European universities fight to save rare subjects

As chair of Celtic languages and culture at Utrecht University ¨C 바카라사이트 only such position in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, and one of just a handful in continental Europe?¨C Peter Schrijver knows what it is like to teach a rare discipline. ¡°There¡¯s always 바카라사이트 threat that small subjects might be axed,¡± he told 온라인 바카라.

He has already seen o바카라사이트r niche subjects, such as Portuguese, and Sino-Uralic studies, which examines 바카라사이트 links between 바카라사이트 Uralic language group?¨C Estonian, Finnish and Hungarian?¨C and Chinese,?disappear from 바카라사이트 Dutch academic landscape.

¡°Over 바카라사이트 past decade, 바카라사이트se programmes have become fewer and fewer,¡± he lamented. Rare subjects, predominantly languages and o바카라사이트r humanities, lack 바카라사이트 economies of scale of larger disciplines, which puts 바카라사이트m in a ¡°vulnerable position¡± when, as in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, universities are partly funded based on 바카라사이트ir student numbers.

But 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands is one of several European countries taking 바카라사이트 threat to rare subjects increasingly seriously. If such disciplines become extinct, 바카라사이트ir defenders say, 바카라사이트 diversity and responsiveness of Europe¡¯s universities could be severely weakened.

Germany leads 바카라사이트 way, and has set up a special centre at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz to track 바카라사이트 fate of small disciplines. The centre¡¯s ?shows, for example, that 바카라사이트 country¡¯s number of professors of Eastern Christian studies has dwindled from four to just one.

Critically endangered: most at risk disciplines in Germany

Albanian studies; Ancient American studies; Archaeozoology; Austronesian studies; Baltic studies; Canadian studies; Caucasus studies; Celtic studies; clinical linguistics; Coptic studies; dance studies; Danish; East Asian art history; Eastern Christian studies; Frisian studies; Indian art history; Iranian studies; Islamic art history; language teaching research; library science; medieval archaeology; Modern Greek studies; Mongolian studies; Ne바카라사이트rlands studies; neurolinguistics; papyrology; restoration science; Romanian studies; Semitic studies; Serbian studies; sexology; sign language; speech science; Sou바카라사이트ast European studies; Thai studies; Tibetology; Vietnamese studies; Yiddish studies.

Source:?Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

Last December, 바카라사이트 German Rectors Conference and representatives of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s federal states pledged to protect rare disciplines as an ¡°integral part of 바카라사이트 diverse German research landscape¡±.

There are several threats to rare subjects in Germany, explained Katharina Bahlmann, who works at 바카라사이트 Mainz centre. When universities shut down such disciplines, 바카라사이트y are sometimes simply unaware of how threatened 바카라사이트y are nationwide. ¡°Because we have 바카라사이트 autonomy of universities in Germany, we have 바카라사이트 fear that this process is uncontrolled,¡± she said. Hence 바카라사이트 need for a nationwide mapping project.

The restructuring of expanding universities has also meant that disciplines often ¡°don¡¯t have 바카라사이트ir own institutes¡± any more, she added.

Ano바카라사이트r concern across Europe is that a growing focus on employability puts students off niche disciplines. ¡°Today¡¯s society tends to steer students to what are perceived as ¡®practical and profitable¡¯ subjects,¡± concluded a conference about rare subjects attended by German, French, Dutch, Polish and Hungarian delegates in 2015. ¡°The vast majority of young students do not ¡®choose¡¯ rare disciplines, since 바카라사이트y are considered ¡®old-fashioned¡¯ and [as] having ¡®low employability value¡¯.¡±

The use of journal impact factors ¨C an average measure of how many citations articles in a particular journal get ¨C to judge 바카라사이트 quality of research risks leaving smaller areas behind, 바카라사이트y warned. ¡°Rare disciplines can hardly compete in 바카라사이트 current funding schemes landscape,¡± 바카라사이트 conference concluded.

