Academic Culture Research Articles

Esoteric Rumination: Can Emerging Researchers in Zimbabwean Teachers Colleges Genuinely Disengage the Publish of Perish Intonation?

The ‘publish or perish’ mantra has long defined university culture worldwide. This research paper thus explored research dilemmas faced by emerging researchers in teachers’ colleges in publishing research. In extant literature, not much attention has been paid to dilemmas facing emerging researchers in teachers’ colleges, particularly in Zimbabwe. This study was framed within the lens of the Integrated Theoretical Model of Research Productivity which argued that academic writing is a social practice encompassing power relations, identity and ideologically inscribed knowledge. The study used a qualitative research approach couched in a constructivist paradigm. Eight lecturers from a teachers college were purposefully sampled for face-to-face interviews and the data was subjected to deductive thematic analysis. The study found that emerging researchers decried lack of institutional funding support, training and mentorship, inadequate writing skills, and the absence of collaborative writing as major impediments. Writing was not yet part of the academic culture in teachers colleges which made emerging researchers lack the wherewithal to research. In light of the findings, the study recommends that to attain relevance in the Education 5.0 era, teachers colleges require a paradigm shift which will encourage the development of a writing and publishing culture to promote innovation. Keywords: Emerging Researchers, Neoliberalism, Publish Or Perish, Research Dilemmas, Teachers Colleges.

Hospitality marketing research: bridging the practical gap

Purpose This study aims to identify the causes of the academia-industry divide in hospitality marketing research in the form of the “Research Devaluation Map” and offers ideas for discussion points and suggestions for change. Design/methodology/approach The conceptualization of the Research Devaluation Map was developed at an invitational thought-leadership conference. The authors were asked to produce a forward looking, critical reflection of hospitality marketing scholarship. The authors generated a preliminary idea and developed a methodology for its implementation. They then proposed a framework that explicated the divide between hospitality marketing research and industry practice and a list of discussion points regarding possible solutions. Findings The issues currently challenging the hospitality research field are found to include the choice of research topics (the “what”), the methods used in research (the “how”) and the systemic factors that shape the academic culture (the “systemic”). These three factors lead to a mutual devaluation of the academic–industry relationship in hospitality marketing, causing a schism between research and industry practice. Research limitations/implications The Research Devaluation Map serves as a springboard for future research studies, providing a framework for naming and operationalizing the antecedents and results of the divide between hospitality marketing research and practice. Originality/value This paper takes a holistic look at the gaps in current hospitality marketing research and puts forth a framework to explain the roots of these issues. While certain of these issues are known to both researchers and practitioners, the originality of this paper lies in the creation of the Research Devaluation Map that identifies the causes and results of the disconnect between research and practice.

Ceremonial Economics: A Social-Institutional Analysis of Universities, Disciplines, and Academic Positioning

What is the future of the university? Many have attempted to unpack what emerging technologies, political pressures, and social scrutiny can do to the status and innovative capacity of universities. While much of the literature has focused on either documenting innovation over practice in research/teaching techniques, or critical reflections on how university business models and academic labor are under threat, less has been debated on the impacts and processes of such changes from a systemic institutional perspective. This article develops a three-fold social-institutional framework to explore the process, purpose, and positioning of changes in knowledge production. I use the case of the economics discipline to explore how institutional ceremonial values, the policing of knowledge creation, and academic cultures as a hierarchical system of prestige can indicate potential structural change. Existing tensions between instrumental innovations and traditional ceremonial aspects that permeate both the university system and the economics discipline suggest two hypotheses to understand future change: (i) a ceremonial encapsulation of new technologies by old structures, exacerbating existing inequalities and monopolies within expertise positioning; or (ii) the rise of new and inclusive cultures within the principles of epistemic democratization and pluralism, co-existing with a new economic and social model of knowledge

Addressing Gender-Based Violence through the ERA Policy Framework: A Systemic Solution to Dilemmas and Contestations for Institutions

The consequences of gender-based violence in academic cultures are severe for individuals, the study and work climate, and for the quality of research and education. EU and national policy frameworks are developed since long, guiding academic institutions work on ending violence and abuse in the European Research Area (ERA). In this article, a critique and solution to specific dilemmas and contestations immanent in transforming ERA wide policy development into effective actions on the institutional level are presented. The analysis and policy input builds on extensive knowledge from long-term gender mainstreaming programs in national contexts, thorough experience from working amidst a research political landscape with conflicting academic, political, and bureaucratic paradigms, and research-based knowledge on policy development on gender-based violence. A core contribution from the article is the development of a generic, intermediating, and systemic institutional framework for implementation, acknowledging both the ERA policy developments and the day-to-day challenges on the institutional level, from the viewpoint of succeeding in ending gender-based violence in all ERA institutions. Also, a model for monitoring and evaluation of progress on the institutional level is proposed, accompanied by assessment criteria and a set of well-defined indicators. The proposed institutional framework can serve as an important step forward, in a collaborative effort among ERA stakeholders, and serve as inspiration for global academic institutions and national contexts to foster progress on the endemic of gender-based violence permeating academic communities.

