Saturday, September 24, 2011
Enough Already!
How many times are they going to "officially open" CCIS? It's a beautiful building (though I'm not sure I would enjoy working in its fishbowl environment). However, I grow tired of reading about all the wonderful collaborations that can happen now that we have put scientists in close proximity to each other. One wonders how anyone managed to put together a collaboration before this edifice was erected.
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Well, come on now, we all know that if people see each other through the glass walls, they will definitely want to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects... especially if they have no control over the lights in their offices, or the shades, or the way furniture is arranged, and cannot post their own research papers outside their office -- all of that fosters gregariousness and collaboration, it's obvious (tongue firmly in cheeks).
ReplyDeleteInterdisciplinarity is pursued obsessively by university administrations, and it is the darling of politicians, not because it really does lead to good science (one may even argue that there is no truly "interdisciplinary" research project) , but for ideological reasons.
The notion of individual faculty working on their own research programs, each one pursuing his or her own interests and being evaluated on an individual basis, and ultimately reaping alone the reward of success, is something that in these ideologically charged times a lot of people cannot accept.
Many wish to see university faculty as industry workers, all collaborating together on projects that are not so much "interdisciplinary" as much as not their own, i.e., that are assigned to them by a higher authority, possibly a manager with no specific competence.
So, yes, it's about attacking academic freedom -- as just about anything in higher education these days.
You're preaching to the choir, Massimo! The movement of funds away from individual (e.g., DG-type) grants into collaborative, interdisciplinary programs is large-scale social engineering by policy-makers with little understanding and no experience in the research they are managing.
ReplyDeleteAnd from your first paragraph, something tells me you are one of the lucky denizens of CCIS. I hope you at least have a nice view of the river valley.
;-)
No, I have an awesome view of the quad. And if I have to be honest, I have a great office. I just wish I could lower and raise the shades and turn the light on and off when I need it, as opposed to when someone else decides that I should. I also would not mind being able to have some privacy, as opposed to having anyone looking for me know that I am inside and therefore they can just start knocking on my door a-la-Sheldon (from the Big Bang Theory)...
ReplyDeleteSounds like a real fishbowl situation! I wonder how that works on those occasions (hopefully rare, but not unheard-of) when a student is sitting in your office crying about his/her score on an exam?
ReplyDeleteAs for the blinds and lights, I'm just waiting for one of those smart physicists to hack the system and override the controls.
As for the blinds and lights, I'm just waiting for one of those smart physicists to hack the system and override the controls.
ReplyDeleteEr.. huh... Oh, come on now... as if... anyway, see ya ;-)