The third mission of the University
A case study of the University of the Republic-Uruguay
PRELIMINARY (second) VERSION
January 9, 2007
UniDev Project
Developing Universities: The Evolving Role of Academic Institutions in Innovation Systems and Development
Isabel Bortagaray
University of the Republic
1.- Introduction
This is a case study of the University of the Republic from Uruguay, centered on the perceptions of diverse people about the university and its missions. The study is based on 45 in-depth interviews covering a broad range of institutional belongings, from academia to enterprises and from Parliament to trade unions. From the total interviewees, 35 are men and 10 are women.
The fieldwork was done between May and July 2006. The latter is not without consequences, given that during this period a hot debate associated with the process of electing a new Rector took place. In fact, even if the decision-making within the university was related to the choice of a person to replace the former Rector, who was eight years on duty, the debate was fairly wider and reached a far wider public. It became a national discussion that revolved around the university: what it should be, how should it be transformed to achieve a better fit with its own missions and the development of the country, who and how should be involved in such transformation. The need for changes was a central part of the debate; it is within this uncommon climate that the fieldwork was done. (more…)
