The University of Excellence
In just a few years, the quest for quality has become a concern of utmost priority in higher education. Universities, faculties, research councils and the National Agency for Higher Education regularly undertake evaluations to find out whether the academic work performed by university institutions is on “highest international level” or not. Competitions between universities in quality assurance are arranged and ranking-lists are constantly published. At the same time, the claims to quality and excellence by the agents of the academic field are increasing and the word “quality” has become one of the most frequently used categories in the self-presentation of universities on homepages and in official documents. In the article, this cult of quality is seen as a consequence of the insufficiency of resources that plague university institutions today. In an environment that advocates quality and excellence and, at least officially, refuses to fund individuals or institutions that are not seen as first class representatives of these ideals, there are few ways to overcome financial difficulties other than to outshine one’s competitors. Instead of regarding the quest for quality and excellence as conditioned by the needs of society, research or the corporate world, it should rather be seen as a systemic effect of under-financed meritocracies and the subsequent competitive fierceness. As a consequence, quality tends to replace the idea of truth as the purpose of research and education. Thus, academic competition to a lesser extent involves contradictory truth claims than standards of excellence, making it more important to be “number one” than to be right.
