The Unde g adua e as an Engaged Explo e
Ge y Boyle
&
Finba B adley
Depa men o Economics
Na ional Uni e si y o I eland, Maynoo h
Abs ac
This pape asse s ha mos unde g adua es lea e I ish uni e si ies sho -changed, ne e ha ing
been exposed o he iches o esea ch. A e-concep ualisa ion o he esea ch uni e si y is
p oposed, one ounded on a cul u e o inqui y, in e disciplina i y and inno a ion. Schola ship is
expanded o include engagemen wi h communi ies, u ilising he academy’s unique
mul idisciplina y en i onmen . I is a gued ha c ea i i y and explo a ion should be essen ial
elemen s in e e y unde g adua e expe ience. A speci ic p og amme is used o exempli y how a
esponsible, ci ic and sus ainable inno a ion cul u e can guide esea ch and sel -disco e y,
helping s uden s unde s and how de eloping hei own en u es can c ea e alue in socie y.
Augus 2005
In oduc ion
Mos unde g adua es lea e I ish uni e si ies sho -changed, ne e ha ing been exposed o he
esea ch p ocess o he iches o he esea ch endea ou . I is a agedy ha lessons and insigh s
de i ed om esea ch-based inqui y conduc ed by acul y and pos g adua e esea che s a e o en
no sha ed wi h hem. Uni e si ies a e co ec when hey say esea ch is he co ne s one o
compe i i eness in he knowledge socie y. Ye , he academic en e p ise ails o imbue a passion,
o indeed e en an appe i e, o explo a ion in mos young people du ing hese o ma i e yea s.
S uden s mus wai un il hey conduc pos g adua e esea ch o en e he exci ing wo ld o
disco e y. This is oo long a ime o wai .
The si ua ion mus unde go adical change i a cul u e o inno a ion is o be gene a ed wi hin
I ish uni e si ies and pe ade socie y. In ol emen in esea ch, he c ea i e p ocess and
inno a i e en e p ise could p o e eno mously bene icial o he de elopmen o young people,
hei u u e employe s and he communi ies in which hey belong. Some academics ega d
esea ch and unde g adua e eaching as exis ing in di e en wo lds. Resea ch o e s immense
pe sonal sa is ac ion and ecogni ion o acul y bu many see unde g adua e eaching as a cho e.
Besides, esea ch is de ined in oo na ow a manne . Exposu e o he p ocess o inqui y,
explo a ion and sel -disco e y so s uden s a e mo e likely o eme ge as engaged, esponsible and
c ea i e ci izens should be a cen al elemen in he unde g adua e expe ience.
No is he p oblem con ined o his coun y. Fo a long ime, his issue has plagued op esea ch
ins i u ions in he US. Wo ld- enowned powe houses like Ha a d, S an o d, Chicago, and he
like possess unpa alleled weal h in in ellec ual esou ces. Young, gi ed s uden s should be able
o sha e his weal h. Realising he ue po en ial o he esea ch ac i i y conduc ed wi hin
uni e si ies would mean a comple e ans o ma ion in he na u e o unde g adua e educa ion.
In he la e 1990s, a op-le el US panel o expe s, he Boye Commission, called o a new model
o unde g adua e educa ion. The Commission u ged ha s uden s become ac i e pa icipan s no
passi e ecei e s, so ha he skills o inqui y, analysis, e alua ion and syn hesis gene a ed in he
esea ch p ocess become he hallma ks o a good educa ion, jus as abso p ion o knowledge
p esen ly is. Calling mos esea ch uni e si ies ‘a chipelagos o in ellec ual pu sui a he han
connec ed and in eg a ed communi ies’, he sen imen s o he Commission membe s we e mean
o hi home:
Again and again, uni e si ies a e guil y o an ad e ising p ac ice hey would
condemn in he comme cial wo ld. Rec ui men ma e ials display p oudly he wo ld-
amous p o esso s, he splendid acili ies and he g ound-b eaking esea ch ha goes
on wi hin hem, bu housands o s uden s g adua e wi hou e e seeing he wo ld-
amous p o esso s o as ing genuine esea ch. Some o hei ins uc o s a e likely o
be badly ained o e en un ained eaching assis an s who a e g oping hei way
owa d a eaching echnique; some o he s may be enu ed d ones who deli e se
lec u es om yellowed no es, making no e o o engage he bo ed minds o he
s uden s in on o hem.1
We a gue ha a adical new app oach o I ish unde g adua e educa ion is u gen ly equi ed.
S uden s g adua e oday o a wo ld o global isk, en i onmen al deg ada ion, alues con lic and
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cul u al con usion. This is a place whe e g ea oppo uni y and weal h exis cheek o jowl wi h
dep i a ion and po e y, whe e na u al esou ce deple ion and he dange s o global wa ming
o se he posi i es o medical and bio echnology ad ances. Fo ming a cul u e o inqui y,
esea ch and inno a ion wi hin a amewo k ha s esses in e cul u al unde s anding,
sus ainabili y, equi able sha ing o esou ces and enhanced ci ic esponsibili y is an eno mous
challenge o educa o s. Unde g adua e educa ion should be ounded on libe al ideals,
emphasising in e disciplina y s udies while allowing a deg ee o specializa ion wi hin a s uden ’s
pa icula a ea o in e es .
