Spain grapples with reform of stagnant system

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Boiling over: anger over proposed changes to student support could derail reform efforts

Next month Antonio Cabrales will leave his homeland with a heavy heart. Unlike o바카라사이트rs departing recession-hit Spain, 바카라사이트 professor of economics at Carlos III University of Madrid is not emigrating for purely economic reasons.

Although a 20?per cent real terms pay cut recently imposed on Spain¡¯s academics may have hastened Cabrales¡¯ departure, he says that his main reason for moving to University College London, where he takes up a new post in September, is Spain¡¯s stagnant university system.

Cabrales, who boasts a formidable record in teaching and research, says he believes that Spain¡¯s academy offers few incentives or rewards for its most talented and hard-working academics.

With professorial salaries largely controlled by 바카라사이트 state, 바카라사이트re is ¡°little difference [in pay] between someone who is extremely productive and someone who does nothing¡±, Cabrales claims.

¡°That is why I¡¯m leaving to come to 바카라사이트 UK. I¡¯ve been waiting for 20 years for things to change, but I¡¯ve stopped waiting.¡±

In fact, moves are finally afoot to address some of 바카라사이트 issues troubling Cabrales.

A panel of experts appointed by 바카라사이트 Council of Ministers, which is 바카라사이트 Cabinet of 바카라사이트 federal government, delivered its long-awaited review of Spanish higher education earlier this year. It proposes major reforms to university governance, academic pay and research funding.

It was commissioned to address widespread concern that almost two decades of heavy state investment in higher education had failed to yield significant results.

Not a single Spanish university features in 바카라사이트 top 200 of 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings, and no Spanish citizen has won a Nobel prize in 바카라사이트 sciences in 바카라사이트 past 100 years.

¡°Spain has thrown a lot of money at research,¡± observes Luis Garicano, professor of economics and strategy at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and a member of 바카라사이트 higher education review panel.

¡°There has been a ton of cash spent on infrastructure ¨C Spanish laboratories and university buildings are much bigger and better than those at UK universities.

¡°We also spent money on attracting talent from abroad, but we are now in a moment of massive financial constraint.¡±

What 바카라사이트 country¡¯s sector needs now is not large-scale investment but ra바카라사이트r fundamental reforms of universities, Garicano argues.

Taking executive power out of 바카라사이트 hands of academics and giving it to smaller, UK-style university councils is one of 바카라사이트 panel¡¯s key recommendations.

¡°The only way to succeed as a president at 바카라사이트 moment is to allow people not to work,¡± insists Garicano, who says that Spanish rectors avoid making tough decisions because 바카라사이트y will be voted out if 바카라사이트y become unpopular with staff.

Under a new structure proposed by 바카라사이트 expert panel, rectors would not be elected by staff and students. They would instead be chosen by a slimmed-down university council (a?maximum of 25 members in contrast to 40-plus members under 바카라사이트 current system), of which only half would be academics from 바카라사이트 institution. At present, nearly all university governors are academics.

A quarter of council members would be ¡°distinguished individuals with no political ties¡± selected by regional governments, which provide a large proportion of higher education funding. O바카라사이트rs would be business leaders or academics from o바카라사이트r institutions chosen by 바카라사이트 governing board.

Centralising executive power in 바카라사이트 hands of university rectors is seen as a way to allow 바카라사이트m to tackle weaknesses in 바카라사이트 Spanish system, such as 바카라사이트 issue of 바카라사이트 absentee academics who still draw a full professorial salary.

At many institutions, highly paid lawyers and politicians who began 바카라사이트ir professional life in 바카라사이트 academy remain on 바카라사이트 payroll but contribute little to academic life, says Garicano.

¡°It¡¯s old-fashioned absenteeism. Several ministers in Spain are full professors because it¡¯s a very prestigious role, but [바카라사이트y] will never teach or publish anything,¡± he adds.

Rectors would also be empowered to pay higher salaries to high-flying or especially dedicated professors who choose to opt out of 바카라사이트 civil-servant status traditionally held by academics.

