This is my editorial introduction to the JoCI special issue on Universities and Communities presented as a blogpost... This may be of interest to some... M New post on Gurstein's Community Informatics <http://1.gravatar.com/blavatar/b5101a0bf56d6ccf9d413bc5a3f1a041?s=32&ts=132 6367084> <http://gurstein.wordpress.com/author/gurstein/> Evolving <http://gurstein.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/evolving-relationships-universitie s-researchers-and-communities-special-issue-journal-of-community-informatics -university-community-relationships/> Relationships: Universities, Researchers and Communities:: Special Issue: Journal of Community Informatics: University - Community Relationships by Michael <http://gurstein.wordpress.com/author/gurstein/> Gurstein This issue of The <http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej> Journal of Community Informatics (JoCI) deals with research relationships between universities and university based ICT researchers and communities. These matters are, of course of central significance to Community Informatics since much of CI is, in one form or another, linked into this type of relationship. These papers, however interesting and valuable they are in giving us insight and direction into how these relationships can be undertaken in ways which are respectful, productive and mutually advantageous; perhaps raise as many questions as they resolve. And here I point to these questions not to be critical of the individual papers or the issue overall, but rather to indicate how complex and challenging this area can be for those concerned and how this complexity has broader significance for the overall nature of CI both in the academic world and as a practice in the field. The first question to ask is how have university community relations evolved in the context of the broad evolution of universities and particularly the current widely observed trend toward corporatization of universities, university research and even university teaching. The rise of "user pays" approaches to universities as in other spheres (in most of the OECD countries among others) has meant that the financing of universities increasingly relies on tuition, overhead from research funds, corporate (and other, including alumni) donations, and endowments where available, for funding. This has lead to very significant increases in the cost of tuition (and the related student loan crises particularly in the US) as well as a more "business-like" (corporate) approach to university management. ... http://wp.me/pJQl5-8x Michael <http://gurstein.wordpress.com/author/gurstein/> Gurstein | January 12, 2012 at 03:17 | Categories: Uncategorized <http://gurstein.wordpress.com/?cat=1> | URL: http://wp.me/pJQl5-8x Comment <http://gurstein.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/evolving-relationships-universitie s-researchers-and-communities-special-issue-journal-of-community-informatics -university-community-relationships/#respond> See <http://gurstein.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/evolving-relationships-universitie s-researchers-and-communities-special-issue-journal-of-community-informatics -university-community-relationships/#comments> all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage <http://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=0411ceb4c3067f687647025a213718cc&email= mgurst%40vcn.bc.ca> Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://gurstein.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/evolving-relationships-universities -researchers-and-communities-special-issue-journal-of-community-informatics- university-community-relationships/ Thanks for <http://wordpress.com> flying with WordPress.com <http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gurstein.wordpress.com&blog=10925955& post=529&subd=gurstein&ref=&email=1&email_o=wpcom> !DSPAM:2676,4f0ec16e223772647065550!