The Entrepreneurial University
At the start of our work at the universities in the Netherlands, we have been confronted with the idea of the “critical university” guided by the ideas of the “Franfurther Schule”. Somewhat later the democratization movement occurred which changed completely the responsibilities of the staff members at the universities.
In 1987 a new idea came up. The economist and rector of the University of Rotterdam, Prof Rinnooy Kan, together with several well-known politicians such as the later Minister of Justice Hirsch Ballin (1989), the later minister of education Ritzen (1989) and the Technology expert Van de Zwan promoted a new idea “The Entrepreneurial University”.
In 1987 a new idea came up. The economist and rector of the University of Rotterdam, Prof Rinnooy Kan, together with several well-known politicians such as the later Minister of Justice Hirsch Ballin (1989), the later minister of education Ritzen (1989) and the Technology expert Van de Zwan promoted a new idea “The Entrepreneurial University”.
Scientific knowledge as an economic good
In their publication on this issue they suggested the following. “Scientific knowledge is more like a private product than a public good. For knowledge the same rights should apply as for economic goods: a good for which one can ask a price, by patents or contract research and contract education. Scientists should realize that they own a product that can be sold and that they can profit of the financial benefits of their work.”
Given the limited resources of the universities this idea was quickly accepted by the managers of the universities. The managers of the faculties liked this idea as well because with this idea in mind they would be able to create more money and activities in their departments. This required of course entrepreneurship of the managers which could lead to success but also to unexpected risks.
How about the University of Amsterdam
In the faculty of Political Social and Cultural Sciences of the University of Amsterdam this idea led quickly to a radical change in the structure of the faculty: A manager from the commercial world with no knowledge of the education system of universities became the manager of that system. The consequence was that the scientists in the department lost the responsibility for the education and the result was quite catastrophic. Soon this was changed again as we will report later.
With respect to research the change was not so dramatic. In that case a research committee was installed in which the different departments were represented and where, guided by a person with an academic background, research plans were developed for pure academic and commercial research. Having reached this point they quickly realized that in the faculty there was a person who would fit very well in this entrepreneurial approach because of his earlier activity. That was Professor Saris.
So it happened that Willem returned for his research to the university and Irmtraud continued the SRF on a smaller scale.
New activites of Irmtraud and the SRF
- the servqual study - the Cuban MIssile crisis - two books about political decision making |