The Aalto University Research evaluation was published this morning. You can find more in the Aalto News in English (same news in Finnish). You may also have a look of the actual Assessment Report.
Then – of course – some self promotion! Here is a summary of the Media Lab Helsinki
“Scientific Quality of the Unit’s Research
- Numerical Rating (1‐5): 4 Very Good International Level”
“Scientific Impact of the Unit’s Research
- Numerical Rating (1‐5): 4 Very Good International Level”
“Societal Impact of the Unit’s Research
- Numerical Rating (1‐5): 5 Outstanding International Level”
“Research Environment at the Unit of Assessment
- Numerical Rating (1‐5): 4 Very Good International Level”
“Future Potential of the Unit of Assessment
- Numerical Rating (1‐5): 5 Outstanding”
Here is the whole text from the report regarding the Media Lab:
School of Media Lab, TaiK
1. Introduction and General Impressions
With a total staff of 43 reported in the mapping of staff (31 research staff including 13 doctoral students, plus 13 teaching, technical and administrative support staff), and 14 years of existence, TaiK Media Lab has attained appreciable solidity with clearly affirmed strands of activity and future development areas. The research community produces diversified outputs, ranging from traditional peer‐reviewed publications, performance and exhibition works, to software and games platforms. Structuring of activities across four complementary research groups (Arki, Crucible, SysRep and LeGroup) provides the Unit with a cohesive, coherent framework. Overall performance is appreciable, with an excellent track record of funding (national and EU/international) and solid outputs. Limits on performance imputable to human resources (small number of senior/research supervisor staff, low research productivity of certain staff members) can possibly be read, at least in part, as a reflection of speedy growth which now deserves consolidation. This consolidation and development of future core areas is positively envisaged by the Unit in the context of Aalto University restructuring.
2. The Unit’s Research and the Research Strategy of the Unit’s Home University
With reference to contextual information provided for the assessment (notably the Research Strategy document), TaiK’s research focus areas in line with Media Lab missions and objectives include digital culture and media research, where digitalization is connected to the context of everyday life, and where learning environments, representation systems and interactive storytelling are studied. The Media Lab’s work is also closely aligned with TaiK’s cross‐cutting research themes in strategic and usercentred design; innovation processes based on usability and development of new materials and technology; leadership of creative processes; artistic learning processes and productions; digital application design and new media; studies of visual culture. The Media Lab’s activities reflect its home university’s research strategy convincingly; the overview of these activities moreover seeks to address specific issues raised by academic evaluation of creative work, by foregrounding the distinctive kinds of outputs and peer review mechanisms appropriate for art and design sectors. Creative industries type activities can be observed in software projects producing publicly available tools issued under Creative Commons licenses, in the adoption of mainstream broadcasting platforms, and in graduate involvement with and launching of companies, often as direct research spin‐offs. TaiK’s ambition to promote national culture is likewise borne out by numerous projects focused on heritage, identity and various forms of community involvement in creative work.
3. Scientific Quality of the Unit’s Research
Numerical Rating (1‐5): 4 Very Good International Level
Research outputs include high quality items that clearly reflect the scope and recognition of the Media Lab’s work, and that resonate strongly with the main elements of TaiK’s mission statement. Cited outputs include a European COST‐funded conference on the user and the future of information and communication technologies which yielded substantial proceedings (479 pages, published by TaiK). A musical comedy for television and mobile phones, created in the context of an EU FP6 project, was broadcast on Finnish television, giving rise to a prestigious ACM publication, a Banff World Television Award and Emmy Award recognition. A web‐based environment for computer‐supported collaborative learning is used in more than 70 countries. Additionally, a digital facsimile of Mexico, co‐developed with Sweden and exhibited at the World Forum of Cultures, and a net‐based study on film production in Finnish, English, Spanish and Japanese, testify to the international ambition and breadth of the Media Lab’s research initiatives. Greater depth could be sought, e.g. in the CinemaSense project, where international versions of the website (including a Colombian sign language version) are impressive, but where accompanying reflection on the methodology adopted, and on issues like the cultural implications of translating cinematographic language into different national idioms, would give this project sought status as highest quality research. Similarly, online evidence of the COST‐funded publication is suggestive of a European deliverable comprised of many valuable individual conference contributions, but which lacks the deeper analytical overview which would allow it to be more readily rated as highest quality research. While quality equivalent to that of selected items is obviously not expected throughout the Unit’s production, there is also much excellent material evident in non‐selected outputs. As is natural, many testify to emerging activities, often undertaken by early career researchers, and to different kinds of engagement and community interaction to those reflected in primary cited outputs (e.g. where regional or national publics and publications platforms are specifically addressed). However, the Panel had to further query instances of low production of outputs involving long‐standing senior and/or permanent staff. This situation turns out to be the result of the Unit’s obligation to prioritise a project‐driven work environment, requiring heavy administrative, management and coordination workloads, to the detriment of deeper underpinning research and more sustainable long‐term effort to consolidate strands of activity. These findings concur with issues identified by the Unit in its SWOT analysis (too little basic research, too few professors, etc).
