the subjects listed (AI, data science, etc) all rely on, and grew out of research in pure mathematics.

This short-sighted action is sabotaging the long-term development of the university and its scientific success. It is very well understood by experts that progress in physics and computer science relies more and more on what sometimes mistakenly is called "pure mathematics".

I would strongly advise any prospective student not to attend a university (to study any discipline, at any level) that has no serious mathematics department.