2.2 The universities in developing countries work under
different conditions
There are certain preconditions to be fulfilled in order
to change universities into an instrument of socio-economic
change:
- the society must be ready to let new knowledge influence
its values and goals,
- the society must allow universities to participate in
the process of forming values and setting goals.
Needless to say, it is not the task of universities to decide
on values and goals — this is a field of political institutions
—, but it should prepare the material and intellectual
basis for the decision and contribute to the discussion. It
is not unproblematic for universities to play an active role
in the development process. The university must contribute,
discuss, and even criticize, but should not enter a situation
of dependence. An antinomy between freedom and self-determination
of science and the demands of government and society may come
up. Each society has to find its formula to use scientific
knowledge for gearing the development process and profit from
the university's competence without giving up the primacy
of the political institutions. A society will attain full
value from its university only if society and the university
are linked together and confront the realities of today and
the development needs of the country. This requires a transition
from the traditionally introspective university to a university
playing an active role in the process of change in the economy
and society.
The new and much broader role of a modern college of agriculture
has implications for its teaching and research activities.
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