Abstract:

A pile of books and articles have been written on the future of the Academy. Many people are sceptical about the value of universities today. Due to the aim (i) to contribute to economic growth and (ii) to balance between on the one hand management and accountability and on the other academic autonomy and the responsibilities of universities to society, fundamental questions such as ‘What are universities for?’ are raised today. Critical authors plea for old but sometimes forgotten assets such as ‘critical reflection’, ‘Bildung’ and 'academic freedom'.

At Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam the concept of 'Gross Academic Value' was introduced. Central to this concept is the idea that universities must contribute to the wellbeing of a society. 'Gross Academic Value' is expressed in three themes:
(i) instilling on academic disposition, (ii) focus on society, and
(iii) embracing diversity.

In my presentation I shall concentrate on the first theme. Instilling and fostering an academic disposition means investing in the students’ intellectual and personal development and their ethical awareness.

An important question is of course how the aims of 'Gross Academic Value' can be realized in education. In my presentation I will do some suggestions concerning the way students can be stimulated to develop a critical approach to science. I will introduce the ‘Dilemma Oriented Learning Model’. This model helps students to reflect upon their ‘own’ stance and values. I will also show that 'Gross Academic Value' is not something ‘extra’ next to a thorough introduction in a scientific discipline, but that it belongs to the heart of scientific education.

Keywords:

Reflection, Academic Education, Gross Academic Value, Bildung, Dilemma Oriented Learning Model