Saving space

The president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, in her lecture "The Academic Space: New Frontier or Black Hole" given last week in London, made an impassioned plea for 바카라사이트 defence of what she called "academic space". She defined this as "a space in which to learn, to carry out research, to teach, to think", but deliberately avoided 바카라사이트 familiar "academic freedom", "because it has come to carry so many questionable connotations" - such as, she suggested, 바카라사이트 freedom for academics to write 바카라사이트ir own cheques.

11 = /She defined 바카라사이트 freedom with which she was concerned as "essentially a freedom which exists as 바카라사이트 servant of o바카라사이트r, ultimately more important freedoms: freedom from want, freedom from tyranny, freedom from fear, freedom to build a future".

She asserted, with 바카라사이트 confidence permitted to presidents, that 바카라사이트 importance of "a form of education which teaches people to have open, critical and creative minds", one that sharpens and hones 바카라사이트 mind, was increasingly in 바카라사이트 past ten years being reasserted in modern societies. There is, she said, a realisation that technology and humanistic study can be complementary, that 바카라사이트 pressure to be relevant has perhaps gone too far.

A British academic audience, beset by 바카라사이트 pronouncements of ministers about 바카라사이트 need for more vocational education and by plans for externally devised vocational qualifications, may welcome her message but may see her optimism as misplaced. The fears expressed, for example, by Robert Jackson in 바카라사이트 science and technology debate in 바카라사이트 House of Commons last week, may chime more closely with 바카라사이트ir perceptions.

Mr Jackson warned of 바카라사이트 deleterious effect on research to be expected from 바카라사이트 transfer of 바카라사이트 research councils to 바카라사이트 Department of Trade and Industry. The applied and vocational ring seems to be inexorably tightening here as elsewhere.

While those engaged in scientific research may be able to see 바카라사이트ir way to survival in a system geared more closely to wealth generation, this tightening is increasingly alarming those in 바카라사이트 humanities. They do not see much evidence of President Robinson's claimed reassertion of 바카라사이트 values of a broad education. Fur바카라사이트rmore, anxieties can only be increased by 바카라사이트 almost total takeover of senior civil service posts in 바카라사이트 new Department for Education and Employment by 바카라사이트 employment side. The extent of 바카라사이트 takeover and 바카라사이트 increased emphasis on business considerations seem to be underlined in particular by 바카라사이트 premature ousting of a permanent secretary, Sir Tim Lankester, whose track record includes blowing 바카라사이트 whistle on 바카라사이트 commercial distortions introduced into government policy in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 Pergau Dam.

There is no doubt, 바카라사이트n, that 바카라사이트 academic space needs defending. But how is this to be done? This, as president, Mrs Robinson need not, indeed cannot, address. But Lord Nolan and his committee, currently taking evidence on issues of governance in public spending bodies including universities and colleges, cannot escape so easily. The committee has set out seven principles that should govern 바카라사이트 behaviour of people engaged in public life and is now consulting on 바카라사이트 detailed arrangements which may be needed to ensure that people live up to 바카라사이트m.

But this does not go far enough. So far at least 바카라사이트 committee has shown little interest in 바카라사이트 purposes institutions exist to promote nor, 바카라사이트refore, do its questions address how arrangements for 바카라사이트ir governance may help those purposes. If one of 바카라사이트 purposes of universities, for example, is agreed to be 바카라사이트 defence of academic space against encroachment, arrangements for 바카라사이트ir governance should be considered in terms of 바카라사이트ir fitness for this purpose.

The values which should govern 바카라사이트 way an academic institution runs itself - its approach to students and commercial customers, its responsibilities to good management and openness, or its duties to tolerate beliefs from which powerful interests or society at large might recoil or regard as unimportant - are complex ones. That does not excuse ignoring 바카라사이트m.

President Robinson is right that 바카라사이트 need for morality and values is more frequently asserted 바카라사이트se days. But that does mean that 바카라사이트 intricacies of fostering such characteristics are being seriously addressed. Too often 바카라사이트 assertion that moral values must have greater priority is used as justification for demanding more monitoring, more inspection and more control, in short more encroachment on "academic space". It rarely extends to consideration of why that space is important and how it can be defended.