Wednesday, November 05, 2003

McGILL RESEARCH BEST

McGill University has been declared Canadian Research University of the Year by Research Infosource Inc. as announced in a press release yesterday.

Research Infosource Inc. is a private consulting firm specializing in planning, policy analysis, technology and education fields. The ranking methodology evaluates universities in a variety of quantitative categories analyzing input of research funding and the quality of research output.

McGill principal Heather Munroe-Blum stated: "it's a concrete testimony to the productivity and excellence of our researchers in all disciplines, of whom we are obviously proud."

This is yet another important accolade to add to McGill's long list that further emphasizes my assertion that McGill Universtiy is the best school in the country and one of the best in the world.

The recognition of McGill's outstanding researchers is extremely important. Many undergraduates here often bemoan the fact that McGill is such a research intensive university and that their professors are too focused on research. In my opinion such complaints fail to recognize the full impact good researchers have within a university.

First, good researches make good teachers. A professor who is doing ground-breaking research in a particular field brings an understanding and depth of analysis to teaching that you are not going to get from a professor who may have excellent teaching methods but does little research.

Secondly, good researchers do more than any other members of the university community to improve the overall quality of the school. Top level researchers bring in more research funding for the school and attract other good researchers to the school. Collectively top-level researchers raise the level of overall academic rigour and academic discourse which difuses through all levels of the school benefiting everyone.

Finally, as principal Munroe-Blum emphasized, "university research does not operate in a vacuum, but directly benefits society through advances in areas from health to culture."

Absolutely. The most important role universities have is in the production of knowledge and serving as the centres of institutional memory for society. University research improves society immesurably.

Research is the most important function of a university and McGill's researchers are the best in the country.

Posted by Matthew @ 12:20 p.m.