The University of Dundee said it will suspend recruitment for its undergraduate mathematics course as part of a plan to cut 190 jobs, on top of 675 roles lost since August 2024. The university stressed mathematics will continue via other routes, including a new MSc in Applied Data Science and AI, but critics called the move damaging to Scotland’s economic and research needs. The Campaign for Mathematical Sciences described the plan as an “act of academic vandalism,” arguing that at a time when government priorities and AI-related growth depend on math and the mathematical sciences, the program deserves reversal. Industry-linked concerns surfaced in the criticism, including connections to healthcare and gaming. Dundee said undergraduate demand for the course fell by more than 50% over five years and said recruitment plans are subject to consultation. The university framed the change as a pivot that keeps mathematics as an enabling discipline across science, engineering, and business. This is likely to intensify debate over how universities restructure STEM offerings under financial strain, and whether “conversion” to adjacent AI and data programs preserves sufficient disciplinary depth and pipeline capacity.