Sir, – Well done to Dr Edward Horgan for his illuminating and insightful letter regarding university league tables (October 7th).
I can easily relate to what he says as I too feel that younger academics are being exploited within the university sector.
This is particularly evident within the field of postgraduate doctoral research. Instead of fostering independent thought, the majority of senior academics advise students to specialise in areas that conveniently overlap with their own research interests.
As a result, many students suffer in silence and are forced to pay lip service to their supervisors so that they can increase their chances of employment and achieve some degree of permanency.
In my opinion, this approach reinforces the powerful position of the university elite and worsens the “employee apartheid” that is becoming increasingly common in third-level institutions.
If there is a willingness to address this problem, then there should be no reason why these seats of learning could not improve their status within the university league tables. – Yours, etc,
CORNELIUS MOYNIHAN,
Carrigrohane,
Co Cork.