Science and the University

Universities have been aptly called ‘the home of science’ — places where scientists are not only trained but where they also conduct research to advance knowledge. ¹ This arrangement originated when nineteenth-century German universities, inspired by the Humboldtian ideal, forged a lasting link between teaching and research. In the twentieth century, the mantle of leadership in academic science passed to the universities of the United States, which became the most prolific generators of scientists and scientific knowledge. Even there, however, the role of universities in science has remained circumscribed. Only half of the basic research in the United States (measured by expenditures) is performed in universities. The education of scientists too, particularly at the postdoctoral level, can occur almost anywhere cutting-edge research takes place. The university system and the system of science might be represented as partially coextensive spheres that interact somewhat differently in each country. The role of universities is thus an important variable in the history of science.