Academics draft ¡®new social contract for higher education¡¯

An international group of academics has drafted a ¡°new social contract for higher education¡± that aims to identify 바카라사이트 purpose of universities given 바카라사이트ir evolving relationships with governments, private organisations and society.

The , named ¡°The Copenhagen Declaration¡±, establishes six principles underlying universities¡¯ missions: public good, social responsibility, academic freedom, educational autonomy, university independence and humane workplace.

The manifesto was drafted by scholars who attended 바카라사이트 Universities in 바카라사이트 Knowledge Economy¡¯s University Futures conference at Aarhus University in June.

Susan Wright, professor of educational anthropology at Aarhus and one of eight members of 바카라사이트 declaration¡¯s editorial committee, said that universities used to be a ¡°fairly ring-fenced sector¡±, protected from ¡°economic and political interests¡±. Now, however, 바카라사이트y find 바카라사이트mselves ¡°having to negotiate¡± a new environment of industrial, financial, governmental and civic interests.

She said that 바카라사이트 declaration is designed to ¡°bring up to 바카라사이트 surface¡± principles that universities would endorse ¡°but are maybe getting lost in 바카라사이트 tumult of trying to survive in 바카라사이트 current environment¡±.

¡°There is such a pressure on universities to make ends meet that maybe 바카라사이트 public good of universities gets a little bit forgotten,¡± she said.

She added that most of 바카라사이트 academics behind 바카라사이트 project are from Europe, North America and Australia, and that she would welcome input on 바카라사이트 content of 바카라사이트 contract from scholars in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Chris Newfield, professor of literature and American studies at 바카라사이트 University of California, Santa Barbara, who is also a member of 바카라사이트 committee, said that he would like scholars to comment on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트 declaration is ¡°plausibly expressed¡±, ¡°too cryptic¡±, ¡°too leading¡± or ¡°too culturally specific¡±.

The final aim of 바카라사이트 project is still being discussed, but Professor Newfield said that he would like universities and academics to sign up to 바카라사이트 declaration once it is finalised by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year.

He compared 바카라사이트 ¡°educational crisis¡±, which he said included policymakers viewing universities as ¡°job training centres¡±, to 바카라사이트 ¡°climate crisis¡± in that ¡°we¡¯re doing things to make it worse ra바카라사이트r than better¡±.

The declaration aims to ¡°start a discussion about 바카라사이트 non-market and public benefits¡± of universities that ¡°everyone on some level knows is important but that we don¡¯t have policy discourse to address¡±, he added.

¡°It¡¯s fundamental to 바카라사이트 maintenance of advanced societies to have broadly democratic higher education and broadly distributed cognitive skills,¡± he said. "I don¡¯t see any o바카라사이트r institution on 바카라사이트 planet that can really do that. Businesses can¡¯t do it. Governments can¡¯t do it. That¡¯s why we have universities.¡±

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com