Bounded aspirations and youth capacity: interrogating public higher education in North India

ABSTRACT This paper engages with youth and the everyday culture of public higher education in selected urban sites of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). As a public university, the BHU inspires massive youth mobility from rural areas and small towns in North India, specially of youth from socially disadvantaged castes and women. I find that these youth are not lacking in a capacity to aspire. Rather, their desires are formed in complex social conditions, and involve overlapping temporal flows. Their migration for education is about escaping the routine and habits of a rural past. It is simultaneously a dream for a future with secure government jobs and urban living. Further, their aspirations are not merely utilitarian – they include a normative idea of the university, with good-quality education and an egalitarian culture, replete with freedoms. However, the everyday culture of the public university is replete with boundaries. Persisting patriarchal constraints, bureaucratic academic cultures, and rampant casteism place boundaries on youth aspirations. Finally, I argue that the relational resources among youth on campus form a collective resource that provides them with a navigational capacity to overcome bounded aspirations.

A Systematic Literature Review on Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Archaeological Site Management and the Prevalence of Stakeholder Engagement

AbstractThis article presents a systematic literature review of publications from 2014 to 2021 using “archaeological site” and “climate change” as keywords, in addition to several terms representing forms of stakeholder engagement. Articles were thematically coded to explore trends at the intersection of climate change, archaeology, and local and Traditional stakeholders. Results show that nearly half of the selected publications did not include local and Traditional stakeholder engagement in studies related to climate adaptation planning for archaeological sites. Synthesis of the results with insights gained from other literature on decolonizing archaeology showed that potential reasons for this gap include (1) the academic publishing culture, (2) archaeology as a predominantly Western discipline, and (3) increasingly available tools for climate change adaptation planning for archaeological sites. This article calls on the academic community to consider holistic stewardship using a landscape approach and to use climate change adaptation planning to elevate local and Traditional stakeholder input and values.

Combating language and academic culture shocks—International students’ agency in mobilizing their cultural capital.

Combating language and academic culture shocks—International students’ agency in mobilizing their cultural capital.

National Research Foundation: Fostering Scientific Culture in Academia

National Education Policy 2020 has outlined the base of the National Research Foundation (NRF) to encourage outstanding research in universities and colleges with a vision of transforming the Indian economy into a knowledge-based economy to come across the expectations, challenges and requirements of the 21st century. The main motto of the National Research Foundation is to produce quality research leading to innovation. This also focuses on creating a linkage between industry and academia for an efficient institute-industry collaboration. There is a dire need for scientific culture in academia to produce quality research. Scientific culture is a contagious process that enhances scientific attitudes among academicians. Curiosity and creativity are the fundamental pillars of scientific culture and lead to research and innovation. The results of scientific inventions are never confined within the boundaries of a nation, while their fruits are tasted all over the globe. In India, the rate of scientific inventions is quite slow. However, the NEP 2020 has come into the process of implementation covering all aspects of quality education and research to produce innovations in India. Education should adequately enhance scientific culture in academia to cause a sense of responsibility among learners and academicians for producing quality research work leading to innovations. Fortunately, the NEP 2020 aims to improve India’s education system and transform it into a 21st century educational system in line with all of these important issues. The present paper highlights how the National Research Foundation fosters a scientific culture in academia.

Exploring the effect of MBKM as a New Curriculum in Indonesia

Higher education in Indonesia has faced significant challenges in presenting a curriculum that is responsive and relevant to the demands of the times. The Competency-Based Education Model (MBKM) has been adopted as a new approach in updating the college curriculum. This study aims to explore the influence of MBKM as a new curriculum in Indonesia. The research methods used qualitative analysis through interviews, surveys, and literature studies. The findings show that the implementation of MBKM has had a significant impact in strengthening students' skills, knowledge, and attitudes. In addition, MBKM has also changed the learning paradigm from a center of teaching activities to a center of competency achievement. However, challenges remain in integrating MBKM into the established academic culture and improving the quality of implementation consistently across universities in Indonesia. The implication of this research is the need for continuous support from various stakeholders to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of MBKM as a new curriculum that is competitive in the global context. Further research is also needed to evaluate the long-term impact of MBKM implementation on the quality of higher education in Indonesia, These include requiring courses as prerequisites, improving coordination with schools, modifying curriculum order, and clarifying credit transfer policies.

