

Bell Labs Is Gone. Academia Steps In. - robg
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/business/16ping.html?ex=1355461200&en=60137adbd8827a44&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

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davidw
I wonder how things like this might affect startups coming out of
universities. In the past, there were people like Dr. Ousterhout who,
realizing they had something hot on their hands, would spin it out into a
company from the University. A large corporation breathing down your neck
might crimp that to some degree.

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auferstehung
US Public Universities seem to be going down the same path as the US Postal
Service (an interesting topic in itself as the USPS is established in the
Constitution). The government is cutting them loose. I am wary as to whether
this is a good idea or not. Private Universities can take care of themselves,
but Public Universities, especially land grant universities (e.g. the entire
University of California system), were created for a specific purpose and to
serve a specific constituency. It is debatable whether or not large
multinational corporations are included in this constituency or if they are
appropriate entities that should be driving Public University policy.

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jmzachary
If the Federal government is cutting US public universities loose, then State
governments will have to pick up more of the slack. Or close them.

Having been a professor (now in the private sector), I'm not sure that
multinationals will get what they are expecting from academia. Bell Labs and
PARC had "applications" built into their DNA. Professors, especially tenured
ones, always have an out: academic freedom. Concomitantly, I'm not sure that
universities will get what they want, ultimately, either. They are selling
their academic horsepower, but may lose academic integrity. It's an
interesting relationship.

Having said that, a really smart multinational might get more bang for their
buck by funding an army of startups and small research-oriented firms, both
with much lower overhead costs than academia (50%+).

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auferstehung
"...then State governments will have to pick up more of the slack."

The sad thing is State governments are doing the same thing. I reference the
illusory "let us fund education with lottery money" mentality many states
follow forcing universities and colleges to seek funding elsewhere.

Case in point, Truman State University, the university formerly known as
Northeast Missouri State University. Several years ago this institution
embarked on a re-branding excercise to become a self-proclaimed "little
Harvard" in order to survive. From a financial and quality of education
standpoint it has been a successful exercise. "Truman State University's quest
to become the nation's leading public liberal arts university" is a
demonstrable success regarding national ranking and all the metrics that go
along with that ranking. It is serving the nation well as an institution of
higher learning. I don't know if the same can be said for Missouri's citizens,
especially those of northeast Missouri, whose children are no longer admitted.

I predict that education at public universities will follow the path that
their affiliated extracurricular sports programs have followed as they compete
for corporate largess. Their will be a "Top 20" group of winners and everyone
else. Unfortunately, the Top 20 cannot educate all the students in need of an
education.

