Beyond Humboldt? The relationship between teaching and research in European university systems

Abstract

Three patterns of the relationship of teaching and research in European university systems can be distinguished: the Humboldtian, the post-Humboldtian, and the pre-Humboldtian pattern. The distinction rests on the kind and degree of differentiation of both university tasks in terms of situations, roles, resources, organisations, or societal sub-systems. Recent developments exhibit two main trends. First, the Humboldtian and the pre-Humboldtian pattern are increasingly criticised for their deficits. Thus, there is some movement towards an emerging post-Humboldtian pattern. Second, however, this new pattern is nowhere stabilised by now especially because it is in the interest of professors to maintain or establish the Humboldtian pattern. These developments are described and assessed with respect to their consequences for research at universities.