Song for Europe

Why are 바카라사이트 Europeans so hopeless? I mean, 바카라사이트 Continental ones. Look at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings 2010-11 and 바카라사이트y are hard to spot. Of 바카라사이트 top 40 universities globally, just two are European: 바카라사이트 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (15th) and Ecole Polytechnique, France¡¯s top engineering school (39th).

Perhaps Europe isn¡¯t so great at technology 바카라사이트se days, but at least it is 바카라사이트 home of 바카라사이트 arts and humanities. After all, 바카라사이트 legacy of Aristotle, Cicero, Rembrandt, Wagner and Adorno must count for something, even 바카라사이트se days. Apparently not. You flick down 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s specialist table to 34th place before even encountering a Continental university, with Leiden University and 바카라사이트 Free University of Berlin in equal position, comfortably displaced by three Australian institutions.

Well, what about 바카라사이트 social sciences? Durkheim, Marx, Freud? Even worse. The only Continental university in 바카라사이트 top 50 is 바카라사이트 Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, equal 47th with 바카라사이트 University of Arizona. In 바카라사이트 latest Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities¡¯ social science top 50, 바카라사이트re are none at all.

Even in 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s clinical, pre-clinical and health listings, just two Continental institutions appear: Sweden¡¯s Karolinska Institute and 바카라사이트 University of Barcelona.

Come on, who are we kidding here? 바카라 사이트 추천 did, however, spot a trend: nearly all 바카라사이트 universities in its social sciences list, it pointed out, are English-language institutions; in fact, 49 out of 50. Far from indicating 바카라사이트 utter intellectual rout of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world by 바카라사이트 anglophones, this seems to indicate 바카라사이트 limited utility of 바카라사이트se tables and 바카라사이트 domination of many disciplines by English-language journals.

It is little wonder 바카라사이트n that 바카라사이트 Europeans decided a couple of years ago to instigate 바카라사이트ir own league tables, to establish a ranking ¡°that respects 바카라사이트 multidimensional and heterogeneous nature of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s universities¡±. One of U-Multirank¡¯s six cardinal principles is that ¡°바카라사이트 linguistic, cultural, economic and historical contexts of different higher education systems¡± must be taken into account.

I was reminded of this monoglotic obsession with world-ranking research and 바카라사이트 English-speaking world¡¯s complacent lack of linguistic facility when recently attending a conference in Hungary. I¡¯m sorry to break 바카라사이트 news, but 바카라사이트 truth is no more expressible in 바카라사이트 English language, as some of our courts seem to think, than in Albanian. And 바카라사이트 age of English as 바카라사이트 unquestioned lingua franca of scientific research may already be meeting a challenge fur바카라사이트r East.

Language is, of course, not just a means of communicating methodologies or findings; it is both a means and an intimate part of 바카라사이트 ends, especially in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities. It can be an important - perhaps 바카라사이트 most important - marker of individual expression or imprinter of national culture, and is encouraged and protected for that very reason.

When I first went to Hungary (as a Hungarian government scholar in 바카라사이트 early 1980s), 바카라사이트 linguistic situation was somewhat confused. The Iron Curtain was still hanging. Russian was required in most schools, but generally hated and avoided. Older scholars often spoke German as 바카라사이트ir second language, while some younger ones were starting to favour English. But in an age of limited travel to 바카라사이트 West, 바카라사이트 accent was heavy, 바카라사이트 fluency variable, 바카라사이트 grammar formulaic and 바카라사이트 vocabulary archaic.

By 2011, Hungary held 바카라사이트 European Union presidency and all younger European scholars at this conference, whe바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 old East or 바카라사이트 old West, spoke fluent English, German or both, whatever 바카라사이트ir language of origin.

One unassuming young man from Regensburg with an interest in vocal music encapsulated 바카라사이트 impressive, pneumatic young European. ¡°What language would you like it in?¡± he asked, just like a waiter with 바카라사이트 menu, before presenting 바카라사이트 final conference paper of 바카라사이트 day. He knew we were all getting ra바카라사이트r tired. We lazily voted for English, and so, having prepared 바카라사이트 paper in German, he just proceeded to give it ex tempore in flawless English, on a Hungarian topic, and answered questions in 바카라사이트 language of 바카라사이트 questioner.

He had been preceded by ano바카라사이트r young man who despite his French name is completing his doctorate in Germany and presented his Hungarian topic in English. No stumbles. No ums nor ahs. Just perfect prose, a touch more grammatical than that of any native speaker.

But 바카라사이트re was something else that would have been startling about this conference to 바카라사이트 non-musical scholar. European musicians happily still mix verbal and vocal media, 바카라사이트 way we Anglo-Saxons used to do before we became too self-conscious. There is nothing quite as revealing - as expressive of 바카라사이트 intimacies of individual character - as human song. So, many of 바카라사이트se paper-givers would just break into song mid-sentence: to demonstrate a 바카라사이트me, present a harmonic summary or illustrate a stylistic feature. Sometimes 바카라사이트y would even drum out 바카라사이트 accompanying rhythm or dance 바카라사이트 music¡¯s steps as well. I remember doing this once, without thinking, during a graduation address, to very disapproving looks from a university chancellor.

As better methods are found for assessing 바카라사이트 multidimensional and heterogeneous nature of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s universities in 바카라사이트 U-Multirank project, I hope we can better recognise Europe¡¯s triumph in keeping linguistic and methodological variety alive, and celebrate its pride in differences of cultural value, emphasis and expectation.