Universities are becoming more commercialized

Commercialization in higher education has been a contentious issue for decades. Academies are one of the most important institutions for producing useful information and educating many people. Globally, the commercialization of education has become more misleading as the need to use marketing strategies has increased (Guerrero, Maribel, James, and David, 752). Increased pressure on universities to commercialize their operations is related to adverse effects on the academic climate and inadequate implementation of research findings, which harms university researchers' long-term contributions. However, before universities are commercialized, it is essential to consider and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the trend.
Commercialization has been the prime means through which products and services reach the market, as well as customers, helping universities to build collaboration with the industries. The relationship allows enterprises to get information generated from the universities research to produce goods and services that satisfy the needs of the consumers (Bozeman, Barry, Heather, and Jan, 46). The academic knowledge is transferred into industry domain, which is more momentous than licensing university patents. Through forming collaborative research, the skills acquired by the workers in industries and the knowledge learned by campus students is joint to come up with a better solution to solving problems that consumers face.

Mok, Ka (8), suggest that commercialization creates interest as well as investment in the areas of research through the creation of employment, enhancing the quality of innovation, which leads to the growth of industries from local firms into international companies. Through this cooperation, universities can sustain their economy in their campuses (Guerrero et al., 754). This leads to economic development of countries reducing people living in poverty. Through commercialization, countries can move from agricultural based frugality to industrialist economy.

Similarly, commercialization forms a base for academic consulting. Universities rely heavily on the industries for further researches (Guerrero, Maribel, James, and David, 751). Students can convert the theory learned in class to the real-life situation through performing practical’s in the industries hence exercising what they learn from the course. It provides an in-depth knowledge of relating what acquired in class to a real-life situation (Perkmann, Markus, et al., 428). The gap between the developed and developing countries occurs due to the significance, which is attributed to the profits of university staff and students who are internationally oriented.

Commercialization motivates entrepreneurial culture in the university (Perkmann, Markus, et al., 431). Through engaging in many private industries and establishing the benefits enjoyed by business owners, universities students are motivated in becoming self-employed. They use the knowledge gained in the university in venturing into new opportunities hence creating employment to other people as well as reducing the level unemployment. This raises the standards of living of citizens in the country (Guerrero et al., 760). A great example is in the United States where President Obama had devotedly endorsed academic research in driving the economic growth. It motivated many countries to adopt the same procedures to facilitate development.

To enable successful commercialization, most of the universities have established edifices like technology transfer offices and incubators to support commercialization. Like in the majority of the campuses, students have been encouraged to disclose their invention, which has a commercial potential to the set offices. Similarly, they are also required to list the funding sources that led to the invention (Bonaccorsi, Andrea, et al., 272). Such measures can transfer the technology to places where it is required for generating or increasing the standards of living of the citizens.

For most of the students who are enthusiastic to study overseas, the ranking system has become one of the crucial factors. According to research, the number has increased by about 12% (Perkmann, Markus, et al., 431). The vast amount of students due to commercialization, which can assess information quickly, demonstrates this. Most of the scholars are amazed by how these institutions make money through controlling investments. However, this does not translate to how they do not value academic, but they show outstanding tricks of balancing education and performing fund-earning works (Bonaccorsi, Andrea, et al., 275). The ranking system can be categorized as commercialization as they can optimize and transform institution policies and position to gain prestige in a particular degree. The commercialization of these universities can be viewed from collocation between the regional and international rankings along with the impact that they bring in the institutions.

As social-economic benefits of quick and improved research commercialization are accentuated mostly in discussions conducted and policy statements, there is little or no mention of the potential risks that are involved. Nevertheless, commercialization faces some drawbacks. There is increased institutional and political pressure to enable universities to focus on the marketing research as well as providing their research outcomes. There is lack of commitment from the senior management to commercialization (Guerrero et al., 762). Likewise, there are insufficient funds allocated for commercialization as well as lack of the local industries accepting an engagement with universities. Although universities spending defers from one campus to another, researchers have shown that much money is employed in income earning initiates like students unions than creation and maintenance of technology and lasting educational spaces such as libraries. Another risk associated with commercialization is the premature implementation of research done and use of services (Bonaccorsi, Andrea, et al., 280). This is mostly practiced in medical and biomedical sciences to provide near-term services and products for clinical use.

The aim of education is bringing out the potential of a student to help in realizing his or her full potential. On the other hand, learning is viewed as an industry, and its commercialization has a long time to stay (Perkmann, Markus, et al., 439). Conversely, we can say today education has become an option for people to make fortunes rather than focusing more on the quality of education. Instructors and students have become money-oriented and forgotten the importance of education. Thus, there is an enormous need for change in the education system for reviving the importance of the education.

In conclusion, it has been highlighted that commercialization of universities has enormous contributing factors. Most of the campus is pushed to differentiate themselves from their close competitors to invest more in their institutions, through providing skills and services, which are unique and experience higher than the existing in the market. Despite these interventions, government forces and the changing market forces play a vital role in the commercialization of higher education. Consequently, the amount of investment applied by universities other than in paying their staff and in the education of the students is a core concern that determines how effective universities and industries will collaborate.









































Work cited

Bonaccorsi, Andrea, et al. "The impact of local and external university knowledge on the creation of knowledge-intensive firms: Evidence from the Italian case." Small Business Economics 43.2 (2014): 261-287.

Bozeman, Barry, Heather Rimes, and Jan Youtie. "The evolving state-of-the-art in technology transfer research: Revisiting the contingent effectiveness model." Research Policy 44.1 (2015): 34-49.

Guerrero, Maribel, James A. Cunningham, and David Urbano. "Economic impact of entrepreneurial universities’ activities: An exploratory study of the United Kingdom." Research Policy 44.3 (2015): 748-764.

Guerrero, Maribel, James A. Cunningham, and David Urbano. "Economic impact of entrepreneurial universities’ activities: An exploratory study of the United Kingdom." Research Policy 44.3 (2015): 748-764.

Mok, Ka Ho. "Higher education transformations for global competitiveness: Policy responses, social consequences and impact on the academic profession in Asia." Higher Education Policy 28.1 (2015): 1-15.

Perkmann, Markus, et al. "Academic engagement and commercialization: A review of the literature on university-industry relations." Research Policy 42.2 (2013): 423-442.