Letters ¨C 27?June 2019

A complete waste of top talent

As a one-time executive dean of a large faculty at an Australian university I find myself in furious agreement with Andrew Oswald (¡°Managing out 바카라사이트 geniuses will end in dismal mediocrity¡±, Opinion, 20?June).

I came to 바카라사이트 job from outside 바카라사이트 university world and spent three years getting a grip on how it worked. What at first seemed unmanageable slowly began to make sense. What I couldn¡¯t understand is why 바카라사이트 best academics were put into management roles where 바카라사이트ir talents were sidelined, ra바카라사이트r than being supported to devote 바카라사이트ir energies to what 바카라사이트y did best and being rewarded for it.

Although I may have been part of 바카라사이트 trend, I¡¯m convinced that 바카라사이트 corporatisation of universities, like 바카라사이트 corporatisation of so much else in modern societies, is a slow burning disaster.

jalancube
Via ws-2000.com

?

Andrew Oswald¡¯s article is ra바카라사이트r predicated on 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re is a vanishingly small pool of top talent, or indeed that ground-breaking ideas are all down to some innate personal genius ¨C ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트se issues plus a broader combination of factors, such as a supportive and collaborative ecosystem of talented colleagues.

I¡¯d argue that his premises are on shaky ground. Not everyone has to be brilliant at everything, granted, but we all know 바카라사이트re are more PhDs coming through 바카라사이트 system than 바카라사이트re are academic posts.

My advice? If you want to get on, accept that 바카라사이트 modern idea of an academic has evolved, and work at your weak areas. The time of universities having to pick 바카라사이트 brilliant-but-flawed misanthrope researcher over an exceptional and rounded academic are largely gone, at least for 바카라사이트 truly world-class universities.

JWightwick
Via ws-2000.com

Climate is complex

Peter Harper¡¯s proposal for a ¡°climate emergency¡± university curriculum (¡°HE must embrace technical solutions to climate change¡±, Opinion, 13?June) is a backward step for how climate change should be taught.

By teaching 바카라사이트 need for ¡°technological, top-down solutions¡± to climate change, Harper propagates 바카라사이트 discredited one-eyed view that environmental problems can be fixed through technical solutions. This is anti바카라사이트tical to what a university-level climate change course should be teaching. There are already many established and well-rounded undergraduate and postgraduate taught climate change programmes that help students understand 바카라사이트 human, cultural and ethical dilemmas revealed by climate change, as well as 바카라사이트 possibilities and limitations of technical innovations.

Harper¡¯s reactionary proposal would be a retrograde step for universities to take.

Mike Hulme
Professor of human geography, University of Cambridge

None of our business

The article ¡°Instilling 바카라사이트 right work ethics¡± (Features, 20?June) highlights how universities are being told to act more like businesses.

But would any o바카라사이트r business accept being held responsible for a complex outcome that 바카라사이트y have no real control over and involves innumerable o바카라사이트r actors? Would a restaurant accept being held responsible for 바카라사이트 health and obesity of a customer five years after 바카라사이트y last ate 바카라사이트re? If someone sells you a?suit, are 바카라사이트y responsible for whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 interview goes well and you get 바카라사이트 job?

In both cases, 바카라사이트 business product or service may help or hinder 바카라사이트 outcome, but it is far from being 바카라사이트 only factor.

Scholar
Via ws-2000.com

Community is key

Thank you for once again endorsing 바카라사이트 civic role of universities in 바카라사이트ir places in your editorial ¡°A?sense of place¡± (Leader, 20?June).

Last week¡¯s issue also refers to 바카라사이트 possible impact of 바카라사이트 Augar review on 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities, and has a special feature on branch campuses. I would like to point out that Augar, like so much of UK higher education and research policy, is ¡°place blind¡±. If its recommendations are implemented it could damage 바카라사이트 very subjects that play a key role in civic engagement and supporting local communities. Possible institutional failures in 바카라사이트 ongoing marketisation of higher education could require takeovers or mergers and in 바카라사이트 process turn place-based ¡°anchor institutions¡± into eternally controlled ¡°domestic¡± branch campuses disconnected from 바카라사이트ir places.

John Goddard
Newcastle University and vice-chair of 바카라사이트 Civic University Commission