Industrial-Academic Cooperation in Education - ACS Publications

8 Industrial-Academic Cooperation in Education PETER E. YANKWICH

Downloaded by CORNELL UNIV on September 6, 2016 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: February 6, 1984 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1984-0244.ch008

Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801

Certain problems of education and research in the university are examined i n terms of their importance to industry, the preparation of the student-then-employee, and academic and industrial requirements and customs with regard to the generation and dis-semination of knowledge. I n d u s t r y - u n i v e r s i t y r e l a t i o n s h i p s are a very popular subject these days, w i t h a t t e n t i o n from s e v e r a l corners of the n a t i o n a l adminis t r a t i o n and i n the forums of v i r t u a l l y every t e c h n i c a l s o c i e t y and i n d u s t r y group. In f a c t , the subject has been continuously popular f o r at l e a s t 20 years and probably f o r 60! Because t h i s Symposium i s t a k i n g place at a n a t i o n a l meeting of the American Chemical S o c i e t y , my comments w i l l be derived p r i m a r i l y from r e ports of ACS s c r u t i n y of the manifold r e l a t i o n s h i p s between the academic and i n d u s t r i a l communities of chemists. There i s a long h i s t o r y of ACS concern over c o n d i t i o n s a t the Industrial-Academic I n t e r f a c e - a concern probably no l e s s enduring than the communities whose j u x t a p o s i t i o n creates and maintains that boundary s u r f a c e . In recent years, f o r example, the ACS's OPERATION INTERFACE generated over 60 l o c a l conferences on the s u b j e c t ; the 1979, 1980 and 1981 ACS P r e s i d e n t i a l Conferences were e i t h e r devoted to i t o r addressed i t to some s i g n i f i c a n t degree; s e v e r a l ACS task f o r c e s on i n d u s t r i a l - a c a d e m i c cooperation were formed and most are s t i l l a c t i v e . Between 1979 and 1981 such bodies were created by the Board of D i r e c t o r s , the Science Commission, and the Society Committee on Education, among others. Many of these e f f o r t s have been r e ported i n d e t a i l and the documents c o n t a i n a l a r g e number of f i n d ings and recommendations. I t i s not s u r p r i s i n g that these reports have much i n common, and they are e s s e n t i a l l y unanimous when d e a l i n g w i t h the d e l i v e r y of e d u c a t i o n a l s e r v i c e s and the o r i e n t a t i o n and experience of educators. These documents r e f l e c t a good deal of c r e a t i v e d i s c u s s i o n when they r e p o r t f i n d i n g s and recommendations concerning the research f u n c t i o n of u n i v e r s i t i e s and how present and l i k e l y f u t u r e c o n d i t i o n s p o i n t to d e s i r a b l e change. 0097-6156/84/0244-0051$06.00/0 © 1984 American Chemical Society

Runser; Industrial-Academic Interfacing ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1984.

