Review of the Research Institute for History and - Universiteit Utrecht

B 9. Internal evaluation and analysis, perspectives and expectations for research
Strengths
OGC is a large and wide-ranging research organization, covering a broad spectrum of the arts and humanities.
The institute aims to be effi cient and supportive of the research efforts of its faculty. Researchers generally
indicate satisfaction with the current level of assistance: the institute is indeed perceived as effi cient and
supportive. Research groups can profi t from the facilities provided by OGC, but are at the same time autonomous
in setting their own research agendas. The programmes are well-integrated in the various national
research schools and can thus profi t from intensive collaboration with scholars across the Netherlands and
beyond. The current OGC structure creates a clear and workable confi guration. Thanks to their solid local
organization, OGC researchers are prominent contributors to national and international research networks.
OGC values the international profi le of its faculty, and promotes international mobility and exchange. OGC
creates a secure environment for its PhD-students. The PhD-international programme has a success rate of
100%. OGC scholars manage to attract substantial and increasing external funding for their research, both
from governmental and non-governmental sources. Commissioned research is also substantial and of an
international standard.
Weaknesses
Scientifi c output has fallen during the period under review, in absolute as well as relative terms, as will be
discussed (and analysed) at greater length in chapter B10. This has required new and unprecedented measures
to turn around the unwelcome trend. As these measures will only take full effect in 2006, it is too early to tell
what the results will be.
In the meantime, it is obvious that some OGC programmes are and operate more coherently than
others. Creating a stimulating research environment has proved relatively more diffi cult for large programmes
and in areas where large numbers of students are taught. Nonetheless, large programmes will be able to
operate more coherently by organizing more common activities, such as regular seminar meetings, and OGC
management actively encourages this.
The division into programmes sometimes creates undesired barriers. This was especially true in the area
of Cultural History, and for that reason we have decided to subdivide this into three distinct groups. The
potential for interdisciplinary research had been under-exploited. OGC therefore initiated the Scenarios for
the Humanities research programme with a specifi cally interdisciplinary content in 1999. This programme
showed that a structural collaboration between various disciplines requires much time and effort. This is
important to keep in mind when drawing up plans for similar collaborative efforts across the traditional
Faculties in the newly formed Faculty of Arts and the Humanities. We are now considering the creation of a
more permanent Humanities Research Center to especially address this issue.
Although its success rate with PhD students is higher than the national average, OGC has failed to really
tackle the problem of high drop-out rates, and slow progress among many of its PhD-projects. We are reconsidering
our monitoring procedures of PhD-projects, and also expect that the creation of a Graduate School
Arts & Humanities will help create structures that can address this issue.
Opportunities
The creation of a Faculty of Arts and the Humanities in 2004 forms a new incentive for interdisciplinary
work. Collaboration between OGC scholars in Ancient History and their colleagues in Theology and Philosophy
provides an example to be followed by those in other areas.
The new Graduate School should create a clearer division of responsibilities when it comes to the supervision
of PhD-students. The number of international PhDs can be expanded through the Graduate School. A
change in the status of Dutch PhDs, from employee to student, should open more opportunities for talented
students to progress to PhD-level.
The availability of a full-time research quarter (see B10) for all tenured faculty will provide all OGC
scholars with a concentrated period of research time each year.
OGC Research Institute for History and Culture
378