Colleges and universities clean up school-level scientific research institutions——
After removing redundancy, how to optimize scientific research organization management
Our reporter Yang Sa
"Guangming Daily" (version 14, January 3, 2023)
Colleges and universities are an important part of my country's strategic scientific and technological strength, and the main force and main position of my country's basic research.
In the past ten years, the scientific and technological strength of universities has made great contributions to the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement in my country.
Among them, school-level scientific research institutions have become an important force for universities to strengthen scientific research.
However, recently, many colleges and universities have issued notices to clean up school-level scientific research institutions, which has aroused social concern.
What kind of signal is released by cleaning up school-level scientific research institutions?
How should schools better manage university-level scientific research institutions?
The reporter interviewed relevant experts.
Eliminate "zombie" institutions and reduce the burden of school management
Recently, Hubei University issued the "Notice on Cleaning up the Work of University-level Liberal Arts Research Institutions", saying that "in order to standardize the management of our school-level liberal arts research institutions and further improve the scientific research level of liberal arts research institutions... the school decided to start the clean-up of university-level liberal arts research institutions. Work."
Earlier, South China Agricultural University also stated in the "Notice on the Optimization, Adjustment and Declaration of University-level Scientific Research Institutions" that the school's "university-level non-physical scientific research institutions will be integrated, optimized, adjusted and cleaned up (including natural sciences, humanities and social sciences) Science)".
It is worth noting that while withdrawing a batch of non-physical scientific research institutions that did not meet the requirements, the school also made it clear that it will create a new batch of non-physical scientific research institutions that focus on cutting-edge science.
In this regard, Guo Yingjian, deputy dean of the Capital Development and Strategy Research Institute of Renmin University of China, said that the reasons for cleaning up university-level scientific research institutions should be analyzed from the aspects of their establishment purpose and operation status.
Generally speaking, the establishment of scientific research institutions is mostly to promote academic development, promote the output of scientific research results, and support the technological transformation of scientific research results.
Founding intentions are often positive.
"However, as far as I know, some school-level scientific research institutions did not receive substantial support from the school when they were established. Strictly speaking, they belong to the 'three no institutions': no funding, no personnel, and no office space, that is, the school does not provide additional For financial support, individuals need to apply for vertical or horizontal scientific research funding; except for the leader, there is no establishment, so there is no fixed staff, all of them are part-time; because there is no administrative plan, it is difficult to support special offices or laboratories, etc. Such phenomena , is more common in liberal arts scientific research institutions. Of course, there are also some scientific research institutions that may receive a small amount of financial support from a certain department of the school or the college where the head of the institution belongs, but most of them are not long-term, and it is difficult to maintain the normal operation of a scientific research institution. "
Guo Yingjian added that it can be seen from related reports that most of the scientific research institutions cleaned up by some colleges and universities are in a state of shutdown, the person in charge has retired, and so on.
Therefore, it should belong to the normal cleaning range.
Zhang Duanhong, deputy director of the Institute of Higher Education of Tongji University, also believes that cleaning up school-level scientific research institutions is mainly to eliminate "zombie" institutions that exist in name only, and reduce the school's management burden.
"From the establishment to the development of school-level scientific research institutions, some are becoming more and more influential, and some are gradually being eliminated and dying, which are all possible situations."
Zhang Duanhong believes that the survival of the fittest in university-level scientific research institutions is an inevitable process for universities to optimize the management of scientific research organizations.
Some school-level scientific research institutions once played an active role, but were gradually eliminated; there are also some university-level scientific research institutions that have been established as idle platforms and need to be cleaned up objectively.
It is very necessary to establish a normalized dynamic management mechanism for school-level scientific research organizations, which means that colleges and universities pay more attention to connotative development and high-quality development.
It is not easy for school-level scientific research institutions to be approved, but the management assessment standards are not perfect
Scholars such as Ding Fan from the Research Institute of Tsinghua University have sorted out the basic forms of Tsinghua University’s school-level scientific research institutions, which mainly include scientific research institutions independently approved by the school and joint scientific research institutions (scientific research institutions jointly established by the school and independent legal entities outside the school in the form of agreements).
Among them, the independent approval of scientific research institutions is divided into four categories: the establishment of schools entrusted by ministries and commissions, the establishment of schools according to the strategic development and deployment of schools, the establishment of top-level planning and layout of schools, and the establishment of scientific research institutions for the preparation of government approval.
Joint scientific research institutions include the establishment of cooperation with domestic enterprises and institutions or foreign (foreign) enterprises, and the establishment of cooperation with foreign (foreign) universities, research institutions or organizations.
Ding Fan and other scholars believe that the emergence of university-level scientific research institutions has built a platform for scientific research and achievement transformation for universities, opened up a new way for multidisciplinary integration and development, and also provided a good development path for universities to improve their scientific research capabilities and realize collaborative innovation.
Then, are there any relevant rules and regulations for reference in the establishment and clean-up of university-level scientific research institutions?
Zhang Duanhong pointed out that, except for provincial and ministerial-level platforms and national-level platforms that have corresponding management mechanisms, general school-level scientific research institutions are under the internal scientific research management of the school, and their establishment and liquidation are mainly based on the management measures of school scientific research institutions.
As a general rule, regulations or measures for the management of school-level scientific research institutions will be issued at the university level, which will be reviewed by the university's scientific research department, institution, or organizational personnel management department. Important school-level scientific research institutions need to be reviewed by the president's office meeting.
