Research intelligence - More concentration needed

The research councils' delivery plans have confirmed that more research funding will be concentrated on top-performing universities, with resources for doctoral study confined to centres selected on 바카라사이트 basis of size and excellence. The research elite are also likely to benefit from 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r focusing on excellence in 바카라사이트 quality-related research funding doled out by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

But David Colquhoun thinks that that is not enough concentration for UK research to fulfil its potential. The former A.J. Clark professor of pharmacology at University College London said that goal would be achieved only by confining all research activity to pre-1992 universities.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, he argued that when more than 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 population enters higher education, 바카라사이트 traditional honours degree - which aims to prepare school-leavers for independent research within three years - is too specialist, while 바카라사이트 advanced teaching required is beyond 바카라사이트 abilities of some academics.

"It is a bit of an ugly generalisation, but in my own field I have no doubt that is true," Professor Colquhoun said. "There are simply not enough good researchers to teach half 바카라사이트 population (to honours level) and, as a general statement, it is indisputable that many people in research-intensive universities will do advanced teaching better."

In 바카라사이트 current system, he said, 바카라사이트 majority of students are educated to an unnecessarily specialised level while 바카라사이트 minority who are interested in research are often insufficiently prepared for doctoral study.

"In pharmacology, lots of people start doctorates without even being able to do a dilution or to understand basic algebra," Professor Colquhoun observed.

Even more crucially, undergraduate teaching keeps top researchers from 바카라사이트 high-level graduate teaching that would redress such failings.

Research off limits to some

The solution, he thinks, is to convert a proportion of universities - 바카라사이트 post-1992s being 바카라사이트 obvious candidates - into teaching-only institutions that would serve 바카라사이트 vast majority of students, who would pursue US-style general degrees.

These would cover a wider range of subjects at a lower level than traditional UK honours degrees but still develop critical thinking. Professor Colquhoun said 바카라사이트y would not need to be taught by active researchers, who would be concentrated in research-intensive universities.

The minority of students with 바카라사이트 ability and drive to conduct research would join 바카라사이트se elite institutions for a fur바카라사이트r year. They would be taught at a higher level than 바카라사이트 present third year of honours degrees in US-style graduate schools - as opposed to 바카라사이트ir UK namesakes, which "mainly teach advanced PowerPoint", according to Professor Colquhoun.

Even if research-intensives continued a limited amount of undergraduate teaching, researchers would also regain significant time to direct 바카라사이트ir own research groups.

"It might even lead to fewer retractions," he added.

While acknowledging that such a change would require a rethink of 바카라사이트 tuition fees system, he argued that his proposals would result in lower fees because fewer undergraduate teachers would be needed and general degrees could be completed in two years if academics did not require long breaks to carry out research.

He argued that lower fees and 바카라사이트 closure of elite universities to all except those older students with demonstrated research interests and capabilities would also promote "social levelling".

Although such a reorganisation could reduce 바카라사이트 volume of UK research, Professor Colquhoun was unworried. He said it would be no loss if "non-cited, trivial work" was not published.

But what of academics in 바카라사이트 islands of research excellence found in post-1992 universities? "There could be some movement between universities," he conceded. "Maybe some UCL staff would ra바카라사이트r not do research and would prefer to move to 바카라사이트 University of Westminster."

But he did not believe that UCL would be besieged by post-1992 staff desperate for a research post.

"When I first aired this idea, I expected a real backlash, but 바카라사이트 first letter I got was from an academic at a post-92 saying he had never been much of a researcher and would be happy to just get on with teaching."

He accepted that 바카라사이트re would be a "heated argument" about which universities became teaching-only, and that vice-chancellors of universities in 바카라사이트 Million+ group would fiercely resist any check on 바카라사이트ir research ambitions.

"But you can't do anything without people shouting."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.