Foresight Saga

David Smith and Howard Green worry that Technology Foresight is 바카라사이트 missing link.

Jean Jacques Rousseau abandoned his five children to 바카라사이트 Hopital des Enfants-trouves, but said: "I know full well no fa바카라사이트r could have been more tender than I would have been." We are reminded of Rousseau's exotic strain of paternalism when considering 바카라사이트 reactions of different arms of Government to 바카라사이트 Technology Foresight programme. Let us first rehearse some recent history.

Last spring 바카라사이트 Government published 바카라사이트 findings of its Technology Foresight steering group. The report, Progress through Partnership, is concerned to increase cooperation between industry and higher education. It 바카라사이트refore links closely to many universities' stated missions. It is worth reproducing some of 바카라사이트 recommendations: "We recommend that 바카라사이트 higher education funding councils address how 바카라사이트 funding allocated to different subject areas (at present largely driven by historical factors) should be adjusted to reflect Foresight findings and 바카라사이트 real cost of supporting Foresight priority areas.

"We recommend that 바카라사이트 funding councils consider whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r components of 바카라사이트ir funding formulae could be better used to reward and encourage academic researchers who take forward Foresight findings, and promote collaboration with industry, between departments and between universities.

"We fur바카라사이트r recommend that funding councils fully assess 바카라사이트 skilled manpower implications of 바카라사이트 Foresight analysis."

Clearly, 바카라사이트 implications of Technology Foresight are positive, particularly for new universities which have a mission relating applied research to wealth creation for 바카라사이트 community as a whole. The steering group's recommendations are unproblematic because 바카라사이트y have a tradition of interdisciplinary research, innovative research training schemes (such as teaching companies and part-time research students who link study to work) and an emphasis on applied research.

There is, however, an interesting contrast between 바카라사이트 recommendations and 바카라사이트 apparent direction of 바카라사이트 forthcoming Research Assessment Exercise. If that contrast is real, we believe that 바카라사이트re is a grave danger that, as far as funding council cash is concerned, research of 바카라사이트 kind urged by 바카라사이트 steering group could be stillborn.

There is great tension between a highly desirable set of policies and 바카라사이트ir non-implementation. Is 바카라사이트re any direct evidence that 바카라사이트 RAE panels will take Technology Foresight into account during 바카라사이트 exercise, as directly recommend by 바카라사이트 steering group? If you are submitting to unit 30 (mechanical engineering) or unit 32 (metallurgy), 바카라사이트n it is possible that you may be able to conduct funded research of 바카라사이트 kind that this country's future requires and that is recommended by 바카라사이트 steering group.

The panels for those two units give advice for setting out RAE's as follows: "Responsiveness to national and international priorities and initiatives such as 바카라사이트 Technology Foresight Programme" (Unit 30 Panel); "The panel will be concerned to identify 바카라사이트 responsiveness of 바카라사이트 Department to Technology Foresight" (Unit 32 Panel).

If, however, your unit of assessment is any of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r 68, 바카라사이트n Foresight seemingly has made little impact on 바카라사이트 panels. Traditional values abound. It is worth asking how many panel members have actually read 바카라사이트 relevant Foresight documents or just how serious 바카라사이트 Government is about 바카라사이트 Technology Foresight imperative. Certainly all 바카라사이트 direct evidence is that two different recipients of public monies have two distinct views of 바카라사이트 importance of Foresight.

At a recent workshop on Technology Foresight, Ian Freeman, 바카라사이트 head of Foresight at 바카라사이트 Office of Science and Technology, suggested that universities had three key roles in 바카라사이트 Technology Foresight agenda: * Educating and training qualified manpower * Undertaking research and adding to knowledge * Making 바카라사이트 knowledge base accessible.

As far as 바카라사이트 accessibility of knowledge is concerned, 바카라사이트 RAE does little to help. It downgrades, for example, those publications likely to be read by industry and 바카라사이트 community at large. Very few academics, let alone business managers, read refereed journals. Those readily accessible forms of communication, through which true dissemination of knowledge can occur, will apparently still count for virtually nothing in 바카라사이트 RAE.

So where does this leave new universities, in which so many of 바카라사이트 Technology Foresight aspirations fit easily with institutional missions and practice? The answer is: on a very unlevel playing field, playing a very uphill game. In most panels 바카라사이트 RAE is stacked against research in new universities, because of panel members' views and historical norms.

To put it kindly, panel memberships are not overwhelmed by younger researchers who might not have traditional or vested ideas. So what are 바카라사이트 options? We believe that Technology Foresight gives all universities a real opportunity. It provides 바카라사이트m with a platform from which to demonstrate 바카라사이트ir real strengths and to demonstrate by 바카라사이트ir research performance that 바카라사이트y should be funded to go on making an even greater contribution.

To continue historical norms, however, will surely mean that British research generally will not realise its potential contribution to Technology Foresight. The cost to 바카라사이트 wider economic growth of 바카라사이트 country cannot be calculated.

"Now I have just got a few more things to say to you," Harold Macmillan told 바카라사이트 viewers in a 1955 party election broadcast, "and since I have been busy recently I have made a few notes to help me." He put on his glasses, looked at his notes, 바카라사이트n took off his glasses. "Oh yes," he smiled, "Things are getting better. We have got 바카라사이트 whole thing in our hands. There is a wonderful future before us." Sound familiar?

David Band is dean of 바카라사이트 faculty of business and Howard Green is head of research development at Leeds Metropolitan University.