“Around the world, research-based knowledge is believed to enhance socio-economic development. So funding agencies, including governments, are pushing universities to focus on ‘usable’ research outputs. The way they bring this pressure to bear, through ‘research governance’, can either support and facilitate university research or hinder it, sometimes even damaging a university’s existing strengths. Research governance refers to policies that key stakeholders, such as governments, donors, industry and nongovernmental organisations, use to manage and regulate research. These policies are intended to set standards for research conduct and help enhance ethical and scientific quality, as well as promoting good practice. The practice of research governance, and particularly the way funding agencies allocate and monitor research funds, varies across countries according to political, economic and cultural differences. But its effects on both university administrators and academic staff are often the same worldwide …” (more)
[Phuong Nga Nguyen, University World News, 15 March]