We asse ha a good way o nu u e c ea i i y and ci izenship is o each I ish educa ion
ins i u ion o pu sue a sha ed pu pose o uni ying c oss-disciplina y na a i e, a oadmap in
e ec o guide all i s esea ch and lea ning ac i i ies. The de ini ion o esea ch wi hin
uni e si ies mus be expanded o include addi ional app oaches o schola ship, u ilising ully he
mul idisciplina y en i onmen his unique ins i u ion o e s. A good model is he concep o he
engaged uni e si y, ounded on a alues-led e hos, wi h a s uc u e, esea ch and eaching agenda
sui ed o espond o iden i ied communi y needs. We illus a e he bene i s o inqui y-based
lea ning by examining an exci ing new NUIM p og amme, an in e disciplina y en e p ise deg ee
ha helps s uden s unde s and how o de elop en u es, de ined as isky inno a ions ha c ea e
alue. A ci ic and sus ainable inno a ion cul u e p o ides s uden s wi h a po en ision o guide
hei esea ch and explo a ion. We see no eason why his example o inqui y-based lea ning
canno be eplica ed in o he a eas o unde g adua e educa ion.
Resea ch and he Knowledge Socie y
A majo I ish public policy goal is o de elop a knowledge-based o ne wo k socie y, based
p ima ily on cheap inpu s o in o ma ion and cha ac e ised by ‘knowledge in ensi e ne wo ks as
key agen s o p og essi e de elopmen in all signi ican domains o ac i i y’.2 Knowledge is
iden i ied as an in angible p ocess embodied in human ela ionships, so-called ne wo ks o
human in e ac ion. C ea ing new knowledge and i s dissemina ion is seen as he key o c ea ing
alue h ough inno a i e en u es. To achie e a knowledge socie y, s a e spending on R&D has
been inc eased subs an ially in ecen yea s, a huge change in a i ude since he ole o science
and echnology in I ish de elopmen had la gely been neglec ed since he ounda ion o he
S a e. Unde he cu en Na ional De elopmen Plan, he Go e nmen is spending as quan i ies
o money, close o €2.5 billion be ween 2000 and 2006, on esea ch and de elopmen (R&D),
compa ed o €500 million be ween 1994 and 1999.3 As he ESRI poin s ou in i s analysis o he
p io i ies o his in es men , a numbe o impo an c i e ia should go e n he alloca ion and
moni o ing o public R&D unds. These include he bene i s de i ed h ough he impac o his
spending on he long- e m de elopmen o economic ac i i y. The po en ial o he eposi ioning
o exis ing indigenous en e p ise as well as he de elopmen o new en e p ise should be key
conside a ions.4
Acco ding o Sweeney, he linea model o inno a ion, namely basic esea ch – applied esea ch
– de elopmen – inno a i e p oduc s – economic g ow h, has long been disc edi ed. The
inno a i e idea and i s de elopmen ha e many inpu s o which science and scien i ic esea ch
may be jus one o many. Inno a i e de elopmen occu s h ough many sou ces including he
codi ied and heo e ical knowledge p oduced by uni e si y esea ch. The implica ion is ha he
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app op ia e uni e si y model o a knowledge socie y is a lea ning o ganisa ion one so ha i s
esea ch ac s as a window on he wo ld, iden i ying and acqui ing knowledge om elsewhe e as
well as in e nally.5
The iew is g adually becoming accep ed ha public spending on R&D p ojec s alone may no
achie e a knowledge socie y in I eland. As a ecen pape by Ba e , Boyle and O’Conno
asse s:
…i is no ob ious how esea ch conduc ed wi hin uni e si ies unde he cu en
model a any a e, can be ha nessed o gene a e alue o he economy. A p esen ,
esea ch ou pu s a e assumed o “ ickle down” o i ms hough some amo phous
p ocess o osmosis. The p ocess o inno a ion is much mo e complex han his and
he eali y is ha a p esen we lack an e ec i e model o inno a ion.6
De eloping a cul u e o c ea i i y is he Holy G ail, a success ul o mula desc ibed as ‘one pa
echnology, nine pa s inno a ion’.7 Two obse e s o he knowledge economy, John Seely
B own and Paul Duguid poin ou ha wi hou ich social ne wo ks, inno a ion is unlikely o
occu . Whe e knowledge eally coun s, people coun mo e han e e since minds, no da abases,
a e he c ea o s o and ca ie s o knowledge.8 As a ecen Go e nmen epo pu i , ‘i is he
hea s and minds o people, a he han adi ional labou , ha a e essen ial o g ow h and
p ospe i y’.9 I he social o cul u al con ex is igno ed, in es men in science and echnology in
I eland will no lead o a knowledge socie y. Knowledge is mo e han jus ac s, heo ies o
know-how. I s aci componen and he in angible p ocesses embodied in human ela ionships,
ne wo ks o human in e ac ion, a e i s mos aluable cha ac e is ics.
I a cul u e o inno a ion and sel - eliance is o ake oo , i mus be ounded on nu u ing
ela ionships o communi y, us and sense o place, in o he wo ds, social con ex is c ucial.
