Top mathematicians from around the world, including the President of the European Mathematical Society, have written to Cardiff University warning it is at risk of damaging its international reputation with swingeing proposed cuts. The Campaign for Mathematical Sciences says it is calling on the university to "reverse cuts or risk collapse of maths infrastructure in Wales".

There has been widespread condemnation and shock after the university – the only Russell Group institution in Wales – announced proposed cuts including the loss of 400 academic posts amid a deficit of £65m which they hope to bring down to £31m. Staff have been issued with letters saying their jobs are at risk with a 90-day consultation on the proposals under way. Read more details about Cardiff University's proposed cuts here.

In a statement the The Campaign for Mathematical Sciences (CaMS) said: "Cardiff University is planning a swingeing programme of redundancies across the university. Up to 15 lecturers at the prestigious School of Mathematics are set to be made redundant. The proposed plans would see a significant reduction of students being able to study mathematics and would represent an unprecedented cut to maths provision at a Russell Group university. "

World-leading mathematicians, including the President of the European Mathematical Society Jan Philip Solovej and Fields Medallists Sir Martin Hairer and Alessio Figalli, have written to the university authorities urging them to think again. They say the proposed changes will affect the ability of the university to attract mathematics students nationally and internationally as well as the next generation of academic leaders.

The CaMS said if they go ahead the cuts will bring "a series of negative consequences for Wales" including:

• "Putting the brakes on economic growth. Without an adequate pipeline of mathematicians and higher-level maths skills Wales will miss out on vital skills necessary to make the most of innovations and sectors including AI, quantum tech, renewable energy, fintech and the life sciences.

• "Following recent closures of mathematics programmes at other Welsh universities, it will create a ‘maths desert’ for young people, with mathematics at university level reduced to a skeleton service across Wales. This will deprive many of the opportunity to study maths, particularly those less able to travel to universities beyond Wales, such as those from poorer backgrounds, students with disabilities or those with caring responsibilities.

• "Fewer maths graduates available to take on teaching positions in Welsh schools. The maths degree programme at Cardiff has strong links to the teaching profession and crucially provides an introduction to teaching mathematics in secondary school, entirely in Welsh. This is critical for those intending to work in Welsh-language schools."

CaMS said it understands that the School of Mathematics is producing a "significant" budget surplus for the university and claims that the proposed redundancies are motivated by the university leaderships’ "desire to take in fewer mathematics students through the clearing process". A document shared with WalesOnline last week revealed the university's plans to take fewer domestic undergraduates with lower grades or via clearing.

Professor Jens Marklof, chair of CaMS and president of the London Mathematical Society, said the university’s strategy to improve its national and global league table positions by increasing the entry requirements for its students while potentially imposing staff redundancies on this scale "will spectacularly backfire". He said: “Maths skills are going to be essential as we move through the 21st century. AI runs on maths – mathematical sciences are absolutely crucial to fuelling economic growth or solving societal challenges such as climate change or pandemic modelling.

"If the senior team of Cardiff University presses on with these changes it will be holding Wales back in the race for economic and social success. It’s not just about cutting jobs – it’s also about cutting the opportunities available for young people in Wales.”

The Welsh Government’s Mathematics and Numeracy Plan 2023 stated that “mathematics and numeracy are fundamental to the well-being of future generations”, the CaMS pointed out. And it said while the Welsh Government also has an explicit focus on jobs and green growth these ambitions cannot be realised without an adequate pipeline of mathematical scientists and higher-level maths skills.

Professor Terry Lyons of Oxford University, and former director of the Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, said: “Mathematical training is a facilitator for economic growth. It is vital that we have knowledgeable teachers and it is well documented that mathematical skills substantially underpin economic productivity.”

Cardiff University has stressed the cuts are proposed and discussions remain ongoing. It was stated that it, like other universities, is facing the combined pressures of inflation, a fall in the number of higher-paying international students, static home student tuition fees, and new National Insurance payments.

The university has said the situation it is in is not sustainable and must be faced. The UCU union has warned it will ballot for industrial action which would follow this term.

The UCU is also holding a no-confidence vote in vice-chancellor Professor Wendy Larner and the university council. The union says if they should had acted sooner, in what it accepts are tough financial times, the planned cuts would not need to be so deep.

A Cardiff University spokesman said: "We can confirm receipt of the letter and the university will respond in due course."

Prof Larner has previously said: “I want to stress that these are proposals and our final plans will be shaped by our community – both internal and external – through formal consultation. The scale of the challenge will remain but the way that we address it will certainly be refined and developed over the next 90 days.”

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