A pilot randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of the MaTerre180' participatory tool including a serious game versus an intervention including carbon footprint awareness-raising on behaviours among academia members in France.

Activities embedded in academic culture (international conferences, field missions) are an important source of greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, collective efforts are still needed to lower the carbon footprint of Academia. Serious games are often used to promote ecological transition. Nevertheless, most evaluations of their effects focus on changes in knowledge and not on behaviour. The main objectives of this study are to 1) Evaluate the feasibility of a control and an experimental behaviour change intervention and, 2) Evaluate the fidelity (the extent to which the implementation of the study corresponds to the original design) of both interventions. People employed by a French research organisation (N = 30) will be randomised to one of the two arms. The experimental arm consists in a 1-hour group discussion for raising awareness about climate change, carrying out a carbon footprint assessment and participating to a serious game called "Ma terre en 180 minutes." The control arm consists of the same intervention (1h discussion + carbon footprint assessment) but without participating to the serious game. On two occasions over one month, participants will be asked to fill in online surveys about their behaviours, psychological constructs related to behaviour change, sociodemographic and institutional information. For every session of intervention, the facilitators will assess task completion, perceived complexity of the tasks and the perceived responsiveness of participants. Descriptive statistics will be done to analyse percentages and averages of the different outcomes. Ma-terre EVAL pilot study is a 1-month and a half pilot randomised controlled trial aiming to evaluate the feasibility and the fidelity of a 24-month randomised controlled trial. This study will provide more information on the levers and obstacles to reducing the carbon footprint among Academia members, so that they can be targeted through behaviour change interventions or institutional policies.

Catholicism, Psychedelics, and Mysticism: Correlations and Displacements

This article charts some of the conversations around psychedelics, mysticism, Catholicism, and the Catholic mystics. I provide a context for the current “psychedelic renaissance” and bring the focus to psychedelics and Catholicism. The literature’s frequent comparisons of psychedelic mystical trips with Catholic mysticism raises questions about the legitimacy of religious ways of knowing, the status of the discipline of theology in Western academic cultures, and how Catholicism is often depicted in the psychedelic literature. The first part closes with a survey of the challenges of defining mysticism and some of the patterns perennial to the Catholic mystical experience. I look at the problem of methodological displacement, that is, how a researcher comes to conclusions with material that is formally outside of their discipline’s boundaries. This is a challenge for scholars of every stripe when they countenance subject matter that is beyond their expertise—and the lure to still read that material through their known methodology and worldview—but the problem of displacement is conspicuously compounded when the sciences countenance theological and religious themes. I provide concrete examples of displacement with psychedelic and Catholic mysticism, how it can be corrected, and how this would benefit dialogue. In the Conclusions, I outline persistent concerns and theological objections about some of the claims of psychedelic mysticism but hold onto the hope for further dialogue. My sustained attention is to the comparisons that are frequently made between the psychedelic and Catholic mystical experiences and whether these correlations are critically warranted.

Smart Campus Development: Trends in Building a Digital-Based Academic Culture in Cyber Learning Environments

This research aims to formulate the design, roadmap, implementation and impact of smart campus development in higher education in building a digital-based academic culture. This research uses qualitative field research methods with a multi-site study design and flow analysis techniques. The findings of this research show that the smart campus development strategy has a special character in higher education. Smart campus development system design requires data center infrastructure, internet, and building management through Enterprise Architecture (EA) Analysis, Jason with Token (JWT), LemonLDA, and according to user interplace and user experience needs. The smart campus road map was built in a long-term plan towards smart people by relying on sustainable leadership through leadership policies. Smart campus implementation includes smart boards, multi-device gadgets, and campus domain e-mail ownership. The output of smart campus development has an impact on changing mindsets towards smart thinking and ease of serving the academic needs of both national and international students; accountability, transparency, certainty of academic processes and promotions; and compliance with the system.

