CC BY
42
Abulfaz D. Suleymanov
PhD, Institute of Philosophy, Sociology and Law Researches, Azerbaijan Sciences,
The Union of Sociologists of Azerbaijan Baku, Azerbaijan e-mail: [email protected]
The Way to the Modern University
This paper aims to discuss how modern universities should be structured in our contemporary society by discussing the relationships between different entities within the university. First of all, what is the concept of university will be examined and the very existence of universities will be argued with regard to the function of university. Secondly, the freedom of university will be addressed in order to understand what the mechanisms are to improve scientific thought and imagination especially among students and faculty through looking closer to the relationships between student and academicians, academician and faculty administration. In this part of the study, it will be pointed out that university is an institution not only based on teaching professionals according to needs of the society but also a place for questioning and challenging common and traditional knowledge by using the tool of scientific research. Lastly, how and in what ways contemporary information an communication technologies will affect the structure of university education will discussed. In brief, the paper is based on the idea that the modern university could only be realized by creating democratic environment for both academics and students to express themselves and making an effort to make students gain essential skills and knowledge in order to produce the knowledge by conduction their researches independently.
Keywords: modern university, university and freedom, scientific research.
Introduction
People have been trying to understand the universe and the world we live in since thousand years ago, from Aristotle, Plato and Sophists. They also have questioned the human beings, in other words ‘themselves’. Sophists have played a significant role in the world history. They have thought that the human can develop himself or herself directly by enriching things that they possess and also with the help of knowledge, which is the motive inside the humans nature. Thus people began activities that include some questions as how can people transfer knowledge, how can they create the better structure of state and community. Actually we can say that these ideal activities are occupation of university. The one of the first universities of the world probably is related to the idea that has been mentioned above. Still we can think that there are some trends in the East, for instance, in China, dated from Confucius. I want to emphasize that university is a place that investigates the universe, the world, and humanity and all in all, it is an institution which is interested in the adventure of looking for knowledge essential for universe.
University is the name of place where universal knowledge is protected, accumulated, worked, developed, narrating to kinds, distributed and tested. In this sense, one can not think university as a building. ‘University’ is such a place that universal knowledge is produced, tested and distributed according to scientific rules and norms.
What is the Function of University
Each person and each society assign different roles to university. In addition to this, if some one enters the university who has creative decisions, disciplinable and sane judgments, loyal and sufficient worldwide, high quality; contributing to developing of knowledge and technique, giving solutions to state and global problems, educating in the way of general and liberal, training employees in need of professional sectors, doing basic and executive researches, educating of making rational decisions and increasing smart solutions, popularizing and accommodating critical decisions as a leader position, protecting and enriching existence information and decisions, satisfying to cause enlarged and increased professional sectors, training young people to various professions, renovating and passing from generation to generation culture.
In this situation, university has different roles, duties and forms where environment is shaped intellectually and physically; explorers’ unity; scientific and intellectual sphere; the representative of knowledge; elucidating and directing humanity; supporter of conception of majority; assisting to situating of participant democracy; developing new ideas; assisting to scientific growth of undeveloped regions; training personnel for universities and high schools. University has a leading role of collective learning, researching and developing ideas via working together.
Scientific Mentality and Attitude
The very essence of why university exists is to introduce scientific imagination and attitude to the students. Today in modern universities, this goal has been realized with the support of various sub branches of philosophy such as ‘philosophy of science’ which questions the meaning of science, their structures of scientific institutions and construction of scientific schools and models, ‘epistemology’ which is based on theory of knowledge, the methods of verification and falsification of knowledge and lastly the courses on Logic. Within this context, it should be aimed to introduce students about the keystones of scientific thought like Rationalism, Criticism, Realism in order to improve their abilities on scientific way of thinking. The students in the Faculties of Natural Sciences, Engineering Sciences and Social Sciences should have these courses which contribute to the adopting scientific thought in their curriculum at least for one or two years. Thus the development of scientific thought and improvements could be achieved.
It should be underlined that university is not the institution that serves only to transfer ready made knowledge. As a matter of fact university education should depend solely on research. Hence the students should be equipped with basic skills and knowledge on research methods and techniques in order to prepare them to lead their own research and producing knowledge.
How Must Modern University Be
Today some of universities were estranged from national and global aims. For this reason, by a majority the youths at the universities cannot change from ‘pupil level’ to the ‘student level’, cannot get practice on objective and rational sense; cannot get skills on discovering and explaining reality by using research, declaring consequence as scientific result, cannot achieve finding their errors and reasoning them. This situation concerns some teachers too.
The type of professional student of university does not exist in our country. Conception of learning is applied through giving materials instead of the learning by using research methods
that is one of the impediments of the modernization of our universities. The teachers who sells the books written by themselves and forcing their students to memorize these materials have faults too. The student who do not have a chance to complete own personality is always passive and under the influence. Student must leave the habit of deserting after graduation too.
