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THE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY OF THE 21ST CENTURY
送交者: lasanta 2003年5月11日13:37:34 于 [教育与学术]http://www.bbsland.com
"THE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY OF THE 21ST CENTURY:
WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?"
AN ADDRESS TO THE 23rd ARMY SCIENCE CONFERENCE
December 2, 2002
Orlando, Florida
by Steven B. Sample
President
University of Southern California
I am honored to have been asked to be a keynote speaker at this 23rd Army Science
Conference. It is a special honor to address key leaders from the army, civilian
government, industry, and academe.
We live in an era of constant, rapid, and unpredictable change. People's reactions to
this simple reality vary widely. Some use words such as confounding, threatening, or
frightening to describe it. I prefer words such as exhilarating, challenging, and exciting.
Centuries from now, people will look back on this present age as one of the most
fertile and dramatic in all of human history. It is our privilege to anticipate, to risk, and
to witness the momentous changes that will occur in the early years of the 21st
century.
In this regard America's premier research universities, through innovation and
discovery, can be powerful engines for change and transformation in the coming
decades. Moreover, I believe that the military, civilian government, higher education,
and private industry can be effective partners in helping the United States sustain
and enhance its role as the world's economic, military, and cultural leader for
generations to come.
I was asked to address this afternoon the topic of "The Research University of the
21st Century." Let's begin by first asking, What is a research university? Put simply, it
is a university in which original research and scholarship are an integral and major
part of the university's mission. The faculty in a research university are not simply
teachers of the works of others, but rather are active contributors to what is taught,
thought, and practiced around the world.
A Brief History of Research Universities
Let's put this definition of a research university in perspective. There are about 4,000
colleges and universities in the United States, far more than any other nation; but
fewer than 100 of these are really research universities. The 60 or so leading
research universities in this country are members of the Association of American
Universities (AAU). This special group of universities constitutes less than 2 percent
of all academic institutions in the U.S. But these 60 AAU universities conduct most of
America's basic research, and in some fields most of the world's basic research.
They also produce most of the country's Ph.D.'s, M.D.'s, and postdoctorates.
As it happens, the U.S. is ahead of all other nations in the number and quality of its
research universities. Why? A momentous change occurred in the late 19th and early
20th centuries that is commonly referred to by historians today as the Academic
Revolution. It witnessed the introduction of research as an end in itself into the
American university and the emergence of the Ph.D. degree as the required terminal
credential for university faculty.
Initially this revolution was led by Johns Hopkins University and the University of
Chicago. The Johns Hopkins University married the English liberal undergraduate
model to a Germanic model that trained graduate students in a research
environment, and the American research university was born. Soon, many older and
more established colleges in the U.S. began to adopt the German model. The Ph.D.
became the appropriate academic credential for appointment to the faculty of a
research university. Since then these research universities have been one of the
United States' strongest assets - a vast storehouse of intellectual capital, even a
magnet for the rest of the world's intellectual capital.
During World War II research universities played a vital role in producing scientific and
technological knowledge that was very helpful to the war effort. After World War II the
U.S. took a different path relative to other countries. The typical model for research
was for the government to provide funding for research laboratories. The U.S., by
contrast, expanded research in existing universities and created a partnership among
research universities, civilian government, and the military.
The Future of Research Universities
Research universities are a special breed. They are the epicenter for creating new
knowledge. But before I say more about the research university of the 21st century,
let me paint a picture of the landscape of higher education in general.
I'm aware that many experts, and perhaps many of you here today, imagine higher
education to be heading in a completely new direction - taking on a radically different
appearance, dominated by fiber optics, video feeds, interactive computers, and
artificial voices, and populated by faculty and students who never have actual
face-to-face contact. We've all witnessed the recent boom in distance learning and
the virtual classroom.
Certainly applications of high technology are flourishing and will continue to in
academe. But most of what we now see at the leading universities will stay the
same. Why? Because even though the context of our society can change radically,
the content that makes us human does not change. As we look to the future, it is
essential to distinguish between the things that change, such as economic and
environmental factors and technology, and the things that don't change, such as
human nature and fundamental human needs.
For the most part universities have understood this reality better than many other
sectors of society. That is why universities are both adaptable and enduring. It was
once observed that since the year 1520, only 80 institutions have remained
continuously in existence in recognizable forms. They include several Swiss cantons,
the Roman Catholic Church and the parliaments of the Isle of Man, Iceland, and
Great Britain. But some 70 of the 80 institutions that have survived continuously for
the past half millennium are universities.
