Maria Nedeva

Employing discourse: universities and graduate ‘employability’

What constitutes graduate employability is discursively framed. In this paper we argue that whilst universities in the UK have long had an involvement in producing useful and productive citizens, the ongoing neoliberalisation of higher education has engendered a discursive shift in definitions of employability. Traditionally, universities regarded graduate employment as an aspect of institutions’ relationship with the labour market, and one where they enjoyed a significant degree of discretion. Now, employability is a performative function of universities, shaped and directed by the state, which is seeking to supplant labour markets. We argue that this has three profound implications. First, state intervention in labour markets adjusts power balances in favour of employers. Second, contrary to the legitimising rationale of enhancing social justice, pursuit of employability agendas may well be creating two tiers of universities – those that produce docile employees and those that produce employers/leaders. And third, employability discourses may be adversely affecting pedagogies and curricula, to the disbenefit of students, institutions, employers, social justice and civil society.

Changing Science: The Advent of Neo-liberalism

Abstract This paper provides a detailed analysis of the change process of academic science. The change pressures currently visible in UK science have been conceptualised as the product of three interdependent dynamics: a shift towards neo‐liberal ideologies and discourses of government; a process of reconstitution of the relationship between government and science; and the resulting reshaping of science itself. Focusing on the universities and academic science, we argue that this process of transformation has adverse consequences the end result of which may be a loss of capacity within the science system to maintain knowledge bases.

The international dimension to industry-academic links

This paper focuses on one aspect of the fundamental changes facing higher education in the knowledge-based economy, namely the growth of industry-academic links and in particular the growth of cross-border collaboration and funding. Following an historical background and context to industry-academic links and its more recent growth trends, the paper seeks to analyse industry/higher education collaboration from an international perspective, although more detailed analysis is undertaken from a UK context. The paper concludes with a short discussion on the policy implications of the papers findings.

Understanding the dynamics of networks of excellence

This paper conceptualises networks of excellence (NoEs), a new funding instrument in the EUs Sixth Framework Programme for research, to propose how to monitor and assess the achievement of their objectives. It analyses the dynamics of NoEs and potential changes taking place in an NoE during its lifetime (funding period of five to seven years). It discusses critically some of the assumptions underlying the creation of NoEs by devoting special attention to the concept of integration and its relationship to excellence. The paper further draws attention to different dimensions of integration and how these could be measured. The analysis was developed for a particular NoE called PRIME, and has some limitations because of this focus. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

The Appliance of Science? New public management and strategic change

Abstract Changes in the nature of science as a social practice were fundamentally organic and endogenous in nature prior to the 1970s. Since then changes in UK public science has been policy-led and the imperatives exogenous. This shift was the result of attempts to achieve strategic managed change in the sector using new public management (NPM) techniques. This paper explores the discourses that promoted the change effort and the NPM techniques and processes deployed to this end. It seeks to identify the aims and objectives of the intended strategic change and evaluates the extent to which they have been achieved. Our conclusion is that rather than a planned, strategic change process directed at improved economy, efficiency and effectiveness, what occurred was a poorly processed ideologically driven attempt to achieve political aims.

From "Science in Europe" to "European Science"

Early impacts of the European Research Council suggest shifts toward competition and excellence in EU-wide basic science. According to proposals of the European Commission (EC) for Horizon 2020 (1), the next Framework Programme (FP) for Research and Innovation will direct resources to three priorities: (i) excellence in Europes science base; (ii) industrial leadership; and (iii) societal challenges. We examine the agenda for improving Europes science base and discuss changes in the policy system, with a focus on the European Research Council (ERC). Describing the European-level policy system through its statement of added value and rationale, target of intervention, and science support organizations, we argue that it is transitioning from a period we term “science in Europe,” to a period we refer to as “European science.” Although we argue this transition in terms of clear differences, we acknowledge that, in reality, the process is gradual, nuanced, and far from complete.

Benefactors or Beneficiary—The Role of Industry in the Support of University Research Equipment

This paper examines the role of industry in the support of academic infrastructure, in particular university research equipment. Although the United Kingdom provides the framework for discussion the described situation should be a familiar one in most countries. The argument is constructed around the perceptions, opinions and positions of universities, government and industry. Drawing on results from a survey of academic departments the equipment situation at UK universities is outlined. Following that the position of the Government attempting to attract industrial support for university research equipment is discussed. And finally, industrys views of where the demarcation between public and private responsibility lies are presented.

New Public Management

The driving forces of the public sector reform processes to which GREs were subject from 1979 onwards are collectively and generically known as New Public Management (NPM). In Section 2 of this chapter we define, insofar as possible, NPM in general terms. In Section 3 we contextualise this general discussion by critically documenting and describing the manifestations of the NPM reform process in the UK generally. In Section 4, we detail how that process of reform was operationalised in the field of government funded scientific services.

The impact of the introduction of the ethical review process for research using animals in the UK: implementation of policy

Nearly all establishments in the UK regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 had introduced an ethical review process (ERP) within 9 months of its formal requirement, although quite a high proportion of more junior staff were not familiar with it. A significant proportion of those questioned believed that the ERP has improved the quality (particularly the ethical quality) of project licences. A smaller proportion of respondents believed that the ERP has had a beneficial impact on animal work and training. Nearly all the respondents viewed animal care and accommodation as good or excellent.

When David met goliath: Research collaboration in the context of changing political realities

Abstract This article examines the dimensions of research collaboration between researchers from EU and Central and East European countries in the post‐communist period. The discussion draws on experience of two initiatives for research co‐operation, COST and EUREKA. Following an analysis of the formal levels of participation of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in COST and EUREKA, the quality of exchange during the collaborative projects and the networks that have been established, some benefits from and barriers to East‐West co‐operation in research and technology are considered. Although the collaborative arrangements have been overall successful the different groups of participants display diverging and even sometimes conflicting expectations and perceptions of benefits. Two extreme positions view the collaborative links in terms of ‘master’ and ‘student’ and as relationships between partners of equal standing. By far the most serious barriers to successful East‐West research co‐operation st...