Dept. of Economics

Not only are we from different planets but neither the government or the academy are grounded on earth, we are different. Michael Clair will talk on "Governments are from Mar, Universities are from Venue", Nov. 9th, 3:00 - 4:30 pm, Arts and Admin Bldg, Room 1046. This event is open to the public and is sponsored by the Department of Economics and the Collaborative Applied Research in Economics (CARE) initiative.

The unprecedented rates of change in the economy, the environment, demographics and technology are creating uncertainty, worry and confusion in societies around the world. Governments are struggling to keep up with these changes and to find islands of stability amid the chaos. One of the tools that governments have in this search for stability are publicly-funded universities. Universities prepare citizens for a globalized economy that is more and more based on knowledge. Scholars and researchers come up with discoveries and innovations that help create jobs and address social challenges. And, as their name implies, universities are portals where the knowledge of humanity filters into a community or region.

While there already exists a great deal of collaboration between governments and universities, the relationship between them could be greatly improved. A main reason for the relatively poor state of the relationship is the different culture that permeates both institutions, and the lack of trust that thereby emerges. This presentation will examine the two cultures in some detail and identify some practical ways in which the relationship could be improved.