Of all places, the University space is where the value of research is not to be measured by corporate use.

Some see no “real” value in such a type of inquiry or research, and tuition waivers seem like lost money. After all, research in music, art, English — you name it — does not promise profit, and too many graduate students ignore academic market needs.

I have heard this argument aplenty.

Yes, one can argue that the University uses graduate students as cheap labor as a substitute for faculty positions. This, however, is an issue generated by the University administration, not the graduate students.

Certainly, if research value is defined exclusively by monetary profit, then we, as a species, are not well off. If we define it as “making a contribution,” then the question is to whom do we make the contribution? Often academics remain in their own circles, write for their own peers and talk to themselves more frequently than they talk to people outside their disciplines.

We need to ask ourselves if we want to work for industries to improve the industries’ methods or if we would rather improve current social conditions not for (but in spite of) business interests? Of course, critiquing corporate institutions does not attract big business money, such research is not attractive for the industry, and it is not supposed to be. It, therefore, needs the University space and financial support to be effective. It is not targeted at small academic and business elites, but it focuses on people outside the University walls.

Thus, what the University must provide is a space for diversity that makes us realize again that we are more than numbers. This is what academic freedom is about — it is not a lip service but is exercised by critical research.

Mandy Troger,

graduate student at the Institute of Communications Research