The perspective of Anne Maren Kruse, Institute manager Leiden University, on academic culture and possibilities for growth.
What do you notice in how science is conducted nowadays?
The biggest shift I see is that international scientific consortia are becoming increasingly more important in science. Their work is spread across numerous international locations and requires collaboration between stakeholders from all levels of science, policy, and industry in different countries.
What does this way of working require of researchers?
This implies that as a researcher you should be able to work with partners in large and diverse groups. Having a relevant social network and being socially proactive is becoming way more important. In the past there were more resources and the resources were distributed differently, what made it possible for researchers to solely dive into their own research topic that appealed to them.
“Being a scientist nowadays demands a lot more from you as a human being.”
Because, next to qualities and skills related to doing research, you also need to have management, presenting, collaborating and leading skills. So, if you want to make it one step further down the road a lot of extraverted qualities are necessary.
What do you think about this from a management perspective? The hard part, in my opinion, is that there is a gap between what people are educated to do – research – and what is expected from them when it comes to management and social skills. As an institutional manager I am trained and schooled in all those organizational skills. What I unfortunately notice in my function, is the negative attitude towards management, almost like we have conflicting interests with researchers. But, the opposite is true. My goal is to support and unburden researchers as much as possible. We have to work together!
What is your view on the upsides of academic culture? I really admire how driven most researchers are. All the energy and sacrifices they are willing to make to move just a little step forward is admirable. Next to that, I also admire their analytical curiosity towards the world.
And what about the downsides? When it comes to the working culture, I also experience some downsides during my daily work. An important downside is the high pressure and workload. Researchers are incredibly busy and need to work really hard to function on a certain level. Also there is a lack of appreciation for everything that they get done. The combination of both two factors can be demotivating. But, because of the driven and ambitious nature, researchers keep on going anyway, I think. Looking at it from a broader more systemic perspective, I think a lot of researchers don’t understand that you are a radar in a bigger system. The problem in my opinion is that the system is getting old and doesn’t fit with the current role of the university in our society anymore.
“A lot of the time universities are proud that they work a certain way for a 100 years. I think maybe that is the problem, because societies change.”
Which question(s) should be asked more to address this important theme? People don’t seem to understand the system, but they also don’t ask the most important questions to figure out the system. I want to encourage people to question the system, by asking:
“Why do we do things a certain way? What are the benefits? What are the costs? And why?”
In order to understand the system you have to look for the reasons behind its functioning. Researchers can apply their curious nature to the operation of the system and don’t take ‘ this is just how things work here’ for an answer. Therefore, make yourself and the system accountable.
What can be difficult in doing so? The subject can be very sensitive, because it is quite something to bring up the way people do things for a very long time. Besides that, the system is really hierarchal. So, if you have to ask these questions to someone higher in rank, it can be really challenging and uncomfortable, because you are also depending on that person.
If you woke up and academic culture is changed in the way you would like it to be. What would be the first thing you noticed?
I think I will receive an email that is written in a completely different way. Mainly the tone in the email will be changed from a lost complaining tone to a more proactive tone, which is a reflection that people are mobilized. People know where to find which information, because they know how the system works. So to come to a conclusion: “I think I will receive specific proactive proposals and questions that are specified for my function, instead of messages from people who are lost and don’t know where to go with their question.”