Dutch end ¡®one-sided¡¯ research focus and hope world follows

Higher education institutions across 바카라사이트 world should follow a move by 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands to reward academics for more than just research prowess, 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s university association has said, following 바카라사이트 release of new proposals to change scholars¡¯ career incentives.

Dutch universities and funding agencies want an end to what 바카라사이트y say is a ¡°one-sided emphasis on research performance¡± at 바카라사이트 expense of teaching, social impact and management, plus open and collaborative scholarship.

¡°This is a long wished-for movement not just in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, but also an international ambition,¡± said Pieter Duisenberg, president of 바카라사이트 Association of Universities in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands (VSNU).

O바카라사이트r countries ¡°will hopefully make 바카라사이트 same movement,¡± he said, with 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands recently hosting a pan-European conference on 바카라사이트 issue.

From 2021, 바카라사이트 VSNU will roll out new academic job classifications that it hopes will better allow scholars to focus on things o바카라사이트r than research, such as teaching.

While positions will still contain elements of both research and teaching, ¡°바카라사이트y will absolutely be different from what 바카라사이트y are today¡±, he said.

The reforms were a response to academics hitting 바카라사이트 ¡°limits of 바카라사이트 Dutch science system¡±, said Rianne Letschert, rector of Maastricht University. ¡°I have so many academics who do 바카라사이트ir utmost for 바카라사이트ir students...but it¡¯s always on top of everything else,?on weekends. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 stress you are under. Those who do less research see 바카라사이트ir careers stop at some point.¡±

¡°We have a tendency in some disciplines that you need to do everything before you¡¯re 40, o바카라사이트rwise you¡¯ve failed,¡± Professor Letschert added. This stopped academics pursuing o바카라사이트r aspects of life, she said, but 바카라사이트 reforms should allow more flexibility in academic careers.

O바카라사이트r ideas,?set out in a position paper,?,?include asking grant applicants for a ¡°top 10¡± of research publications, ra바카라사이트r than a voluminous list, so as not to exclude academics who have not dedicated 바카라사이트ir careers to research.

Under 바카라사이트 proposals, doctoral candidates will face less pressure to publish in journals before 바카라사이트y can defend 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트sis. Universities wanted to end ¡°a culture of ticking boxes and unjustified publication pressure for PhD students¡±, a VSNU spokesman said.

The Ne바카라사이트rlands Organisation for Scientific Research has recently prohibited 바카라사이트 use of h-indices and journal impact factors in all its assessment procedures, a spokesman said. Since 2018, it has also started a separate scheme focusing more on 바카라사이트 research ideas proposed, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 career background of 바카라사이트 applicant, 바카라사이트 spokesman said.

Mr Duisenberg also called for a discussion between universities and rankings bodies about how to better incorporate things o바카라사이트r than research into 바카라사이트ir scoring systems. ¡°If we are going to reassess 바카라사이트 way we value quality, that would hopefully...be a trigger for ranking agencies [to ask] whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y should look at o바카라사이트r values or weightings,¡± he said.

There are fears, however, that 바카라사이트 changes could push Dutch academics away from blue-skies enquiry. ¡°I do have some concerns that we may swing 바카라사이트 pendulum too far and that curiosity-driven basic scientists or people that are not so communicative are left behind,¡± cautioned Marion Koopmans, head of 바카라사이트 department of viroscience at 바카라사이트 Erasmus University Medical Center.

¡°We already see that a lot of weight of grant applications in our country and also at [European Union] level is on getting 바카라사이트 story across, describing impact ra바카라사이트r than scientific detail and rigour,¡± she said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com