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Monthly Archives: January 2011
Are scholars capable of leading the corporate university?
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
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!
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
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?
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?
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.
Posted in Op-eds
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Words to avoid when you are writing a research grant proposal
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
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
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
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
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NSERC’s Discovery Grants: The numbers by discipline
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
… 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
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Thought-provoking? Lunch room talk? Or both?
“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
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Does the “I” in CFI really stand for “Innovation”?
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?
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 who hold administrative positions?
Posted in Board of Governors
4 Comments
Hon. Ministers Clement and Goodyear, Please target this!
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
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!
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?
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
Gutsy statement by Robert Birgeneau
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
Piece of Mind 