A chara, – The news that Batt O’Keeffe’s brief in the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Innovation “will involve the transfer to the department of funding for the programme for research in third-level institutions” (Breaking News, March 24th) should be deeply worrying to anyone involved in research at third level, particularly in the humanities.
This Government seems to believe that the only worthwhile third-level education is one which impacts directly and immediately on the economy.
The idea of “innovation” is pernicious as it suggests that the only truly innovative research is that which promises to translate into economic gain on behalf of the State, thus discounting the excellent work done in the humanities in Ireland today, as well as throwing into doubt the future of “blue-skies” research or other scientific inquiry undertaken without a clear final goal.
To subject academic inquiry to the dictates of enterprise, trade, and a skewed idea of innovation is to impose a burden Irish universities cannot, and must not, be made to bear. – Is mise,
JOHN GALLAGHER,
Emmanuel College,
Cambridge,
England.