April 11th, 2007 U.N. EXPERTS DISMISS VIRTUAL EUROPEAN "MIT"
A study by a panel of leading educators has rejected a proposal for a "virtual" European Institute of Technology (EIT), one that would exist scattered loosely throughout the continent. Instead, they called on planners to follow a "clustered" model, one that would build on existing centers of research and innovation. The report released last week, "Assessment of the Feasibility and Possible Impact of the Establishment of a European Institute of Technology" emphasizes that the current plan from a special advisory commission working for the European Union is "not feasible" and its proposed financial basis is "not sustainable."
The independent panel from the United Nations University, reporting to the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, wrote that the current proposal would not accomplish its stated goals of supporting innovation and technology transfer in Europe. The report notes that the impetus for creating the EIT, shared by all participants, is to "close the gap in growth and innovation" with the U.S. and, to a much lesser degree, with Asia. The best way to accomplish this, they argue, is to build what they call a "cluster EIT," one that would "see ambitious and successful regions and universities compete to create strong institutes at or linked to a strong university, working closely with industry on problems that determine long-term industrial development."
The U.N. alternative foresees the creation of several knowledge centers, "each being physically concentrated at one or only a very small number of adjacent locations." They suggest that the overall academic enterprise would then be funded by a European Innovation Fund, using a portion of the surplus from the annual EU budget.
"The relative weakness of Europe to convert knowledge into commerce and critical mass or to reward entrepreneurship and excellence in research and education is not a problem that is the same for all countries, all regions or all institutions. Ignoring this fact might result in assuming too easily that a European level institutional solution is necessary in cases where national or regional approaches might be more appropriate," the authors noted.
So the debate in Europe over the establishment of a resource to rival the big technological research institutes of the U.S. will continue for some time to come. There seems to be no end to how long its adherents will study it. However, there will surely come a time when some authority on the continent will want to see action taken.
U.N. EXPERTS DISMISS VIRTUAL EUROPEAN "MIT"
A study by a panel of leading educators has rejected a proposal for a "virtual" European Institute of Technology (EIT), one that would exist scattered loosely throughout the continent. Instead, they called on planners to follow a "clustered" model, one that would build on existing centers of research and innovation. The report released last week, "Assessment of the Feasibility and Possible Impact of the Establishment of a European Institute of Technology" emphasizes that the current plan from a special advisory commission working for the European Union is "not feasible" and its proposed financial basis is "not sustainable."
The independent panel from the United Nations University, reporting to the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, wrote that the current proposal would not accomplish its stated goals of supporting innovation and technology transfer in Europe. The report notes that the impetus for creating the EIT, shared by all participants, is to "close the gap in growth and innovation" with the U.S. and, to a much lesser degree, with Asia. The best way to accomplish this, they argue, is to build what they call a "cluster EIT," one that would "see ambitious and successful regions and universities compete to create strong institutes at or linked to a strong university, working closely with industry on problems that determine long-term industrial development."
The U.N. alternative foresees the creation of several knowledge centers, "each being physically concentrated at one or only a very small number of adjacent locations." They suggest that the overall academic enterprise would then be funded by a European Innovation Fund, using a portion of the surplus from the annual EU budget.
"The relative weakness of Europe to convert knowledge into commerce and critical mass or to reward entrepreneurship and excellence in research and education is not a problem that is the same for all countries, all regions or all institutions. Ignoring this fact might result in assuming too easily that a European level institutional solution is necessary in cases where national or regional approaches might be more appropriate," the authors noted.
So the debate in Europe over the establishment of a resource to rival the big technological research institutes of the U.S. will continue for some time to come. There seems to be no end to how long its adherents will study it. However, there will surely come a time when some authority on the continent will want to see action taken.