… but he can’t help noticing that French universities are more néant than être.
I don’t see at all how a system of weak universities, led by a finicky central government, could be an efficient weapon in the battle for intelligence. On the contrary, it’s a system that infantilizes and paralyzes creativity and innovation. That’s why we gave the universities autonomy …
No other country has produced so many institutes, agencies, groups and other microscopic organizations that dilute means and responsibilities, pull every which way, and waste time and money …
Is science just a question of financial means and jobs? How then do we explain that with science spending higher than in Great Britain, and about 15% more researchers than our English friends, France is well behind in its scientific production? Somebody better explain that to me! More researchers, fewer publications, and excuse me, I don’t want to be unpleasant, with a comparable budget, a French researcher publishes 30% to 50% less than a British one in some sectors …
Excerpts from a recent speech.
In line with tradition, the researchers will stop working and torch the streets of Paris until he shuts up.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:15PM
To be fair, to compare the French and British systems by number of publications isn’t all that useful. British scholars churn out pages because that’s how higher education pounds are allocated, on the basis of quantity rather than quality. I’m not saying that the Brits aren’t better, but "fewer publications" is hardly a good measure of anything with the RAE as the measure of "scientific production." The bureaucratic BS that French academics put up with, however, is mindboggling!
January 28th, 2009 at 8:37PM
All good points, Ellie.
March 15th, 2009 at 10:29AM
Sarkozy’s reforms are also an erosion of tenure. Mandatory evaluations of faculty performance is the first stage towards blackballing lecturers and researchers who don’t make the grade on their work or their politics. This proposed fishing expedition is perhaps as dangerous to French university life as the move to less autonomy, in the guise of more autonomy. This other aspect of the LRU legislation would be the first stage of a corporate merger with big business.
So you’re right, Margaret. The French have taken to the streets since February 5th. Continuing massive protests by faculty and students in many cities in France, go on still with about 40 out of 80 universities shut down.
For an update see my article: "Sarkozy’s French University Reforms Crash And Burn" online in NewsHammerOnCampus.
April 16th, 2010 at 7:11AM
Perhaps my professor colleague could publish more if they were not kept busy by large teaching time and even larger administrative duties. American professors seem to have lots of capable staff for running the place; in French universities, professors tend to have to see to things themselves if they want things done. The administration, in theory supporting teaching and research, often seems to spend its time enforcing unwieldy regulations invented from above.
Nothing in the proposed changes of Sarkozy would change anything to the above facts of current French academic life, as far as I know.