In the concluding pages of his book, "History of the World," Andrew Marr cites the perspective of astronomer Martin Rees, who underscores that humanity is confronted with a 50% risk to survival in the coming two decades. Rees emphasizes that the Earth cannot sustain a population of 9 billion people given the current consumption and pollution patterns. This underscores the individual responsibility each of us bears to evolve into a sustainable citizen.
In his 1999 work, physicist Kaku (1999) delineated two overarching trends shaping our world. Presently, we exist as a Type Zero Civilization, according to the Kardashev scale. However, Kaku envisions a future where we ascend to a Type One Civilization, representing our collective aspiration and hope for progress. “a multicultural, scientific, tolerant society”.
He wrote that “the European Union is the beginning of a type one economy…these European countries, which have slaughtered each other ever since the ice melted 10,000 years ago...they have banded together, put aside their differences to create the European Union”. Michio Kaku highlighted a critical challenge facing humanity—the successful transition from a Type Zero to a Type One Civilization. According to his insights, this transformative journey may span approximately 100 years
The aforementioned passage emphasizes the pivotal role of universities in shepherding the transformation from a sectarian society to a “multicultural, tolerant, scientific society". Endowed with the ability to appreciate not only the worth but, crucially, the profound significance of other Earthlings in this world (Morton, 2019). Undoubtedly, religious terrorism poses a significant impediment to the advancement toward a Type One Civilization, as religious terrorists strive to impose a “monocultural, intolerant,
theocratic society”.
Universities should already have undertaken efforts to understand the factors behind the appeal of the destructive message propagated by religious terrorism, particularly in its influence on numerous young Europeans. Notably, Professor Benjamin Stora, a historian at University Paris-XIII, posits that a significant part of the challenge stems from universities being deeply entrenched in their academic agendas, with limited attention to pressing public issues. This instance underscores a profound problem, one that technology alone cannot remedy, mirroring the complexity inherent in various other societal challenges.
Moreover, universities cannot fully realize their mission if they persist in emulating corporate practices. Corporations often adhere to the motto "show me the money," a principle markedly different from the ethical standards proclaimed by many Western universities. Even companies in nations recognized for their exceptionally high ethical standards, such as the emissions scandal at Volkswagen demonstrated, find themselves entangled in questionable practices. Regrettably, such instances are not isolated occurrences.
Not to mention
that corporations have a long tradition of avoiding paying their fair share of taxes. Beyond that, they exhibit a well-documented inclination to exert influence on governments to align with their highly lucrative agendas. This underscores the critical role that academia must play as a guardian of the moral values crucial for upholding democracies. The widespread occurrence of scientific misconduct in academia is undeniably the most conspicuous outcome of adopting a corporate replication approach. Each instance of such misconduct contributes to the gradual erosion of the credibility upon which universities rest, undermining their reputation as pillars of integrity.
Initially established in medieval times with the noble mission to pursue a "triadic structure of human engagement with the world", Truth (Academic Inquiry and Knowledge), Good (Ethics and Morality), and Beauty (Aesthetics and Culture), universities underwent a gradual evolution towards a more utilitarian purpose over time. While some managed to strike a delicate balance between their original ideals and practical utility, many universities lost their way. Continuing down this misguided path poses the risk of universities deviating from their true essence, resembling neither genuine educational institutions nor corporations. In my vision, universities play a distinctive role in inspiring, instilling hope, and nurturing the development of sustainable citizens essential for constructing the envisioned Type One Civilization—a society characterized by multiculturalism, tolerance, and a steadfast commitment to scientific progress.
Citizens are entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding such a society, recognizing that what we possess is contingent upon what we are prepared to protect. The future we aspire to achieve demands concerted effort and unwavering persistence. I am keenly aware that Europe stands as the sole region boasting a social model that encompasses education, healthcare, minimum wages, paid annual holidays, and retirement plans. However, the longevity of this model hinges on Europe's sustained economic competitiveness. For instance, the diverse socio-economic landscapes within the European Union are evident in the 2017 average youth unemployment rate, standing at approximately 17%. This figure encompasses disparate realities, such as exceeding 40% in Greece and remaining below 7% in Germany.
Back in June 2015, the Final Report of the High-Level Expert Group on Key Enabling Technologies mentioned that
Europe was confronted with a structural erosion of its manufacturing base
risking losing its competitive manufacturing capacity. The decline that also
took place in the US is due not only to a shift in services but also to the fact
that investment in that area is falling. EU investments experienced a decline of approximately 14%, contrasting sharply with the notable increase of 92% in investments within the collective regions of China, South Korea, and Taiwan. No wonder then that in the global manufacturing map, Asian
countries have become the major players while Europe loses ground. Still, the
idea that increasing investment in the manufacturing sector will allow Europe to
create several million new jobs as it is written in the above report is a
short-sided vision because it forgets two things.
