Does place (still) matter?
In an era when most sources of
information (and probably knowledge) are available online any time in any
place, why do we need to have physical presence in a specific area/university
to conduct scientific research, especially when it does not require laboratory
experiments? In other words, could a Marie Curie international research be
completed by tele-collaboration with the “host” universities?
If we were in the early 1990's
probably the answer would be positive. Indeed at that time, the enthusiasm with
the first major breakthroughs in internet & communication technologies
(ICTs), was translated into a boundless optimism about the prospect of an
online revolution. At that time we dreamed about e-villages, tele-working,
tele-commuting, and tele-... everything. Nearly twenty years later we realize
that things have evolved quite differently than we thought. The population
continues to move into urban areas, while the first reversion signs of urban
sprawl trends are here. We should not forget that urban sprawl was expected to
further increase with the expansion of ICTs. The paradox, however, is that
those who prefer to live in more central areas are younger people who are much
more familiar with ICTs. As for transport and the possibility for substitution
of commuting by tele-commuting, it seems that we were not accurate in our
initial 'optimistic' forecasts too (although research continues in this
field...). According to Mokhtarian (2004)
some of the reasons for not telecommuting include a need for the professional
and social interaction of the workplace, risk aversion (fear of negative career
impact), lack of self-discipline-and, importantly, the desire for mobility.
So, does place still matter in an
increasingly virtual world? I think so… I believe that every place reflects the
energy, daily practice, culture, ideas, philosophy and dreams of the people who
use it. Therefore, when moving into another place you receive all these
currents and to the extent that you want, you incorporate them. At UC Berkeley,
I intensely experience that energy flows, which are reflected by all those
involved in academic activities (students, graduates, cPhDs, Professors). The
following mosaic of images, titles, and events is just a small sample of those
experiences so far…