So, although universities, like governments, have never been accused of being quick
to change, they can indeed respond to the forces of change while holding faithfully to
their core values. If you enjoy walking across your alma mater's campus on a crisp
fall day, you'll be happy to know that the campus is not going away. Futurists such as
John Naisbitt and Alvin Toffler have observed that high-tech is always balanced out
by "high-touch." This means that whenever high-tech allows people new options,
greater independence, and individually-customized experiences, we cry out for more
high-touch ways to stay connected with other human beings. That is why stadiums,
theaters, and university campuses are still being built. That's why artistic and athletic
events are tougher tickets than ever, even though their product can be delivered in
much cheaper and more convenient forms to your home or office. We are human,
and humans are fueled by authentic, face-to-face communal encounters. No matter
how wired we get, this simple part of human nature will never change, and thus the
university campus will never disappear.
The face-to face relationships of professor-to-student, student-to-student, and
professor-to-professor are not merely sentimental; they drive progress. The highest
levels of excellence in an individual and in a community are usually brought forth
through human encounter. So it is as well with universities. It has been shown that
individuals who work independently do well at solving simple challenges. But
interdependent communities of people are best at solving complex challenges. In the
21st century our biggest challenges will be extremely complex.
Some years ago, management expert Peter Drucker noted that the Industrial
Revolution changed how we think about our world. Inventions such as the railroad
helped us to diminish the limitations of time and space. But Drucker noted that the
information revolution has diminished the limitations of human society even further. In
some instances it has virtually eliminated such limitations altogether, so that the
possibilities become almost endless. What's more, Drucker observed that the
possibilities are unpredictable. The most significant developments of the Industrial
Revolution were not the ones that had been projected, nor will they be in the current
Information Revolution. The overriding certainty is that we will be surprised. Our chief
task will be to respond well to surprise. Thus, adaptability, flexibility, and training will
be paramount.
I teach a leadership course at USC with Warren Bennis, the renowned leadership
guru whose books on leadership are widely read throughout the world. When Warren
Bennis talks about organizational change, he's fond of quoting hockey great Wayne
Gretzky, who said: "I don't care about where the puck is, I care about where the puck
is going to be." Can I, like the Great Gretzky, sense where the research university
puck is headed? I won't overstate my powers of prophecy, but I will say that I'm
fortunate to have a bit of an insider's perspective. This perspective comes not only
from my having been president of two major research universities for a combined
total of more than 20 years, but also because I'm now serving a university that is at
the center of a revolution which is affecting all of higher education.
I have the privilege of working with a faculty that has been setting the pace globally in
communications and multimedia. A few years ago, when he was on a worldwide tour
promoting his book on the communication revolution, Bill Gates spoke at the
University of Southern California. As I walked him back to his car, a television reporter
stopped us and asked, "Mr. Gates, why specifically did you choose USC as one of
only two universities on your book tour?" Bill responded matter-of-factly, "Because
USC is where the communication revolution is actually happening." It was a
wonderful tribute to our faculty, among them men and women who were instrumental
in the development of the Internet, the personal computer, the compact disc, and
many other basic tools of our life today. In fact, higher education's elder statesman,
former Cornell President Frank Rhodes, exhorted USC's faculty a few years ago to
realize they are uniquely suited to the essential task of what he called "reinventing
the American research university."
Another reason I consider myself an insider to the communication revolution is due to
something they talk about in real estate: location, location, location. The late Walter
Annenberg gave two historic hundred-million dollar gifts to USC after he became
convinced that Southern California had become the communications capital of the
world. This is the only region where technological innovations combine with great
strength in creative content to produce the world's most powerful and ubiquitous
forms of communication: American motion pictures and American television. As the
world's cultural and commercial crossroads, Southern California serves as a living
laboratory for USC's faculty and students.
Major Changes in Research Universities
Let me now comment on a few of the changes that are already taking place in
research universities. The first major change has occurred in the duration of a
person's education. Education certainly does not end with high school, and now it
does not end with college. Students who are enrolled in college today, especially at
highly selective universities such as USC, will have four or five different careers in
their lifetime - not merely jobs, but careers. We'll see more of these present-day
undergraduates returning to the university for advanced degrees and continuing
education.
The second major change in higher education is related to the first. It involves
"distance learning" - education delivered via computer or satellite or the web -
across town or across continents. Physical campuses will always be the beating heart
of research universities, but technology will permit these hearts to extend their
arteries ever outward. Distance education is essential because too few university
campuses exist to serve the world's exploding population.
The third major change at research universities relates to the first two. Given the
proliferation of distance learning and profit-seeking universities such as the University
of Phoenix, research universities may need to create for-profit subsidiaries in order to
stay competitive.
