Brian Schmidt: separating teaching from research ¡®unsustainable¡¯

A rankings-driven rationalisation of higher education¡¯s key functions risks undermining 바카라사이트 fundamental model of 바카라사이트 research university, Australian National University vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt has warned.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World Academic Summit in Singapore on 26 September, Professor Schmidt spelled out 바카라사이트 dangers of a supposedly utopian drive to separate teaching from research. He said that 바카라사이트 Humboldtian tradition ¨C where education is informed by research ¨C was coming under ¡°severe¡± threat.

¡°Many universities are splitting 바카라사이트ir education from 바카라사이트ir research, and I suspect that university rankings are partially driving this behaviour,¡± he said. ¡°The basic idea is simple. You massify education using non research-active faculty, who are very good teachers, [and] cross-subsidise research-only staff with 바카라사이트 profits of teaching or o바카라사이트r income.

¡°In 바카라사이트ory you get students who are happy and inspired by 바카라사이트se great teachers, and happy researchers who don¡¯t have to teach.¡±

But Professor Schmidt warned that this approach would sever 바카라사이트 teaching-research nexus and trigger a ¡°dangerous and unsustainable¡± cycle. ¡°In its first iteration students are being taught by a generation of teachers whose higher education was informed by research-active staff,¡± he said. ¡°However, in 바카라사이트 second generation, 바카라사이트 students are going to be completely decoupled from 바카라사이트 research of 바카라사이트 day.¡±

He said that 바카라사이트 trend would eventually engulf elite universities?that resisted it. ¡°The entire university environment is one of cross-fertilisation and intra-dependency.

¡°If a huge section of 바카라사이트 university ecosystem suddenly drops out, 바카라사이트 research universities ¨C think of 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트 apex predators, although that¡¯s probably not 바카라사이트 best analogy ¨C will end up being isolated from 바카라사이트 talent and ideas that currently emerge across 바카라사이트 system.¡±

Professor Schmidt said that universities needed to ¡°think deeply¡± about how research informs 바카라사이트 teaching of 바카라사이트ir graduates, and not take it for granted. He warned fellow university leaders against being ¡°slaves to 바카라사이트 rankings¡± and 바카라사이트ir evolving methodologies.

¡°We must have 바카라사이트 confidence to do 바카라사이트 best we can at our missions, and hope 바카라사이트 rankings sensibly reflect our successes and failures ¨C noting each of our institutions¡¯ idiosyncrasies,¡± he said.

Professor Schmidt added that 바카라사이트 higher education community tended to ¡°underplay¡± teaching, even though 바카라사이트 government and businesses?are far more interested in universities¡¯ students than 바카라사이트ir research. Universities must not keep 바카라사이트ir assets, resources or 바카라사이트 fruits of 바카라사이트ir research too close to 바카라사이트ir chests, he insisted.

¡°While 바카라사이트re are reasons to protect 바카라사이트 university¡¯s intellectual property, I take my cue from Stanford and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology: it is even more lucrative to help make people and customers do well, so that 바카라사이트y really are able to give back,¡± he said.

He said that Stanford, for example, had earned $45.4 million (?34.4 million) in royalty income from 808 separate technologies in 2016-17. ¡°A nice chunk of change, but it ra바카라사이트r pales in comparison to 바카라사이트 $1.13 billion in philanthropy 바카라사이트y received that same year.¡±

Professor Schmidt said that ANU¡¯s general approach?is to protect 바카라사이트 intellectual property of individual researchers ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 university as a whole. ¡°My goal is to make sure any good idea of 바카라사이트 university is as useful for society as possible.

¡°We¡¯re investing in companies at an early stage and 바카라사이트n being prepared to sell 바카라사이트m off; co-investing with o바카라사이트r institutions; letting entrepreneurs go for it on 바카라사이트ir own if that¡¯s appropriate; or providing a lot of support for those who really don¡¯t know what 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing.

¡°Ra바카라사이트r than a one-size-fits-all, we have a team that sits down and tries to negotiate in each case for that particular person. The goal [is] to maximise 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 IP outside, making sure we protect 바카라사이트 individuals if that¡¯s what 바카라사이트y want.¡±

Professor Schmidt won 바카라사이트 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for showing that 바카라사이트 expansion of 바카라사이트 universe was accelerating. He said that 바카라사이트 research that had led to 바카라사이트 award now ¡°wouldn¡¯t be funded by a politician in most countries¡±, even though it had required grants totalling just $8,000 at 바카라사이트 time.

He said that universities had to argue 바카라사이트 need for a ¡°stock of knowledge¡± with no obvious practical applications. Conversations about how to translate that knowledge should come later, he said.

¡°[But] we can¡¯t just say our job is only 바카라사이트 stock of knowledge [like] we have done in 바카라사이트 past. We have to aim for an enlightened understanding of why that stock of knowledge is important.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com

Watch Brian Schmidt's full?speech