4. Scientific Impact of the Unit’s Research
Numerical Rating (1‐5): 4 Very Good International Level
The Unit’s research outputs are generally well viewed internationally, and many serve as references in their respective fields. Membership of prestigious professional bodies is appreciable, as is conference organization and participation. Doctoral graduate placement is encouragingly diverse, reflecting the broad vocational relevance of Media Lab activities (arts universities, technology university, corporate research environment). Overall, organization of the doctoral programme was found to be exemplary on all counts. The Unit’s track record for obtaining research funding is particularly impressive, representing a substantial portion of TaiK grants. Research projects have been recognized by a number of national and international awards, and the Media Lab’s reputation overall appears to be fairly solidly positioned on international networks. Results are commendable and indicate significant potential for future development. Given the Unit’s 31‐person research staff, more theoretical depth and conceptual reflection might have been expected, to give outputs a stronger grounding and international scientific impact. Yet the Panel recognizes that many members of this research staff team are employed on a short‐term contract basis, driven by the imperatives of the Unit’s numerous funded projects. While the Media Lab is a recognized pioneer in the new media sector, its sector of activity has undergone exponential development and “difference making” approaches are more vital than ever. It would thus appear urgent to consolidate staffing to shift overall emphasis from a predominantly short‐term funded, project‐driven status to develop the Unit’s considerable potential with a more strongly embedded research culture underpinned by continuous activity.
5. Societal Impact of the Unit’s Research
Numerical Rating (1‐5): 5 Outstanding International Level
Service on national and international public bodies ranging from higher education authorities to free software networks, with contributions of expertise in inter‐ and multiculturalism, participatory creative development processes, and cultural policy, as well as specialist input to disabilities advisory bodies, are vigorous and testify to the Unit’s high commitment to societal engagement. Expertise in the academic sector, evidenced by keynotes and publications, is appreciable. Non‐university partners and mixed consortia likewise account for core projects with ramifications in industry, schools, and health institutions, and speaker invitations to prestigious non‐academic events are impressive. Software licences developed under Open Source frameworks significantly vouch for Media Lab’s socially, communityoriented research agenda. Although spin‐off companies are hard to monitor in the new media sector, Kick Ass Kung Fu as an example of one such initiative is an internationally well known entity that has inspired much work and debate in the field. Overall, societal impact seems to constitute the area in which the Media Lab is most incisively and “naturally” positioned, in keeping with TaiK’s commitment to connecting digitalization to everyday life in all its diversity.
6. Research Environment at the Unit of Assessment
Numerical Rating (1‐5): 4 Very Good International Level
Overall, the research environment appears favourable, with apparently strong, steadily evolving technical infrastructure (current emergence of new platforms for 3D stereoscopic interface design). The constitution of four distinctive research groups has allowed the Media Lab to develop projects and attract funding as well as more experienced staff. Recent hire of a financial expert to help plan and manage research proposals appears warranted, given the high level of funding the Unit has been able to muster. The fact that this Unit does not have its own Doctoral School is surprising and puzzling, given the obvious quality and impact of its doctoral programme, where many candidates are recognized international experts in their respective research fields. Doctoral seminars likewise attract international experts, and offer opportunities for exchange with other doctoral schools in TaiK. The cohort of 13 doctoral students led by 18 research staff members, as well as 13 additional teaching, technical and administrative staff members, would seem to represent an extremely favourable distribution of resources. Nevertheless, as indicated earlier (cf. sections 1 and 3), under these conditions, and without any further indications with respect to staff teaching loads and support service availability, it is difficult to judge the human resources aspect in any depth. The fact that several staff members have no research outputs appears questionable, and should probably be read against the Unit leader’s comments in the SWOT analysis concerning the lack of professors, of teaching in art and science, and of expert guidance in scientific publication. A SWOT weakness simply noted that “personnel structure” obviously needs further review in the context of the evaluation, in order to suggest constructive ways forward. The balance and division of research labour likewise needs closer review, informed by details on human resource management, workloads, etc.
7. Future Potential of the Unit of Assessment
Numerical Rating (1‐5): 5 Outstanding
The Media Lab has an impressive track record and enjoys good international recognition in a number of key areas, where focus on multidisciplinary, user‐centred design and content development remains determinant. Consolidation of distinctive strands of research has provided clarity and a good basis from which to build new initiatives in the Aalto University context. Involvement in the Media Factory and associated activity strands appears judicious and timely, and should allow the Media Lab to flourish in a Aalto University Research Assessment Exercise 2009: Panel Reports Page 261 of 273 stronger collaborative environment, notably with the constitution of a specific, international doctoral school. Active, experienced supervisory research staff needs to be identified as a crucial part of this newly constituted team. These persons should reinforce critical theoretical work and provide the Media Lab with a more incisive conceptual framework for presenting its research. Where staff does not produce research outputs, this needs to be justified and clearly articulated in terms of parallel (and equally necessary) roles (administrative, technical, “basic” as opposed to high level teaching, etc).
8. Panel’s Recommendations for the Future
• Consolidation of staffing to capitalize on the Unit’s thriving research culture on a less project‐driven, more sustainable long‐term basis is an urgent imperative.
• Creation of a Doctoral School to enhance recognition of activities that readily stand as best practice, at TaiK, Aalto, national and international levels, likewise appears imperative.
• Emerging research areas at the interface of digitalization and new social practices must be provided with the necessary means for their development, notably through the creation of postdoctoral positions to give the Unit a more robust, sustained intellectual grounding.
• The singularity of originally formatted creative academic outputs needs to be formally acknowledged by Aalto alongside the traditional citational metrics‐driven systems, allowing the TaiK database to serve as a formal research activity indicator for this Unit.
• The Media Lab’s specific engagement with “social software” and open source development models needs to be taken into account in the design of Aalto instruments to measure research value (i.e. this is not a traditional economic profit‐driven environment).
• The Media Lab’s obvious potential to develop internationally sought after pedagogical resources (software, manuals, etc) needs to be weighed up in discussions pertaining to Aalto staffing, impact and workloads.