Change number four involves what is called interdisciplinarity. It's not the most
euphonious word, but it helps to define the bridging of the chasms that now separate
the different academic disciplines in a university. Interdisciplinarity is fast becoming
the sine qua non of the research university of the 21st century. Interdisciplinary
research and teaching is where the sparks of invention are generated and where they
burst into full flame.
But here's the problem. Many universities talk about interdisciplinary teaching and
research, but few actually practice it. At USC we don't do it perfectly, but we do it
better than most. A good example is USC's training simulation research center,
whose formal name is the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) and which is
sponsored by the army. Professor Bill Swartout, who is director of technology
research at ICT, told me that at a recent conference one researcher told him, "The
weird thing about you USC people is that you actually work together." The research
university that can actually practice interdisciplinarity will be a leader institution in the
21st century.
Interdisciplinarity is the reason the faculty of USC have spearheaded the concept of
"breadth with depth" among our undergraduates. During the past century and a half
we saw increasing specialization and compartmentalization of knowledge. Today
specialization at the undergraduate level in highly selective universities makes almost
no sense at all. As recently as 50 years ago, a B.A. was a terminal credential for
most students, even at elite universities. Today a B.A. is simply preparatory for
students, almost all of whom will go on to graduate study. At USC, students may
major wherever they choose, but are encouraged to minor in a field widely disparate
from their major. This is the opposite of what I was encouraged to do. As an
undergraduate engineering major, I wanted to take courses in French, and I was
willing to take heavy course loads to do it. But the engineering dean told me they
really didn't want engineering students studying things like French. To soften his
resistance, I had to resort to a little fabrication. I came up with the story that I wanted
to practice engineering in the old French-speaking colonies because my family had
financial interests there. Only after hearing that did he relent.
This brings me to our fifth major change: the emergence of postdoctoral education as
the de facto terminal credential in many fields, especially physics, chemistry, the life
sciences, psychology, and some fields of engineering. Just as the Ph.D. emerged as
the terminal academic credential a century ago, the postdoctoral appointment is now
the true terminal credential in an increasing number of fields. We are at the point
where truly original research is being done more at the postdoctoral level, not at the
Ph.D. level. Research done by postdocs is increasingly innovative and
cross-disciplinary. For example, at USC we have a young neurosurgeon who is doing
postdoctoral research in computer simulation at the Institute for Creative
Technologies. We have an electrical engineer who is doing a postdoc in physiology.
Postdoctoral education is a wonderful development both for American research
universities and for this nation's research enterprise as a whole.
I've already mentioned one of the very best examples of interdisciplinary research
involving a partnership among three dramatically different cultures - the military, the
entertainment industry, and academe. Just over three years ago, USC's Institute for
Creative Technologies was established by a $50 million contract from the
Department of the Army. Combining the storytelling and special effects power of
Hollywood, the computer games industry expertise of Silicon Valley, the pedagogical
know-how of USC's education faculty, and USC's research prowess in digital
graphics, electrical and computer engineering and artificial intelligence, we are now
developing virtual reality training that will effectively prepare army personnel for
challenging leadership roles.
I'd like to commend the United States Army for its prescience in seeing the need for
such an institute. As you know, the Office of Naval Research has traditionally been
the pioneer in commissioning and benefiting from university research. Now we're
seeing the army mount a challenge to the navy, moving into the forefront, not just in
basic research, but in this critical area of cross-disciplinary research. The army has
begun a great experiment that sets a new standard for creativity and risk-taking
which I believe will yield large dividends. So I salute the army as the avant-garde
branch of the United States military.
Another area in which universities, governments, and businesses must work together
is technology transfer. This is the process of taking research done at universities into
the marketplace. It's an endeavor which will have enormous impact on our world in
this new century.
Technology transfer is a sophisticated and often complex process. It needs significant
resources and infrastructure to make it work well. I've lobbied my peers in the
academy to refine and enhance the entire process whereby technology is transferred
from universities to the commercial sector. We need to set up a technology-transfer
infrastructure in our universities that recognizes the realities of the business world. We
too often assume that a new technology in and of itself will provide the necessary
push to market. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a practicing inventor
myself, I agree with Thomas Edison: "Invention is 1 percent inspiration and 99
percent perspiration." Much of technology transfer involves working at the application
stage - finding applications unforeseen by the researchers who originally developed
the technology.