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Educational S e r v i c e s The r e p o r t s of a l l ACS conferences and task f o r c e s p u b l i s h e d i n the p e r i o d 1980-1983 have observed t h a t B.S. chemical engineers are more immediately u s e f u l to i n d u s t r y than are B.S. chemists; a l l have recommended that i n d u s t r y do a b e t t e r j o b of informing c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s of the k i n d of t r a i n i n g they need e n t r y l e v e l s c i e n t i s t s to have, and have urged that the academic community do something about these expressions of need - perhaps even to the p o i n t of a c c e p t i n g the stimulus of modified c u r r i culum g u i d e l i n e s from the (ACS) Committee on P r o f e s s i o n a l T r a i n i n g ; and a l l have advised c l o s e r and c o n t i n u i n g i n t e r a c t i o n between academic and i n d u s t r i a l s c i e n t i s t s , through devices such as: c o n t i n u i n g education a c t i v i t i e s ; f a c u l t y i n t e r n s h i p s and s a b b a t i c a l leaves t o i n d u s t r i a l laboratories; workshops (at i n d u s t r i a l s i t e s ) f o r both students and f a c u l t y members; expansion of c o o p e r a t i v e education; appointment of i n d u s t r i a l chemists as adjunct p r o f e s s o r s ; and establishment of a d v i s o r y committees to chemistry departments w i t h i n d u s t r i a l as w e l l as f a c u l t y members. These mechanisms cover a broad spectrum, from the mounting of t a r geted e d u c a t i o n a l e f f o r t s i n response t o s p e c i f i c i n d u s t r i a l needs, through programs designed t o improve student and f a c u l t y understanding of the i n d u s t r i a l scene, t o arrangements designed to i n crease i n d u s t r y i n f l u e n c e on the way e d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s do t h e i r work. None i s n o v e l i n concept; a l l have been t r i e d a t c o l leges and u n i v e r s i t i e s from time to time and p l a c e to p l a c e ; and the success achieved has u s u a l l y r e f l e c t e d the s i m i l a r i t y of the o b j e c t i v e s as d e f i n e d by p r o v i d e r and c l i e n t and the a v a i l a b i l i t y of the r e q u i r e d p s y c h i c energies and p e r s o n a l and f i s c a l resources. Over time, i n d u s t r y has exhorted c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s t o employ these devices and sometimes has provided support f o r them. The p i c t u r e i s somewhat d i f f e r e n t i n the areas of the c u r r i c u l u m and r e l a t e d student a d v i s i n g ; there i n d u s t r y complains. The i n d u s t r i a l complaint, which can be q u i t e s p e c i f i c , i s s e t f o r t h i n some of these same r e p o r t s . There have been recommendations or f i n d i n g s , f o r example, that BS chemists should have a t l e a s t some knowledge of i n d u s t r i a l chemistry, polymer chemistry, the patent system, economics, and the elements of chemical engineering; and that c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s should do a b e t t e r j o b of g u i d i n g and counseling t h e i r students about the " e x c i t i n g career p o s s i b i l -


