| Biologists and medical practitioners have proven | | | | the majority of the academic institutions are |
| through extensive scientific research and testing | | | | private, a university is considered as another type |
| that every living organism renews its cells as it | | | | of legal entity with similar economic interests as |
| gradually matures. If we accept Proust's | | | | that of a corporation in any industry. Universities, |
| metaphor that "a nation is a huge organized | | | | although non-profit institutions, have not only to |
| accumulation of individuals," then when cultural | | | | survive, but also to prosper, as they compete in |
| norms change so does the nation as a whole | | | | a fierce environment using as their |
| entity. Based on this assumption, a nation, a | | | | unique-selling-point the mere knowledge they |
| country, or generally any type of society, can be | | | | teach. As a matter of fact, Universities today |
| characterized by its critics as "sick" if its | | | | have seized to be agents of free knowledge and |
| constituent cells change their previous status with | | | | truth, altering their nature to that of a corporation. |
| unknown consequences. Under this realm, the | | | | This is an undisputable fact, which is the route |
| crisis contemporary universities have been | | | | under this whole crisis. Additionally, as the individual |
| experiencing must be the outcome of the | | | | cells of this living organism have realized the |
| detected changes in people's values, norms, | | | | impact and the degree of the 21st century's |
| priorities and ideology. Thus, as the individual cells | | | | economic changes, they have began to invest to |
| change their role, critics have denoted a new type | | | | this new role of the contemporary university, |
| of "sickness" in the academic environment, a new | | | | seeing it as the adequate preparation field for |
| type of "cancer," which according to scholars like | | | | highly trained consumers and managers. |
| Miller and Miyoshi, has to be treated adequately | | | | Returning to the original question, whether |
| before it completely destroys the institutions' | | | | contemporary universities suffer from "cancer" or |
| primary educational purpose. | | | | not, in my opinion the answer is yes. This |
| Like a human organism is constructed by smaller | | | | realization is not as provocative as it sounds. |
| portions of matter, the contemporary university | | | | Universities have realized their power to foster |
| is an accumulation of students, professors, | | | | change, not necessarily with a rebellion nature, the |
| administrators and many more stakeholders, like | | | | academic institutions of the West are about to |
| corporations. These groups share the grounds of | | | | step forward and propose a new type of |
| an institution and strive to accomplish various | | | | educational mode. |
| goals. In the past, although different views existed | | | | This new role of the contemporary university |
| and dissensus was present, the unity of the | | | | may not be revolutionary, as neither were the |
| overall institution was not jeopardized. | | | | interdisciplinary studies at the time that they were |
| Unfortunately today, due to the socioeconomic | | | | originally introduced, but it will be radical and |
| changes fostered by the capitalistic hegemony, | | | | forceful in nature and scale as its primary focus |
| contradictory interests have divided the various | | | | will be the critical judgment of its own role and its |
| university groups threatening unity under the | | | | principles will be based on the fundamental value |
| broad academic umbrella. But is there something | | | | of respect and the notion of accepting and |
| wrong with corporate intervention and why has it | | | | requiring diversity. Not because it better sells the |
| managed to create a crisis of this magnitude? Do | | | | new character promoted by the institution, but |
| universities suffer from "cancer"? | | | | because through different academic backgrounds |
| Especially in counties, like the United States, where | | | | and views, true innovation can be generated. |