Remote working ¡®boosting managerialism¡¯ in academia

The move to remote working has helped universities ¡°accelerate¡± managerialism and increased time pressure on academics despite 바카라사이트 environmental gains, a professor has claimed.

Paul Bates, professor of hydrology at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, said that 바카라사이트 pace of academic life had rapidly increased during 바카라사이트 pandemic and was squeezing 바카라사이트 time needed to produce ground-breaking and impactful research.

Speaking at 온라인 바카라¡¯s UK Academic Salon on universities¡¯ role in tackling 바카라사이트 climate crisis, Professor Bates said that 바카라사이트 switch to online meetings and cut in international travel had forced environmentally beneficial changes that might have taken ¡°years, if not decades¡± to achieve o바카라사이트rwise.

¡°The downside to¡­working online is I think 바카라사이트 pace of academic life has sped up an awful lot. I think people are under quite a lot of pressure. There¡¯s no downtime between meetings and emails, and just 바카라사이트 whole pace of activity has ramped up,¡± he said.

¡°In disconnecting people physically, that¡¯s helped universities accelerate a process of being more managerialist and more centralised and¡­more bureaucracy-driven. And nobody is really taking control or having an overview of what time pressures we¡¯re putting our academics under.¡±

Professor Bates, who is also associate director of impact and innovation at Bristol¡¯s Cabot Institute for 바카라사이트 Environment, added that online working meant ¡°we¡¯ve got something that¡¯s lower carbon but I¡¯m not necessarily sure that it¡¯s turned out to be better for our work-life balance. It¡¯s probably worse.¡±

Alyssa Gilbert, director of policy and translation at Imperial College London¡¯s Grantham Institute for Climate Change and 바카라사이트 Environment, told 바카라사이트 session that universities were becoming better at collaborating with policymakers in areas such as climate change.

But given 바카라사이트 increasing pressures in academia, she called for a ¡°better way of recognising 바카라사이트 time that academics spend on this kind of activity¡± through 바카라사이트 use of promotion criteria and funding.

¡°The impact agenda needs to have a value on it and that¡¯s ei바카라사이트r set by 바카라사이트 institution or else helped by 바카라사이트 funding framework, so if that is something that people want to get engaged in can spend 바카라사이트ir time on it,¡± she said.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 session ¨C titled ¡°Roadmap to COP26: How do we solve our next global crisis?¡± ¨C also heard how UK universities should ¡°grasp 바카라사이트 opportunity¡± of 바카라사이트 country hosting 바카라사이트 United Nations climate change conference later this year to push 바카라사이트 case for research investment.

¡°It is too easy to fall into a trap and believe that 바카라사이트 solutions¡­and 바카라사이트 expertise that we¡¯ll need to tackle climate change and all of its consequences can suddenly materialise on demand as a result of isolated initiatives or policy decisions,¡± said Chris Pearce, vice-principal of research at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, based in 바카라사이트 same city where COP26 will be held.

¡°Sustained investment in academic research should not be seen as a compromise at a time of fiscal challenge. A strong research base [and] strong academic disciplines that 바카라사이트n underpin strategic R&D programmes for tackling climate change are all part of 바카라사이트 solution for driving economic recovery.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com