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i t i e s i n i n d u s t r y , " and should t r a i n and educate them p r o p e r l y for i n d u s t r i a l careers, CSince persons who earn doctorates i n chemistry take B.S. degrees f i r s t , success i n e f f o r t s l i k e these would a u t o m a t i c a l l y increase the u t i l i t y to i n d u s t r y o f the e n t r y l e v e l research chemist as w e l l . ) An academic surveying a l l these r e p o r t s and n o t i c i n g t h e i r agreement and the c o n s i s t e n c i e s among t h e i r f i n a l pages might be pardoned f o r f e e l i n g a b i t depressed. The same complaints are heard over and over again; people on both sides o f the i n t e r f a c e are s i n c e r e l y w o r r i e d and o f t e n give eloquent v o i c e to t h e i r concerns; the p a r t i e s don't seem to be l i s t e n i n g to each other; i n c i d e n t s of progress and accommodation seem few and f a r between and thus the problems seem i n t r a c t a b l e . The r e p a i r of the c u r r i c u l u m " d e f i c i e n c i e s " noted above might shorten the p e r i o d of in-house t r a i n i n g that some companies o f f e r c e r t a i n l y some r e a l understanding of polymer chemistry would be o f immediate and d i r e c t b e n e f i t to a young person going to work f o r a company whose products i n c l u d e d polymers and things made from them. But there are some other d e f i c i e n c i e s that are no l e s s r e a l even i f they are not so s p e c i f i c . I lament the disappearance from the c u r r i c u l u m of almost every v e s t i g e of n o n t e c h n i c a l content. We expect chemists to get along w i t h t h e i r co-workers, but deny them contact w i t h the s o c i a l s c i e n c e s ; we expect them to have s e r v i c e a b l e communications s k i l l s , but f a i l to provide them time f o r e f f e c t i v e study of any language and l i t e r a t u r e — even t h e i r own; we hope f o r f l e x i b i l i t y that w i l l permit them to serve i n d u s t r y outside o f the l a b o r a t o r y , but teach them nothing of economics, o r g a n i z a t i o n a l behavior, o r the world of commerce. Others f e e l that "the U n i v e r s i t y environment ( i n i t s e l f ) ought to expose students adequately to many aspects o f the l i b e r a l a r t s without the need f o r spending v a l u a b l e classroom hours on such s u b j e c t s . " I n d u s t r i a l o p i n i o n , however, does not appear to be m o n o l i t h i c about m a i n t a i n i n g such a concentration on chemistry, p h y s i c s , and mathematics. A recent communication to the ACS Education D i v i s i o n from the ACS Committee on Corporation Associates remarked on the d i v e r s i t y of i n d u s t r i a l career pathways a c t u a l l y f o l l o w e d by B.S. and Ph.D. chemists from the usual s t a r t i n g p o i n t s of l a b o r a t o r y and research work and suggested that "Chemical educators would b e n e f i t t h e i r B.S. students more by h e l p i n g [them] i d e n t i f y [a] r e l a t e d f i e l d of most i n t e r e s t [e.g. s a l e s , s a f e t y , p a t e n t s , b u s i ness management] and best f i t t i n g t h e i r t a l e n t s than by seeking how to a d j u s t the B . S . - l e v e l chemical t r a i n i n g to f i t i n d u s t r y . " The r e a l i t y of i n d u s t r i a l preference f o r the s k i l l s o f the B.S. chemical engineer over those o f the average B.S. chemist i s claimed to be r e f l e c t e d i n s a l a r y trends i n these r e l a t e d p r o f e s sions over the l a s t decade and a h a l f . I t i s w e l l known that engineers and s c i e n t i s t s have d i f f e r e n t p e r s o n a l i t y p r o f i l e s , and the divergence i n t h e i r economic success i s o f t e n a t t r i b u t e d t o the greater f l e x i b i l i t y and more appropriate o r i e n t a t i o n of the



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former group. On the other hand, might i t not be p o s s i b l e that i n d u s t r i a l u t i l i z a t i o n of the increased production of Ph.D. chemi s t s i n the past 20 years (both r e l a t i v e to B.S. chemists and i n absolute terms) has simply squeezed the B.S. chemist out of h i s former niche but not i n t o another of s i m i l a r e f f e c t i v e n e s s ? Perhaps i n d u s t r y ' s needs at the baccalaureate l e v e l are f o r chemical engineering s k i l l s , the Ph.D. i n chemistry having supplanted the B.S. (or even the M.S.) chemist. That would e x p l a i n a l s o the f a i l u r e of i n d u s t r i a l s a l a r i e s f o r Ph.D. chemists to r i s e as r a p i d l y as the o v e r a l l science-engineering doctorate average. Academics c e r t a i n l y should guide t h e i r students r e a l i s t i c a l l y from p o s i t i o n s of knowledge and understanding of i n d u s t r i a l opport u n i t i e s and preferences, w h i l e g i v i n g heed to the chance that our problem i s l e s s the adequacy of t r a i n i n g , and more the i n s u f f i c i e n c y of education. But i t ought to be the r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of others to provide counsel about the " e x c i t i n g career p o s s i b i l i t i e s i n industry." Research R e l a t i o n s h i p s H i s t o r i c a l l y , u n i v e r s i t i e s have looked more o f t e n to i n d u s t r y f o r f i n a n c i a l support of f a c u l t y research than f o r e i t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n or cooperation i n a i d of s c h o l a r l y i n v e s t i g a t i o n s . As r e c e n t l y as 1980, one of the ACS task f o r c e s recorded the f o l l o w i n g nononsense remark on c o n d i t i o n s at the i n t e r f a c e : "The atmosphere for cooperative e f f o r t s may be improved i f there i s simply a demonstration of f i n a n c i a l support from i n d u s t r y to academia on a c o n t i n u i n g b a s i s . " That s t r i k e s a d i r e c t and p r a c t i c a l note which, one hopes, was r e f e r r i n g to mechanisms such as the r e c e n t l y e s t a b l i s h e d Chemical Research Fund and the widely known and u t i l i z e d ACS Petroleum Research Fund. The focus of that comment i s cooperative e f f o r t s and most recent r e p o r t s of task f o r c e s or study groups on r e l a t i o n s between the i n d u s t r i a l and academic communities have concentrated t h e i r a t t e n t i o n on cooperative research a c t i v i t i e s ; the more b o l d have recommended j o i n t / c o l l a b o r a t i v e research ventures and s e v e r a l s p e c t a c u l a r examples of such new arrangements might be c i t e d . Industry may b e w a i l some of the imperfections of the human product of academe, but i t has always been i n t e r e s t e d i n the para l l e l i n f o r m a t i o n a l product, and never more so than r i g h t now. In f a c t , i n d u s t r y and business c l e a r l y have taken the i n i t i a t i v e i n proposing, p e r f e c t i n g , and, i n some cases, implementing new kinds of p a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h u n i v e r s i t i e s and t h e i r science f a c u l t i e s . The impetus f o r these developments comes i n p a r t from the long d e c l i n e i n F e d e r a l funding f o r b a s i c i n v e s t i g a t i o n s , and i n s u b s t a n t i a l measure from i n d u s t r i a l i n t e r e s t i n the economic p o t e n t i a l of d i s c o v e r i e s i n s e v e r a l r a p i d l y surging areas of academic research. As other c o n t r i b u t o r s to t h i s Symposium have d e t a i l e d , the p a r t i e s to each of these f l e d g l i n g agreements has had to come to



