Wetenschap in een regionale context. Sociologie en economie aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Abstract

Science in a regional context: Sociology and economy at the University of Groningen.The relation between a university and its regional service area is two-sided. A university depends on the regional service area, for example for supplying students and research topics. On the other hand a service area can profit from the university by applying the results of the research conducted. In this article we explore this relationship in the case of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. The focus is on research by two scientists: the work of the sociologist C.D. Saal from the1950s and the work of the economist Jan Oosterhaven from the 1970s. The research of both men was strongly grounded in a regional discussion about social-economic development and was conducted through methods that could be considered as innovative for that time. Although the direct relevance of their work is modest, especially for Saal’s work, their work directly influenced the debate about economic development. It helped regional politicians to find legitimation for their policy proposals. Both men contributed to the transfer of knowledge to practice by participating in the ongoing debates about rural and regional development. Therefore, we can conclude that their research illustrates the productive relationship between scientists and the regional context in which research is conducted.