Research in social and human sciences under the scheme of the university - company - State model: a look from the critical theory of society

Abstract

The Sistema Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación de Colombia –SNCTeI- (Colombia’s National System of Science, Technology and Innovation), as an element of its managment strategies, is in the process of incorporating a new model of innovation called «triple helix», that tends to transform the traditional formation and investigation oriented University of into a business oriented university. This paper essays an approach to the impact that the strategies of the model of science, technology and innovation on the research activity in humanistic and social areas, in the frame of knowledge management. It will begin by taking into account critical theory and its conception of instrumental rationality, which will allow to show the problems that this kind of rationality poses to research in human and social sciences. The methodology of this research is qualitative and exploratory, developed through interviews directed to researchers in this area of knowledge, responsible for administration and management, to those who design the policies of public and private universities, and to governmental organizations. These interviews pretend to show their appreciations on the impact that these new policies and management strategies will have on human and social sciences. One of the conclusions of these study is that the new model of innovation, called triple helix, pretends that universities lead initiatives and finance the creation of technology based companies. This causes the researchers in human and social sciences to try to adapt themselves to the parameters set by this model, which leads to a blurring of their objects of study, and to the risk that the research on their area is limited to the narrow margins allowed by the commercialization of its results.