The future of the liberal university in the era of the global knowledge grab

This paper explores the implications of the development and extension of national and international intellectual property regimes (IPRs) for the liberal university. It argues that dynamics set into motion by IPRs are eroding the university's ability to reproduce itself in two ways. On the one hand, IPRs are reducing the university's ability to draw on and to replenish the intellectual commons which is one fundamental precondition of its survival. IPRs are also preventing academics from fulfilling their public service mission which may undermine the popular support for the university that is also crucial to its survival. These two mutually reinforcing developments are making it increasingly difficult for the liberal university to continue on as it has. Indeed, they are producing a qualitative transformation of the institution that will be very costly to society, in both economic and social terms. The paper argues that although current developments pose very serious threats to the liberal university's future, there is still time to intervene in order to preempt or to alter them. The paper concludes with a discussion of strategies that may enable the liberal university to survive, if not flourish, in the current context. In particular, a strategy of pursuing broad IP exemptions for universities is advocated.