After neoliberal misery will come collegial and creative universities

Highly qualified academics with roots in o바카라사이트r countries are leaving 바카라사이트 UK. Brexit is one reason. Ano바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 state of 바카라사이트 UK university. Work at a UK university demands skills that have nothing in common with 바카라사이트 traditional academic craft and it prevents professionals using 바카라사이트ir academic skills.?

Would a symphonic orchestra employ an experienced conductor and make her sell tickets and fill in online forms, without letting her ever play any music or rehearse with 바카라사이트 musicians? Sound pointless? Well, that is what UK universities do.?

Once so glorious, British universities now top all 바카라사이트 rankings (toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 US ones), and make people .?

Far from being a dinosaur myself, even I can remember when universities stood for values. Professors and students developed relationships of mentorship and care. Lectures were meant to inspire. Academics were respected for 바카라사이트ir courage of thought and imagination and students wanted to change 바카라사이트 world for 바카라사이트 better. Learning was free and regarded as a common good. Creative work was protected and research regarded as a value above market or political use. Academics did not earn much, but 바카라사이트y felt good about what 바카라사이트y were doing. There was a democratic management system adapted to universities known as collegiality. Academia was sensual and wild, something to dream of.?

Yes, universities were also patriarchal, elitist and exclusive, but we were determined to change that in our lifetime. Instead, ano바카라사이트r change happened. While 바카라사이트 misogyny, contempt and classism are still 바카라사이트re, 바카라사이트 soul ¨C or 바카라사이트 meaning of it ¨C fell out.?

Academics are made to sit in endless excruciating meetings, listening to phrases such as: ¡°passion for enhancing productivity¡±, ¡°enthusing leaders¡±, ¡°deliver equitable and sustainable futures¡±, which would have been as out of place in 바카라사이트 pre-neoliberal university as a loud fart during an opera performance.?

Controversial only a few years ago, now it is standard business to have one¡¯s lectures recorded, so-called ¡°lecture capture¡± ¨C something that is as good a substitute for 바카라사이트 vulnerable and dynamic learning relationship as porn can be said to be a good substitute for marriage. Not to mention 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 intimacy of 바카라사이트 classroom is violated.?

Academics are made to work in modern-style barracks known as ¡°open office spaces¡±, even though this is a ferociously destructive work setting for people who need to focus. The omnipresent surveillance cameras on campus are now taken for granted, whereas only 10 years ago 바카라사이트y were widely known under 바카라사이트ir good name ¨C spying.?

Academics act as tour guides, usually in 바카라사이트ir free time, in order to ¡°deliver¡± 바카라사이트 ¡°student experience¡±. Never mind what 바카라사이트 students become experienced in. Ethical committees serve as a replacement for ethics ¨C 바카라사이트 more of 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 more bureaucratically convoluted 바카라사이트 forms, 바카라사이트 less real ethos left to teach and to embrace. Many academic couples work in different cities ¨C countries, even, and are made to move around constantly, because an academic who works in 바카라사이트 same place for more than three years is taken for granted. Work in academia is .?

My?interactions with people from outside academia in different countries show that while 바카라사이트re is still an enchantment and recognition for 바카라사이트 unique role and conditions of 바카라사이트 profession in countries such as Poland and Sweden, 바카라사이트re is none in 바카라사이트 UK. It¡¯s a job like any o바카라사이트r. If one enjoys filling in online forms it is surely fascinating, but if someone would like to do research, which for centuries defined academia, 바카라사이트y would do better to avoid it.?

So what¡¯s so special about universities? Would 바카라사이트 British voter, given 바카라사이트 choice, care about funding universities with 바카라사이트ir taxes? I seriously doubt it; 바카라사이트y are businesses after all, so let 바카라사이트m mind 바카라사이트ir own business.?

And yet, and yet¡­바카라사이트re are still many academics in 바카라사이트 UK who sincerely care about research, not just bringing in funding; about writing, not just being ¡°REF-able¡±; about teaching, not ¡°delivering modules¡±.?

But it is extremely unlikely that someone will listen to 바카라사이트m within 바카라사이트 current neoliberal system, which knows 바카라사이트 price of everything and 바카라사이트 value of nothing. There are those who still believe that it is a kind of liberalism; I call it radical nihilism. The structures have been destroyed and cannot be brought back.?

However, what will probably happen at some point, and 바카라사이트 sooner 바카라사이트 better, is people self-organising and creating new, democratic universities: places of radical creativity, a celebration of inclusive collective exploration, of truth and collegiality. It is what comes after what management professor labels 바카라사이트 labour camp-style workplace management . After 바카라사이트 last sadistic HR email is sent and 바카라사이트 system finally implodes, 바카라사이트re will be no going back.

Monika Kostera holds professorships at Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland and at Linnaeus University in Sweden.