UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 134, 9 June 1925, Page 5

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.

THE VOICE OF INDUSTRY. REGULAR RESEARCH WORK. PROBLEMS FROM THE FACTORY. The Pioyal Commission set up to take evidence and report, on the working of the University education system in New Zealand will" commence its sittings in Auckland on June 29, and the Auckland Industrial Association has been invited to make suggestions and to arrange to have its suggestions supported by evidence. In a report on the subject presented at Ine association's monthly meeting yesterday afternoon, mention was made' that practically only two points of the order of reference concerned the association —the constitution of the I_niversily Senate and arrangements for more elasticity in the degrees so that students may have the option of taking technological subjects instead of classical subjects for their degrees. On the subject of the constitution of the senate, the report noted that the present senate was composed of four graduates in art. two n law. nvn in science, one business man, and a member of Parliament. It was considered tiiat the association should endeavour to have a closer relation between tile industries and the University training by having direct representation on the senate. It was desirable to have a closer co-operation between the University and the leading men in business life." The tendency to concentrate on classical education could be remedied by having prominent leaders of industry on the senate. 11l the matter of research work, the report, went on. there should be a wider choice of subjects for students sitting for their degrees, enabling the. arts candidates to have options in science and vice versa. The present system did not cater for pupils entering the secondary industries, and they should be able to select suitable technological subjects for their degrees. The initiation of some such wider system would be an incentive to students to specialise, and to attack practical problems brought forward from industry for University research. The present equipment and tuition were sufficient for research work, if the incentive were provided, and some such improved system would be more practicable than having a central research laboratory provided by the Government, which would be costly in equipment, and would frequently have the experience of not having the work to keep the staff fully employed. Tf research work were carried out on problems supplied from the factories by post graduate specialists at the University, it would probably meet the case. Commenting on the University system generally, one member remarked that he would like to see some arrangement come to whereby students could earn their living while taking the courses at the University as was done in America. Another member pointed out that that was the rule here with the greater number of commercial and law students. A remark by the chairman, Mr. J. A. Allum, that one of the needs of the system seemed to be some link between the Technical College and the University, was generally agreed with. The meeting adopted the report, and decided to have evidence on the lines suggested submitted to the commission. A comment from a member which brought general acquiescence was that what they wanted to aim at was a system whereby practical problems from the factories and workshops could be taken to the University for an early solution.