Academic freedom in Europe: time for a Magna Charta?

This paper is a preliminary attempt to establish a working definition of academic freedom for the European Union states. The paper details why such a definition is required for the European Union and then examines some of the difficulties of defining academic freedom. By drawing upon experience of the legal difficulties beset by the concept in the USA and building on previous analyses of constitutional and legislative protection for academic freedom, and of legal regulations concerning institutional governance and academic tenure, a working definition of academic freedom is then derived. The resultant definition which, it is suggested, could form the basis for a European Magna Charta Libertatis Academicae, goes beyond traditional discussions of academic freedom by specifying not only the rights inherent in the concept but also its accompanying duties, necessary limitations and safeguards. The paper concludes with proposals for how the definition might be tested and carried forward

Academic freedom in Europe: a preliminary comparative analysis

Using comparative data from 23 states within the European Union, this paper is a preliminary assessment of the protection for, and (by extension) the health of, academic freedom in the universities of the nations of the European Union. The paper examines constitutional and legislative protection for academic freedom, along with legal regulations concerning institutional governance, the appointment of the Rector and the existence of academic tenure, in order to create a composite picture of the health of academic freedom in the universities within the European Union nations. Additionally the paper considers how this preliminary analysis could be extended through possible further research to aid refinement of the results, and what policy steps could usefully be adopted at European level to protect and strengthen academic freedom

Designing for emergence and innovation: Redesigning design

We reveal the surprising and counterintuitive truth that the design process, in and of itself, is not always on the forefront of innovation. Design is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for the success of new products and services. We intuitively sense a connection between innovative design and emergence. The nature of design, emergence and innovation to understand their interrelationships and interdependencies is examined. We propose that design must harness the process of emergence; for it is only through the bottom-up and massively iterative unfolding of emergence that new and improved products and services are successfully refined, introduced and diffused into the marketplace. The relationships among design, emergence and innovation are developed. What designers can learn from nature about emergence and evolution that will impact the design process is explored. We examine the roles that design and emergence play in innovation. How innovative organizations can incorporate emergence into their design process is explored. We demarcate the boundary between invention and innovation. We also articulate the similarities and differences of design and emergence. We then develop the following three hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: “An innovative design is an emergent design.” Hypothesis 2: “A homeostatic relationship between design and emergence is a required condition for innovation.”Hypothesis 3: “Since design is a cultural activity and culture is an emergent phenomenon, it follows that design leading to innovation is also an emergent phenomenon” We provide a number of examples of how design and emergence have worked together and led to innovation. Examples include the tool making of early man; the evolutionary chain of the six languages speech, writing, math, science, computing and the Internet; the Gutenberg printing press and techniques of collaborative filtering associated with the Internet. We close by describing the relationship between human and naturally “designed” systems and the notion a key element of a design is its purpose as is the case with a living organism

Mutualism and the dynamics of new platform creation: a study of Cisco and Fog computing

How firms respond to the emergence of dominant platforms that undermine their competitiveness remains a strategic puzzle. Our longitudinal study shows how one incumbent, Cisco, responded to such a challenge by creating a new platform, Fog, without undermining the dominant platform, Cloud, where it played a complementor role. By developing a process model we reveal how a firm in a peripheral role in a platform ecosystem can reposition itself through a dynamic mix of material, symbolic and institutional actions to develop and legitimize an alternative platform. This can be done first through symbiosis with the dominant platform, then partial competition with it. We theorize the value of a mutualistic “rising tide lifts all boats” strategy in contrast to hostile “winner takes all” approache

Air exposure of coral is a significant source of dimethylsulfide (DMS) to the atmosphere

Corals are prolific producers of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). High atmospheric concentrations of the DMSP breakdown product dimethylsulfide (DMS) have been linked to coral reefs during low tides. DMS is a potentially key sulfur source to the tropical atmosphere, but DMS emission from corals during tidal exposure is not well quantified. Here we show that gas phase DMS concentrations (DMSgas) increased by an order of magnitude when three Indo-Pacific corals were exposed to air in laboratory experiments. Upon re-submersion, an additional rapid rise in DMSgas was observed, reflecting increased production by the coral and/or dissolution of DMS-rich mucus formed by the coral during air exposure. Depletion in DMS following re-submersion was likely due to biologically-driven conversion of DMS to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry showed downregulated photosynthesis during air exposure but rapid recovery upon re-submersion, suggesting that DMS enhances coral tolerance to oxidative stress during a process that can induce photoinhibition. We estimate that DMS emission from exposed coral reefs may be comparable in magnitude to emissions from other marine DMS hotspots. Coral DMS emission likely comprises a regular and significant source of sulfur to the tropical marine atmosphere, which is currently unrecognised in global DMS emission estimates and Earth System Models

Facilitating Organisational Fluidity with Computational Social Matching

Striving to operate in increasingly dynamic environments, organisations can be seen as fluid and communicative entities where traditional boundaries fade away and collaborations emerge ad hoc. To enhance fluidity, we conceptualise computational social matching as a research area investigating how to digitally support the development of mutually suitable compositions of collaborative ties in organisations. In practice, it refers to the use of data analytics and digital methods to identify features of individuals and the structures of existing social networks and to offer automated recommendations for matching actors. In this chapter, we outline an interdisciplinary theoretical space that provides perspectives on how interaction can be practically enhanced by computational social matching, both on the societal and organisational levels. We derive and describe three strategies for professional social matching: social exploration, network theory-based recommendations, and machine learning-based recommendations.Striving to operate in increasingly dynamic environments, organisations can be seen as fluid and communicative entities where traditional boundaries fade away and collaborations emerge ad hoc. To enhance fluidity, we conceptualise computational social matching as a research area investigating how to digitally support the development of mutually suitable compositions of collaborative ties in organisations. In practice, it refers to the use of data analytics and digital methods to identify features of individuals and the structures of existing social networks and to offer automated recommendations for matching actors. In this chapter, we outline an interdisciplinary theoretical space that provides perspectives on how interaction can be practically enhanced by computational social matching, both on the societal and organisational levels. We derive and describe three strategies for professional social matching: social exploration, network theory-based recommendations, and machine learning-based recommendations.Peer reviewe