A New Breed of Researcher

This post by John Craig at Demos Greenhouse about his Guardian article got me thinking again about how the Internet will change universities. The first comment by 'wim' is also worth a read.

His point is that universities themeselves are ignoring issues and implications, or are unable to respond to them as institutions. A new breed of researchers is emerging behind the facades that is embracing the opportunities and imperatives that emerge from Internet distributed knowledge networks. Essentially they are transcending traditional ways of delimiting knowledge into subject areas, sectors into private, public and third, and activities into research, policy development and service delivery.

The reslationship that universities have with these researchers is bound to change. Some of the resources that were once the exclusive dominion of the academic world are now 'open source'. Computing power, libraries of information, even collaborative physical space are no longer theirs but virtually everybodies. So what do the universities bring to the party? What do this new breed need? And what are the new ways of providing it?

Are universities the credibility banks that supply the status currency of the academic world? And if so, where are the on-line direct banks? Can other credibility currencies do the same job? Are universities the homes of researchers, providing the physical and social environments they need to work? If so, how well have they adapted to the changing needs for physical space and social engagement, or interdisciplinary contact? And how cost-effective are they at providing it? Location is often a matter of lifestyle choice too now with the impact of technology and travel. Where are the universities? What lifestyle can an inner city location offer compared with a balmy seafront location?

The development of independent ('charitable') research institutions and private R&D facilities is not new. The question is whether they are better able to adapt to the emerging role this new breed of researchers requires than the traditional university. Is there a further generation of development emerging that will supplant them all?