In an increasingly borderless world, academia must look beyond national frameworks in order to successfully compete for the best minds and stay abreast with scientific innovation, according to SPP’s dean, Wolfgang Reinicke, who was interviewed for the most recent issue of the Volkswagen Foundations Impulse Magazine.
“As in politics and economics, there is a globalization of academia in the sense of the dissolution of borders and the competition that it brings. The national framework no longer exclusively determines the reputation of a scientist or acts as the center of gravity for publications,” Reinicke says. Today’s top academics across the natural and social sciences are increasingly mobile, and institutions are competing internationally to attract, develop and retain the best young researchers at any career stage.
Globalization of the academic world carries a wealth of opportunities though, as Reinicke explains: “Overall the globalization of the academic sector is leading to the evolution of students and scientists alike with more international experience. I am certain that the quality of research findings will improve with this increasing global exchange – especially through exchanges across cultural borders and with the participation of scientists from non-democratic political systems.”
You can read the interview in full here.
Photo credit: Christian Burkert