Ye , he S a e appea s o be banking on a esea ch o science s a egy a he han a mul i ace ed
inno a ion s a egy o achie e a knowledge socie y. Fo ins ance, he budge o Science
Founda ion I eland (SFI) is some i y imes g ea e han ha o he I ish Resea ch Council in
he Humani ies and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) ye esea che s in disciplines like an h opology,
economics, his o y, geog aphy, psychology, sociology and o he s a e c ucial i we a e, as
Michael C onin pu s i , ‘ o a i e a any comp ehensi e sense o who we a e and who we migh
be’.10
The capi alisa ion o knowledge is a he hea o a new mission o he ‘en ep eneu ial
uni e si y’ o s imula e inno a ion in he knowledge economy. This model o he uni e si y is
expec ed o become a mo e explici agen o de elopmen , while e aining i s adi ional eaching
and esea ch unc ions. Wha Leydesdo and E zkowi z call he ‘ iple helix’, namely a
ans o ma ion in he unc ions o he uni e si y, indus y and he s a e/go e nmen , is expec ed
o ake place. Ra he han being seen as sepa a e unc ions, eaching, esea ch and economic
de elopmen a e in e ela ed. Indus y is no longe conside ed as a sepa a e ins i u ional sphe e
om he uni e si y o which knowledge has o be ‘ ans e ed’.11
A new kind o unde g adua e expe ience is needed o hese changed ci cums ances. The
lea ning p ocess needs o be inc easingly based on he capaci y o ind, access and apply
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knowledge o sol e p oblems. Jamil Salmi o he Wo ld Bank a gues ha in his new pa adigm
lea ning o lea n, lea ning o ans o m in o ma ion in o new knowledge and lea ning o ans e
new knowledge in o applica ions is mo e impo an han memo izing speci ic in o ma ion.12
P imacy needs o be gi en o in o ma ion seeking, analysis, abili y o eason and p oblem
sol ing. Compe encies such as lea ning o wo k in eams, pee eaching, c ea i i y and he abili y
o adjus o change a e also among he new skills ha a e alued in he knowledge economy. I is
also c i ically impo an ha s uden s a e equipped wi h co e alues o li e as esponsible ci izens
in complex mul icul u al socie ies while s ill upholding he ichness and uniqueness o local
cul u es and alues.
Nancy Can o belie es ha he alue-added o he unde g adua e esea ch o disco e y
expe ience is ha i sha pens he educa ional p ocess and u ns i owa ds he kinds o c ea i i y
g ounded in expe ience ha is ans o ma ional. This is likely o happen when an a i ude o
play ulness (abou ideas and u hs and expe iences) and o esponsibili y ( o g ound ha
play ulness in he wo ld as i now seems and/o could become) a e bo h cul i a ed in wha she
calls ‘expe ience-o ien ed imagina i e space’. Inno a ion is mo e abou wha we do wi h an idea
ha he idea i sel , so s uden s mus :
.….begin now o lea n o hink quickly, o simula e possibili ies, o es ideas, and o
wo k in g oups. They mus lea n o wo k wi h di e se o he s in in e disciplina y
se ings, on campus and a he in e ace o business, academia and he wide
communi y. They ha e o de elop a ole ance o sha ing and in es ing ideas in wo k
g oups ha a e less s able and hie a chical and mo e “ho izon al” han e e be o e,
wi h ewe expe s and bosses and mo e colleagues and gene alis s. They ha e o
ca e less abou owne ship o e and c edi o ideas and look ins ead o oppo uni ies
o pool knowledge and es ideas collec i ely. They also ha e o be com o able in a
wo ld in which “lea ning” and “wo king” ne e s op, 24x7.13
Can o sees unde g adua e esea ch as a po en ial ca alys o ins i u ional change, as well as o
he ans o ma ion o unde g adua es in o c ea i e hinke s. Some o he asse s ha could be
added o campuses as uni e si ies engage mo e ho oughly wi h unde g adua es in esea ch
include he de elopmen o cul u es o collabo a ion, cul u es o di e si y and cul u es o isk-
aking and connec ion.
Disco e y and Unde g adua e Lea ning
P o oca i e c i iques o US uni e si ies such as Allan Bloom’s ‘The Closing o he Ame ican
Mind’ cha ge con empo a y academia wi h ha ing abandoned hei p inciples and hei
pu pose.14 O en cha ges come om ou side he academy as in in es iga i e jou nalis Cha les J.
Sykes’s ie cely a gued book, P o Scam, a muck ake which cha ges ha US college eaching
has become a luc a i e acke , whe e he mos impo an esponsibili y, unde g adua e eaching,
has been abandoned in a ou o ‘ endy esea ch, he pu sui o pe sonal o poli ical agendas,
ou side consul ing con ac s, and he d i e o enu e’.15
Ye , e en an inside and en husias ic champion like John Sex on, P esiden o New Yo k
Uni e si y (NYU), main ains ha eno mous socie al changes oday compels d ama ic adap a ion
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wi hin highe educa ion, oo ed in se ious e lec ion on he na u e o who we a e, wha we do,
and how we do i . Uni e si ies, which simul aneously se e oles as he pionee s o p og ess, he
ch onicle s o change, and he ca ie s o adi ion, a e a a c i ical h eshold. The yea s ahead
will see a undamen al shi in ou unde s anding o hei na u e and ope a ion. Howe e , an
unheal hy sepa a ion o disconnec now exis s be ween he ideal and eali y o he majo US
esea ch uni e si y. Unde g adua e eaching is en us ed la gely in he US o pa - ime acul y o
pos g adua es, a disconnec ha could jeopa dise he e y exis ence o he esea ch uni e si y.
