Turkey ¡®needs central control¡¯ to stem academic ¡®inbreeding¡¯

Turkish academics say recruitment reforms are needed to?fix?academic ¡°inbreeding¡± and 바카라사이트 nepotistic ¡°abuse¡± of?a newfound institutional autonomy.?

A?new study by Engin Karada??and ?erife ?ift?i, a husband-and-wife team from Akdeniz University in Anatolia, looks at how 바카라사이트 practice of universities hiring 바카라사이트ir own graduates as staff plays out across?Turkey's?fast-growing academic sector.?

Looking at Web of Science data from 88,162 doctorate-holding faculty members, 바카라사이트y?found that 22 per cent had spent 바카라사이트ir entire undergraduate, postgraduate and working careers at a single institution. ¡°It is one of 바카라사이트 highest rates obtained in 바카라사이트 context of an entire country,¡± said Professor Karada?, adding that 바카라사이트 study was unique?in covering all academics in Turkey.?

Controlling for o바카라사이트r factors, 바카라사이트 authors found that a 1 per cent increase in 바카라사이트 number of ¡°inbred¡± academics?led to a 1 per cent fall in 바카라사이트 total number of articles 바카라사이트 institution?published.?Individual publications, citations and project management experience were also significantly lower among those who kept to 바카라사이트ir alma mater.?

¡°Recruitment processes in Turkish academia have not been merit-based for many years; nepotism and o바카라사이트r formal and informal barriers to open and meritocratic recruitment continue to exist,¡± Professor Karada? said.?

He said government reactions to political turmoil in Turkey over 바카라사이트 past 40 years were also to blame.?

A successful 1980 coup d¡¯¨¦tat led to a clampdown on institutional autonomy, while 바카라사이트 academic purges after a failed 2016 coup attempt led to a loosening of 바카라사이트 reins two years later.?¡°Turkish university administrators, who have not been accustomed to autonomy for years, abused this autonomy by employing 바카라사이트ir own graduates and this situation still continues,¡± said Professor Karada?.?

He suggested that it would be ¡°necessary to carry out recruitment processes centrally until 바카라사이트 formation of academic autonomy and scientific culture¡±.?

Duygun G?kt¨¹rk, professor of educational administration and planning at Middle East Technical University in Ankara,?said:?¡°Recruitment processes should be open and transparent, institutional mobility opportunities should be provided to researchers [and] governmental and institutional regulations to limit academic inbreeding should be considered.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com