Los Angeles Times: Universities for Sale:Academics are exploiting weak conflict-of-interest policies and cashing in on their research
MOST OF US place enormous faith in our universities. We trust that they are autonomous, independent institutions committed to education, scholarship, academic freedom and the production of knowledge free from the influence of special interest groups. Right?
Wrong. In the last 25 years, the United States has given birth to a market-model university, one where professors increasingly work “for hire.” Just last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that a major academic study — which found that antidepressants were safe and effective for pregnant women — was tainted by undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Apparently, although the study itself was financed by the federal government, most of its 13 authors — including many prominent academics — also served as paid consultants to manufacturers of antidepressants. None of these financial ties were made public.
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