to the Review of Higher Education Financing and Policy
That the function of universities is expansion of knowledge, encouragement of scholarship and dissemination of learning is held as a truth which is self evident. Support is a matter which must accept these philosophical and historical values. This advances prime academic freedom to identify, pursue and develop insight into areas of obscurity and is an unchallengeable need to understanding natural phenomena.
Beyond any single institution, universities, world wide have common goals. There is an international network of scholarship and communication which has originated and nurtured great advances in original thought, technology and social change in this century and through history. Recently, insistence, albeit misguided, that teaching is the university's prime purpose, has led to sabotage of the intellectual power of university activity. Teaching, indoctrination, guidance, leadership whichever term meets a changing challenge is essential. Teaching has two functions, dissemination of knowledge and development of thought processes, leading ultimately to graduation and entry to the university from undergraduate status. This involves much didactic tuition. Good teachers however realise that the real need is to explore subjects and leave questions open ended. Understanding is always incomplete with unexplained potential beyond classified answers. Moreover, those with greater insight can discern a difference between "tutorial", largely didactic, and "seminar" designed to be provocative and stimulating, opening a subject and catalysing speculation and innovation. Teaching itself is very complex preparing fertile minds to be able to analyse, espouse, and innovate thought through long working lives. After this period of indoctrination, many will choose to break away from the university. A chosen few will seek access to the university proper and its faculty.
If these points are summated, the central significance of graduate study, that is, research and scholarship become more clearly identified. Systematic investigation is the life giving crystal spring upon which all other functions depend. Crucial questions must be enunciated and clarified. Hypotheses must be developed or demolished by logic or experiment. The catalyst for this resides in the intellect of the faculty, in particular those involved in closely related studies. This may well extend to world wide association and consultation. Unless there is a continuous build up of this climate of scholarship and continuing leadership, there is no university. The searching, analytical attitude and intellectual integrity of both individual members working severally and as a group establish and maintain the status and respect of the whole institution.
The content and merit of contributions made by a researcher are carefully analysed world wide by publication and personal contact. The stimulus of personal exchanges beyond the confines of any isolated institution is an essential part of this process. They refine essential contributions and stimulate collateral thought.
The status of the university is not in the hands of a noisy student body, nor for that matter, the gift of external influence. It is an academic entity, critically reviewed and refined within, and internationally. It is therefore to research and research staff that support needs to be directed. Resources have to be made available to allow contemporary techniques to be applied to current thought. Equipment for exploration and record have to be available before any project can start and come to fruition. It is here that literal funding is critical. Little of epochal significance, apart from a climate of research and effort may be immediately apparent from all this activity.
Basic developments at an academic level can be slow to surface in daily life. Some are destined to have a direct impact witness the silicon chip - others may be evasive, even occult. Elucidation of the genetic code has had a remarkable impact in our own generation, but may hardly be noticed in daily life. The interesting point is that things and events which excite industrial attention nay not be as significant as less arresting ideas.
The interface between academic establishments, practising professions and industrial research and development is quite transparent. It may be befogged at times with inadequate penetration of the divide from all sides. This is especially valid for the university’s attitude to recruitment from industry and the professions at large. Movement between these areas and within them has to be fostered to encourage and facilitate, insight, flexibility and directional thought in this wider community. Above all the ideals of forthright pursuit of academic honesty goes hand in hand with academic freedom. This must be spread to all walks of life to expand and disseminate new work with candour and determination.
CONCLUSION
Recent political interference has produced conglomerate of teaching institutions. It is not possible to unscramble eggs. Breaking eggs destroys the embryonic life within. Universities are faced with huge inflation of numbers which divert pure academic scholarship with sequential debasement of ideals. A mechanism has to be found to ensure that the living spark is protected to produce new and fertile insight into natural phenomena and social philosophy.
Administratively the mechanism advocated is to emphasise and expand graduate schools. It has long been established that the power and vibrant nature of the graduate faculty is the power unit of the university.