Threats and opportunities of science at a for-profit university in Chile

Abstract

Thirty years after pro-market policies were first adopted, how best to organize Chile’s scientific enterprise remains as elusive as when universities were state-run and funded. This paper explores scientific research at a for-profit university, University Andres Bello, to ask if a new mode of knowledge production is in the making and with what impacts for Chilean universities. In contrast to trends described in the North American and European university literatures, the Chilean experience to date indicates that market competition reinforces existing scientific practice, including evaluation mechanisms. Its largest impact may instead lie in challenging cultural notions of a university’s rights and responsibilities, with potentially negative consequences for existing state-run and non-profit universities. These findings are important for developing countries seeking to expand research without expanding public universities or expenditures, and raise important questions regarding the specific mechanisms that mediate between a university’s forprofit business model and its research agenda.