Enbridge & U of Calgary relationship challenges academic integrity
CBC Radio | Posted: November 2, 2015 1:23 PM | Last Updated: November 2, 2015
"The issue here is not that Enbridge was asking, it's that a public institution, who's job it is to balance competing interests and do high quality research in the public interest, abjectly failed to do that." - David Keith, former University of Calgary professor
Take a walk around campus at the University of Calgary and it won't take you long to start noticing the buildings and centres named after some big corporations.
And, this being Calgary, we're talking about big oil and energy companies: TransCanada, Suncor and Conoco Phillips are all there.
The U of C is considered a success when it comes to corporate fundraising. But a CBC News investigation has discovered that some believe the school's relationship with the pipeline company Enbridge has crossed a line.
The CBC's Kyle Bakx has been digging into the story and he joined us from Calgary.
Of course, there is a long history of corporations funding research at Canadian universities, and it's something schools are counting on for the future as well.
As governments cut back on funding, the private sector is increasingly seen as important to help makeup the shortfall.
But it does create a challenge for universities: How to navigate that uneasy relationship of accepting corporate contributions, while maintaining academic independence and integrity.
James Turk is a visiting distinguished professor at Ryerson University in Toronto. He's the former president of the Canadian Association of University Teachers. James Turk is also the author of 'Academic Freedom in Conflict: The Struggle over Free Speech Rights in the University'.
This segment was produced by Calgary Network Producer Michael O'Halloran.