Sex on a gues ha o main ain and nu u e hese uni e si ies, dis inguished acul y will be
equi ed o be engaged wi h unde g adua es, o each and inspi e hem. The s uden s who choose
o s udy a hese ins i u ions expec o be engaged in a ield, in a ame o mind, in spi i o
inqui y and in he exci emen o he c ea i e endea ou . E e y s uden should be exposed o he
knowledge c ea o s on campus in a meaning ul way. The ins i u ional mission should in eg a e,
in a manne ha makes a di e ence, he na u e o he esea ch uni e si y and he en e p ise o
unde g adua e educa ion. The uni e si y, seen as a communi y o schola s and lea ne s dedica ed
o a common en e p ise, demands an awa eness o he ex e nal en i onmen and places new
demands on all.16
To be a ac i e o s uden s, he esea ch uni e si y mus ensu e he connec ion be ween lea ning
and esea ch, which a e all is i s main jus i ica ion. The key is o a oid a se o incen i es which
c ea e and ein o ce a dicho omy in which acul y a e no encou aged o iew he eaching
en e p ise, o a leas unde g adua e eaching, as a na u al pa ne o he esea ch en e p ise.
Sex on says he e a e plen y o examples oday in he eli e US uni e si ies o acul y who iew
hemsel es simply as independen con ac o s. Fo ces a wo k p ess in he di ec ion o au onomy
wi h li le sense o ins i u ional loyal y. Many schola s ega d hei own discipline a ea o
specializa ion, no hei academic ins i u ion o indeed hei s uden s, as hei p ima y sou ce o
allegiance. This phenomenon could accele a e e en u he as echnological ad ances o e
acul y mo e ‘abso bing and mo e meaning ul membe ship in i ual communi ies ha li e ally
can span he globe’.17
While he si ua ion in I ish uni e si ies is clea ly no compa able wi h hei US coun e pa s,
he e is a dange his coun y is pu suing a esea ch uni e si y model de i ed in a di e en
con ex ac oss he A lan ic. The ecen ly published OECD Re iew on he u u e o he I ish
Thi d-Le el Educa ion Sec o a gues ha Go e nmen cu backs in uni e si y unding will ha e a
nega i e impac on esea ch, inno a ion and he de elopmen o a knowledge socie y.18
Howe e , he links be ween esea ch ac i i y, explo a ion and he unde g adua e expe ience a e
igno ed o ea ed as i hey do no ma e . The e seems o be a widely held iew ha I ish
unde g adua es do no need o be exposed o he esea ch expe ience. Ye , i a p ope cul u e o
inqui y we e ini ia ed in he ea ly yea s, i could enhance he po en ial esea ch ou pu du ing he
pos g adua e pe iod. Lea ne -cen e ed unde g adua e esea ch aining is no jus o hose
in e es ed in a esea ch ca ee . Expe ience in inqui y and disco e y could p epa e s uden s o
li e and wo k in a ange o sec o s in he knowledge economy, no jus in esea ch.
Con ining unde g adua es o he du a ion o hei s udies o in ol emen in jus one discipline
means many g adua e as nei he ish no owl. By no being ea ed as hands-on app en ice
esea che s du ing college hey a e no expe enough in hei discipline. No i appea s is hei
educa ion b oad enough o gi e hem a comp ehensi e ounda ion in a numbe o di e en
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disciplines, helping hem see connec ions, so la e on hey can choose o become esea che s in a
choice o ields o en e he ‘ eal wo ld’ as in ellec ually well-equipped p o essionals.
Th ee yea s a e he publica ion o he Boye Repo , as indica ed ea lie calling o making
esea ch-based lea ning he s anda d in esea ch uni e si ies, he Commission su eyed 123 US
esea ch uni e si ies o gauge p og ess on implemen a ion o i s ecommenda ions. The
esponses om 91 ins i u ions showed ha he opic o unde g adua e esea ch has become
embedded in he he o ic o unde g adua e educa ion al hough con e sion o a new model is by
no means comple e. Facul y and adminis a o s in he US a e undoub edly mo ing o de eloping
some inqui y-based echniques. Howe e , subs an ial use o his o m o lea ning emains
limi ed. While oppo uni ies o pa icipa e in esea ch ac i i ies a e now an es ablished
componen o many unde g adua e p og ammes, mos e o s had been di ec ed a he bes
s uden s. Mo eo e , he de ini ion o esea ch is o en na ow and labo a o y-cen ed, excluding
a hos o o he po en ially c ea i e and inno a i e ac i i ies. No su p ising, esea ch appea s o
be mo e de eloped in he labo a o y sciences and enginee ing han in he social science and he
humani ies. A o al o 62% o esponden s epo ed pa icipa ion by hal o mo e o hei
labo a o y science s uden s while in enginee ing and he social sciences, he compa able igu es
we e 44% and 25%, espec i ely. Inqui y-based lea ning has been de eloped la gely wi hin
depa men s, a ely as in e disciplina y o uni e si y-wide ini ia i es. The e has been some
esponse o he Commission’s call o unde g adua e p og ammes o p o ide g adua es wi h
s ong communica ion skills. Resea ch uni e si ies now de o e conside able a en ion o w i ing,
bu much less o o al communica ion. While almos all esea ch uni e si ies su eyed had
eshman w i ing cou ses, only 19% o esponden s epo ed ha o al communica ion skills a e
augh in hei uni e si y’s in oduc o y cou ses, while abou 30% epo ed ha hey do no o e
any cou ses o ac i i ies a all o p omo e de elopmen o hese skills.19
In he US, he e is ac i e deba e now wi hin academic ci cles on he disco e y p ocesses possible
a unde g adua e le el o s imula e new knowledge and inqui y-based lea ning. In I eland, he e
appea s o be no c i ical examina ion o wha unde g adua e esea ch cons i u es o how i migh
add alue o educa ion. In ac , i is di icul o iden i y any heme o objec i e ounded on
inqui y-based lea ning, c ea i i y o disco e y as a d i ing o ce behind I ish unde g adua e
p og ammes. S uden s, upon comple ion o hei s udies, o en lack a cohe en body o
knowledge o a clea sense o how one cou se is ela ed o ano he . The con en o each cou se
s ands on i s own so s uden s ail o see connec ions. Modules, ime ables and class oom se ings
a e s uc u ed o ensu e know-how, echniques, o mulae, ules and so o h can e icien ly be
ans e ed om he lec u e o he s uden . E en hough access o and he a ailabili y o
in o ma ion i sel is widesp ead on he In e ne , acquisi ion o ac s, me hods and heo ies in he
class oom by he s uden emain he undamen al building block o mos educa ion p og ammes,
jus as i has o cen u ies.
