THE FUNCTIONAL MISSION OF UNIVERSITIES
THE FUNCTIONAL MISSION OF UNIVERSITIES

Summary/Abstract: The text presents two paradigms defining the mission of higher (academic) education and universities: the classic paradigm (developed by Plato and Aristotle) and the sophistic paradigm (offered by the sophists). The study shows that they are still present in the current discussion about the mission. Research aims. The study’s objective is to formulate the problem of the social utility of universities and identify their functional mission (regarding social needs). Methodology. Three methods support each other to achieve this aim: The method of ideal types identifies the historical phenomenon of the university and its “ideal type”. The phenomenological analyses and the method of idealised design specify the mission of the university. Key findings. The study shows that some social needs do not change in time and specify the mission of the universities in their “ideal type”. The methods present the reasons for its following directions: (1) The research and didactic missions are inseparable from each other in the universities. (2) They should offer interdisciplinary and versatile education (3), which is on the highest possible quality level. These postulates are not new. The key findings of the study are in its methodology, which shows the way of justifying the above postulates with the above methods.

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