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g r i p s w i t h the d i f f e r e n c e s between academic and i n d u s t r i a l pract i c e i n the design and conduct of research p r o j e c t s and i n the d i s p o s i t i o n of the r e s u l t i n g i n f o r m a t i o n . Sometimes symmetry and m u t u a l i t y are l i t t l e r e f l e c t e d i n the terms of the a l l i a n c e . S c i e n t i s t s regard the search f o r knowledge as an undertaking not simply m e r i t o r i o u s but e s s e n t i a l to the advancement and w e l l being of mankind. L i k e a l l of us, s c i e n t i s t s draw much of t h e i r energy and d i r e c t i o n from the approbation of o t h e r s . Sometimes that approbation takes f i s c a l form. I t i s c l e a r that the postWorld War I I expansion of F e d e r a l support f o r b a s i c research i n u n i v e r s i t i e s weakened the i n s t i t u t i o n a l l o y a l t i e s of s c i e n c e f a c u l t i e s . T h i s , i n t u r n , l e d to an enormous i n c r e a s e i n the s t r e n g t h of d i s c i p l i n e d r i v i n g of research and s c h o l a r s h i p : f a c u l t y members look t o t h e i r d i s c i p l i n a r y f e l l o w s f o r the s i g n a l s of r e c o g n i t i o n and acceptance t h a t portend reward. F a c u l t y are l e s s concerned w i t h s e r v i c e t o u n i v e r s i t y missions than they are about i n s t i t u t i o n a l s e r v i c e t o d i s c i p l i n a r y standards and o b j e c t i v e s ; the u n i v e r s i t y i s a p l a c e to create new knowledge as much or perhaps even more than i t i s a p l a c e to impart knowledge already gained. I t i s no wonder that concern f o r - o r even awareness of the needs of s c i e n t i s t s i n t r a i n i n g f o r other-than-academic careers have r e c e i v e d i n s u f f i c i e n t a t t e n t i o n . C u r r i c u l a i n c o l l e g e s and u n i v e r s i t i e s r e f l e c t not only the s t a t e of knowledge i n the d i s c i p l i n e but the i n t e r e s t s of the f a c u l t y . I n t u r n , those i n t e r e s t s , because of the nature of the academic value and reward systems, are i n f l u e n c e d p o w e r f u l l y by d i s c i p l i n a r y f a s h i o n s . I f i n d u s t r i a l research needs happened t o c o i n c i d e w i t h d i s c i p l i n a r y f a s h i o n s , t h i s Symposium would l i k e l y never have been organized nor would there have been such r e p e t i t i o u s s c r u t i n y of the boundary between i n d u s t r i a l and academic science or of the education of the p r a c t i t i o n e r s . Indeed, some of the resurgence of a t t e n t i o n t o s e r i o u s research c o l l a b o r a t i o n between the two communities a r i s e s i n today's coincidence of c e r t a i n d i s c i p l i n a r y f a s h i o n s and i n d u s t r i a l i n t e r e s t s . Academic and d i s c i p l i n a r y value and reward systems depend h e a v i l y on f r e e , open and r a p i d exchange and p u b l i c a t i o n of ideas and research r e s u l t s . Whether we l i k e i t or not, exchange and p u b l i c a t i o n are a p r i n c i p a l nourishment of s c i e n t i f i c progress and t h e r e f o r e of t e c h n i c a l progress. Although t h i s f a c t i s almost u n i v e r s a l l y recognized, i t i s sometimes not e a s i l y honored. Academics have a d i f f i c u l t time accepting the n o t i o n that Nature Revealed ought t o be kept under wraps, or made a trade s e c r e t , or otherwise t r e a t e d i n p r o p r i e t a r y f a s h i o n . I n d u s t r i a l sponsors have a d i f f i c u l t time accepting the n o t i o n that f i n d i n g s of sponsored research ought to be broadcast, at l e a s t not u n t i l the good has been wrung out of them. A f t e r a l l , a r e n t such research f i n d i n g s the r e s u l t of a procurement process — bought and p a i d f o r ? This problem i s a d e t e r r e n t t o the e f f e c t i v e n e s s of most personnel exchange r e l a t i o n s h i p s designed t o improve u n i v e r s i t y f