Guo Yingjian introduced that for a small number of scientific research institutions supported by school funds, colleges and universities generally have assessment indicators; however, for those "three no institutions", colleges and universities usually do not have specific assessment indicators, so the achievements of the person in charge of the institution are generally regarded as It is the achievement of a scientific research institution, which serves as an important basis for the continued existence of the institution.
Of course, each school has different methods for specific management, but most of them are managed by the scientific research department.
The reporter checked the information and found that many colleges and universities have issued management measures for scientific research institutions, which not only have establishment requirements, but also management and evaluation indicators.
For example, one of the application criteria put forward in the "Shanghai Normal University Scientific Research Institution Management Measures (Revised)" is that "the application of scientific research institutions must be supported by relevant disciplines of the school, have clear research objectives, research tasks, research directions, and relatively stable It is clearly stipulated in the "Management and Evaluation" that "the construction cycle of school-level scientific research institutions is four years. From the date of approval, the four-year construction cycle ends, and the next round of construction cycle can be entered after passing the relevant performance evaluation The object of the performance appraisal is all the members of the original scientific research institution. For the scientific research institution that failed two consecutive appraisals, the competent department shall report to the principal in charge for approval and cancel it."
Zhang Duanhong said that university-level scientific research institutions are relatively independent scientific research platforms established by teaching and scientific research organizations such as departments, and a small number of them are completely independent of departments.
Compared with the scientific research institutions established in the colleges and departments, the school-level scientific research institutions or their leaders generally have a certain scientific research level and influence before they can be approved at the school level.
University-level scientific research institutions expand scientific research cooperation with all sectors of society in the name of the school level.
The emergence of a number of active university-level scientific research institutions will help improve the overall vitality and strength of scientific research in universities.
"The management of university-level scientific research institutions is relatively flexible, which helps to form a strong ability to absorb scientific research resources. Many university-level scientific research institutions have growth potential, and some provincial and ministerial-level platforms and national-level platforms have also grown from school-level scientific research institutions."
Guo Yingjian believes that if university-level scientific research institutions want to operate well, they must be taken seriously.
"The current situation is that it is not easy to apply for establishment and get approval, but after establishment, the management is relatively relaxed, and it is largely in a state of self-destruction."
While cleaning up institutions, more support should be given to potential scientific research institutions
Ding Fan and other scholars once pointed out in the article "Discussion on the Necessity of Establishing University-level Scientific Research Institutions" that the establishment of university-level scientific research institutions is conducive to the development of emerging disciplines, cutting-edge disciplines, and interdisciplinary disciplines, and plays an important role in the construction of disciplines and the improvement of reputation in universities. effect.
The article stated that the establishment of a university-level scientific research institution can gather multiple resources, break through the shackles of traditional disciplines, avoid hidden waste of manpower, material resources and scientific research resources by concentrating scientific research forces, control scientific research costs, reduce the repetition rate of scientific research work, and increase the output of scientific research results Increase the efficiency, expand scientific research ideas and methods, develop superior disciplines, open up emerging disciplines, and expand the scientific research and academic influence of universities.
Then, after the school-level scientific research institutions are established, how can they ensure their long-term operation?
Guo Yingjian believes that first of all, the school needs to invest and manage it carefully.
"Since the establishment of the institution is approved, there should be a certain amount of funding to provide the necessary support for the operation of the institution. Compared with providing sufficient staffing and office space for scientific research institutions, it is also difficult to provide certain scientific research funding support, but there is a greater possibility Of course, if the purpose of establishing the scientific research institution is to obtain additional scientific research funds for the school, that is another matter. With funds, even if there are no permanent staff, staff can be hired temporarily, or according to the requirements of scientific research projects It is possible to hire personnel, conference rooms, experimental sites and other spaces can also be rented by themselves, and the organization can take the first step of normal operation.”
Zhang Duanhong pointed out that the key to the effective operation of a school-level scientific research institution is people. After the establishment of the institution, whether the core members continue to invest enough time and energy on this platform is very important.
Universities should establish a dynamic monitoring and management mechanism for school-level scientific research institutions, and strive to cultivate a group of vigorous and influential school-level scientific research institutions.
"In my opinion, the cleaning up of university-level scientific research institutions should not only focus on 'elimination of the backward', but also discover and support potential scientific research institutions and even scientific research institutions within departments, while continuously optimizing management."
Guo Yingjian said, "From my personal experience, today's liberal arts scientific research institutions have greater role and value than in the past. In the form of institutions, personnel from different disciplines and different majors are organized together, so as to reorganize each major and other majors in the discipline to form an intersection of arts and sciences. In this way, on the one hand, teachers can be encouraged to carry out interdisciplinary research, and on the other hand, it can provide students with Provide comprehensive interdisciplinary learning to achieve the purpose of expanding knowledge and innovative thinking."
He believes that if the construction is relatively successful, university-level scientific research institutions can fully play an important role as a link in the context of the new liberal arts.
"For liberal arts, it has come to a critical period for the transformation of scientific research institutions. Take advantage of the opportunity of rectification and clean-up, give certain scientific research funding support to the 'potential stocks' among them, so that they can play the role of the era of crossover and integration of arts and sciences in the context of the new liberal arts This is much more meaningful than just cleaning up and eliminating." (Guangming Daily)