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Venue: Think Corner Stage (Yliopistonkatu 4)Panelists: Sarah Green, Martti Koskenniemi, Jaakko Lehtinen
Moderator: Kaisa Kaakinen
Academic research, just as any other form of human activity, is goal-directed. The goals in question need not be external to the activity itself but often define and shape the very endeavor. Perhaps especially in the humanities and social sciences, the accumulation of understanding and knowledge has traditionally been seen as an intrinsic value in no need of instrumental justification. For many academics, then, the ultimate goal as well as the motivating force or research is mere curiosity and quest for understanding and knowledge. Insofar as the practical applicability and impact of research come into the picture, they do so as secondary if welcome byproducts. This traditional ideal of understanding for its own sake has been challenged by increasingly vocal appeals to justify the investment in research by reference to the applicability of the research results and their societal and economic impact. This logic of productivity has become more dominant also in the self-understanding of academic institutions. But can research be managed with societal impact and applicability as the guiding principle? Can researchers find motivation for their work in such objectives? Is the logic of productivity incompatible with the logic of curiosity?
Panelists:
* Sarah Green, Professor of anthropology at the University of Helsinki.
* Martti Koskenniemi, Academician of Science and Professor Emeritus of International Law at the University of Helsinki.
* Jaakko Lehtinen, tenured associate professor at Aalto University
Link to live stream: https://tiedekulmamedia.helsinki.fi/fi/web/tiedekulma/player/webcast?eventId=316641201
Event website: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-collegium-advanced-studies/news/impact-or-insight-what-driving-force-academic-research
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Tiedekulma, Fabianinkatu 20, FI-00100 Helsinki, Suomi,Helsinki, Finland
