Thanks for your comments and question. I do admit to finding responding to the discussion question’s remit very challenging within 500 words.

I agree with you that Barnett in 2004 fails to distinguish between the very different societal roles of a university. He may have meant HE = university 1 and research = university 2, but I would rather have him clarify that than make the assumption for him. He does understand the ontology (categories of existence, i.e. being) of the university as evidenced in his 2011 book, Being a university;

“The terms ‘university’ and ‘higher education’ are often run together (in the UK at least), with little, if any, distinction being made between them. In this conflation, the term ‘higher education’ is often asked to do duty for both ‘university’ and ‘higher education’. But this is to do injury to both concepts” (Barnett, 2011, p. 2).

He then goes on to list four types of university: the metaphysical university, the scientific university, the entrepreneurial university and the bureaucratic university. However, I don’t have access to the book in entirety and can’t assess his discussion more fully.

Jim

Barnett, R. (2011). Being a University. London and New York: Routledge.