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well disappear in the end, but that is not necessary. They
can remain one part of the heterogeneous set-up. Rip
(2004) suggests that Centres for Excellence and Relevance
are well suited to offer packages of research training (and
certify them), whether they are part of a university or not. It
would be a way of accommodating research training more
rapidly to changes in the research landscape.
Think of how dramatically Electrical Engineering has changed
since the 50’s: from tubes to transistors to integrated
circuits and sensors, actuators, as well complex systems
which integrate them. Electrical Engineering Departments/Faculties
now house also mechanical engineers (Mechatronics),
IC-designers and micro/nano-technologists.
One could argue, that a re-grouping of disciplines and curricula
and their related governance structure is needed.
Centres of Excellence and Relevance can do that because
they are not constrained by the past (only by the future as
laid out in the promises made for them).
Much in the same manner, we can look at micro/nanotechnology
as a set of topics that has an interest comparable to
electrical engineering some 40-50 years ago. Perhaps,
micro/nanotechnology should become a new faculty? One
can imagine the battle against vested academic interests
that is necessary to realize such a change. One scenario
could be that existing academic departments and faculties
are by-passed because Centres of Excellence and Research
partially replace them as locations for training.
If (when) the universities become conglomerates, there will
be further opportunities for Centres of Excellence and Relevance
to evolve, for example as public-private partnerships,
linked to heterogeneous scientific communities. Given such
co-evolution, one can speculate about the future. One
scenario would be a world where Centres of Excellence of
Relevance (accredited to award PhD degrees, cf. Rip 2004)
would be the key institutions, replacing the universities.
Undergraduate education would remain the prerogative of
universities (and polytechnics, technikons, hogescholen),
and be seen (in addition to its main role of providing higher
education to an important part of the labour force) as
“feedstock” (and thus obligatory passage point) for excellent
and relevant researchers. 5
3. The future of academic research
Often, analysis is couched in economic terms (broadly speaking),
about resources and competition on a market for
strategic research, which intersects (for universities) with
the market for training and attracting students. And sponsors
are important, adding a patronage dimension to the
market dynamics.
Policy, at government as well as university level, tends to be
responsive. And when pro-active, often goes for new public
management approaches which may well be counter-productive.
In universities (as Kulati has shown), such approaches
neglect the differences between scientific fields and
application domains that research groups and centres relate
to. A universalizing approach (same model or procedure
everywhere) will then favour some fields above others,
without considering their actual importance.
What I have added to these two entrance points is the phenomenon
of co-evolution, in general, and specifically for
Centres of Excellence and Relevance and universities. Centres
of Excellence and Relevance move on the market for
strategic research. Their opportunities and success will depend
on what other organizations will be in place & act/intervene
in the ecology of the research system. The lifeline of
universities is undergraduate and graduate training. If excellence
(and relevance) in research is added as a mission, it
does not sit easily with this “lifeline”. Particularly if universities
have to compete with Centres of Excellence and Relevance,
sometimes in their own organization.
There is a future for academic research, but it may not be
academic research as it used to be. Academic research may
occur in other than traditional locations (cf. also “third sector
knowledge production”). And traditional locations like
universities may well be transformed. There are no simple,
causal, determinants of this co-evolution. But one can anticipate,
even if this requires being speculative. Scenarios
offer controlled speculation.
This paper has identified building blocks, and articulated
some scenarios. The subsequent question is whether the articulation
of scenarios will make a difference. Will actors be
more knowledgeable, and thus more effective? Part of my
argument was about overall trends that cannot easily be resisted,
even if they are the cumulative result of many individual
choices and strategies. The post-modern university
may need post-modern “managers” who are reflexive about
the limitations to their attempts at effecting change.
References
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5 In a brainstorming meeting organized by German BMBF, December 2007,
about the changing research landscape, one claim was: “Recruitment of
top scientists starts at undergraduate level.”
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