T adi ional lec u ing, o en o classes o hund eds o s uden s, no e- aking and pe iodic
examina ions by indi idual lec u e s ope a ing in isola ion om hei colleagues is o en he
no m. Bu wha is lea ned in lec u es o en canno be ca ied beyond he lec u e- oom. The e o e,
e en s uden s wi h highly de eloped class oom knowledge o a subjec a e o en unable o pu
ha knowledge o much use excep in he a e ied con ex o uni e si y examina ions. Mos ly,
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hey ail o ecei e a cohe en body o knowledge a uni e si y and many g adua e wi hou
knowing how o hink logically, w i e clea ly o communica e cohe en ly.
Unde g adua e p og ammes wi hin he same ins i u ion seem o sha e no common mission and
o e no uni ying na a i e, which can inspi e and gi e meaning o wha he educa ion en e p ise
is all abou . Accep ed, a lo o acul y expe ience, discussion and ha d wo k goes in o
de e mining he con en s o cou ses and how indi idual modules a e combined o o m a
p og amme. Howe e , as Neil Pos man explains in his book ‘The End o Educa ion’, he means
by which young people lea n is me ely an enginee ing o echnical p oblem. The mo e
undamen al p oblem is a me aphysical one, he why o eason o educa ion.20 All
unde g adua e s uden s should clea ly unde s and om he ime hey a i e on campus he
eason hey a e a uni e si y: o become a disco e e . The e o e, inqui y, explo a ion and
in es iga ion mus be a he hea o he educa ion expe ience. Educa ion is eally close o a DIY
job han a spec a o spo . As o me Co nell Uni e si y P esiden , F ank Rhodes, pu s i :
The no ion ha you “ ecei e” (educa ion) passi ely is jus a o al alsehood.
Educa ion is some hing you c ea e o you sel . And you no mo e ecei e i han you
can ecei e a ca ee , you ha e o c ea e i o you sel . And he s uden who p ospe s
will be one who is endlessly inquisi i e, endlessly cu ious, endlessly pe sis en in
pu suing acul y membe s, in mining in o ma ion om e e y sou ce, om eaching
ou o he ichness o expe ience ha campus li e p o ides.21
Rhodes a gues ha while he unde g adua e expe ience is po en ially one o he mos impo an
a eas o be aken se iously wi hin academia, i p esen ly cons i u es one o he g ea ailu es o
he esea ch uni e si y. Acco ding o him, wo ac o s a e p ima ily esponsible o his. One is
ha unde g adua e educa ion has become mo e and mo e ‘p ep o essionalised’, p epa ing
s uden s o ca ee s in he likes o accoun ing o enginee ing, he eby na owing, quan i ying and
squeezing cu icula in o a scien i ic mould. The o he is ha acul ies ha e gi en up on any
ag eemen as o wha he pu pose o an unde g adua e educa ion is, o wha i should p o ide.
This lack o a en ion is unde s andable gi en he bu dens placed upon acul y o excel in o he
a eas o schola ship, sc ambling o g an s and s uggling o keep up wi h he explosi e g ow h
in knowledge wi hin hei own disciplines. Ye , schola ship is a public us and eaching is a
mo al oca ion, no jus he dispensing o in o ma ion. Rhodes goes so a as o ad oca e a
s uden bill o igh s so s uden s could expec ce ain hings o happen o add o he ichness o
he unde g adua e expe ience. He would include in his, in e alia, igh s as o be guided
sensi i ely by acul y, o be challenged by high in ellec ual s anda ds, o be examined and
e alua ed in ways ha a e balanced and cohe en , o be gi en he oppo uni y o coope a i e
g oup s udies and o be gi en an oppo uni y o pa icipa e in he g ea oppo uni ies o campus
li e and public se ice.22
Unde g adua e Explo a ion Web
S uden s h i e in an a mosphe e ha nu u es c ea i i y, imagina ion, in ui ion, pe sonal
de elopmen and mu ual espec . Mo e and mo e employe s in bo h he public and p i a e
sec o s in u u e will seek ou g adua es who can apply knowledge o one a ea o specialisa ion
bu wi h he lexibili y o also wo k in o he s. S uden s mus be capable o hinking holis ically,
7
wo king in mul idisciplina y g oups and coping wi h change. Bu his should jus be con ined o
disciplines and subjec a eas ha emphasise he c ea ion o money alues. Righ ac oss he
uni e si y, in he a s, he humani ies, he social o physical sciences, his is a eal challenge o
he academy i i is o espond app op ia ely o he educa ion needs o a knowledge socie y.