Knowledge is not the mean of swaggering and becoming proud in our tradition. Knowledge is the tool to reflect someone’s information to his (her) behavior as an ethical conduct. In this sense we must apply it to standard of behavior. It is necessary that our youths must know what they look for and where they find it. How do you think, how many scientific research methods are taught to our youths at the universities
University and Freedom
The freedom is related directly with university. Training idealist, scientists, even artists is related closely the concept of university freedom. University is a place that opens to different ideas even new ideas that haven’t been invented before. If university could not actualize this kind free environment, it is not possible to conduct research there and the things that have been done in this university would be stay at the same size. If the university doesn’t do new things, it will limit its existence and changes into means organization. Furthermore it will lose its main character and seen as only teaching organization (Bilgin, 2010).
Universities cannot exist as mediators, affirmative and legacy of definite construction as knowledge and informative person which can’t be one of the production factors. Universities can not be added with any native and ideological mention. The mission of university is not affirming of truth, vice versa, its mission is arguing, questioning of everything which is accepted as true. It is necessary organization that consists academics and scientific structure for doing all of these.
The Relationship among Academician, Student and University
Let me underline what the university is: University is a place that universal realities are investigated by various aspects of science and to sum up these are investigated and produced through all of the life. In other words, university is a place where the appearances of reality are questioned. But which people do it? — Academicians and student.
The students make indirectly benefits out of universities if he is keen on to learn the scientific and ideal theories and products of the academicians. However the university does not consist of these type of students. It should be said that the main duty of the academician is not teaching something to the students. Teaching is not a basic activity. Teachers or scientists process the previous findings and standard information from the works of other scholars while they pursue to conduct their own researches. All these activities are done within educational community. The students are part of this educational community and if they demand they have a chance to get knowledge on the methods that the academicians have standardized. Because of it, they should live in this community and savor freedom that needed for humans who investigate the universal realities. Teachers, academicians and students may have various interests, different ideas. goals and have different tendencies in their field that they work. They are in need of organizations that help to develop to express themselves (Khalilov, 2010).
On the other hand to take university education for only gaining profession or skills is at the same time means to limit academician’s knowledge. An academician begins to be
considered as professional researcher which is working in the outside fields of university which are aimed to reach definite goals. The academician in the university condition, in the borders of the science; is the person which is producing knowledge considering social, economical, cultural and political needs of his geography and shares his knowledge with whole society, far from all power authority centers, standing in the equal level to all ideological interests to socio-cultural structures.
We do not mean the university is producing worldwide knowledge in every sphere, discussing, sharing knowledge as university of high knowledge; but the university which creates the most resources, answers to the workforce needs, produces the most of patent rights and competing in this fields. Quality is to be slave of rules identified in the independent condition from his knowledge, working, working way, person and geography.
University and Dynamics
One of the university dynamics is directly connected to the intellectual environment. It is known that there are some occupations in a typical university. Sometimes the hierarchy causes intellectual environment to disappear. In fact, hierarchy is only necessary for teaching. It shows the authority of peoples to teach formal lessons in the result of some scientific activities. But, it should not change the hierarchy into dictatorship that restricts the freedom. There will be serious problem, if the academic titles changes according to administrative dictatorship.
Every dictatorship causes to restriction of the freedom of university that damages university. Consequently, the dictatorship-like organized structure of the university should be abolished. The leader oriented structure should not be applied to a university. If the members of the university do not have a right to discuss who the president of the university is, it means that the ‘university’ does not exist there. Since, the best university administration is the one that it is not felt too much. Of course, it is related to intellectual perception.
Educational Potential of Information and Intercourse Technologies
If universities can prepare the environments of learning by using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) they’ll develop positively in the any direction. The new works about standardize in theme ICT Integrated Systems Digital Network (ISDN) and satellite connected Internet applications have created high speedy Internet connection. Messages sent by ISDN can include text, voice and view to the same vow. In comparison with face to face education, education in virtual environments should be more expensive. This can not be true in the integrity. It is difficult to say correct opinion about which will more expensive, the connection expenses of the teacher who gives virtual education or the expenses which is spent to keep the teacher which gives face to face education. If we take into account other sides of the educational process, then situation will be accurate. Building productions, maintenances, repairs, warm, lighten, service can present to the pupil in the limited number are the disadvantages of the traditional education which executed connection in physical places. Nevertheless, we can connect with much more people using fewer places by virtual ways. In addition, when the expenses of telecommunication fell, building expenses, worker indemnifications, transport expenses are carrying on increase. Therefore, it seems that educational system will change to a system being based on ISDN in the nearest future. Infrastructure and school building capitals will not be load for educational systems
when all that realizes. And also the infrastructure which is necessary for telecommunication will not be only expenses of educational system because it will also used by other sectors.