What we need to create more than a "push" is a strong "pull" for our technologies
from industry. This pull can be fostered through building closer relationships with
industry and government partners. This is how we will efficiently and effectively
transition these technologies into the marketplace to solve real problems and
compete in real-world markets. For example, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory invented a circuit board for space applications with unique properties - it
could be subjected to high temperatures on one side and freezing temperatures on
the other and still function electrically. The researchers tried to market this circuit
board on the basis of its thermal properties, but could find no takers. But the people
at the USC Technology Transfer Center, which is also a regional commercialization
center for NASA, discovered the fact that there was something else about this circuit
board that could lead to commercial interest - it was the lightest circuit board ever
made. The researchers initially didn't care about weight, but the marketplace did.
As this conference is focused on the urgent aspect of our need for transformational
science and technology, I should tell you about a radical new technology transfer
center - the Alfred Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at USC. The institute
was established four years ago through a $113-million gift to USC from biomedical
entrepreneur Alfred Mann. We believe the Alfred Mann Institute (AMI) is a unique
model for the way technology transfer should be done. It provides a real bridge
between university research and industry. It truly recognizes and understands the
needs of business. It works to add value to the technology produced by researchers
at USC. AMI focuses not only on research, but on product development as well. AMI
staff can cover everything from specific research to product testing. They can build a
high-quality prototype, do the initial trials, and find a commercial partner. They can
make whatever arrangement with business they choose in order to more quickly get
a product to market. AMI has the option of tapping resources throughout USC, as
well as outside USC, whenever doing so will help it achieve its basic mission of
technology transfer. In order for it to be most effective in fostering technology transfer
at USC, AMI has a unique status within the university. It is a separate, nonprofit
corporation affiliated with USC and operating on our campus. USC faculty and
administrators form half of AMI's board of directors, while Mr. Mann's Foundation
names the other half.
You may be wondering whether there are pitfalls to such an approach. When
universities get involved in technology transfer, doesn't this get us away from the
classic concept of the academy? Might we lose something essential to our mission?
Certainly, the values and goals of a university are fundamentally different from those
of a profit-seeking business, as well they should be. I do harbor concerns about
universities giving up their academic integrity in an effort to court businesses, or even
the government, and to capitalize on university research. The more a university acts
like a profit-seeking business, the bigger the risk that its core relationship, the
teacher-student relationship, becomes compromised. And chasing profits from tech
transfer is potentially very corrosive ethically. We need to have strong
conflict-of-interest safeguards in place, and we must constantly guard against
undermining the basic purpose of the academy. But at the same time we have to get
beyond the idea that commercialization of university research is inherently inimical to
the role of the university. The role and function of universities is evolving within an
overall tradition. Innovation does not necessarily mean a break with tradition. Rather,
it should mean incorporating new approaches within the academic tradition.
Conclusion
The simple fact is the notion of universities as detached ivory towers is no longer
tenable. The notion that individual departments or disciplines are silos standing apart
from each other on the academic landscape is also no longer tenable. Higher
education is growing increasingly interconnected, and this trend is sometimes
accompanied by great wailing and gnashing of teeth from academic traditionalists.
But the inexorable movement of research universities to interdisciplinarity, to
education at a distance, to greater emphasis on postdoctoral education, to the
commercialization of university research, is, in my opinion, both healthy and
necessary.
At the same time we must remember that while many aspects of our universities are
changing, many aspects are enduring and timeless. The enduring mission of great
universities is the development of human beings and society as a whole through the
cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit. This central mission will not
change. The university of yesterday, today, and tomorrow is in the people-building
business, and that central mission will endure. Societies also look to universities to
help young people acquire wisdom and insight, love of truth and beauty, moral
discernment, understanding of self, and respect and appreciation for others. These
values will not change. Indeed, in times of uncertainty, a clear and lofty mission is all
the more necessary.
In this country, perhaps the most diverse society that has ever existed in history, we
also look to universities to be forums in which ideas can be articulated, explored, and
tested - ideas that are sometimes controversial. This too will not change. The
research universities of the 21st century will continue to ensure that they are places
where original thinking can flourish, and where the exchange of knowledge and ideas
is truly unfettered.
Government, the military, industry, and universities are called to the task of keeping
our nation and our world strong, free, and just. Universities must continue to be
especially dedicated to preparing citizens to embrace the values of democracy, which
include civility and mutual respect.
Together we can and will advance this nation - this Great American Experiment - at
a time when it faces daunting challenges from many quarters. As I said at the outset,
let us face these challenges with a sense, not of confusion or fear, but with
exhilaration and with the knowledge that we are living in one of the most fertile and
exciting eras in history. Let us celebrate our partnership in service to a great, worthy,
and timeless cause.
Media Contact Information
USC News Service
3620 S. Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2538
Phone: (213) 740-2215
Fax: (213) 740-7600
uscnews@usc.edu
University Information
(213) 740-2311 |
|
GO
发表于 2003-5-10 06:54:10
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