Monthly Archives: January 2011

Are scholars capable of leading the corporate university?

Posted on January 31, 2011 by

The differences between universities and for-profit corporations are continuously being blurred by the evolving, self-imposed or not, professional needs of modern post-secondary institutions. Is it the dawn of an era where professional managers and not scholars will be leading the … Continue reading →

Posted in Board of Governors | 1 Comment

The Ogre President vs. the Tiger Mom

Posted on January 29, 2011 by

It looks like one of the most entertaining sessions so far at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, was the one pitting Larry Summers, against Amy Chua. The unwillingly infamous former president of Harvard vs. the deliberately … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds | 2 Comments

Cry out! Indignez-vous!

Posted on January 28, 2011 by

L’Ecole is not what it used to be, and Laurent Schwartz, the hero of so many generations of French students,  must be turning in his grave.

Posted in Op-eds | 2 Comments

How mathematicians settle their differences, new NSF findings, and “Too Asian” at UBC

Posted on January 27, 2011 by

I should have said that’s how California mathematicians settle their differences. Didn’t the Unabomber have once an office in Berkeley’s Evans Hall? Here are the new findings by the NSF, and UBC’s response to the “Too Asian?”

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

How relevant is an author’s citation index?

Posted on January 27, 2011 by

As I was scratching my head trying to find new criteria to add to the NSERC formula for “binning” Canadian scientists, I contemplated adding an “Author’s Citation Index”.  The thought didn’t last long.

Posted in R&D Policy | 4 Comments

A new parameter for university rankings?

Posted on January 27, 2011 by

It is the number of billionaires among the university alumni! Yes, no one is talking about millionaires any more and the ranking exercise has so far been applied only to Chinese universities.

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Words to avoid when you are writing a research grant proposal

Posted on January 26, 2011 by

They are: “success, culture, media, games, social norms, lawyers, museum, leisure, stimulus.” I kid you not!

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 1 Comment

Move over G5 and G13, here come the Colleges

Posted on January 25, 2011 by

With the increasing trend towards funding non-peer reviewed research, it was only a matter of time before everyone got in on the action. The colleges are the latest entry into what is becoming a packed field. And, the growing influence … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 4 Comments

A new journal, Writer’s block, and Lady Gaga

Posted on January 25, 2011 by

There is a new journal around and here is a number of reasons you may choose to submit to it:

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

All the numbers you wanted to know but you were afraid to ask

Posted on January 24, 2011 by

Here is a comprehensive set of statistics on the 2010 NSERC Discovery Grants Program competition. This extensive report was prepared by NSERC and includes tables and figures that provide summary information on the 2010 competition, but also a few comparisons … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | Leave a comment

NSERC’s Discovery Grants: The numbers by discipline

Posted on January 24, 2011 by

Many thanks to our colleague David Wehlau, Professor of Mathematics at Queen’s University, for compiling the following data comparing average Discovery Grants, their numbers, as well as the available funding for each of the NSERC-supported disciplines.  The data, which covers … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 4 Comments

NSERC’s “Binning system”: The word itself makes me cringe

Posted on January 23, 2011 by

… wrote a Canadian scientist describing reactions to the posts of ”Piece of Mind” on NSERC’s new evaluation system. I am reproducing (with his/her permission) the following email: You are definitely not alone!

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | Leave a comment

Thought-provoking? Lunch room talk? Or both?

Posted on January 23, 2011 by

“I find your blog thought-provoking,” was one of the most pleasing comments I received since the beginning of this blog. Another colleague wrote: “It is very easy for people to become complacent and simply accept the sorts of changes that … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | Leave a comment

Does the “I” in CFI really stand for “Innovation”?

Posted on January 21, 2011 by

Is it the Canadian Foundation for Innovation or really the Canadian Foundation for Infrastructure? The modus operandi of the CFI has skewed university priorities and strained their finances, diverted provincial resources, put pressure on the NSERC and CIHR budgets to … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 4 Comments

University governance: what does faculty representation mean?

Posted on January 19, 2011 by

The last elections for the faculty representatives on UBC’s Board of Governors triggered a legitimate debate about university governance. Should the University Act distinguish between rank-and-file faculty, from those faculty members that hold administrative positions?

Posted in Board of Governors | 4 Comments

Hon. Ministers Clement and Goodyear, Please target this!

Posted on January 18, 2011 by

Your era at the helm of Canada’s national strategy for research and development, has been one of action, proactive leadership in research policy, tight management of federally funded programs, as well as increased and sustained support for certain research areas. … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 1 Comment

Cheer up mathematicians of the world

Posted on January 18, 2011 by

Especially the young ones who never got to hear about Tom Lehrer. Here is Lehrer’s Lobachevsky. But don’t take him seriously about Lobachevsky. The guy was a genius. In any case, what do you think of this quote? “To copy … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

If the “binning” of Canada’s scientists is here to stay, then here is a way to fix it!

Posted on January 17, 2011 by

NSERC has recently adopted a new evaluation system for its Discovery Grants. It relies on a “binning system”, that is based on a fragmented decision-making process. It has been widely criticized for its volatility, its lack of uniformity, and for its … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 3 Comments

If Canada’s Academia is a monster, then what are education consultants?

Posted on January 15, 2011 by

What’s with all these Toronto-based consultants on higher education? They very probably never taught a class, let alone one with 600 students. They have definitely never carried out a major research project that took months and years of sweat and … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds | 1 Comment

Gutsy statement by Robert Birgeneau

Posted on January 15, 2011 by

Earlier this week, Robert J. Birgeneau, former President of the University of Toronto and current Chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley, issued a surprisingly blunt and gutsy statement about the Arizona shootings. In a campus wide e-mail, he … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds | 2 Comments