Will the educational applications which we have described above indeed introduce qualitative education? Researches proved that when it planned and applied well the education activities in virtual conditions can be effective as traditional education (Kulik, 1991). Nevertheless, the main easiness which virtual education ensures is to communicate with to heterogeneous, different groups at same time (Sutherland et al, 2000). The students studying in virtual education program will able to reach wide learning environment prepared about the subject they working on, use file systems, sources using faculties and departments connected with online system. The easiness which provides virtual educational application is the development which is able to solve the heavy works like preparing plan of education, printing, changing, writing school books in traditional education system. So education will ear dynamic system. Hypertext-hypermedia we meet in nowadays will come across with us as a virtual school, a virtual university in future.
If we determine virtual education as a system which making connection among teacher-learner in situations when face to face influence is difficult then it may be arise some pedagogical problems from that determination. If learning is a system of social influence then can learning environment be established without face to face influence? How social influence does virtual educational application make? Or how much it will be effective in creating social environments for learning? ISDN transfers knowledge not people. The distance among teacher and learner disappear and create virtual bridge. Nowadays virtual educational applications are interested in creating this bridge. And it is working on raising the capacity of mutual influence and communication. In that case it occur a question: If virtual educational application provides enough reciprocal influences and intercourse between applied sides doesn’t it means creating social environments for learning? None technology is the last way of solution for all situation. We can say that the capacity and application of technology is fit in limit providing needs of education. Therefore we can put question like that, which needs of education does ISDN provide? In that case does ISDN provide needs of creating social environments with the object of learning which result of reciprocal influence is? From this point of view we can’t say that it is unsatisfactory because very strong dialogues are made between teacher and learner by virtual bridge from this point of view we can’t say that it is unsatisfactory because very strong dialogues are made between teacher and learner by virtual bridge. And virtual educational applications are also being developed from side the reciprocal influence and intercourse of student-student relations (Khalilov, 2010). There are such kind of situations during traditional education conducting in physical places that it can be no intercourse dialogue among people even if they in the same close place. There are much examples of that crowded classes. In that case it can’t be decided that the superficial intercourse and dialogue will decrease because students of virtual university held in other places, homes, work places and teachers held in studio instead of class. Even if it is virtual environment if the reciprocal influence period becomes real then it means that the social influence period also becomes real.
Education driven universities reflect the society structures of the 19th and 20th centuries. Today virtual world makes our daily life richer. Virtual world contains huge amount of information and proposes fair and equal use of the information. So, we are very close to everything, and at the same time we are able to observe and evaluate ourselves. Individuals become stronger and competent when they apply the principles and knowledge they learn from the virtual life. It is impossible to think universities of today without ICT services. Universities must formulate their sub structure, management and educational platform on
the basis of ICT services. The role of the universities is to produce facilities and provide the students with these facilities and as result of this, to play and indispensable role in the provision of human resources. And universities will implement its activities more effectively using the facilities of the ICT. The defects and gaps in the activities of the universities will be filled in by the ICT services. Universities will change to learning driven centre applications from the education driven centre applications by the help of ICT services.
Conclusion
The very success of universities to be modern, contemporary depends on struggling with some obstacles. To be a modern university requires the freedom in every sphere such as freedom of thought in line with democratic and scientific manner, free research, free discussion and criticism. At the same time this goal could be pursued through not excluding national identity and culture.
References
Bilgin V. (2010). Universite and freedom (in turkich). URL: http://www.haberpan.com/makale/ vedat-bilgin/universite-ve-ozgurluk
Kulik C. L. C., & Kulik J. A. (1991). Effectiveness of computer based instruction: an updated analysis // Computersin Human Behaviour. Vol. 7. № 1-2. P. 17-94.
Sutherland R., Facer K., Furlong R. & Furlong J. (2000). A new environment for education? The computer in the home // Computers & Education. Vol. 34. P. 195-212.
Yazici E. (2008). The perception of universities in Turkey: Troubled transformation // Almila Journal. Vol. 12. P. 28.
Khalilov S. (2011). About the science of science (Azerbaijani language). Baku: University Publishing House. P. 78.
Путь к современному университету
Абульфаз Давудович Сулейманов
кандидат социологических наук, ведущий научный сотрудник Института философии, социологии и права Национальной академии наук Азербайджана, исполнительный директор Союза Социологов Азербайджана e-mail: [email protected]
В статье рассматриваются задачи, роль и возможности университетов в развитии современного общества в контексте эволюционных институциональных изменений. Современный университет требует свободы в каждой сфере: свободы мысли, свободного исследования, свободного обсуждения и критики. Вместе с тем эта цель должна быть достигнута с учетом национального самосознания и национальной культуры. Университет — учреждение, деятельность которого невозможна без профессионалов, но это и место для дискуссии, а также для научного исследования. Современный университет может функционировать только создавая демократическую окружающую среду, как для академических персоналий, так и для студентов.
Ключевые слова: современный университет, университет и свобода, научное исследование.
