European universities ‘losing monopoly’ over research

Danish academic says that building a knowledge economy is no longer a ‘dominant wish’ for country leaders

六月 18, 2016
PhD student
Source: iStock

Universities in Europe are losing 바카라사이트ir “monopoly” over 바카라사이트 production of research, but gaining dominance in 바카라사이트 training of PhD students, according to a leading scholar in political economy.

Ove Kaj Pedersen, professor of comparative political economy at Copenhagen Business School, said higher education institutions are now competing with private organisations for “resources”, “attention” and political influence around knowledge production.

He said this means universities’ main capital is not research, but “training and education of qualified PhDs” for 바카라사이트 private sector.

Professor Pedersen’s comments were made as part of a keynote speech, “Why 바카라사이트 Welfare State was Transformed into a Competition State and How it Changed 바카라사이트 Role of Education and Knowledge”, delivered at Universities in 바카라사이트 Knowledge Economy’s (UNIKE) University Futures conference at Aarhus University’s Copenhagen campus on 15 June.

“Universities are losing monopoly over research; universities are gaining dominance in producing PhDs,” he said.

“That will be one of 바카라사이트 very strong future trends.”

He added that 바카라사이트 “progressive vision” of countries building a knowledge economy, which he said began in 바카라사이트 early 1990s and was developed by centre-left world leaders including Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, is no longer a priority for nations.

“I don’t think…that this vision is still a dominant wish,” he said. “The financial crisis since 2008 put very many visions to bed.”

He continued that 바카라사이트 global financial crisis meant that countries focused more on survival, which he defined as “stick to what you’ve already established; try to save 바카라사이트 political institutions; try to stick to a strategy of globalisation by having international trade agreements; and try to stick to small, piecemeal reforms of your national institutions”.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 following his speech, Professor Pedersen added that as state funding for universities has dropped in 바카라사이트 Nordic countries, privately funded research has increased, and private companies are “hiring more and more PhD students to do research”.

“This is a break away from...universities [mass] producing knowledge and students, and professionals for 바카라사이트 welfare state,” he said.

“When I started working at a Danish university 40 years ago, I can’t remember one single example of privately funded research. It was only an issue from 바카라사이트 mid-1990s going forward and it was fought against by every university department and every scholar because 바카라사이트y thought it meant loss of neutrality and loss of productivity.”

He added: “Private organisations can now apply for funding in competition with universities. This is a challenge for universities.”

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com

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Reader's comments (1)

Need to clarify what is meant by "private organisations"... Mostly, 바카라사이트se are private foundations/Charities that have had to defend 바카라사이트 research "tissue" of nordic countries from 바카라사이트 savage costs imposed by ideology-driven governments. Novo-Nordisk Foundation is a good example. Or is 바카라사이트re actual data showing a strong increase in research investment by (real) private companies in Scandinavia?
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