Talk given at the On Think Tanks meeting in Geneva in February 2019. Discusses the way in which research excellence is constructed and tends to 'internationalise' networks. Using the Sabato-Botana triangle as a model it argues for the importance of localism and the need for contextualised conceptions of excellence if research is to deliver value for the communities that support it.

1. Research Excellence
is a Neo-colonial Agenda
@cameronneylon
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0068-716X
On Think Tanks, Geneva, 6 February 2019
http://bit.ly/OTT-Neylon-Excellence

2. Excellence…

3. “[…a] commitment
to excellence and
advancement on merit”
University College London

4. …to strive
for excellence and
distinction…
Curtin University

5. “[…a] commitment
to excellence and
advancement on merit”
University College London

6. We prize excellence
Cape Peninsula
University of Technology

7. We demand excellence
University of Westminster

8. …with world-
class excellence
across all of its
departments
Princeton

9. excellence in…?

10. excellence in professionally
relevant teaching
University of Westminster

11. excellence in research
and education
Indiana University

12. excellence in teaching,
research, and public
engagement
Cornell University

13. …a center of
excellence for cultural,
athletic and other events
University of Toledo

14. How can we determine or measure…
“excellence”?

15. We prize
academic excellence at UC Davis.
More than 500 of our faculty have
earned prestigious [..] honors[..]
rank[ings]. UC Davis

16. Pursuing excellence means being
satisfied with no less than the
highest goals we can envision.
University of Missouri

17. Pursuing excellence involves being
informed by regional, national and
global standards, as well as our
personal expectations. University of Missouri

18. “excellence” is the holy
grail of academic life
Michèle Lamont
How Professors Think

19. excellence is produced and
defined in a multitude of sites
and by an array of actors
Michèle Lamont
How Professors Think

20. excellence is produced and
defined in a multitude of sites
and by an array of actors
Michèle Lamont
How Professors Think

21. excellence is produced and
defined in a multitude of sites
and by an array of actors
Michèle Lamont
How Professors Think

22. excellence is produced and
defined in a multitude of sites
and by an array of actors
Michèle Lamont
How Professors Think

23. “excellence” tells us nothing
about how important the science is
and everything about who decides.
Jack Stilgoe
Against Excellence

24. Using the word
excellence
is a way of avoiding
a difficult conversation

25. Using the word
excellence
is a way of avoiding
talking about values

26. Impact
“excellence” becomes a performance

27. Impact
…performance of
“excellence”

28. Impact
…in the place of
excellent performance

34. Excellence…

35. Excellence…
…is contextual

36. Excellence…
…is dangerous

37. …is a Neo-colonial Agenda
Excellence…

38. Excellence…
…is a Neo-colonial Agenda

39. …in a post-colonial context
Knowledge production…

40. …for international profile
Knowledge production…

41. …for local problem solving
Knowledge production…

42. …for absorptive capacity
Knowledge production…

43. …for Keynesian economics
Knowledge production…

44. …is resource intensive
Knowledge production…

45. …needs to be done well
Knowledge production…

46. What does it mean for it…
…to be done well?

47. Is there local capacity to tell if…
…it is done well?

49. This is a classical
…post-colonial analysis

50. Excellence…
…is a Neo-colonial Agenda

51. Excellence…
…in its implementation is new

53. “TheexcellenceofDrCockayne’swork”
“…excellenceofBritish
gunnery….”
“…centresofexcellence….”“…research
excellence….”
“…sustainingexcellence….”

54. Excellence…
…in its implementation is new
…with new models and new actors

55. Excellence…
…in its implementation is new
…with new models and new actors
…and new forms of structural bias

60. 0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
% contributor to mortality
#ofWoSArticles2013-18
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
0 20 40
HIV
Stroke
Diabetes
Heart Disease
Lower Respiratory Infection
Diarrhoea
Road Injury

62. Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva

63. Sabato and Botana (1968)
Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva

64. Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva
Sabato and Botana (1968)

65. Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva
Sabato and Botana (1968)

66. Sabato and Botana (1968)
Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva

67. Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva

68. Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva

69. Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva

70. Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva

71. John O’Sullivan https://visual.ly/community/infographic/transportation/world-airline-routes-map

72. Leydesdorff et al (2013) https://arxiv.org/abs/1301.0801

74. Building the right networks…

75. …requires institutionalizing locality

76. Gobierno
Infraestructura científico-tecnológica Estructura productiva

77. …lead the world
In the aspirational, longer term…

78. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
HIV
Stroke
Diabetes
HeartDisease
Lowerrespiratory
infections
Diarrhoea
Roadinjury
% Open Access to Publications from South Africa vs Netherlands

79. Building the right networks…

80. …requires institutionalizing locality

81. Slide courtesy of Professor Xianwen Wang – see https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-02-2018-0023

82. Privileging the local…

83. …provides the strength and confidence
to effectively utilise the global

84. This process – of ever-widening, concentric
circles – allows a drip-feed of stories to a
wider audience, even as a specific heritage
is both consolidated and enhanced.
Scott (2015) Not so easy, Griffith Review, 47

85. @cameronneylon
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0068-716X
On Think Tanks, Geneva, 6 February 2019
http://bit.ly/OTT-Neylon-Excellence