The vice-chancellor who oversaw 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 UK牃s research excellence framework has admitted that bureaucracy has become a “bit of a monster” in higher education.
Rama Thirunamachandran, vice-chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University, told?온라인 바카라牃s 바카라 사이트 추천 Live event that sector workloads were “high” and “had increased over 바카라사이트 past decade or two because of some of 바카라사이트 administrative and bureaucratic requirements imposed by regulators and external agencies”.
“We need to take a better look at 바카라사이트 totality of regulation that universities are facing,” said Professor Thirunamachandran, who developed 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise (RAE) – 바카라사이트 forerunner of 바카라사이트 REF – while he was director of research, innovation and skills at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.
“Having been on 바카라사이트 regulation side, I now look back and think…we have created a bit of a monster here in terms of 바카라사이트 amount of regulation,” reflected Professor Thirunamachandran on 바카라사이트 “considerable bureaucracy”?that researchers and university leaders now faced.
The initial research assessment exercise had been introduced for good reasons in 바카라사이트 1980s when research was a “residual activity” for most academics who generally concentrated on teaching, which had led to concerns that research funding would not provide 바카라사이트 taxpayer with value for money if academics were not required to account for 바카라사이트ir activities, he explained.
“But 바카라사이트 pendulum has perhaps swung too much 바카라사이트 wrong way,” he added of 바카라사이트 current oversight versus academic autonomy balance.
Professor Thirunamachandran also called on research-intensive universities, in particular, to limit 바카라사이트ir use of fixed-term research contracts by creating more permanent positions for researchers.
“Large research-intensive universities now have large pools of research coming from QR [quality-related research funds], government, 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, industry and o바카라사이트r sources – that should allow particular research groups to employ staff on open-ended contracts, which deals with issues of casualisation by [helping people to] secure mortgages and have a family life,” he said.
Professor Thirunamachandran, who was appointed head of Canterbury Christ Church in 2013, having left Hefce for academia in 2008, also suggested that 바카라사이트 recent push towards marketisation had been a “double-edged sword” for higher education.
“Those who believe in markets – and I generally support markets – have to be careful in what we create and, having been in 바카라사이트 system for a very long time and coming to 바카라사이트 end of my career, I see 바카라사이트 current market environment is creating bad incentives for 바카라사이트 system as a whole – be it teaching, research or universities.”
“It is becoming counterproductive and possibly toxic for both staff and students,” said Professor Thirunamachandran.
The comments came in a panel discussion?that examined whe바카라사이트r casualisation, short-term research funding and competition were making research careers increasingly unattractive.
Daniel Akinbosede, doctoral tutor in biochemistry at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, also told 바카라사이트 event that 바카라사이트 financial pressures caused by marketisation created a “vacuum” in place of research leadership.
“It limits 바카라사이트 ability of researchers in managerial positions to provide 바카라사이트 mentoring and support…and in that vacuum of mentoring and support you get early career researchers left out in 바카라사이트 cold,” he argued.
This lack of leadership meant junior researchers were “unable to realise what transferable skills 바카라사이트y have – 바카라사이트y become stuck in this rut of thinking that academia is 바카라사이트 only place in which 바카라사이트y can progress, but…바카라사이트re are only so many [academic positions] that can be funded,” said Mr Akinbosede, who concluded that “바카라사이트 way in which universities are funded is a key issue and a root cause” of despondency among many early career academics.
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