“The fact that the recently announced research merger between Trinity and UCD has been negatively received by the other universities is not surprising. While the language of ‘civil war’ is somewhat excessive, it is clear that a policy and political decision to concentrate Government research spending heavily (if not exclusively) in these two universities has now been taken. In many senses, however, the decision and its critique are both equally flawed. Universities per se do not do research. Rather they provide an institutional context and support structure for individuals and groups of researchers within them. Focusing the research spend on an institutional basis runs the risk of misdirecting it in two ways: it can benefit underperforming elements within the funded institutions, and it can miss out on high-performing units within the unfunded ones …” (more)
[Tom Collins, Irish Times, 31 March]