The respected science historian from the University of California at Berkeley opened the fifth Know Pol conference by pointing out certain gloomy trends in the USA, Europe’s role model for the reform of its institutions of higher education.

In Professor Hollinger’s opinion, it is academic experts’ insights rather than politicians’ ideas of utility that should form the basis for decisions when the conditions for the production of knowledge are on the agenda and education reforms find their way from the drawing board to institutional policy.

“It is vital that the academic community and professors are able to communicate why they need freedom from the priorities of government authorities, donors and other considerations,” Professor Hollinger tells På Høyden.

“I don’t know much about the Norwegian education system, but, in principle, it is important that research is not too strictly regulated. Of course universities have to act responsibly in their activities, but the requirement for accountability should not be limited to satisfying immediate and short-term public interests, which is where the current trend is heading," says the professor, who has devoted his career to the history of higher education in the USA.

The professor began his speech by dismissing simple conspiracy theories and horror stories about the connection between knowledge production and business models.

Falling confidence
Simply putting the blame on market liberal conspiracies is not sufficient to explain the curtailment of academic freedom. Professor Hollinger points out that, over the last decades, universities have experienced a weakening from within. Historically speaking, American universities have enjoyed strong public confidence and professors have had a key position in society. However, the demand for accountability has gradually weakened the position of academia and threatened academic autonomy.

Confidence in the universities has fallen and professors are increasingly coming under attack in the media for being prejudiced, biased against the religious majority and corrupt in their use of their professional authority – and not entirely without justification, in Professor Hollinger’s opinion.

“Researchers and universities took their privileges for granted and were incapable of defending their academic freedom against changes in the ideological mood. New knowledge institutions were established, partly as a result of diminished confidence in academia.

Most interference from government authorities
Among other things, competition means that research is increasingly bound by external utility value considerations that researchers are forced to comply with. The interests of the players who fund research have become more important than academic considerations.

“The more public funding one receives, the greater the accountability requirement. When private players want to contribute substantial funding, universities have to relate more and more to such players' enthusiasm for participating in the creation of something new and different," says Professor Hollinger.

While Europe looks to the USA as an exemplary role model in its endeavours to create a competitive, diverse and flexible university system capable of taking part in the fight for the best brains in the world, David A. Hollinger warns against some of the trends in his home country and concludes with a call for stronger solidarity in the academic community in order to meet the challenges posed by the new business models.