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understanding of the needs of i n d u s t r y . I t i s a l s o handled w i t h great asymmetry: one i s c o n s t a n t l y reminded of the d e s i r a b i l i t y of technology t r a n s f e r from the academic world to the i n d u s t r i a l , but nobody ever mentions technology t r a n s f e r a t the research l e v e l from i n d u s t r y t o academe. I n d u s t r i a l v i s i t o r s to campuses j u s t don't t a l k about t h e i r recent work the way t h e i r f a c u l t y contacts t a l k about t h e i r s . This d i f f e r e n c e i n approaches to the d i s p o s i t i o n of research results i s usually resolved, i n individual industry-university agreements, by f a c u l t y s c i e n t i s t s accepting a " h o l d i n g " or " c o o l i n g - o f f " p e r i o d during which the i n d u s t r i a l sponsor alone may examine the new f i n d i n g s and b e n e f i t from them. The l e n g t h of t h i s p e r i o d i s the subject of i n t e n s e n e g o t i a t i o n - one party anxious that i t be as s h o r t as p o s s i b l e , the other needing i t to be of s u f f i c i e n t l e n g t h t o permit a c t i o n and to j u s t i f y investment. Periods ranging from two months to two years c h a r a c t e r i z e r e c e n t l y executed cooperative research p a c t s . Even i f one allows f o r cons i d e r a b l e duple i n d i v i d u a l i t y i n the p a r t i e s to such agreements, t h i s wide range does not suggest t h a t there i s a common understanding of a s e r v i c e a b l e balance between f a c u l t y and i n d u s t r y preferences i n the d i s p o s i t i o n of new knowledge. Perhaps we need to change the q u a l i t y of communication between us about research i n progress; perhaps we need to concent r a t e on kinds of research and ways of doing i t that have some symmetry, some e q u a l i t y about them. I f u n i v e r s i t y and i n d u s t r y s c i e n t i s t s could work together i n ways t h a t y i e l d e d b e n e f i t s evenhandedly, the present i n t e r f a c e might no longer be a p o t e n t i a l barrier. A widely a p p l i c a b l e and broadly s u c c e s s f u l r e s o l u t i o n of our present d i f f i c u l t i e s i s not l i k e l y t o r e s u l t from expansion of t r a d i t i o n a l exchanges of personnel - they tend t o go i n only one d i r e c t i o n . And i t probably w i l l not be achieved through i n t e n s i f i c a t i o n of the u s u a l applicant-sponsor type of cooperative research a c t i v i t y , f o r both of these modes of i n t e r a c t i o n l a c k the q u a l i t y of m u t u a l i t y . A higher p r o b a b i l i t y of success ought to attend arrangements c h a r a c t e r i z e d by high degrees of r e c i p r o c i t y and p a r t i c i p a t i o n , p o s s i b l y through academic and i n d u s t r i a l s c i e n t i s t s working t o gether on the same r e s e a r c h , i n the same p l a c e s , as the same times. This might i n v o l v e the c r e a t i o n of l a b o r a t o r i e s devoted t o i n v e s t i gations of mutual i n t e r e s t over a s u b s t a n t i a l p e r i o d and from which each of the p a r t i e s takes what he needs a t a p p r o p r i a t e times and w i t h s e n s i t i v e regard f o r the needs of h i s p a r t n e r . Industry sometimes t r e a t s academic research as the product of i n v e n t i o n - something created i n a moment of i n s p i r a t i o n . I suspect that everyone r e a l l y knows that research wherever i t i s done i s a p r e t t y s l o g g i n g , drawn-out a f f a i r : l o t s of time i s devoted to the c a r e f u l e x p l o r a t i o n of b l i n d a l l e y s and the even more cautious checking and re-checking of data i n hand. No one wants to p u b l i s h work that i s incomplete o r unpolished; but p r e l i m i n a r y



