The University and the Prince: Public funds shaping university trajectories

Auteurs: Andrea Borsato, Valentina Erasmo & André Lorentz

Abstract


We develop an evolutionary model to analyse the role of policymaker’s preferences about the amount and the direction of funding in determining the trajectories of universities. We draw a parallel between the research and the teaching environments, and the Schumpeter Mark I and Schumpeter Mark II innovative patterns, respectively. We obtain that shifting the priority from pure to utilitarian knowledge, and vice-versa, makes production and employment dynamics follow an inverted-U shape. Likewise, the complementarity between teaching and research typical of Humboldt-like organisations allows the system to experience the best
performance when preferences are neither too research- nor too teaching-oriented.
Moreover, a generalised increase in funds is not effective if the distribution mechanisms are untouched and prioritise university reputation. Finally, a Baumol’s cost disease arises when the scientists wage rate is centralised at system level as
in most European economies.

Keywords: university trajectories; government funding policy; third mission.

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