Gold Coast (Australia), Australian public universities bill themselves as bastions of innovation and driving forces behind economic growth, but cultures are getting in the way.
Imagine being an entrepreneur who has spent over 12 months traveling the world researching a particular expertise, but at a random cocktail party he discovers that the information you are looking for can be found right across the street. .
Or being an industry innovation expert trying to join the research group you invested in without success. There was no personal information, telephone contact or email address publicly available. Unfortunately, these are both documented stories that highlight the obstacles the private sector faces when trying to work with public universities in Australia.It will therefore come as no surprise to people in the region that the university has been largely ignored in recent innovation funding announcements.
There are several possible reasons why public universities have been marginalized in the innovation landscape. The compliance culture that has influenced Australian government-innovation initiatives, particularly when it comes to quantifying research outputs, is widespread in Australia. Increasingly managerialism also affects public universities.
A clear example of how this compliance culture stifles academy researchers engaging in potentially groundbreaking research is the increasingly bureaucratic approach to ethics approval, even when the proposed research is risky and time is of the essence.
Many academics are abandoning research based on primary data collection and focusing on an arguably less innovative and entrepreneurial research base on publicly available data sources.There have been examples of "ethics-shopping" in research groups comprising academics from several institutions, whereby ethics clearance was handed over to the university with the least onerous process.
There was also an example where an innovative small enterprise that had secured government funding and was attached to a university for research found that it had breached its reporting requirements – only because the university department did not order a decriminalization in time. Could give.
University bureaucracies are not only risk averse, but they are also incompetent when it comes to maintaining industry-level standards of reporting. Such experiences are likely to give the private sector pause when I I will consider this when deciding whether they should continue to work with public universities.
The innovation environment is, by its very nature, uncertain and risky.Professor Mariana Mazzucato, one of the world's leading scholars in this field, recently met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to promote a 'mission-oriented' approach to innovation in the hopes of boosting economic growth. Professor Mazzucato Innovators and the "fail fast" approach adopted by entrepreneurs, which contrasts sharply with the risk-averse university culture focused on quantitative metrics, box ticking and assured outcomes, which views "failure" as a missed opportunity. will see, to the extent that they probably won't invest in the same research team again.
Closely related to the increasing compliance culture of the corporatized public university are restrictions placed on what research academic researchers may or may not conduct.
This usually takes the form of granting or withholding research funding by university administrators, including the all-important initial funding that is often required to test proof of concept. Public universities generally conduct research as declared by the existing government. Align themselves with priorities, which are themselves closely linked to funding.This approach prevents discoveries emerging from blue-sky research conducted by researchers practicing academic independence and following their instincts.
Instead, institutional research parameters are strictly restricted through the nomination of national research priorities, with university administrators turning themselves inside out to maximize potentially available funding. Many academics find themselves taking themselves on mandatory research trips. They find themselves going, even if their heart (and mind) isn't in it – something that can clearly compromise the research results.
Academic careers also present a problem. University academics are required to juggle multiple work responsibilities, as research performance often suffers in a workplace environment that prioritizes teaching and service.Academics also take leave more often than industry partners, which can inhibit the development of applied research, and raise questions about overall commitment in the eyes of industry. Many Australian universities have innovation hubs that either directly Operate or have a supporting organization co-located on or adjacent to the campus.
However, the organizations that should arguably be the most agile and innovative have demonstrated significant vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic highlighted weaknesses with respect to the resilience of these university hubs, with hub managers reportedly unable to solve a number of operational challenges. Many hubs ceased operating, at least temporarily, and an online environment Failed to engage effectively which was necessary to maintain relations with the industry.If public universities are unable to adapt to an innovation environment where the ability to accept risk, quickly build strong teams, and work at a commercially acceptable pace is paramount, they are likely to slip further into the shadow of innovation. This is likely to result in further questions being raised regarding their overall public legitimacy and – consequently – continued funding.(360info.org) PY
PY
Imagine being an entrepreneur who has spent over 12 months traveling the world researching a particular expertise, but at a random cocktail party he discovers that the information you are looking for can be found right across the street. .
Or being an industry innovation expert trying to join the research group you invested in without success. There was no personal information, telephone contact or email address publicly available. Unfortunately, these are both documented stories that highlight the obstacles the private sector faces when trying to work with public universities in Australia.It will therefore come as no surprise to people in the region that the university has been largely ignored in recent innovation funding announcements.
There are several possible reasons why public universities have been marginalized in the innovation landscape. The compliance culture that has influenced Australian government-innovation initiatives, particularly when it comes to quantifying research outputs, is widespread in Australia. Increasingly managerialism also affects public universities.
A clear example of how this compliance culture stifles academy researchers engaging in potentially groundbreaking research is the increasingly bureaucratic approach to ethics approval, even when the proposed research is risky and time is of the essence.
Many academics are abandoning research based on primary data collection and focusing on an arguably less innovative and entrepreneurial research base on publicly available data sources.There have been examples of "ethics-shopping" in research groups comprising academics from several institutions, whereby ethics clearance was handed over to the university with the least onerous process.
There was also an example where an innovative small enterprise that had secured government funding and was attached to a university for research found that it had breached its reporting requirements – only because the university department did not order a decriminalization in time. Could give.
University bureaucracies are not only risk averse, but they are also incompetent when it comes to maintaining industry-level standards of reporting. Such experiences are likely to give the private sector pause when I I will consider this when deciding whether they should continue to work with public universities.
The innovation environment is, by its very nature, uncertain and risky.Professor Mariana Mazzucato, one of the world's leading scholars in this field, recently met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to promote a 'mission-oriented' approach to innovation in the hopes of boosting economic growth. Professor Mazzucato Innovators and the "fail fast" approach adopted by entrepreneurs, which contrasts sharply with the risk-averse university culture focused on quantitative metrics, box ticking and assured outcomes, which views "failure" as a missed opportunity. will see, to the extent that they probably won't invest in the same research team again.
Closely related to the increasing compliance culture of the corporatized public university are restrictions placed on what research academic researchers may or may not conduct.
This usually takes the form of granting or withholding research funding by university administrators, including the all-important initial funding that is often required to test proof of concept. Public universities generally conduct research as declared by the existing government. Align themselves with priorities, which are themselves closely linked to funding.This approach prevents discoveries emerging from blue-sky research conducted by researchers practicing academic independence and following their instincts.
Instead, institutional research parameters are strictly restricted through the nomination of national research priorities, with university administrators turning themselves inside out to maximize potentially available funding. Many academics find themselves taking themselves on mandatory research trips. They find themselves going, even if their heart (and mind) isn't in it – something that can clearly compromise the research results.
Academic careers also present a problem. University academics are required to juggle multiple work responsibilities, as research performance often suffers in a workplace environment that prioritizes teaching and service.Academics also take leave more often than industry partners, which can inhibit the development of applied research, and raise questions about overall commitment in the eyes of industry. Many Australian universities have innovation hubs that either directly Operate or have a supporting organization co-located on or adjacent to the campus.
However, the organizations that should arguably be the most agile and innovative have demonstrated significant vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic highlighted weaknesses with respect to the resilience of these university hubs, with hub managers reportedly unable to solve a number of operational challenges. Many hubs ceased operating, at least temporarily, and an online environment Failed to engage effectively which was necessary to maintain relations with the industry.If public universities are unable to adapt to an innovation environment where the ability to accept risk, quickly build strong teams, and work at a commercially acceptable pace is paramount, they are likely to slip further into the shadow of innovation. This is likely to result in further questions being raised regarding their overall public legitimacy and – consequently – continued funding.(360info.org) PY
PY
