second international seville seminar on future-oriented technology analysis (fta): impacts on policy...
TRANSCRIPT
Second International Seville Seminar on Future-Oriented Technology
Analysis (FTA): Impacts on policy and decision making
28th- 29th September 2006
Second International Seville Seminar on Future-Oriented Technology
Analysis (FTA): Impacts on policy and decision making
28th- 29th September 2006
Futures for UniversitiesAttila Havas
Institute of Economics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Futures for UniversitiesFutures for Universities
Outline
1) Introduction
2) The role of universities in the knowledge production and research system
3) Recent key trends
4) Driving forces for change and future trends
5) Visions (future states) for universities5.1) Visions for the EU and ERIA5.2) Visions for universities
6) Policy conclusions
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
1) Introduction
No thorough, exhaustive academic treatment of the current situation of universities...
... a prospective analysis (not foresight)
Diversity of universities cannot be covered teaching, research, and other activities research agenda: reg’l, nat’l, EU or global issues teaching: for what labour markets governance structures, organisation, mgmt practices performance (economic efficiency, teaching and research
excellence – whatever metrics are used) EU vs. Triad intra-EU (across member states) intra-country
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
1) Introduction
A strategy process should be participatory
Vision-building: bring together stakeholders with diverse background accumulated knowledge and experience distinct viewpoints and approaches
to enrich the discussion and analysis
Shared ‘visions’ consensus joint actions & reduced uncertainty
Ambition: spark lively dialogues with the ‘Futures’ developed in this paper
Universities in broader socio-economic systems
“Top-down” approach: EU, ERIA, NIS, universities
Time horizon: 2020 (not carved in stone!)
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
2) The role of universities...
The importance of other players in the RTDI systemsfirms, public labs, users, patient groups, other NGOs
The changing roles of universitieselite vs. mass educationteaching & research vs. teaching only (mainly) and
‘research’ universities [more at the staff level: ‘teaching only’ vs. ‘research only’ positions]
The Humboldtian model is becoming an exception(at the post-graduate level)
The ‘third’ role of universities (is it new at all?)
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
2) The role of universities...
A new rationale for funding ‘basic’ science by public money?
a) the very notion of ‘basic’ science is questionable
b) higher education and ‘basic’ science are not that closely interconnected nowadays as they used to be
given the changing nature of higher education, and the crucial role played by other research actors
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
3) Recent key trends...
Changing roles/ responsibilities of universities: new roles emerge, and the balance of various roles is changing
teaching; academic research; consultancy for, and problem-solving for firms and other players (NGOs, policy-makers); other joint RTDI projects with businesses
An increasing share of the age group of 18-29 years old is registered for university courses
financial, infrastructural requirements; number and/or workload of teachers; quality of education/ degrees (“prestige”); job-seekers’ aspirations, ambitions
The Bologna Process
Futures for UniversitiesFutures for Universities
4) Driving forces for change and future trends
Quest for excellence in researchimproving academic recognition and raising funds
Technological changesmore sophisticated more expensive equipment
Demographic changes
Tensions in government budgets
Quest for cost-efficiency of research
New societal demands, changing values
New methods, approaches, norms to organise, manage, validate, legitimate and evaluate HE/R
Ten trends are derived from these driving forces
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
5) Visions for universities
Visions vs. “fully-fledged” or “path scenarios”
No consideration of the degree of probability of specific visions
Underlying assumptionsA) Policies can modify the existing driving forces for
change, and can trigger changes themselves
B) Universities cannot operate fully isolated from their socio-economic environment ( EU polices: Lisbon Process, ERIA)
C) Interrelations between competitiveness and cohesion:(i) as a ‘zero-sum game’(ii) as mutually reinforcing processesthe latter view is taken here
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
5) Visions for universities
Underlying assumptions (cont’d)
D) Cohesion is an issue for (a) large, advance member states, (b) for the ‘classic’ cohesion countries, and (c) for the 10 new member states. Thus, it is a major political and policy issue.The forthcoming enlargement(s) would add more countries and regions to this ‘list’.
E) Promoting RTDI efforts in cohesion regions via joint research projects (funded e.g. by RTD FP) does not mean that scientific excellence is compromised. (Sharp [1998])
F) A pronounced policy emphasis on cohesion does – and should – not preclude competition among universities
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
5.1.1) Visions for the EU
Internalstrategy
EU vs.Triad
Cohesion (societal issues)
Competitiveness (‘multi-speed
EU’)
Successful EU A) Double success
B) Successful multi-speed EU
Laggard EU
C1) Shaky cohesion
C2) Double failure
D) Failed multi-speed EU
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
5.1.2) Visions for the ERIA (two EU visions)
ERIA EU A) EU B)Rationale for EU RTDI policies
Co-ordination of policies
Location of major HE/R centres
Research agenda
Mobility of researchers, U staff and students
Integration of RTDI activities
Research infrastructure
Innovation systems, co-op among key players
RTDI services (inf, consultancy, incubation ...)
Financial infrastructure
Policy-preparation methods, practices
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
5.2) Visions for universities
Trends,driving forces
Un-changed U
Radically ref’d U
New players
The role/ mission of U
Mobility of U staff, students
Integration of RTDI activities
Courses/ degrees
The Bologna process
Competition for talents
Multi-disciplinary training
Multi-disciplinary research
Separate tables for A) Double success, andB) Successful multi-speed EU
Futures for Universities Futures for Universities
5.2) Visions for universities
“Generic” trends [regardless of EU A); B)]
Un-changed U
Radically ref’d U
New players
Demographic trends
Legitimisation, validation of knowledge
Methods, approaches, norms to organise and manage U
Ever more expensive physical infrastructure (edu, research)
The impacts of new technologies on HE
Futures for UniversitiesFutures for Universities
6) Policy conclusions*
1. Support Foresight (prospective) activities of universities (methods, funds, dialogues, etc.)
2. Abolish national borders for researchers and for students
3. Strengthen the autonomy of universities
4. Promote further research regarding the functional division of labour amongst different research actors
* No 2-4) are produced collectively by the HLEG members