An
open letter to Shree N. D. Tewari, chief minister, Uttaranchal
Philosophy:
An idiot is always wrong and not a threat like a moron who is often right in
ways that are unpredictable. The most common way for normally intelligent people
to behave like a moron in unfamiliar applications is to wrongly assume that a
model that works successfully in one context also works similarly in another,
without bothering to think about the preconditions, which must also to be
satisfied.
IIPE
is recognition of a flaw in the current academic setting and is viewed by me as
a wonderful glorious opportunity for myself and a few smart enough to see the
writing on the wall. It is absolutely essential for academic community, broadly,
but not always, to judge academics by a slow measured review process in
semi-theoretical and theoretical journals. The reasons for slow measured
process are to allow wide comment base. Semi-theoretical etc adjectives are
useful to allow good journals to become archives, rather than journalistic
reports on latest technological and economic climate.
This
emphasis however has its major drawbacks in selected areas. Amelioration of the
problems is the rationale for this proposal and foundation for the belief of
very bright very long-term future for the idea. Application of philosophy is straightforward,
since administrators and trustees of most universities often think like morons
in this context. They insist on “publish or perish” in all areas. Even more
stupid are those that refuse to apply that principle at all. What should be
done is a study of the preconditions that make the principle a good rule.
IIPE
is proposed as an alternative, for those areas alone where the “publish or
perish” is a bad idea. What follows is interesting for it seeks to identify the
interests and package them together into a coherent deal. Once created, such a
deal can be used as a starting point to discussions from a set of givers, whose
wishes override the specific proposals, and even the fundamental constitution
of the effort by 2/3 majority of existing givers with votes proportional to
what they gave to the point of vote.
The
idea is to ensure stable good climate for focused research free from
distractions with definite minimal irrelevant efforts on the long term for a
period of a decade or more. Funding comes from benefiary organizations, stay
and work is on IIPE campus.
Stable
climate means freedom from economic situations of the parent company in return
for far lower compensation. Good climate means proper provision of equipment,
personnel, and facilities managed independently. Free from distractions means freedom
from repeated publish or perish cycle. Long term effects include general legal
and medical problems and provision of adequate safety net for the offsprings.
All
these take money. management, and a campus more geared towards research than
towards teaching. Journal publications should be required, but much less frequent
and far more in depth, describing real systems, not envisaged or design
systems. The goal should be to make the designer an implementer as well, or at
least part of the same team.
Application
areas must be chosen very conservatively. Currently recommended are
bio-genetics, nano-technology, software systems, space sciences, and
supertransportation. The choice can be forced to be conservative by requiring
2/3 legislative accent to subject changes.
Funding
should be derived primarily from external companies, who should fund these
efforts as better returns on investments due to the atmosphere, services, and safety
net provided by IIPE over internal research and development without any hassles
or political constraints, so codified in the grant charter itself. It is important
that a credible intellectual property protection plan be constructed in
collaboration with the funder.
IIPE
are quite different from IIT in that they would focus lot more at graduate
work, often extending into a decade, with motivated and competent researchers.
The motivation for these students would be either to become independent project
leaders, or to become successful technologists in parent company or entrepreneurs.
The
motivation of project leaders would be freedom from the absurd academic cycle
in certain fields and independent free extended-period organization of dream
projects, free from tensions of present or future. In effect like government
job with 10-year review, provided that some one trusts them enough to risk real
money on them.
The
motivation for the creators of the facility would be the BEST possible
utilization of their money and attachment of their names to something that can
become very big indeed. A properly designed campus would name buildings,
corridors, rooms, facilities, and streets after benefactors for lengths of time
depending on the size of contribution.
The
motivation for the state where the facility resides is only a short term tying
up of capital, no long-term downsizing, employment, many ancillary industries,
and development of relations with leading corporations of the planet.
So
why has it not been done so far? Lack of a competent persistent visionary implementer
with enlightened political support. IISC in Banglore, and BARC and TIFR in Mumbai
are shining counter examples. Dehradoon/rishikesh/hardwar should be next.
Apart
from initial investments into certain buildings, facilities, and land; and
contracts with independent providers, there is no initial investment. The
initial operating team should be charged with making IIPE self-sufficient
within 3 years, and fully self-sufficient (paying for mortgages of land and
facilities), within 7 years.
A
20% reservation on sons-of-soil can be imposed in return for state investment
of money initially.
Corruption
can be eliminated by rigid application of cantfake principles. An unknowable
person to which arbitrary reviews central to every single decision but
time-limited undeniable reliable spoken comments can be made by at least two
independent decision makers. Cantfake ensures undeniable reliable speech.