Knowledge Matters

by Axelrod, Paul Douglas; Shapiro, Bernard J.

• ISBN13: 9780773528314
• ISBN10: 0773528318
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-12-01
• Publisher: McGill Queens Univ

Summary

Knowledge Matters, written in honour of eminent Canadian educator Bernard J. Shapiro, explores the state and prospects of higher education in Canada and beyond. The contributors, a group of distinguished thinkers who participated in a colloquium in honour of Bernard J. Shapiro upon his retirement from the principalship of McGill University, draw from their vast experience and accomplishments in the worlds of scholarship, university administration, and the public and private sectors to demonstrate that knowledge matters. The contributors offer a variety of cautionary notes, neither despairing nor sanguine, about the future of higher education. Janice Gross Stein and Chaviva M. Hosek call upon universities and academics to contribute to policy development in a world that needs their expertise. Arnold Naimark and William Pulleybank favour collaborative relationships between universities and other institutional partners, while Bruce Trigger warns against the forces of utilitarianism and technological determinism. Claude Corbo explores competing intellectual traditions in Quebec higher education and Jean-Michel LaCroix traces the complex cultural and regional dynamics that shape university life in France. Peter McNally reviews the historical role of McGill University and several of its leaders on the Canadian educational landscape, while Hanna Gray identifies qualities characteristic of successful university presidents. Paul Axelrod describes the educational and career pathways of one of Canada's most accomplished educators, Bernard J. Shapiro, principal of McGill University from 1994 to 2001. A restaurateur, psychologist, dean of education, and deputy minister in the Ontario government, Shapiro's vocational choices were eclectic and always challenging. He was fascinated by the way people attain knowledge and worked to enable them to do so more successfully both within and outside educational institutions. He has left an indelible mark on Canadian educational life; this volume is a tribute to the respect he elicited among his colleagues and peers. Contributors include Paul Axelrod, Claude Corbo (Université du Québec), Hanna Gray (University of Chicago), Chaviva M. Hosek (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research), Jean-Michel LaCroix (Académie d'Aix-Marseille), Peter McNally (McGill University), Arnold Naimark (University of Manitoba), William Pulleybank (IBM), Janice Gross Stein (University of Toronto), and Bruce Trigger (McGill University).

Table of Contents

Contributors	vii
Foreword	xi
Heather Munroe-Blum
Introduction	xiii
Paul Axelrod
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
1 Quelques formes de l'idée d'université au Québec, 1770-1970	3	(13)
Claude Corbo
2 McGill's Role within Canadian Higher Education	16	(11)
Peter F. McNally
THE UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC POLICY
3 What, Why, and How? The University and Public Policy in a Networked Society	27	(10)
Janice Gross Stein
4 Toward a New Understanding of Knowledge Transfer: The Role of Experts in Shaping Public Policy	37	(16)
Chaviva M. Hošek
LEARNING AND PARTNERSHIP IN KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT
5 Universities and Industry in Canada: An Evolving Relationship	53	(9)
Arnold Naimark
6 Research: A Partnership Opportunity for Universities, Business, and Government	62	(12)
William R. Pulleyblank
7 Producing Knowledge for Society	74	(11)
Bruce G. Trigger
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
8 L'autonomie des universités francaises et les enjeux de la décentralisation	85	(8)
Jean-Michel Lacroix
9 The Challenge of Leadership and Governance in the University	93
Hanna Gray
AN INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVE
10 The Educational Journey of Bernard J. Shapiro	103
Paul Axelrod