When the going gets tough... - Wageningen UR

newsWageningen UR should have thecourage to be more open to criticalreflection and listen to the ‘dissidents’within the organization.That was the key message that educationand research director AbGroen put across in his farewelllecture on 24 January.Groen was not afraid to reflecton the directors present in theroom. For instance, he said it was‘hilarious’ that university directorsand researchers advocate autonomyand self-monitoring ‘in view ofthe recent failures in self-monitoringin the case of directors’ payand scientific fraud.’Such contradictions raise thesuspicions of the general public.Groen thinks that you can onlychange this by paying more attentionto the individual motivationsof students and researchers. He isagainst the abolition of the basicgrant, selective admissions andsetting up so-called honours programmes.Such measures are turningthe universities into ‘Humboldtinstitutions’ - ivory towers -whereas they should be developinginto networking knowledge institutions.Universities also need to makesure they do not lose contact withthe students. ‘The biggest challengefor universities now is to beaware of the trends among youngpeople.’ He mentions the use of ITas an example. ‘A lecturer found itirritating that students were messingaround with Facebook andTwitter during practicals. I don’tagree. Sixty percent of new studentshave mobile internet. So itshould be the other way around -the lecturer should start tweetingwith them instead. WageningenUniversity should invest more inthe use of social media in the learningenvironment so you are givingenough support to the ITtrendsetters among the students.’That is why you need a structuraldialogue between the universityand its students ‘starting with theacknowledgement that young peopleshould have a say,’ argues Groen.He feels consultations between theboard and the student council aretoo much of a ‘ formal exercise’ without‘the intrinsic willingness todiscuss key policy decisions.’The university directors shouldorganize such questioning of itspolicy themselves, says Groen, whoacted as an advisor to the board forthe past seven years. ‘Make surethere is sufficient critical reflection.’He says managers become lazyif they aren’t confronted with resistanceor dissidents, or else theythink they can get away with anything.‘A strong organization isprepared to make room for dissidentsbecause they improve thequality of the decision-making process.’According to Groen, it is thosevery critics who throw a differentlight on matters and who canexpose the weak points in policychoices. ‘We must have the courageto have honest differences ofopinion. There needs to be a culturegrounded in commitment andcreativity in which staff feel safe totake risks and take action. Resistanceis about voicing your own views andseeking links with others based onyour own sense of worth.’ ASAb Groen has spent more than30 years at Wageningen University,first as a student and thenas a lecturer in the Animal Breedingand Genetics group and laterhead of teaching within AnimalSciences. He has spent thelast seven years as director ofCorporate Education, Research &Innovation at Wageningen UR.As of 1 February, he will bechairman of the board of Helicon,a centre for pre-vocationaland vocational agricultural education.RESOURCE — 31 January 2013