Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research

Tuunainen, J. (2005) Hybrid Practices? Contributions to the Debate on the Mutation of Science and University. Higher Education 50, 2, 275-298.

This article reflects on current debate over transformations of scientific research and universities. Four well-known mutation theories (Mode-2 knowledge production, tri-ple helix of university-industry-government relations, academic capitalism and enter-prise university), and their recent critiques, are reviewed. It is suggested that a better understanding of the changes can be achieved by drawing analytic insight from re-search that speaks about scientific practices. Advantages that may be so attained are illustrated through a case study of a plant-biotechnology research group that pursued to straddle the fuzzy university-business boundary. On such grounds, three arguments that pertain to the mutation theories are put forward: 1) The need to appreciate the dy-namics between theoretical, experimental and applied dimensions of research work, 2) the fact that external research funding intermingles with the complex social ecology of disciplines at the departmental level of universities, and 3) the difficulties academ-ics encounter as they try to fuse their university activities with private commercial development.