what are universities (for)? petra wend. 14 th century=21 st century? parent to his son at the...
TRANSCRIPT
What are universities (for)?
Petra Wend
14th Century=21st Century? Parent to his son at the
University of Orléans, 14th century:
“I have recently discovered that you live dissolutely and slothfully, preferring licence to restraint and play to work and strumming a guitar while the others are at their studies, whence it happens that you have read but one volume of law while more industrious companions have read several.”
Son at the University of Orléans to his parent, 14th century:
“We have good companions in the house with us, well advanced in their studies, and of excellent habits. […] Wherefore, lest production should cease for lack of material, we beg your paternity to send us by the bearer money for the purchase of parchment, ink, a desk, and the other things which we need, in sufficient amount that we may suffer no want on your account (God forbid!) but finish our studies and return home with honor.”
(Lawrence S Cunningham, John J Reich, Culture and Values, a Survey of the Humanities, volume 1, 7th edition, 2010, p.226)
university c.1300, "institution of higher learning," also "body of persons constituting a university," from Anglo-Fr. université, O.Fr. universitei (13c.), from M.L. universitatem (nom. universitas), in L.L. "corporation, society," from L., "the whole, aggregate," from universus "whole, entire" (see universe). In the academic sense, a shortening of universitas magistrorum et scholarium "community of masters and scholars;" superseded studium as the word for this.
Overview• Where do universities come from?• Short history• The changing shape and purpose
of universities• What are they really for?• How do we run them?
Where do universities come from?
The School of Athens, Raphael, 1510, Vatican
Plato vv AristotleHand gestures
Theoretical views Practical ethics
empirist views
Oldest Universities• List varies depending on definition
• Certification/degree granting institutions
• Still in existence or not
• Exact date of foundation difficult to establish
institutions providing a higher standard of learning and knowledge advancement
10
University of Cambridge, England, 1209
6
University of Bologna, Italy, 1088
1
The University of Nalanda, India 5th century BC
Europe• Renaissance
• 17th century: years of upheaval and decline
• Scientific revolution
• Enlightenment
• Humboldt
• Fast forward to last and this century
Mass education
Supernumerary
(Super) tired
Superfluous
Changing contexts and Governance
• Robbins 1963
• Dearing 1997
• Cubie 1999
• SNP Green/White Paper 2011
• ‘New Governance’
• ‘Autonomous University’
Leading/Managing Universities
• Collegial decision-making?
• Review of governance models
• Role of Senate?
European Study on Governance
• European universities should be granted more institutional autonomy
• The balance between autonomy and accountability needs to be revisited
• Investment into higher education and research needs to be increased
• Greater realism about governance reforms is needed• A European monitoring system should be established
Changing Shape and Purpose of Universities
• Many perspectives
• Many debates
• Many calls for ‘real’ debates
Functions of Universities
• Education• Research/Innovation
• Public engagement• Economic development• Agent of social inclusion and mobility
Additional Role
• Maintain and/or re-balance the diversity of functions within a university to define its unique mission and vision
How do we run universities?
• Responsibilities towards our stakeholders
• Academic debate
• Difficult decisions: consultation
• University Courts
• Importance of people
Plato and Aristotle
End
9
University of Montpellier, France, 1311
8
University of Oxford, England, 1096
7
University of Paris, France, 1090
5
Al-Nizamiyya, Iran, 1065
4
Al-Azhar University, Egypt, 972
3
University of Al Karaouine, Morocco, 859 AD
2
University of Nanjing, China, 258 AD