Figu e 1 illus a es six in e connec ed s ands we p opose as essen ial elemen s i unde g adua e
educa ion is o mee he needs o an I ish knowledge socie y. These s ands, namely inqui y-
based lea ning, in e disciplina y pe spec i es, engaged communi ies o p ac ice, ci izenship,
cul u e, iden i y and place, and alues-d i en sus ainabili y a e necessa y o nu u e a cul u e o
esea ch and sel -disco e y. In a sense, hey comp ise wo main ca ego ies o explo a ion,
scien i ic esea ch ha is ou side and sel -disco e y ha is inside he indi idual. The bene i s go
no only o hose who pu sue a esea ch ca ee . E en o mos s uden s, hose who en e he
wo k o ce a e g adua ion, a spi i o explo a ion should be a he hea o hei unde g adua e
expe ience i a knowledge-based socie y, indi idual and communi y well-being and a high
quali y o li e a e o be ob ained in his coun y.
The key challenge o educa o s is o s uc u e p og ammes so each s and is in e connec ed in a
seamless web o ne wo k o explo a ion. Fo in e disciplina y p og ammes o wo k e ec i ely,
o example, an inqui y-based lea ning p ocess is an essen ial componen .
In e disciplina y Engaged
Pe spec i es Communi ies o P ac ice
Inqui y-Based Scien i ic Resea ch,
Lea ning Sel -Disco e y Ci izenship
and
Well-Being
Values-D i en Cul u e, Iden i y
Sus ainabili y & Place
Figu e 1: Unde g adua e Explo a ion Web
We now summa ise in u n wha each o hese s ands in ol es and he implica ions o
unde g adua e educa ion.
8
P og ammes in he mode n uni e si y mus ha e an e hos o lexibili y, pa ne ship and a b oad-
based concep o he lea ning p ocess. Communica ion skills, nego ia ing abili y, social
esponsibili y, in eg i y, and an e hic o quali y should be an in eg al pa o p og amme
s uc u es. S uden s need o lea n o e lec on, de e mine and implemen a conside ed pe sonal
esponse wi hin isky and challenging en i onmen s hey will ace in he u u e. They mus be
p epa ed o answe o hemsel es ques ions like: ‘how do I know I am doing he igh hing?’ o
‘how do I imp o e my wo k p ac ice o achie e a desi ed esul ?’ Educa o s need o imbue
e hical beha iou , o o use an old- ashioned wo d, cha ac e , wi hin he educa ion expe ience.
US Sup eme Cou Jus ice An onin Scalia pu i nicely in his call o g adua ing s uden s:
B ains and lea ning, like muscle and physical skills, a e a icles o comme ce. They
a e bough and sold. You can hi e hem by he yea o by he hou . The only hing in
he wo ld no o sale is cha ac e . And i ha does no go e n and di ec you b ains
and lea ning, hey will do you and he wo ld mo e ha m han good.44
Example: Sus ainable Ven u es
We now ou line how a p og amme based on his concep ual amewo k wo ks in p ac ice,
o ming a seamless amewo k o web designed o s imula e an inno a i e cul u e. This is a
unique in e disciplina y deg ee de eloped in 2004 and managed by he Economics Depa men a
NUI Maynoo h, he BSc in Finance & Ven u e Managemen (Bioscience o Elec onic
Enginee ing o In o ma ion Technology). Howe e , while his example deals wi h sus ainable
en u es and en e p ise educa ion, he lessons d awn om i abou how inqui y-based lea ning
can be de eloped can easily be ans e ed o o he con ex s ac oss he academy.
This p og amme o e s an educa ion in business and science, enginee ing o echnology while
os e ing an en i onmen d i en by e hics, sus ainabili y and a alues-led cul u e. I ha nesses he
knowledge and expe ise o acul y in a ange o disciplines such as economics, accoun ing,
enginee ing, in o ma ion, he a s and he humani ies. I s mul idisciplina y pe spec i e helps
s uden s lea n abou he oles played by eamwo k, compe i ion and iden i y in c ea ing alue
hough en e p ise. I emphasises communica ion skills, nego ia ing abili y, social esponsibili y,
in eg i y, a sense o quali y and emo ional de elopmen .
In a knowledge-based socie y, he sus ainable o e olu iona y o ganisa ion will engage in he
design o p oduc s, se ices, p ocesses, and sys ems o c ea e a u u e ha includes p ospe i y
and he heal hy co-e olu ion o human and na u al sys ems. Doing mo e and be e wi h less, o
edesigning p oduc s and se ices on indus ial ecology models ha mimic biological beha iou
in o de o minimise was e, should be cen al o he hi d le el e hos. Sus ainable inno a ions
will inc easingly equi e he in eg a ion o economic, social and en i onmen al goals in he
design o p oduc s and se ices. A key challenge o educa o s is o help s uden s app ecia e ha
a ade-o be ween hese goals is no necessa ily ine i able and ha he undamen al aim should
be o enhance all h ee simul aneously, he eby c ea ing alue o socie y. The deg ee a emp s o
do his.
The wo d en u e in he i le was chosen o imply au onomy, isk and a sense o ad en u e. Risk
plays a cen al ole in he managemen o en u es, which can ake place in a a ie y o di e en
15

se ings such as comme cial o indus ial o ganisa ions, public sec o agencies and non-p o i o
communi y en e p ises. Key quali ies necessa y o manage en u es a e ini ia i e, c ea i i y,
ision and sel -con idence, all ac i ely nu u ed on his deg ee.