Systematic analysis of the functional features of the information and analytical system of the professional development of the communicative culture of documents

The need for systematic analysis of information and analytical systems in the fields of knowledge education/pedagogical sciences, socio-behavioral sciences and culture and art has been updated. The conceptual-categorical apparatus of the system analysis of the functionality of the information-analytical system of the professional development of the communicative culture of document editors is singled out. The concept of "informational and analytical system" has been clarified, the definition of "informational and analytical system of higher education institutions" has been specified. The goal of formation and target tasks of the information and analytical system of higher education institutions, its structure and factors of regulation are disclosed, the structural components of the system are established. The methodical apparatus of the system approach in information-analytical activity and the subject area of research of the system analysis of the information-analytical system of the professional development of document editors have been clarified. The classification features of system-forming characteristics, which are the subject of system analysis, are singled out. A systematic approach was applied to determine the functional structure of the system. Management functions have been updated, classification features of management functionality have been highlighted. In the course of the system analysis, the functional features of the information- analytical system of professional training and development of the communicative culture of document editors were classified, namely the functions: law-enforcing legal protection of social guarantees of the national and global dimension; political- administrative by types and types of policies of different levels of management; socio-economic connection to ensure the effectiveness of the policy of sustainable development; cultural and artistic academic culture; supervisory sphere of technical regulation; serving from the service of legal and social protection of participants in educational and research processes.

Examining the Effect of Innovative Behavior, and the Role of Contingency Plan on HEI's Effective Teaching

Purpose: Academics often underestimate the importance of having an Academic Contingency Plan (ACP) during crises, which can lead to failure in achieving institutional innovation objectives. Despite extensive research, the role of an ACP is not fully understood in higher education. To gain a comprehensive understanding, it is crucial to analyze the significance of integrating contingency plans into the strategic plan of higher education. Design/methodology/approach: This study involved the use of 101 lecturers from 5 universities in Indonesia as respondents. An online questionnaire using a Likert Scale was used for data collection, which was analyzed using Smart PLS. Findings: The existing research gap in academic collaborative culture about innovative behavior in HEIis is resolved by testing the role of the Academic Contingency Plan. Research limitations/implications: The study suggests that ACP should be an integral component of an organization's strategic plan, which should be formulated within the organization. Effective teaching objectives can be achieved through the active participation of all stakeholders in the implementation of knowledge-based education. Originality/value: This study is expected to contribute to the academic community by providing a comprehensive understanding of ACP in higher education. It aims to facilitate the achievement of academic targets through the implementation of a well-established plan. The value of this study lies in its potential to enhance the clarity of knowledge in this area and to provide practical insights for academic institutions.

David versus Goliath: Early career researchers in an unethical publishing system.

The publish-or-perish culture in academia has catalysed the development of an unethical publishing system. This system is characterised by the proliferation of journals and publishers-unaffiliated with learned societies or universities-that maintain extremely large revenues and profit margins diverting funds away from the academic community. Early career researchers (ECRs) are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of this publishing system because of intersecting factors, including pressure to pursue high impact publications, rising publication costs and job insecurity. Moving towards a more ethical system requires that scientists advocate for structural change by making career choices that come with risks, many of which disproportionately impact ECRs. We illuminate major issues facing ECRs in Ecology and Evolution under the current publishing system, and propose a portfolio of actions to promote systemic change that can be implemented by ECRs and established researchers.

FEATURES OF THE FORMATION OF ACADEMIC CULTURE OF FUTURE PIANISTS

The essence of the research is to problem-study the formation of the academic culture of future pianists. As an essential factor, the academic environment considers pianists' individual needs in terms of education and is absorbed into professional educational programs. Forming this culture requires understanding the artistic mission and its impact on society and developing critical thinking and communication skills. The article describes the process of forming the academic culture of future pianists, which takes place in the academic environment and considers the individual needs of pianists in academic education. It is emphasized that this process cannot be fully ensured by mastering only artistic disciplines. It requires developing critical thinking and communication skills that contribute to forming value orientations and self-development in this area. The article proposes a model that describes the process of forming the academic culture of future pianists. Theoretical methods such as analysis of scientific sources and modeling are used to idealize this process. The structural elements of the model are described, including the target, theoretical and methodological (including approaches and principles), pedagogical conditions (development of students' critical thinking; encouragement to participate in scientific, educational, and practical informal activities; development of communication skills in professional communication) and content and procedural module (including a description of the unique course). The stages of model implementation that contribute to positive changes in the levels of academic culture of future pianists are considered. The result of the model implementation is positive changes in the formation levels of the components of the academic culture of future pianists.

