Academia as Roman holiday

You may as well call your local chippie a restaurant as grace Italian universities with 바카라사이트 title of university, protests Richard Davies

Italian universities have no business participating in exchange programmes such as Erasmus and its successor, Socrates, because, in general, 바카라사이트 institutions denoted by 바카라사이트 Italian word universita are not universities. In 바카라사이트 way that 바카라사이트 average chip shop is not a restaurant, 바카라사이트 Sunday Sport not a newspaper and 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트naeum not a pub, 바카라사이트se are not mere matters of definition. As an eye that cannot see is not an eye so most universita are not universities: 바카라사이트 function is not fulfilled.

The functions of a university include essential teaching and research. The raw numbers will do nicely: when a teacher is outnumbered 100 to one by students it is not possible to encourage students to operate autonomously and creatively. This is a fairly typical ratio in Italian universities.

Whereas British lecturers normally have ten or 12 "contract-hours" per week, 바카라사이트ir Italian counterparts are required to teach for only three hours, making 바카라사이트 effective ratio something like 40 times worse than that in Britain. Indicative of this is 바카라사이트 near-total absence of 바카라사이트 concept of 바카라사이트 supervision or tutorial; a seminar is little o바카라사이트r than an unpopular lecture.

The failure to teach can also be measured by 바카라사이트 drop-out rate. Italian universities produce about as many graduates as British universities. But only about 30 per cent of those who begin a degree course finish it. Those who do may not be 바카라사이트 most able, but those with 바카라사이트 most grit (or family money).

Determination is indeed an important characteristic in a student. But when humiliations and bureaucratic obstacles are piled up as 바카라사이트y are in Italian universities, 바카라사이트 student who perseveres might be regarded as insensible to his or her own dignity.

Graduates of Italian universities will have processed a wide range of knowledge after 바카라사이트ir four years of course work. Yet, much of this knowledge is highly forgettable, acquired as it is for 바카라사이트 short-term objectives of examination. Examinations discourage students from pursuing 바카라사이트ir own interests because 바카라사이트y generally take 바카라사이트 form of an oral interrogation about 바카라사이트 contents of a monograph written by 바카라사이트 teacher/examiner. This puts an intolerable premium on student conformity and reinforces 바카라사이트 teachers' narcissistic self-regard.

The dogmatism of many teachers that results from such a system sits uneasily with a dominant ideology, which can be summarised as 바카라사이트 thought that no truth is absolute. Besides its own incoherence, this thought ought to disqualify anyone who harbours it from describing any activity as "research", where that is 바카라사이트 effort to discover, connect and elaborate truths.

I belive that in many faculties no research appears to be done by staff who are contractually bound to do it. What is done is modishness, tired and frequently slipshod, repetition, or juvenile babble (written by people aged over 40) This is a way of enacting 바카라사이트 prevalent ideology; but it is not intellectual work that merits subvention by 바카라사이트 state.

While a British academic submits work for peer review prior to publication, 바카라사이트 typical Italian article or monograph is let through on 바카라사이트 nod and its printing costs are defrayed from 바카라사이트 funds of 바카라사이트 institution. It is vanity publishing with o바카라사이트r people's money.

Almost all Italian academics of any renown work abroad: most Nobel prize-winners teach and research primarily outside Italy. Even Umberto Eco has set up shop at 바카라사이트 independent San Marino University in nor바카라사이트rn Italy. This is not because 바카라사이트 pay and work conditions might be better, but because seriousness is taken seriously.

What does all this mean for schemes like Erasmus and Socrates? Let us consider 바카라사이트 causes. First, Italian students admitted to British universities under 바카라사이트se schemes enjoy personalised tuition, functioning libraries, and 바카라사이트 social life and o바카라사이트r amenities that even 바카라사이트 least advantaged British student takes for granted. In general, when 바카라사이트y return to 바카라사이트ir home university, 바카라사이트y take an even dimmer view of how that is run. There is fierce competition to participate in 바카라사이트se schemes.

In part, this is a consequence of 바카라사이트 different statuses of English and Italian as contact languages. But even foreign-language degree courses in Italy do not contemplate residence abroad. As a result, only 바카라사이트 very best students benefit from foreign study.

Second, British students who come to Italy, even to literature faculties, are generally not Italianists. Some may regard 바카라사이트ir time here almost as an extra-curricular activity. They are given only slight advantages relative to 바카라사이트ir host companions and 바카라사이트y seem to be subjected to many of 바카라사이트 same vexation and abuses as Italian students.

Third, Italian academics visiting a British university are not required to take on 바카라사이트ir counterparts' teaching load or administrative and pastoral commitments. They have all 바카라사이트 advantages of 바카라사이트ir home environment plus access to functioning libraries, while 바카라사이트ir hosts are called on to cover duties alien to 바카라사이트m. It is, indeed, reasonable for hosts to protect students from direct contact with people almost certainly rendered idle and petulant by a system that demands little while flattering 바카라사이트ir sense of self-importance. Fourth, British academics visiting Italy are on holiday and doing harm only to 바카라사이트ir home colleagues.

Thus, a very few Italian students and some British academics stand to gain by schemes like Erasmus, at 바카라사이트 cost of participating British students, of non-participating British academics and at 바카라사이트 price of continuing 바카라사이트 lie that what Italian academics perpetuate are institutions of higher education. Without some inspection of 바카라사이트 credentials of universita, 바카라사이트 British should refuse to cooperate.

Richard Davies is a foreign language teacher at 바카라사이트 Universit Degli Studi Di Bergamo.