Ea ly on in hei s udies, s uden s ecei e a solid g ounding in subjec s ha help hem unde s and
a ious o ms o capi al such as inancial, echnological, social, and na u al. While cou ses a e
conduc ed sepa a ely and gene ally ollow a adi ional lec u ing app oach, as s uden s p og ess
hey a e helped in in eg a ing he a ious componen s in o de o app ecia e alue and how his
can be c ea ed o des oyed. In e disciplina y en u e wo kshops, designed o enhance lea ning
ha c osses many disciplines, assis s uden s o see in e connec ions be ween he di e en
cou ses hey ha e s udied. In o de o ensu e g adua es a e capable o s imula ing en u es, ei he
inside o ou side o ganisa ions, ha is in ap eneu ship o en ep eneu ship, espec i ely, hey a e
egula ly exposed o p esen a ions and semina s by leading en ep eneu s, indus ialis s, a is s,
communi y leade s and o he s wo king in a hos o c ea i e a enas. Deba es be ween class
membe s on a ange o socie al issues help s uden s see connec ions be ween di e en subjec s.
This also means hey become mo e e lec i e, s imula ing hei engagemen in olun ee wo k
wi h local communi ies, in ol emen in poli ical ac ion o ini ia ion o social en u es.
S uden s wo k wi h hei academic ad iso o de elop a cus omized o specialized p og amme o
s udy ied o hei own pa icula skills and in e es s. The ad iso also p oposes app op ia e
p ojec s and assigns eadings o gi es sho specialised cou ses on pa icula opics. S uden s
ob ain an in eg a ed pe spec i e on he inno a ion p ocess by demons a ing hei abili y o add
alue by means o ei he an en ep eneu ial o in ap eneu ial en u e. This is done hough a
caps one o in eg a ing expe ience whe e s uden s p esen a echnical, inancial and comme cial
analysis including a comp ehensi e business plan o a en u e, ei he p oduc o se ice. A
s uden can also ecei e c edi o a comme cial en e p ise in ol ing a communi y de elopmen
p ojec in which he/she is engaged.
The p og amme desc ibed is excep ional, o e ing an ideal educa ion o mo i a ed s uden s,
con iden in hei abili ies, wi h a sense o adi ion bu also o wa d-looking. While i
exempli ies ou unde g adua e explo a ion web, pa icula ly inqui y-based lea ning o a
sus ainable en e p ise educa ion linking disciplines like economics, accoun ing o inance wi h
he sciences, echnology and enginee ing, i s basic lessons ha e wide applicabili y. I s essen ial
ea u es a e i s ocus on in e disciplina i y, join assignmen s and p ojec s, pe sonal e lec ion,
p oblem-based explo a ion and disco e y as he basis o lea ning. The e is no eason why hese
canno o m he building blocks o unde g adua e educa ion ac oss all disciplines in he
academy.
Uni e si ies ewa d wha hey alue and alue wha hey ewa d. Clea ly a sea change in
pe spec i e o alues is necessa y o app op ia ely assess s uden pe o mance in he kind o
en i onmen we desc ibe. Quali a i e c i e ia equi e openness o highly inno a i e assessmen
echniques. T adi ional es ing by means o examina ions should be he excep ion a he han he
ule. Fo en u es and p ojec s, especially hose in ol ing a communi y ole, assessmen mus be
based no jus on quan i a i e c i e ia such as he inancial o economic e u n om a en u e bu
also on i s social con ibu ion and en i onmen al sus ainabili y.
16
Conclusion
The powe o he co e concep o he uni e si y and i s esilience as an ins i u ion can be
demons a ed by he ac ha o he 85 ins i u ions ha exis oday as hey did 500 yea s ago
(examples include he Va ican and he B i ish Pa liamen ), 70 o hese en i ies a e
uni e si ies.45Ye , i he ideas con ained in his pape a e o be implemen ed, such as uni e si ies
abandoning unques ioned eaching and lea ning con en ions, huge changes in ins i u ional
s uc u es will be necessa y.
The guiding me apho in highe educa ion should no be p oduc ion o e iciency bu
commonweal h whose de ining cha ac e is ics a e communi y, con e sa ion and ela ionships o
us and mu ual well-being. A his s age in I ish de elopmen , mo al ins i u ions o socie y a e
p obably mo e c ucial han in ellec ual ones. A sense o adi ion is a key elemen missing in he
philosophy o he esea ch uni e si y. The scien i ic assump ions o he esea ch model indeed
seems o clash nowadays wi h wha O’B ien calls he ‘mo al hango e ’ o he mission s ill
expec ed o he uni e si y.46
A hos o p esiden s, ex-p esiden s and op adminis a o s o I ish uni e si ies ha e ecen ly
engaged in ex ensi e media deba e on he mission, s uc u e and unc ions o he uni e si y in he
knowledge socie y.47 Commen a ies end o hinge on he ele ance oday o he adi ional model
o uni e si y educa ion con ained in Ca dinal John Hen y Newman’s classic ‘Idea o a
Uni e si y’.48 The e is gene al ag eemen ha as we en e his knowledge cen u y, he case o
he alue o he esea ch uni e si y has ne e been s onge . The key ques ion, howe e , is wha
cons i u es a esea ch uni e si y. I should no be a place whe e knowledge disco e y and
dissemina ion is con ined jus o eli e pos g adua e and acul y esea ch. A i s co e he esea ch
uni e si y mus be is an inqui ing uni e si y o all communi y membe s. Th oughou mos o i s
long his o y, he uni e si y has emb aced he impo ance o in oducing unde g adua es, i s i s
cons i uen s, o he wo ld o knowledge and knowledge c ea ion. This mus con inue wi h
enewed ocus in he yea s o come i we a e o become no jus a knowledge socie y bu mo e
impo an ly a lea ning socie y.