‘Take a break, you’ll be able to work more’: convergent mixed methods analysis of PhD students’ blog posts

ABSTRACT The pursuit of a PhD is associated with increased mental health risks, with commonly identified stressors that include supervision, financial constraints, hierarchical institutional culture, and specific work demands. However, previous investigations primarily relied on self-reported questionnaires. In this study, a convergent mixed-methods analysis was conducted on 94 blog posts written by doctoral students in English (N = 39), Spanish (N = 29), and Korean (N = 26). An inductive thematic analysis was employed to identify themes related to PhD studies. To succeed in academia, blog posts emphasised the importance of cultivating autonomy, resilience, purpose, intrinsic motivation, and self-regulatory skills. Intriguingly, the pursuit of academic achievement was exclusively associated with negative mental states. Subsequently, a qualitative-to-quantitative transformation (i.e. quantitising) was applied to the data, allowing a statistical examination of intercultural differences among the samples. The Spanish sample was concerned with challenging funding, academic culture, and gender stereotypes. The Korean sample highlighted problematic supervisory relationships and gender stereotypes. The English sample focused on maintaining mental health, albeit all coping mechanisms were perceived as mere instruments for improving productivity. Key implications include the recognition of cultural nuances in the experience of stressors and the importance of addressing mental health concerns in academic settings.

Future directions for patient engagement in research: a participatory workshop with Canadian patient partners and academic researchers

BackgroundPatient engagement in research (also commonly referred to as patient or patient and public involvement in research) strives to transform health research wherein patients (including caregivers and the public) are regularly and actively engaged as multidisciplinary research team members (i.e. patient partners) working jointly towards improved health outcomes and an enhanced healthcare system. To support its mindful evolution into a staple of health research, this participatory study aimed to identify future directions for Canadian patient engagement in research and discusses its findings in the context of the international literature.MethodsThe study met its aim through a multi-meeting pan-Canadian virtual workshop. Participants (n = 30) included Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research-funded academic researchers and patient partners identified through a publicly available database, personal and professional networks and social media. All spoke English, could access the workshop virtually, and provided written informed consent. The workshop was composed of four, 1.5–3-h virtual meetings wherein participants discussed the current and preferred future states of Canadian patient engagement in research. Workshop discussions (i.e. data) were video and audio recorded. Themes were generated through an iterative process of inductive thematic analysis that occurred concurrently with the multi-week workshop.ResultsOur participatory and iterative process identified 10 targetable areas of focus for the future of Canadian patient engagement in research. Five were categorized as system-level (systemic integration; academic culture; engagement networks; funding models; compensation models), one as researcher-level (engagement processes), and four crossed both levels (awareness; diversity and recruitment; training, tools and education; evaluation and impact). System level targetable areas called for reshaping the patient engagement ecosystem to create a legitimized and supportive space for patient engagement to be a staple component of a learning health system. Researcher level targetable areas called for academic researchers and patient partners to collaboratively generate evidence and apply knowledge to inform values and behaviours necessary to foster and sustain supportive health research spaces that are accessible to all.ConclusionsFuture directions for Canadian patient engagement in research span 10 interconnected targetable areas that require strong leadership and joint action between patient partners, academic researchers, and health and research institutions if patient engagement is to become a ubiquitous component of a learning health system.

International academics in national research institutes in Korea and Japan: contributions, reasons for migration, and challenges

This study aims to explore and compare the experiences of international academics in government-funded research institutes in Korea and Japan and focuses on their integration through primary roles and contributions, reasons to stay, and the challenges they face in their academic and daily lives. Although international academics are critical human resources in academia, their experiences in northeast Asian research institutes, instead of universities, require thorough investigation. Additionally, policy initiatives and projects in these countries tend to emphasize international academics in universities instead of those in research institutes. The study conducted semi-structured interviews between October 2020 and July 2021 with 15 international academics from government-funded research institutes in Korea and Japan. We intend to illuminate their experiences outside of universities and demonstrate that a clear academic role, a (relatively) horizontal organizational culture, and systemic support are the major reasons for their decision to stay and integrate. We also highlight the challenges they face in relation to policy, language, and family issues. International academics help create an internationalized work environment, although they frequently struggle to bridge domestic and international academia. All interviewees were male academics working in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields; thus, further studies are required to explore the experiences of female international academics and those working in other areas and to compare between the academic cultures of universities and research institutes in Korea and Japan.

THE HES AT FIFTY: IDENTITY CRISIS AND THE NEED FOR PLURALISTIC HISTORIOGRAPHICAL APPROACHES

In what follows, I use stylized facts derived from my own professional career as a member of the History of Economics Society (HES) and the history of economics (HE) community to document and illustrate the changing context of the subdiscipline over the past three decades.1 In the 1990s, the subdiscipline was comprised of a number of national communities. Among the latter the North American community held a dominant position and was quite different from its continental European counterparts, the French and Italian in particular.2 Not only were its academic culture and environment much more competitive but they were also more open to non-disciplinary history of economics.3 Over the past two decades, however, the growing domination of the continental European community has created a new context in which the identity of the North American community in general and that of the HES in particular has become uncertain.