Wednesday 14 October 2009

Feeling Elite

Elite is more a feeling than anything else, but I can say I felt the 158 ranks of difference (thats's what the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2009 say) between my previous wannabe-Elite university and my current wannabe-Elite university.

Judging by the invitation it seemed to be a pretty posh event: printed in colour on glossy A5 paper, looking like some award ready to be framed and put on the wall. A lecture by a Nobel laureate, so high hopes on looting free food. The latter was a bit disappointing: there was only free wine, before the talk and nothing after. Although with the usually "excellent" British food, this was maybe even a plus - better no food at all than the usual grub.

The talk itself was good, although not very controversial to me: patents are bad, private funding channels research to be profitable and the rush for publication lists and absurd measures of research quality should be slowed down. Funnily in a stark contrast to the introduction by the vice chancellor who proudly read out Manchester's recent ranking positions and bragged with more figures about size and excellence.

Enjoyable nevertheless, although I have to admit that the food is much better a bit further down the ranking. At least at those times when they were still a university and not the embarrassing KIT.