in (pp. 101-112) Weber L. E. and Duderstadt J. J. (eds) Preparing the University for an Era of Change, Economica, London, Paris, Genève, vol. 10 The Glion Colloquium
The University is one of the greatest inventions of the second millennium (Rhodes 1998). Europe can be particularly proud of this, given that the University is first and foremost a European Institution which – while keeping its essential characteristics – has since spread worldwide (Rüegg, 1992). Universities have shown themselves to be particularly resil- ient organizations: created up to 900 years ago, they have survived the many vagaries of history and scholarship, as well as of politics and economics. Even today, the university’s dynamic nature is clearly evident. It has shown that it can and does adapt to changes in its environment.
University teachers regularly adapt the content of their teaching, while keeping themselves abreast of latest developments in their field thanks to an innate curiosity for discovery and the sharing of knowledge, which can be labelled the “genetic code” of the university scholar.
However the context for the University has now changed.