The quest for Excellence, or how to foster scientific malpractices
| Speaker | Prof. Olivier GOSSELAIN Centre d'Anthropologie Culturelle, ULB |
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| Type | Lecture |
| Language | EN |
| Abstract | During the last two decades, important reforms have affected European universities. Designed to increase their competitiveness within the emerging education market, these reforms are based on neo-liberal-inspired managerial tools developed since the 1980s in the private sector. "Excellence" is the catchword of these reforms, a term also borrowed from business communication. Although the concept of "excellence" is devoid of concrete meaning, the reforms undertaken in its name have very concrete effects on research and teaching practices, notably by threatening scientific integrity. Indeed, we are witnessing a worrying increase in scientific malpractices, ranging from outright fraud to the homogenization of research fields, the concealment of knowledge or tactics to increase the reputation of researchers and research units. Since this increase in bad practices is induced by changes in the management of research, it seems more appropriate to fight this management - and the ideology behind it - than to develop new ethical standards and codes of conduct, as tends to be the case today. As the saying goes, it is the causes of disease, not its symptoms, that must be fought. |
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CH01 |
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