Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Attribution of systematic failures to individuals typically overlooks the power of incentives.

Academics need funding, funding allows them to keep going. Institutions that academics work for have bloated overheads typically going to admins who are tiered in such a way that there is just a single admin at every level.

As the overheads go up, the pressure to publish and win awards does too. Most awards for public research say you can take up to 7% of the award as unobligated funds. The result is that institutions want higher operating costs, to push the bottom line and increase their 7% share.




(The point i am making is that the overall context looks more like a snake eating its own tail than evil-empire ivory tower dwellers)




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: