THE TRANSFORMATION OF RESEARCH IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC: THE ROLE OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic traces its origins back through the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences to several private learned societies, one of which was founded in the Eighteenth Century, that eventually received royal (Habsburg) charters. The Academy as it exists today has been affected by the same processes of transition as the rest of Czech society. The Academy and its various institutes are subject to periodic evaluation. It must now share responsibility for research in the Czech Republic with other state organs, particularly the universities.     

THE LIBRARIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LISBON: CURRENT SITUATION

The reduced budgetary appropriations that have been allocated to higher education are reflected in the management of the Portuguese university libraries. The organization of the libraries of the University of Lisbon is described, and certain deficiencies common to them and to the other Portuguese university libraries are pointed out, such as the lack of adequately trained professional staff members. Reference is made to the current state of computerization of the catalogues of collections and to the problems which have arisen as a result of the need to standardize procedures with regard to participation in the National Bibliographic Database ‐‐ PORBASE. The role of university libraries in their su rounding communities is stressed as well as the urgent need to find ways of overcoming the crisis situation which characterizes the European university libraries.     

THE HISTORY OF THE BELL CURVE: SORTING AND THE IDEA OF NORMAL

A bstract .  Bell-curve thinking, as a model of distribution of success and failure in society, enjoys a perennial (ahistorical, objective, and law-like) status in education. As such it provides a rationale for sorting (tracking or streaming) practices in education, which has led many educators to criticize both bell-curve thinking and associated sorting practices. In this essay, Lynn Fendler and Irfan Muzaffar argue that the existing critiques of bell-curve thinking ring true for people who believe that the purpose of schooling is to promote a more equitable redistribution of resources in society; however, these arguments do not criticize the law-like character assumed for a bell curve as a representation of social reality. To extend these critiques, Fendler and Muzaffar focus on the history of the bell curve, from a representation of binomial probability, to a bearer of real things in nature, and finally to a set of expectations about how people should behave. They ultimately argue that the acceptance of bell-curve thinking in education is part of a recursive project of governance and normalization.     

THE INSTITUTES OF THE LATVIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND THE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION: PROBLEMS OF INTEGRATION

Since achieving independence in 1991, the Republic of Latvia has taken radical measures to reform its system of science on a western model. The funding system has been overhauled, the Academy of Sciences, that used to be a kind of Ministry of Science, has become an academy of the classical type, and the advanced degrees of scientists inherited from the USSR‐era have been nostrificated. The big problem has been that of enacting the decision made to integrate the former institutes that were subordinated to the Latvian Academy of Sciences into the university system. The process has been resisted by university teachers who do not want to do research and by institute scientists who do not want to teach students, particularly undergraduate students. The article describes several measures that have been taken to deal with this problem which still remains unresolved.     

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLES OF EUROPE: BLUEPRINT OF AN INTERNATIONAL PROJECT

This article reviews the Soviet proposal for the establishment of a University of the Peoples of Europe. It outlines the necessary conditions and the arrangements which must be made so that serious planning can get underway. It reiterates the proposed general purposes and objectives of the university and the proposals which have been made with regard to its administrative structure, organization, and working methods. If successfully established, the University of the Peoples of Europe would not only contribute to the solution of all‐European and world problems but would serve as a milestone on the road to European intellectual integration.     

50年回眸:建国以来的中国写作学

建国以来的中国写作学可分为３ 个时期：借鉴—徘徊时期（５０ 年代至７０年代末）、自觉—兴盛时期（８０ 年代）和综合—梳理时期（９０年代）。经过几代人的努力,中国写作学正在走向成熟     

从大学与校办企业关系的演变看大学的社会型塑:体系再生产的视角

多次大规模创办并直接经营校办企业 (工厂 )是我国大学自建国以来的共同经历 ,半个世纪中 ,校办企业与大学的关系发生了多次重大变化。本文从体系再生产的角度对校企关系的三起三落进行了深入研究 ,重点分析了 2 0世纪 90年代大学所兴办的科技企业与大学关系的变化 ,试图从校企关系的演变这一侧面透视大学与社会的关系 ,进而探讨大学如何被社会所型塑的问题。     

教育的场所-一种对教育现象时空特性的尝试性分析

教育现象具有两个重要的基本特性 :交互作用和连续性。针对这两个基本特性 ,本文尝试运用社会学和拓扑学的方法 ,对教育现象的时空特性进行了初步的分析。文章分别探讨了生活时空、学习时空、工作时空和公众时空中教育场所的特性 ,在更加深入细致地分析学校及学校以外教育现象的时空特性方面 ,作出了新的尝试     

世纪之交的中国教育改革走向:教育与市场的关系问题

20世纪 90年代以来 ,依靠非政府的各种社会力量提供的教育服务逐步成为教育发展的一个重要方面 ,反映在教育领域中 ,市场的自愿交易关系和新的教育消费群体正在形成。中国的公共教育体制正在经受市场的挑战。它迫使学校教育机构这一相对保守的领域直面市场 ,从而促成一种新的教育资源分配方式和人才培养模式的产生。当前学校领域已经形成了一些不同的市场化运作形式 ,根据市场介入的程度不同 ,这种学校市场化运作可分为九种不同的类型。由此中国教育正面临一系列新的问题 ,这些问题集中地反映了市场介入教育所产生的教育公益性与营利性之间的矛盾。中国教育改革的未来走向及其基本面貌 ,将取决于如何认识和解决这对矛盾 ,以及如何建立一种有效的协调和制约机制。     

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLES OF EUROPE: WHAT IT COULD BE

Inspired by the coining together of the various countries of Europe, by the rebirth, at all levels, of interest in the common European identity, and by the growing European consensus as to the importance of the university as a major pan‐European cultural institution, the author, First Deputy Chairman of the USSR State Committee for Public Education, presents a project for the founding of a University of the Peoples of Europe. What he envisions is primarily a research institution devoted to the study of pan‐European problems of all sorts and the generalization of the solutions. The author suggests outlines of both the possible activities of such a university and of its organization. He believes that the institution should function under the auspices and with the support of Unesco.     

REGULATION OF THE INTERNET: THE CHINESE APPROACH

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生命的呐喊与精神的呼唤——以陕军作家为例看社会变迁大潮中人对精神家园的构筑

路遥、陈忠实、贾平凹三位陕军作家凭借敏锐的感知再现了西北人真实的生存状态--"高加林们"想通过个人奋斗获取美好爱情而始终陷于两难;朱先生希望借助儒学传统来规范动荡的白鹿原,其梦想最终破灭;高老庄正遭遇现代文明的碾磨而全面变迁.他们的作品皆展现了在传统理性秩序的坍塌、伦理道德沦丧之际,是继续坚守传统文化的道德规范以疗救现代化带来的灾难性后果,还是在创造性的转换中前进,这样一个困绕许多人心智问题.以路遥、陈忠实、贾平凹三人的创作为例来探讨社会变迁大潮中人们(特别是有良知、理性和使命感的知识分子)关于生命价值的追寻.     

从少数特权到全民普权:加拿大联邦选举权的扩大

加拿大议会选举制度始于殖民地时代,但是直到20世纪60年代加拿大才真正实现联邦普选。阻碍加拿大联邦选举权扩大的主要因素是英裔当政者保守的政治、社会、种族和宗教理念,推动力量则主要是伴随着工业化而来的工人运动和战争的冲击及影响。加拿大联邦选举权的扩大,经历了复杂的漫长过程,纵向特征以渐进为主,横向透视则显示出极大的不平衡性,这在一定程度上折射出加拿大崇尚改良的政治文化和多样化的国情。