Professor Ivar Bleiklie, University of Bergen
This paper can be downloaded from: http://www.wun.ac.uk/ideasanduniversities/seminars/2009_programme/bleiklie.html
Organisation and Governance of Universities
February 15, 2009 by ideasanduniversities
February 15, 2009 by ideasanduniversities
Professor Ivar Bleiklie, University of Bergen
This paper can be downloaded from: http://www.wun.ac.uk/ideasanduniversities/seminars/2009_programme/bleiklie.html
Dear Ivar,
Thank you very much indeed for a superb paper which raised a whole host of fundamental issues.
First could I remind everyone of the title of your recent book. It’s University Governance: Western European Comparative Perspectives (Dordrecht: Springer, 2009), edited with C. Paradeise, E. Reale and E. Ferlie. I will certainly be getting hold of it, and I’m sure others will want to do so as well.
Could I also raise a few questions?
1. I wonder if you could say a bit more about the issue I raised in discussion, and that’s the means by which we can measure autonomy. My point was that a relationship with an external authority or group can be seen as protecting and empowering the university. By what criteria do we decide that such a relationship diminishes autonomy?
2. I was fascinated by your argument that while we see convergence in discourse about university organization, we see diversity in actual practice. This brings a new element of sophistication into discussions about isomorphism. It makes me wonder about the discourse. To what extent can we identify ‘myths’ in the discourse about universities? I’m thinking about references to the past that conjure up imaginary golden ages, or examples of unsustainable practice that never existed. Working on medieval universities, I’m constantly amazed at the way in which ‘the medieval university’ is brought into play as either a ‘good thing’ or a ‘bad thing’!
3. While comparing universities in different countries, to what extent was it necessary to bear in mind different types of university in each country?
Thank you once again for a great paper.
Very best wishes,
Ian