academic corruption 101
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- Published on Monday, 07 March 2011 06:01
- Written by Erik
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Corruption, in the classical Roman tradition, meant "dependence." If you are dependent on someone you are not free. You are not free, for example, to speak your mind or to speak the truth. The opposite of corruption is thus independence. Independence is particularly important for universities. It is only if universities are independent that they can fulfil their function -- to teach and to carry out research according to the highest intellectual standards of excellence. What a "highest standard of excellence" is is determined by the university itself. This is why we have seminars, examinations, pro et contra debates, peer-review, and so on.
It was in order to deal with corruption that universities, already in the Middle Ages, made themselves independent both of political power and money. The best way to assure independence was to give university professors tenure, good pay and lots of free time. Academics are often accused of living in "ivory towers," but ivory towers are important - they help protect us from corruption. And, besides, you can see the world so much better from a bit of a distance!
As soon as universities have to start looking for money, or as soon as they look for political influence, they will inevitably become corrupt. That is, they will lose their independence. When that happens the university's internal standard of excellence is usually undermined - seminars lose their critical edge, examinations are dummed down, peer-review is ignored.
The story of the corruption scandal at the LSE is thus a story of dependence - on Gaddafi, but more generally on money and on power. The only way to deal with the problem is to restore the university's independence. To make sure that universities are publicly and adequately funded and that the money is given with no strings attached. But much responsibility rests with the professors too - they should stay in their ivory towers and not nurture dreams of worldly glory.
