Moving to Mode 2: re-mode-ing research education in university departments

摘要

Despite debate about how scientific knowledge production is in transition from Mode 1 to Mode 2, there has been little discussion of the implications for research education and its organisation in university departments. We have found that preparing new researchers for such transitional conditions requires a re-focusing of their training, with an emphasis on communication across epistemic boundaries and various other skills. After reviewing the debate about the hypothesis of a transition in Modes, we propose a distinction between Mode 1 and Mode 2 departments. Our main discussion considers the challenges for research education ensuing from a shift to the latter. Finally, the result is a list of concrete suggestions for renewing research education as a response to what we detect as increasingly prevalent, and demanding, Mode 2 conditions.