Universities in the West remain the centres of scientific progress. In many ways, especially in North America and Western Europe, universities have become even more effective as technological change agents over the last two decades. Earlier on, it often occurred that a professor would invent something and reap the profits personally. Now, universities see themselves as partners, and are often willing to provide ‘seed funding’ upfront in hopes of not just expanding knowledge but also of reaping some financial benefit. It is also worth noting that members of the emerging middle class in India and Brazil have been well-trained by their universities...

As capitalist relations develop, utilitarian tendencies are beginning to prevail throughout European universities. The advantage of theological educational institutions is that they first of all teach to comprehend the religious canons. Presentday universities on the other hand, if we use the words of Heidegger, help to store knowledge rather then teach the students to think...

Every university is essentially a state in miniature. For example, MSU somewhat resembles a miniempire, exploring new domains, and the State University-Higher School of Economics (HSE) is a state reflective of the era of globalisation, a mobile enclave of the present day. The ideological role of universities today is inversely proportional to the transformation of institutions of higher education into a servicebased institution, which seems to be a trend and, at the same time, related to the dogma of post-industrialism. A depoliticised education teaches anything other than politics as the art of self-determination, how to live alongside others, and how to resolve problems in difficult times. In relation to such political questions, universities are becoming less and less involved...