Science for sale

The university regularly catches flak for its collaborations with the private sector. Rotterdam School of Management in particular is required to clear up a number of integrity issues in the wake of a critical report about its relations with the fossil fuel industry. Which risks are entailed by contract research? And where do you draw the line as far as working together with outside parties is concerned?

Universities are receiving less and less public funding per student. In response, they are increasingly seeking out alternative sources of income – and Erasmus University is no exception. One such source of income is the private sector. Academics are commissioned to perform research on companies’ behalf or provide consultancy services. And various degree programmes solicit sponsoring or help companies to recruit students. However, collaborations of this kind may call the independence and integrity of institutions’ education and research into question.