ERIC Number: ED314338
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1988
Pages: 12
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Changing Relations between Universities and Research Policy and Industry: Catalyst or Deterrent to Unity of Europe?
Wasser, Henry
European institutions of higher education must let changing economic conditions play a bigger role in their decisions about what research to emphasize. As costs escalate, constraints on government spending force a shift of funding priorities toward research of more strategic value to industry. There are many ways that universities and industry seek mutually profitable connections. But the growing emphasis on short term industrial requirements may undermine the more basic university functions of general education and increase in fundamental knowledge. It is not yet clear whether the changing relations among universities and industry and government research policies foster a sense of European unity by identifying the commonality of problems and solutions or accentuates disunity by the growth of competition. If competitiveness is among Europe and Japan and the United States, unity will dominate. If, however, it is between bilateral conglomerates within Europe, disunity will result. If there is a rationalized plan of different mixes or differentiated models of pure and applied research and different science and technology curricula are emphasized depending on the strengths of particular universities and on varying contexts and sizes of countries, then that diversity can add up to unity. If universities, regardless of quality, or if nations, regardless of gross national product or population numbers or stage of development, attempt to replicate each other, then disunity will prevail. (JB)
Publication Type: Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A