On Academia

Academia Suppresses Creativity: Why, How, and What to Do About It

By Dario Maestripieri, 21/05/2012, on Creativity Post

Extracts:

“Unfortunately, in the academic world—where much of today’s scientific innovation takes place—researchers are encouraged to maintain the status quo and not rock the boat.’ Southwick identifies two main factors that are responsible for the discouragement of creativity in academia: research funding and academic leadership. (…)

‘Many who succeed in advancing to leadership positions in academia have been cautious, making few enemies and stirring little controversy.’ It follows that their lack of encouragement of creativity is the product of their lack of competence or lack of motivation.

Some professors who advance to leadership positions in academia are unsuccessful researchers who switched to the administrative track because their research career was going nowhere; these administrators do not encourage creativity in research because they know little about it or have often felt threatened by their more creative and more successful colleagues. Then there are other professors who become administrators because of the prospect for personal financial gain (salaries can be doubled o tripled when professors become Deans, Provosts, or Presidents) or their ambition for power. These administrators do not encourage creativity in research because they have no interest in doing it and because it does not fit their agenda. They support the careers of researchers who can help them accomplish their own career ambitions and make decisions that will give them the visibility they need for their next career advancement, while avoiding any controversy or negative publicity. Unlike funding, the issue of leadership is internal to academia and requires an internal solution.”