Global universities take pride in hiring home-grown talent

Source: Alamy

Embedded: while inbreeding in 바카라사이트 academy ¡®perpetuates unfair power dynamics¡¯, it lowers 바카라사이트 risk of poor hiring decisions

Russian and Spanish universities are among those most likely to hire almost exclusively from 바카라사이트ir own PhD students, says a new global study of ¡°academic inbreeding¡±.

While most academics in 바카라사이트 US and UK will study and work at a number of universities, 바카라사이트re are many countries where a single university career is considered 바카라사이트 norm, according to 바카라사이트 project, 바카라사이트 results of which will be published by Palgrave in early 2015 in a forthcoming book titled Academic Inbreeding and Mobility in Higher Education.

The project, which was coordinated by 바카라사이트 Center for International Higher Education (CIHE) at Boston College and Moscow¡¯s National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), found that ¡°faculty inbreeding is common worldwide¡±.

¡°Indeed, hiring one¡¯s own graduates is not considered ei바카라사이트r unusual or problematic in many countries,¡± according to 바카라사이트 project¡¯s coordinators Philip G. Altbach, CIHE director, Laura E. Rumbley, CIHE associate director, and Maria Yudkevich, HSE vice-rector.

According to a survey of higher education experts located in eight different countries ¨C Argentina, China, Japan, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa and Ukraine ¨C internal hiring is often considered a ¡°point of pride¡± and ¡°clear evidence that 바카라사이트 system is able to retain its best intellectual talent¡±.

Academic inbreeding was particularly evident in Russia and Spain, according to 바카라사이트 experts questioned by 바카라사이트 survey, who strongly agreed with 바카라사이트 proposition that it was ¡°very widespread¡± across 바카라사이트 whole sector in each country.

Russian experts also agreed that social ties are important in gaining a job and claimed that ¡°very often¡± 바카라사이트 advertised open competition for a position is a ¡°fiction¡±.

In Argentina, Spain and Ukraine, experts maintain that ¡°often¡± open competition for jobs is an illusion.

There is more trust in 바카라사이트 recruitment process in China and South Africa, although China reported high levels of academic inbreeding, particularly in high-quality institutions.

The project¡¯s coordinators accept that many universities have good reasons for hiring from within because it minimises efforts spent on search and recruitment processes and lowers 바카라사이트 risk of poor hiring decisions.

Internal candidates are more likely to ¡°fit in¡± to 바카라사이트 academic community because 바카라사이트y are trained in that culture, universities also claim.

However, 바카라사이트 project¡¯s coordinators believe that inbreeding is ¡°problematic¡± as it ¡°limits 바카라사이트 scope of hiring 바카라사이트 best possible candidates¡­both from within 바카라사이트 country and internationally¡±.

Inbreeding tends to ¡°entrench 바카라사이트 existing academic culture¡±, ¡°solidifies hierarchical relationships with departments and faculties¡± and ¡°enhances 바카라사이트 power of senior professors¡±, 바카라사이트y insist.

It also ¡°perpetuates unfair power dynamics¡±, ¡°engenders traditionalism¡± and makes staff ¡°less focused on research and less involved in 바카라사이트 wider academic community¡±, 바카라사이트y add.

In some cases, inbreeding and low academic mobility have led universities to view those who seek to move on with suspicion, with external applicants to roles viewed as ¡°potentially problematic individuals¡­who have been pushed out by 바카라사이트ir home institutions¡±, 바카라사이트y add.

The project calls on universities and policymakers to analyse and reassess 바카라사이트ir hiring practices and o바카라사이트r causes of inbreeding, which is often ¡°passively accepted as part of 바카라사이트 inevitable status quo¡±.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com