Abstract

Recognition is crucial for both creating better RMA services and achieving socially sustainable research ecosystems. The role of recognition has also been acknowledged in Action 17 of the ERA Policy Agenda for 2022–2024. One of the challenges to these goals is an intermittently effective tension between the academic and the administrative staff. This presentation takes a research-based closer look at some relevant aspects of recognition and points towards possible new solutions.

Unlike respect belonging to everyone in an equal degree, esteem is a dimension of recognition that is distributed to different people in different degrees, based on their unequal contributions to common goals. Common goals, in turn, are based on shared value-horizons. In the sphere of research ecosystems, a challenging tension between the academic and the administrative staff is sometimes created by their partly differing value-horizons, non-identical parameters of success, and varying demands on individual resources. An emphasis on individuals as independent actors only aggravates the detrimental tension.

In reality, the furthering of education, research, strategies, and administrative tasks all presuppose a wide variety of different roles supporting each other. The notion of recognition offers us useful tools for realizing the multitude of these interdependencies. It also helps in conceiving a wider value-horizon and common goals in relation to which we may more effectively acknowledge each other’s valuable contributions. Mutual esteem is an important factor in creating well-functioning work communities. The takeaway message of this presentation thus is that specific aspects of recognition can act as effective means towards better RMS services and social sustainability.

Some References:

European Comission, 2021, European Research Area Policy Agenda: Overview of Actions for the Period 2022–2024, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2021-11/ec_rtd_era-policy-agenda-2021.pdf
Hirvonen, Onni & Koskinen, Heikki J. (eds.), 2023, The Theory and Practice of Recognition, Routledge, New York / Oxon.
Koskinen, Heikki J., 2018, “Antecedent Recognition: Some Problematic Educational Implications of the Very Notion”, Journal of Philosophy of Education Vol. 52, No 1, 178-190.
“Action 17 and Its Potential for the RMA Community”, EARMA News https://earma.org/news/action-17/.