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or p a r t i a l r e s u l t s are o f t e n capable or speedy and f r u i t f u l a p p l i c a t i o n . L e t the p r o f e s s o r partner complete and p o l i s h w h i l e the i n d u s t r i a l s c i e n t i s t partner i n i t i a t e s a p p l i c a t i o n . Put another way, i f academic and i n d u s t r i a l p r o j e c t i n t e r e s t s i n t e r p e n e t r a t e , so can the p u r s u i t of i n v e s t i g a t i o n s , and so can the two u l t i m a t e processes f o r d e a l i n g w i t h r e s u l t s . Such an approach would i n v o l v e a l o t o f t r u s t and mutual r e spect, and i t might r e q u i r e some unusual f l e x i b i l i t y on both s i d e s of the house t o avoid decay i n t o the procurement mode; but, i t i s worth a t r y and the t r i a l i s being considered i n many places and undertaken i n a few. The i m p l i c a t i o n s f o r graduate education of t h i s mode of cooperative research a r e s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d and obvious. A f t e r a l l , the education of graduate students i n s c i e n c e i n v o l v e s a p p r e n t i c e s h i p and those engaged i n t r u l y mutual u n i v e r s i t y i n d u s t r i a l research could not f a i l t o acquire both b e t t e r understanding and g r e a t e r s k i l l s f o r t h e i r f u t u r e careers i n i n d u s t r i a l research. I n time, such c o l l a b o r a t i v e endeavors would have the d e s i r e d e f f e c t s on undergraduate i n s t r u c t i o n as w e l l - most p r o f e s s o r s teach a t a l l l e v e l s during any p e r i o d of a few y e a r s l e n g t h . I t may not be p o s s i b l e t o add that course i n polymer chemistry t o the c u r r i c u l u m , but the whole undergraduate experience could be i n f u s e d w i t h i n d u s t r i a l example and other c o n s c i o u s n e s s - r a i s i n g elements. The r e s u l t i n g improvement i n a t t i t u d e s might be more important than the f r e q u e n t l y urged r e p a i r of perceived d e f i c i e n c i e s i n the l i s t of r e q u i r e d courses. Some u n i v e r s i t i e s and i n d u s t r i a l l a b o r a t o r i e s are so c l o s e t o each other g e o g r a p h i c a l l y that there might develop i n them a t l e a s t a few i n d i v i d u a l s who were p e r s o n a l l y d i v a l e n t . Geographic p r o p i n q u i t y ought to make i t p o s s i b l e f o r i n d i v i d u a l s who are able to work e a s i l y and simultaneously i n i n d u s t r y and academe t o develop i n themselves the q u a l i t i e s achievable i n the k i n d of r e search p a r t n e r s h i p s I have described e a r l i e r . I f double agents are s u c c e s s f u l i n espionage, why shouldn't the double s c i e n t i s t be a v a l u a b l e b r i d g e and channel of communication across the Industrial-Academic I n t e r f a c e ? 1