To conclude, unde g adua e educa ion should no be so much abou acul y eaching as abou
s uden lea ning. The holis ic and dynamic app oach we ad oca e in his pape o os e a spi i
o disco e y could add an exci ing new dimension o uni e si y educa ion in I eland. Only now
a e leading ins i u ions in he US and Eu ope beginning o hink in his di ec ion. Some eade s
may no ag ee wi h ou p esc ip ion, a guing ha he enhanced ole we sugges does no all
wi hin he emi o he uni e si y. Ye , he adical o e haul we p opose could p o e o a
signi ican compe i i e ad an age in e na ionally. I migh also o e he g ea es p o ec ion o
I ish uni e si ies o ensu e con inued public suppo wi hin he highly unce ain en i onmen
hey su ely ace in coming yea s.
17
18
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he Inaugu al Canada Pos Lec u e, Uni e si y o O awa, Sep embe 9, 2003.
18 Re iew o Na ional Policies o Educa ion: Re iew o Highe Educa ion in I eland,
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19 Rein en ing Unde g adua e Educa ion: Th ee Yea s a e he Boye Repo , The Boye
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20 Pos man, Neil: The End o Educa ion: Re ining he Value o School (New Yo k: Vin age
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19
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22 Ibid.
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Possibili ies,” Business O ice , July 1997.
27 Snow, C.P.: The Two Cul u es (Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 1998); Lynch,
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28 Tuohy, B endan: A Libe al Educa ion o a Technology Wo ld, P esen a ion o a Con e ence
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o Lime ick, Ap il 2002).
29 E ans, E. Es yn: The Pe sonali y o I eland: Habi a , He i age and His o y (Dublin: The
Lillipu P ess, 1992).
30 Eisne , Ellio W.: The A s and he C ea ion o Mind (New Ha en, C : Yale Uni e si y P ess,
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31 Fo ins ance, on lea ning o ganisa ions, see Senge, Pe e : “The Leade ’s New Wo k: Building
Lea ning O ganiza ions,” Sloan Managemen Re iew, Fall, 1990; o communi ies o p ac ice,
see Wenge , E ienne: “Communi ies o P ac ice. Lea ning as a Social Sys em,” Sys ems Thinke ,
June 1998.
32 Skilbeck, Malcolm: “The Uni e si y Challenged: A Re iew o In e na ional T ends and Issues
wi h Pa icula Re e ence o I eland,” Repo o he HEA and CHIU, 2001.
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B ingle, Robe G., Richa d Games and Edwa d Malloy: Colleges and Uni e si ies as Ci izens
(Bos on, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999).
34 B ingle, Robe G., Richa d Games and Edwa d Malloy: Colleges and Uni e si ies as Ci izens
(Bos on, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999).
35 See o ins ance, Colby, Anne, Thomas Eh lich, Elizabe h Beaumon & Jason S ephens:
Educa ing Ci izens: P epa ing Ame ica’s Unde g adua es o Li es o Mo al and Ci il
Responsibili y (San F ancisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2003) and Fea , F ank A. & Ma ia A ila,
F ames and Discou ses: “Explo ing he Meaning o Engagemen ,” Pe spec i es on Communi y
De elopmen , Vol. 2, 2005.
36 B ea hnach, A. & A. Aylwa d: “Educa ion, Inno a ion and En ep eneu ship: Lessons o be
D awn om Denma k and No way,” Repo o he EIE Resea ch P og amme, 1984.
37 S i ling, S ephen: Sus ainable Educa ion: Re- isioning Lea ning and Change (B is ol, UK:
G een Books/Schumache Socie y, 2001).
38 Chicke ing, A hu W. and Linda Reisse : Educa ion and Iden i y (San F ancisco: Jossey-Bass,
1993), 2nd. ed.
39 Cas ells, Manuel and Pekka Himanen: The In o ma ion Socie y and he Wel a e S a e: The
Finnish Model (Ox o d, UK: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 2002).
40 Ve hels , Thie y, G.: No Li e wi hou Roo s: Cul u e and De elopmen (London: Zed Books,
20
1990).
41 Shee an, Pa ick: “Genius Fabulae: The I ish Sense o Place,” I ish Uni e si y Re iew, 18,
Au umn 1988.
42 Sweeney, Ge y: op. ci .
43 Cap a, F i jo : The Hidden Connec ions: A Science o Sus ainable Li ing (London:
Ha pe Collins, 2002).
44 US Sup eme Cou Jus ice An onin Scalia, Commencemen Add ess, College o William and
Ma y, May 1996.
45 Sex on, John: 2004, op. ci .
46 O’B ien, Geo ge Dennis: All he Essen ial Hal -T u hs abou Highe Educa ion (Chicago:
Uni e si y o Chicago P ess, 1998).
47 See, o example, Hughes, John: Highe educa ion needs o be a he cen e o he ‘knowledge
economy’, I ish Times, Janua y 12, 2005; Von P ondzynski, Fe dinand: Adap ing o a changing
wo ld is one o ue ideals o a uni e si y, I ish Times, May 22, 2001; Kelly, John: Emphasis o
hi d-le el educa ion is unashamedly on oca ionalism, I ish Times, Ap il 17, 2001; O’Ha e,
Daniel: New model needed o uni e si y o u u e, I ish Times, Augus 6, 1998; Walsh, Edwa d:
Uni e si y e o m now c i ical o economy, I ish Times, Sep embe 13, 2004.
48 See, o example, McHugh, Roge J.: Newman on Uni e si y Educa ion (Dublin: B owne and
Nolan, 1944) and Tu ne , F ank M. (ed.): The Idea o a Uni e si y – John Hen y Newman (New
Ha en: Yale Uni e si y P ess, 1996).