Innovation + Application = Progress

Here are the world’s top ten most innovative schools, compiled by Reuters:

1.    Stanford

2.    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3.    Harvard

4.    University of Washington

5.    University of Michigan

6.    Northwestern University

7.    University of Texas

8.    University of Wisconsin

9.    University of Pennsylvania

10. Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology 

Here is what we found interesting about the top 10:

·         Nine of the top 10 schools – American

·         Of the nine, five are private schools

·         Four are state funded systems:

o   Washington

o   Michigan

o   Texas

o   Wisconsin

·         Three eastern schools, all private

·         Three Midwest universities: Michigan, Wisconsin and Northwestern – private

·         Two west coast schools – no public California school in top 10 

Can we learn anything from this compilation?  What does this mean? 

Be suspicious, very suspicious of those who preach all good comes from government.   Socialism is the new “trick or treat” offered as an offset; an improvement on capitalism.  At least according to the top three Democrat politicians – Obama, Hillary and Bernie.  We ask of them – show us.  Show us where socialism advances the human condition.  Show us where socialism improves the economics of the middle class.  Stop talking – show us. 

But the fact is, the list contains 100 schools – only one is based in a socialist/communist country.   Of the top 50, 33 are American.  4 –  South Korea, 4 – Japan and 8 –  Europe. There is only one school coming from the well populated socialist/communist bloc –  #72, Tsinghua University, China.  Not one from Africa or India or Russia.  Or South America.  Not one.  Not one from a government owned and/or controlled economy. 

Why do we publish this list?  Well, it is actually based on something measurable which in these days of government issued facts and figures routinely manipulated by politicians, bureaucrats and our media –  we call them the “Hollywood media,” is quite an accomplishment.  How did Reuters determine which are the top innovative colleges and universities?  It looked at published research and patent filings.  Here is how they put it – 

“So how can potential partners, investors, faculty and students know if an institution is really transforming science and technology and impacting the global economy? 

To answer that question, Reuters set out to find and rank the world's top 100 innovative universities empirically, building a methodology that employs 10 different metrics. The criteria focused on academic papers, which indicate basic research performed at a university, and patent filings, which point to an institution's interest in protecting and commercializing its discoveries.” 

It is easy to say – business doesn’t create jobs, government ownership/control is the answer.  It is not possible to find any demonstrable evidence to support these words.  The demonstrable evidence is 99% behind capitalism; the marketplace; free enterprise and competition.  But heck, if you are uninformed and ignorant, why not socialism?

Source, as well as the complete listings, go to:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/15/idUSL1N11K16Q20150915