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The research topic of my thesis

I started on my phd in 1994 and worked on it until about 2000. Although I have not finished it until this day the experience has really given and learned me many things.

  • First of all I have studied for 6 years many topics in public policy, mostly on policy analysis and understanding processes of public decision making. I also wrote some books with a group of students and did other academic work.
  • Second of all it has made me an expert on evolutionary theory, its philosophy and application within and outside biology.
  • Thirdly it has tought me that scientific research is very hard to do properly if your standards are high.

    Having said that here is some detail of what I was doing.

    The aim of my phd-research is to design a framework to be able to address the research-question:

    How [provably] goal-directed are human problem solving processes, and what theories can explain that?

    The methodology consists of using analogies between biological-cultural evolution to come up with usable theoretical concepts to be used to answer the research question posed above. Special attention will be paid to Memeticevolution, as a new word for cultural, or rather conceptual evolution. The analogy has proven to be usefull in work of DT Campbell for instance and in the philosophy of science, and incorporating such ideas in human problem solving processes is hoped to bring new insights.
      Theoretical framework

    One aim of the research is the design of a new explicit evolutionary conceptual framework about problem solving.

    The basis of this framework is laid down in an essay about evolution memes and strategies that has been published. Some expansion on this framework can be found in A short comment from a biologist on William Benzon's essay 'Culture as an evolutionary arena'

    Case studies

    The research will be illustrated with cases of human problem solving. Two cases involve the policy process on the organization of two Dutch universities. One case concerns the Catholic University Nijmegen , the other concerns the University of Brabant (KUB).

    The cases of Nijmegen will be adressed with the use of evolution theory concerning institutions and argumentative theory. From the view that public Universities should have rules that stimulate good education and research and thus that processes in which such rules are decided upon should be as good as possible in finding ways to do that, we are hoping to shed some light on ways in which the decision structures of an organization can prohibit the development of sound strategies.

    The research theory is partly based on evolutionary thought.

    A Third case study concerns the process in which a new law was past in the national political system of the Netherlands: the MUB. With regard to this I work together with the LSVB (Landelijke Studenten Vakbond, National Student Association), that also does work on rules by which Universities should be managed, with special regard to the improvement of education. Together with the LSVb I wrote two books:

  • De electronische "Mub of Monet".

    uitgave van het boekje van de LSVB over de wet MUB
  • and Olof van der Gaag; Olaf Lemmers; Hans-Cees Speel; Maranke Spoor (1997) De MUB meester. Landelijke Studenten Vakbond, Utrecht. Isbn 90-74884-05-9 Can be ordered at 030-2316464 . A guide for student and other university members of councils and boards to the implementation and mechanisms of the new law MUB.
  • The most elaborate page in the Netherlands (and thus in the world) with links to various articles about MUB, Modernisering Universitaire Bestuursstructuur.
    • And

      The law MUB itself is here!!!

    (in ascii)