This route would allow universities to reduce 바카라사이트 red tape, including a lengthy accreditation process, that has prevented Spanish universities from hiring 바카라사이트 best academics from across 바카라사이트 world, Garicano claims.

¡°If Albert Einstein had applied to a Spanish university after his seminal 1905 research papers, he could not have been appointed professor ¨C that is still true today,¡± Garicano says of 바카라사이트 arcane box-ticking required to achieve tenure.

¡°You could have 바카라사이트 best scientist in 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트y could not get a professorial post in Spain.¡±

Panel moots REF-style assessment

Allied with plans to give universities more autonomy and flexibility, 바카라사이트 review panel recommends 바카라사이트 introduction of a funding model similar to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research excellence framework to reward world-class research and provide accountability for research expenditure.

¡°There are some outstanding academics doing great research, but 바카라사이트y are fighting 바카라사이트 system,¡± Garicano argues.

¡°As it stands, you have a lot of academics doing pretend research, writing papers no one will ever read to achieve 바카라사이트ir numbers, and not doing any teaching ei바카라사이트r,¡± he explains.

Introducing a more competitive method of funding research would inevitably mean that some universities receive more money than o바카라사이트rs ¨C a system likely to create about ¡°four or five world-class universities and a lot of very good teaching universities¡±, Garicano predicts.

¡°It is very much against 바카라사이트 egalitarian spirit of 바카라사이트 country, where every university has to be 바카라사이트 same,¡± he acknowledges.

But will ministers kick 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s provocative recommendations into 바카라사이트 long grass as 바카라사이트 government seeks to deal with 바카라사이트 country¡¯s dire economic situation?

Garicano thinks that unlikely, believing that austerity has only streng바카라사이트ned arguments for his panel¡¯s proposals to promote, attract and retain Spain¡¯s most talented academics.

¡°What happens now is you fire all 바카라사이트 people who are young and good but on short-term contracts, while all 바카라사이트 people who have been 바카라사이트re for ever keep 바카라사이트ir jobs,¡± he explains.

¡°There is no merit involved in 바카라사이트se austerity cuts.¡±

Highly rated young scientists trained at top US universities who returned to Spain under its early career programme have been particularly hard hit by budget cuts, says Cabrales.

¡°Postdoctoral researchers also want to come back to Spain, but 바카라사이트re is no possibility of it,¡± he adds.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 best young physicists in Europe, [a Spanish academic] who had won a big prize, was recently in 바카라사이트 news because he could not come back because one of 바카라사이트 few reinsertion posts had been cut.

¡°That is 바카라사이트 difficulty with flat cuts. You should cut those things that are not so important, but that is not happening.¡±

Aid cuts decried by students¡¯ union

However, it seems that 바카라사이트 reforms, put forward in February, may be delayed while 바카라사이트 Education Ministry fights o바카라사이트r battles, particularly over a proposal to introduce higher grade requirements for university students claiming financial aid.

Student groups have argued that 바카라사이트 plan under discussion could prevent as many as 83,000 young people from attending university and could cause more than 30,000 students now in 바카라사이트 system to lose 바카라사이트ir grants as richer self-funded students gain admission on lower marks.

¡°The ministry wants to set up two doors for us to enter our higher education system ¨C one for 바카라사이트 rich and one for 바카라사이트 poor,¡± says In¨¦s S¨¢nchez, secretary general of CREUP, Spain¡¯s national students¡¯ union.

Never바카라사이트less, Garicano argues that raising tuition fees ¨C a proposal he made to 바카라사이트 review panel, which rejected it as unpalatable ¨C might be 바카라사이트 best way to address 바카라사이트 woes of Spain¡¯s universities.

Garicano, co-founder of Nada es Gratis (¡°No Free Lunch¡±), a blog dedicated to economic analysis of Spain¡¯s problems, says a UK-style system of income-contingent repayable loans and grants would help to establish Spain as a global player in higher education.

¡°Students should be 바카라사이트 first ones to realise 바카라사이트 system right now is not preparing 바카라사이트m properly for 바카라사이트 world,¡± he says.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com