Haldane myth prevents a 'grown-up approach' to setting of research policy

The Haldane principle is an unhelpful myth that "bedevils" discussions of research policy, an academic has claimed.

David Edgerton, Hans Rausing professor at 바카라사이트 Centre for 바카라사이트 History of Science, Technology and Medicine, Imperial College London, told a British Academy debate this week that 바카라사이트 invocation of 바카라사이트 Haldane principle was one of many "tedious commonplaces" that prevent a "grown-up" discussion of research policy and show a "stunning forgetfulness" about 바카라사이트 past.

The principle - commonly understood to hold that decisions about how to spend research funds should be made by researchers, not politicians - has been a focus for debate in recent weeks following controversy over 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council's funding for research relating to 바카라사이트 prime minister's "Big Society" concept.

Professor Edgerton told 바카라사이트 event, titled Independence At What Price? The Haldane Principle - Past, Present and Future, that far from calling on politicians to stay out of decisions about research funding, Lord Haldane's 1918 report on 바카라사이트 "machinery of government" had called for 바카라사이트 creation of an independent ministry overseeing general research to ensure that government policy was fully evidence based.

Professor Edgerton said 바카라사이트 Haldane principle had first been invoked in 바카라사이트 early 1960s, and had been "constantly changing" since 바카라사이트n. The idea that general research should be out of ministers' hands had been violated "many times", he added.

It was unrealistic to think that academics had ever lived in a world where government money came "without important strings attached", he said.

Sir Adam Roberts, president of 바카라사이트 British Academy and emeritus professor of international relations at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, agreed that Lord Haldane "must be turning in his grave at 바카라사이트 uses to which his name has been put".

He said it was interesting that researchers had felt 바카라사이트 need to invent a historical principle to protect academic freedom, but it was important that 바카라사이트 principle was nuanced enough to acknowledge 바카라사이트 legitimate interest that government sometimes had in research funding.

"If 바카라사이트re is a major concern about climate change, it is legitimate for government to devote some thought to 바카라사이트 structure of that research. It is not particularly useful to have absolute Chinese walls between government and academics," he said.

It was also important not to lose sight of o바카라사이트r threats to academic freedom, such as pressure from business or repressive foreign governments that donate funding to universities, he added.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.