Sociology of Science and Technology NETwork

	Main \| Members \| News and Current Activities \| History and Past Activities
	History and Past Activities

<--Back

Workshop: The Commercialisation of Public Research and Higher Education

SSTNET Workshop, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 13-14 September 2002

Convenors:

Raymund Werle: Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne, Germany
E-mail: werle@mpi-fg-koeln.mpg.de

Maria Nedeva: PREST, Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom
E-mail: maria.nedeva@man.ac.uk

Franc Mali (also local organizer): University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Slovenia
E-mail: franc.mali@uni-lj.si

Luisa Oliveira: DINÂMIA/ISCTE, 1600 Lisboa, Portugal
E-mail: luisa.oliveira@iscte.pt

Abstract

This workshop focuses on exploring the epistemological and practical challenges that the commercialisation of publicly funded research and higher education present to institutions and societies. It is a continuation of the discussion started in the stream of sessions of SSTNET on the "Commodification of Knowledge" at the conference of the European Sociological Association in Helsinki. The aim of the workshop is to provide a forum for assessing the extent and discussing the complex and multi-faceted aspects of commercialisation of research and higher/university education.

A large number of aspects of commercialisation of public research and higher education can be distinguished. During this workshop it is intended to place the emphasis on the following:

Work theorising the issues of commercialisation. Lately concepts attempting/aiming to provide the analytical framework for analysing (understanding and explaining) the process of commercialisation have gained popularity. Research has shown these to be wanting in analytical power and there is still a demand for theory - in particular with regard to the potential threats to the "public good nature" of publicly funded research and higher education posed by commercialisation.
Work (including national and sectoral case studies) presenting and analysing cases of successful/failed commercialisation and policy interventions aiming to influence the process. Also of interest in this context are the characteristics of the main actors (on the side of public research and higher education as well as business and government) involved in the process of commercialisation.
Work presenting and discussing some of the social, socio-economic and policy/political implications of the commercialisation of publicly funded research and higher education. Of particular interest here is work presenting and discussing institutional change of any relevant institutions (such as the corporatisation of the university, the emergence of hybrid institutions, or the evolution of new types of intellectual property rights) and/or change of institutional practices.
Work looking into the future of commercialisation of publicly funded research and higher education. An interesting question here concerns the limits of commercialisation or ‘how much is enough?’

Timetable and Agenda

Friday, September 13

11:00-13:00 Registration and coffee (the registration desk will be located in the hall in front of the Senate room)

13:10-13:30 Opening, Introduction: Raymund Werle

Paper session 1 (13:30-15:30)

Chair: Raymund Werle, Cologne, Germany

1.1. John Ziman, London, United Kingdom:
The non-instrumental role of science

1.2. Jochen Gläser, Canberra, Australia:
The impact of commercialisation on the mode of production in scientific communities

1.3. Marja Häyrinen-Alestalo, Helsinki, Finland:
New technologies - New markets for the universities?

15:30-16:00 Coffee break

Paper session 2 (16:00-18:00)

Chair: Luisa Oliveira, Lisbon, Portugal

2.1. Maria Nedeva, Manchester, United Kingdom:
Change in mind, change in kind: current dynamics of the knowledge producing institutions

2.2. Grit Laudel, Canberra, Australia:
Marriages of inconvenience: Why researchers conduct contract research

2.3. Matthias Kaiser, Oslo, Norway:
Commissioned research in Norway: What money can buy - Results from a nationwide study on the normative implications of commissioned research

Saturday, September 14

Paper session 3 (9:00-11:00)

Chair: Maria Nedeva, Manchester, United Kingdom

3.1. Merle Jacob, Copenhagen, Denmark:
Rethinking science and commodifying knowledge

3.2. Jorge de Carvalho Alves, Artur Rosa Pires, Carlos Rodrigues, Aveiro, Portugal:
Commercialisation of research: scenarios, mechanics and dilemmas

3.3. Maarten Mentzel, Leiden, The Netherlands:
Commercialisation of institutions of research and higher learning: the debate on the mission of the university, interdisciplinarity and research ethics

Paper session 4 (11:15-13:15)

Chair: Marja Häyrinen-Alestalo, Helsinki, Finland

4.1. Karel Müller, Prague, Czech Republic:
S&T in a context of transformation of public and private spheres

4.2. Halldor Stefansson, Heidelberg, Germany:
Genomes made visible: on the semantics of science ads

4.3. Stellan Welin, Sven Hemlin, Göteborg, Sweden:
Commercialistion issues in human embryonic stem cell technology and gene therapy

Paper session 5 (14:15-16:15)

Chair: Maarten Menzel, Leiden, The Netherlands

5.1. Luisa Oliveira, Lisbon, Portugal:
The market of public research in Portugal

5.2. Koty Lapid, Beer Sheva, Israel:
Commercialisation of Public Research and Personal Science

5.3. Frank Mali, Ljubljana, Slovenia:
Is it possible to come to balance of different functions in academic research systems of small transitonal countries of Central and Eastern Europe? (The case of Slovenia)

16:15-16:30 Coffee break

16:30-18:00 Concluding discussion and SSTNET Business Meeting

Abstracts: click on the links above.

<--Back

Sociology of Science and Technology NETwork - last update: April 2006