Firstly, Europe's destiny lies in becoming a beacon of a Type 1 Civilization rather than engaging in a race with Asia for manufacturing supremacy. Secondly, in the medium term, virtually all manufacturing industries are poised to undergo computerization. Encouragingly, Europe has already established groups dedicated to addressing this challenge. However, the downside is that Asian countries are also actively engaged in tackling this transformative shift. The advent of computerized industries in the future will present myriad challenges, extending beyond concerns about unemployment and debates over a universal basic income. More significantly, it prompts a profound exploration of how unemployment can serve as an opportunity for individuals to discover the true purpose of their existence. It's important to note that such a discourse extends beyond the scope of this document.
The cited report predominantly referenced universities in the context of patent applications and underscored the necessity for more robust partnerships between academia and industry. Notably, the High-Level Group, chaired by Pascal Lamy—President Emeritus of the Jacques Delors Institute, which is recognized as the Lamy Report—issued 11 crucial recommendations. Additionally, the report highlighted various constraints in Europe, reiterating the persistent issue of underperformance in patenting activity: "The EU trails well behind many
trading partners when it comes to innovation. It spends less than half as much
on business R&D as a share of GDP compared to South Korea...The EU produces
three times less quality patent applications than Japan. The amount of venture
capital available in the EU is at least five times lower than in the US; the
number of fast-growing start-ups, so-called unicorns, is equally five times
lower”
What the Lamy Report has omitted in that particular statement, is the specific contributions of public and private sectors to bridge the identified gap. However, on page 11 of the report, it acknowledges that the deficiency in private-sector research and development (R&D) is a primary factor hindering Europe from achieving the target of 3% of gross domestic expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP. A similar pattern is observed in Europe's patenting activity, second only to Japan. This discrepancy is largely attributed to the comparatively lower level of patenting activity in Europe's private sector compared to that of Japan.
The same can be said about the patenting activity of Europe which only
falls short when compared to Japan because the private sector in
Europe has a much lower patenting activity than Japan´s private sector. This implies that proposing a solution wherein universities are tasked with generating a significantly larger number of patents than they currently do to compensate for shortcomings in the private sector would be counterproductive. Such a move would irrevocably alter their mission.
Regarding the availability of venture capital, it is evident that universities have limited influence in that domain. Regarding the report's observations on so-called unicorns, it's noteworthy to recall Salim Ismail's perspective. As one of the founders of Singularity University, he recently remarked that the challenge for European entrepreneurs lies in a lack of ambition. Instead of aspiring to establish global enterprises, many focus on creating companies tailored for local or regional markets. Fortunately for Europe, the scenario in Asian countries is not as promising as certain reports suggest. For instance, China may have a
fierce determination backed by the power of a State with a high investment
capability. However, they have an educational system that promotes conformity and
obedience, not creativity and innovation which are needed in the present and in
the future (Chu, 2017). It´s true Asian students have good scores on Pisa tests but
that´s not a proxy for innovation and even less for creativity.
Decades ago, Alvin Toffler shared insights from his visits to Asian countries, highlighting what he considered a peculiar notion of innovation. In these places, the emphasis seemed to be on having students memorize a multiplication table spanning 1 to 100, in contrast to the Western approach of focusing on the table from 1 to 10. More recently, Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, echoed these sentiments, noting that the Chinese education system's emphasis on calculus and memorization of exercises is a mistake, as it primarily caters to manufacturing jobs (Ma, 2017). It is worth noting that in the early 20th century, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom collectively generated 95% of the world's citations and accounted for 97% of their collection. However, by the 21st century, these percentages have undergone a significant reduction, dwindling to 46% and 58%, respectively, marking a substantial decrease of nearly half (Dong et al., 2017). Nevertheless, despite the increased publication output from China and other Asian countries, they find themselves ensnared in a publication trap (Quan et al., 2017).
Wu (2017) recently highlighted that, despite three decades of reforms, the lingering influence of the Soviet era is palpable in Chinese universities. Consequently, major scientific accolades such as Nobel Prizes, Field Medals, and Turing Awards remain and are likely to continue being, predominantly awarded to Western countries. Moreover, the ascent of China's manufacturing industry to the pinnacle of the global stage, which has instilled a sense of apprehension in Europe, has also been a significant catalyst for environmental challenges. Regrettably, many forecasts of China's rise have underestimated the consequential environmental impacts associated with its industrial growth. Inevitably, China will reach a point where it must confront and address these challenges. In the medium term, the internal tensions arising from its development model—economic, technological, and even political—will become increasingly difficult for China to manage. This presents Europe with a strategic window of opportunity to fortify its economic advantage.
Update on
April the first 2020 – Barry Gills, Professor at the University of Helsinki,
wrote that: “As the existing order begins to disintegrate a new social order
must be built…We shall need...a new type of global social covenant...we must move now rapidly towards a post
nationalist mentality, based on our common human interests”
Update on November 17th, 2020 - The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, wrote in The Economist "The World in 2021" that "...we have a unique asset - our convening power...Our offer to the world is clear. Let us join forces for our common good"
