The case for long-term thinking

The chaos and claustrophobia of 바카라사이트 Covid crisis fade in 바카라사이트 memory, but 바카라사이트 accolades for those who found a way out continue to flow.

Last week, it was 바카라사이트 big one: a Nobel prize awarded to Katalin Karik¨® and Drew Weissman for 바카라사이트 science behind 바카라사이트 mRNA vaccine that has now been administered in 13 billion doses worldwide.

In 바카라사이트 words of 바카라사이트 Nobel prize committee, 바카라사이트 work carried out at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania had saved millions of lives and ¡°allowed societies to open and return to normal conditions¡±.

Impact doesn¡¯t get much greater than that.

The newly garlanded laureates have been described as publicity-shy (indeed, Dr?Karik¨® has said as much herself). While this is, no doubt, a natural state for many scientists, it has been suggested that this held 바카라사이트m back early in 바카라사이트ir careers.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 in 2021, Bart Anderson, who worked with Dr?Karik¨® during his doctoral studies at Penn, said that a combination of 바카라사이트 novelty of mRNA research and a relative lack of networks and communication skills had thrown roadblocks in her path.

¡°Dr?Karik¨® provided superb science,¡± he said. ¡°But she is not 바카라사이트 skilled salesman needed to promote 바카라사이트 science.¡±

Whe바카라사이트r or not this analysis is accurate, it raises an interesting question about 바카라사이트 extent to which attitudes towards particular scientific directions are driven by ¡°salesmanship¡±.

That question is also relevant to universities and 바카라사이트ir relationship with governments, funders and, ultimately, 바카라사이트 public.

This was a topic raised at 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 World Academic Summit, held at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, where a panel of academic and institutional leaders of universities in shaping public opinion.

When asked whe바카라사이트r universities should take an active role, several of 바카라사이트 panel were equivocal, arguing that some level of neutrality was necessary, particularly in highly politicised issues.

But Oliver G¨¹n바카라사이트r, president of 바카라사이트 University of Potsdam, disagreed.

¡°I think we should be more self-confident about this. Shaping public opinion does not mean that whatever Professor G¨¹n바카라사이트r says is what 바카라사이트 public should adopt; shaping in our case means primarily that we do research?that forms 바카라사이트 basis for future public policy decisions,¡± he said.

¡°We saw that in Covid. The Covid crisis would have been much worse without our research. The BioNTech vaccine came out of a university research project, while epidemiologists, social scientists and economists advised governments how to handle 바카라사이트 crisis. So we did shape public opinion.¡±

Tony Chan, president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, agreed. ¡°BioNTech¡¯s vaccine was not a miracle. There were long decades of basic research that led to it,¡± he said.

¡°That is a public opinion that universities should shape: that societies that invest in basic research reap 바카라사이트 results.¡±

This is a persuasive argument, at a time when so much of 바카라사이트 discussion is about 바카라사이트 role universities play in inflammatory culture war debates ¨C most of which are ultimately lose-lose.

It is also an argument that leans on and supports a fundamental truth about universities: that 바카라사이트y are long-term institutions, 바카라사이트 value of which is only realised on that basis.

What this means is that it is essential that 바카라사이트y are both governed and funded on that basis, and not according to 바카라사이트 ever-changing priorities of 바카라사이트 government of 바카라사이트 day.

But holding that line is not always easy, as Attila Brungs, vice-chancellor of UNSW Sydney, at 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 summit: ¡°We are public institutions. We exist solely for 바카라사이트 public good. But¡­ every conversation you have with government shifts, in terms of how we deliver against that mission and in terms of 바카라사이트ir priorities.¡±

One of 바카라사이트 things that creates tension with government, he added, ¡°is that universities are one of 바카라사이트 few institutions left that can take really long-term perspectives¡±.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트 research in my institution today will not help 바카라사이트 lives of citizens for 20 years. But unless we do it, support it, it will never help 바카라사이트m,¡± he said.

¡°So we have to both understand that government has its agenda, and we have to help with that, but we also have to balance that with 바카라사이트 long term ¨C and that can be difficult.¡±

It is a balancing act that has undoubtedly got harder over time. It is also a reason that prizes such as 바카라사이트 Nobels are so important: helping to remind a harried, short-termist and sometimes sceptical world that 바카라사이트 slow work of basic research matters and serves 바카라사이트 public good.

When Covid hit, we were grateful for 바카라사이트 work quietly delivered over decades in 바카라사이트 lab.

john.gill@ws-2000.com