Comments Among the b e t t e r p u b l i c i z e d of recent i n d u s t r y - u n i v e r s i t y c o l l a b o r a t i o n models have been some i n which a s u b s t a n t i a l f r a c t i o n of a major department or of a school ( i . e . a c o l l e c t i o n of departments) i s s e t a p a r t , becoming an o p e r a t i o n s t a f f e d j o i n t l y by f a c u l t y members (who remain f i r m l y i n c o n t r o l of the program) and i n d u s t r i a l s c i e n t i s t s on assignment. These are i n t e r e s t i n g experiments, but I am not the only one who i s wary of problems such as: c o n f l i c t s o f i n t e r e s t , maintenance of the f r e e flow of i n f o r m a t i o n on which s c i e n t i f i c progress depends, e t c . To some degree, the c o n f l i c t of i n t e r e s t problem may be s e l f - c o r r e c t i n g . I f an academic s c i e n t i s t cannot keep separate h i s d i s c i p l i n e - r e l a t e d and



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INDUSTRIALA -CADEMIC INTERFACING

i n d u s t r y - r e l a t e d communications and v a l u e s , h i s i n f o r m a l science communications networks w i l l f a l l apart and h i s currency and e f f e c t i v e n e s s i n the f i e l d w i l l s u f f e r r a p i d d e c l i n e . A u s e f u l a l t e r n a t i v e t o t h i s campus-plus-corporation p a i r i n g might be a v a r i a n t of the arrangement developed over many years by B a t t e l l e and M e l l o n I n s t i t u t e s , where i n d u s t r y - e s t a b l i s h e d f e l l o w s h i p s were h e l d by I n s t i t u t e s c i e n t i s t s who worked c l o s e l y w i t h i n d u s t r i a l researchers on assignment or on leave. The v a r i a t i o n would be that the " i n s t i t u t e " s c i e n t i s t s would be u n i v e r s i t y f a c u l t y members. I admit that many u n i v e r s i t i e s would f i n d i t d i f f i c u l t to handle t h i s k i n d of one-foot-in-each-camp status f o r a s i g n i f i c a n t f r a c t i o n of t h e i r f a c u l t y . But the arrangement should be v i a b l e i f , over the e a r l y part of h i s / h e r academic c a r e e r , the f a c u l t y member developed both a s t r o n g i n t e r e s t i n research of s i g n i f i c a n c e t o i n d u s t r y and p a r a l l e l i n d u s t r i a l f a m i l i a r i t y and c o n t a c t s . I f t h i s mode were w e l l tended, a r e search group would have a s s o c i a t e d w i t h i t both the academic and i n d u s t r i a l colleagues of the f a c u l t y members ( i . e . both graduate students and corporate s c i e n t i s t s ) .

RECEIVED

June 23, 1983


Industrial-Academic Cooperation in Education - ACS Publications

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