the dawn of research week

Posted on | September 20, 2004 |

after a weekend when too much football wasn’t nearly enough (code for: didn’t leave the couch a helluva lot) i decided to venture out of the sandstone tower to the research week lunchtime forum: ‘universities have a responsibility to commercialise their research: academics as entrepreneurs’. ok, i admit the free lunch was a factor, and i also wanted to see what sandy mccutcheon looked like in real life, but what a mistake. apparently the only commercialisation worth talking about is that of REAL research. you know, the sciences. imagine the response when i asked whether the discussion could broaden to more diverse forms of commercialisation so that our actually world class arts advocate wasn’t completely backed into the “we should be supported for our contribution to the public good” cliche. there are plenty of arts academics who do want to commercialise their research, but in ways that don’t necessarily involve patents or spin-off small businesses (the neoliberal wet-dream): corporate consultation, community group advocacy, interdisciplinary work… what kind of commerce counts here?

but i was out-PCd again: we ALL lose if funding is tied to commercial outcomes, said the successful commercialiser of her own research. um, yeah. that clearly explains why the experience of scientists completely dominated the session, and the best question of the afternoon was why science libraries are now under lock and key in parts of UQ (it’s because of the terrorism you know).

we’re SO in this together!

let the information flow!

Category: Academia

Comments

3 Responses to “the dawn of research week”

  1. mc gregg
    September 21st, 2004 @ 8:02 am

    thank you, proof readers!

  2. elsewhere
    September 21st, 2004 @ 11:21 pm

    So what *did* Sandy McHutcheon look like?

  3. mc gregg
    September 22nd, 2004 @ 12:55 pm

    the picture from that link is a pretty fair representation, kinda world weary and university of hard knocks-like. but i didn’t get close enough to see much. most funny was tuning in to ‘australia talks back’ that night to hear that sandy had mysteriously taken ill!! sounded more like a long lunch at the staff club i reckon.