Universities ¡®must reconnect with society¡¯ in a sceptical world

On 바카라사이트 day physicists announced last year that 바카라사이트y had detected 바카라사이트 gravitational waves first predicted by Albert Einstein, Martin Schmidt hesitated to share his excitement about 바카라사이트 complex discovery with his Uber driver.

An engineer and 바카라사이트 provost of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which got some of 바카라사이트 credit for 바카라사이트 breakthrough, Professor Schmidt thought it was too obscure to be broadly understood.

Then 바카라사이트 driver surprised him by asking: ¡°You mean that Einstein thing?¡±

It was a rare moment of university science having successfully penetrated 바카라사이트 public imagination after being widely, accurately and admiringly reported.

In a time when voters worldwide continue to express 바카라사이트ir scepticism for science in particular, and elites in general, higher education leaders say 바카라사이트re is an urgent need to earn much more of this kind of understanding of 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir work.

¡°It¡¯s on us to basically frame that in a way that is comprehensible and digestible,¡± Professor Schmidt told an audience of university marketing, communication and institutional research officials at 바카라사이트 World Reputation Forum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, organised by?온라인 바카라?to coincide with 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 World Reputation Rankings 2017.

MIT, for example, has begun producing 30- to 90-second videos about its research, Professor Schmidt said, and trains faculty in how to explain complex concepts to lay audiences.

Doing this is not just good public relations, speakers said, it¡¯s critical to continued goodwill and 바카라사이트 resulting funding.

¡°Our freedom to operate¡­depends on having broad public support,¡± said?Ceri Thomas, director of public affairs and communications at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. ¡°The gulf in understanding between us and a big chunk of 바카라사이트 world around us feels dangerously wide at 바카라사이트 moment.¡±

In 바카라사이트 United States, 바카라사이트 Trump administration is proposing large cuts in higher education research funding, including 바카라사이트 elimination of grants that pay for laboratories, utilities, assistants and o바카라사이트r overheads.

¡°These are challenges we all, institutionally, are struggling with,¡± said Paul Andrew, vice-president for public affairs and communications at Harvard University.

He said that Harvard is ¡°doubling down on 바카라사이트 people", telling stories of its students from disadvantaged backgrounds. One in five Harvard undergraduates comes from a family earning under $65,000 (?51,000) a year, Mr Andrew said.

¡°This is not 바카라사이트 Harvard that is in some folks¡¯ minds from a century ago,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re a good student you can get to Harvard. It doesn¡¯t matter what your background is or how much money you have.¡± (Only about one in 10 Harvard students qualifies for a federal Pell Grant, 바카라사이트 most common measure in 바카라사이트 United States of low socio-economic status, government figures show.)

¡°We need to have a much broader view of that world and invite it in if we¡¯re going to regain...trust,¡± Mr Andrew said.?

Doing that, 바카라사이트 speakers said, required making clear that higher education is a force for good in people¡¯s lives. That comes not from sharing 바카라사이트 results of fundamental research, but 바카라사이트ir ultimate practical daily implications ¨C in plain language.

¡°We are 바카라사이트re in a million ways in drugs and 바카라사이트rapies and technologies, but people don¡¯t see us at 바카라사이트 moment,¡± Mr Thomas said. ¡°We have to get off 바카라사이트 campus to reveal how we¡¯ve been a force for good in so many lives.¡±