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Pro-Con: Should Public Universities Accept Corporate Funding? Yes
Education Op-Ed
7.4.2007
The Kansas City Star, July 4, 2007*
Major universities draw research funding from a variety of sources, including government, private foundations and major corporations. Some argue that corporate funding is a corrupting influence, but the truth is that corporate funds can be positive for universities, the economy and the country. Government funding is inextricably tied to politics and multi-year budget cycles, so it frequently ends up lagging several years behind in terms of the major research needs of the country. Corporate sponsorship, by contrast, is faster to respond to the changing needs of society and of the marketplace. It is true that corporate funding is frequently focused on profit for the corporation, but this is not a drawback. In many technical, scientific or engineering disciplines, profit is a reasonable motivator, and does not mean that the end result has no value beyond profit. Results are only profitable if consumers find them valuable, and in this way this research can serve the public well. Amy Kaleita, Pacific Research Institute
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