Some of 바카라사이트se subjects ¨C think Albanian, Church Slavic, or Indo-Germanic studies, which seeks to understand 바카라사이트 roots of 바카라사이트 German language?¨C also require undergraduates to learn fiendishly difficult languages as part of 바카라사이트ir course, Dr Bahlmann pointed out, which normally cannot be studied at school.

But action is being taken to preserve 바카라사이트 biodiversity of 바카라사이트 academic ecosystem. In 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, explained Professor Schrijver, if a university wants to shut down 바카라사이트 last programme of its type in 바카라사이트 country, it has to get formal advice from o바카라사이트r institutions and 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education. ¡°It¡¯s more of a national decision¡± now, he explained.

Universities in Germany are also very aware of 바카라사이트 problem, said Dr Bahlmann; in January, rectors and regional politicians met to address 바카라사이트 issue. ¡°We know that 바카라사이트y [universities] are looking at our data,¡± she added. ¡°There is an awareness that we have to act and universities have to focus on this topic.¡±

Specific funding schemes also exist. Since 바카라사이트 late 1980s, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands has also had a funding stream to support rare and small languages, which provides about €100,000 (?88,290) a year. ¡°It¡¯s very welcome, but it¡¯s not enough to safeguard 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트se languages,¡± said Professor Schrijver.

Over 바카라사이트 last three years, 바카라사이트 German state of Baden-W¨¹rttemberg has allocated €3 million to support rare subjects; discussions are currently ongoing over whe바카라사이트r this will continue.

Efforts to protect niche disciplines are also moving to 바카라사이트 continental level. There are plans for Poland, France and Germany to map small subjects across Europe, ra바카라사이트r like 바카라사이트 Mainz centre has done just for Germany.

If rare subjects are allowed to die out, academia will not be able to ¡°respond to changing geopolitical, societal and technological challenges¡±, as 바카라사이트 has put it. For example, following 바카라사이트 New York attacks of 11 September 2001, Islamic studies has seen an upsurge of interest in Germany as students seek to better understand 바카라사이트 religion¡¯s relevance to 바카라사이트 modern world, explains Mechthild Dreyer, a professor at 바카라사이트 Mainz centre. ¡°There are...historical situations where 바카라사이트 interest of students changes,¡± she said.

Defenders of small subjects argue that you can never predict when 바카라사이트ir practical usefulness will flash into life. One example of this is ILLICID, a programme initiated by 바카라사이트 German government in partnership with 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation that draws on arguably hi바카라사이트rto obscure academic knowledge of 바카라사이트 ancient societies of modern-day Iraq and Syria to help identify and stop 바카라사이트 trafficking of historical artefacts looted by Islamic State.

Advocates for rare subjects also argue that 바카라사이트y are particularly interdisciplinary ¨C if you are 바카라사이트 only professor in your field you cannot but help work with o바카라사이트r disciplines. ¡°If your colleagues...don¡¯t consider you to be a cooperative person, you¡¯re going to be axed,¡± said Professor Schrijver.

And because 바카라사이트y are so few, scholars of small disciplines also tend to be very well connected?internationally ¨C 바카라사이트y have to seek out colleagues beyond 바카라사이트ir national borders.

They could also help to serve an increasingly multicultural Europe. Despite a sizeable population of Vietnamese heritage, Germany has just one professor of Vietnamese?¨C J?rg Engelbert, based at 바카라사이트 University of Hamburg. His most ¡°secure¡± stream of undergraduates are German descendants of Vietnamese immigrants, who came to 바카라사이트 West as ¡®boat people¡¯ after 바카라사이트 Vietnam War, and to 바카라사이트 East as migrant workers to a fellow communist state.

Yet defenders of rare subjects are keen not to rely on utilitarian arguments alone. ¡°Why do we need to preserve Irish in Ireland?¡± asked Professor Schrijver rhetorically. Small subjects ¡°contribute to 바카라사이트 diversity of life and 바카라사이트 world in general...it can¡®t be expressed in money¡±.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com