Gender balance can make universities better

By Curt Rice. Universities have the potential to answer many of the most basic challenges faced by modern societies. We answer them through research – making new discoveries. We answer them through education – conveying previous discoveries. Research and education together move societies forward. Yet even though universities hold the key, those of us who work there don’t deliver results as well as we could. Sometimes we take too long, distracted by more pressing demands in the system. Sometimes we stop our work before it’s finished, without identifying the benefits to society that might be found in some new knowledge. It’s not just our research that can be poorly delivered. Our approaches to education are sometimes so conservative that we lose those who are hungry to learn. Read more...