Publish at March 02 2020 Updated March 25 2026
If Einstein were to appear in a day-care center, he would probably not enjoy the same recognition as at a physicists' congress. His prestige stems from his theories and achievements, which have shaken our most fundamental conceptions. Even if his prestige reached the whole of humanity, one might still wonder what he'd be doing in a day-care center.
Prestige captures the imagination, impresses, leads to positive prejudice. It constitutes an advantage for the thing, individual or organization that is its object. It is built on achievement and appreciation. A celebrity or a bandit establishes his prestige on the basis of what he controls, what he is able to deliver and defend. The same dynamic applies in all cases.
Skills develop from an interest or even a simple opportunity. With a little effort, they can lead to achievements. These achievements are appreciated and normally bring a little more means, which in turn enable the development of better abilities and lead to more achievements. The virtuous circle begins.
We start by organizing the resources and skills we have to achieve a result, which we then share or exchange. As progress is made, organization and procedures are established and evolve with the change in scale. Success is reinforced.
Universities know that basic research can be demanding and difficult to finance, but it is a source of prestige, can lead to highly profitable initiatives and patents, and can be sustained from there. But with success comes new elements...
Once success has been achieved, improvements will be identified, competition will begin to appear and all kinds of people will come forward, with interests and motivations that are more or less compatible.
If initially know-how, skills and organization were paramount, in a second phase ethics and the preservation of vital elements are added. How many initiatives have seen their initial ideals corrupted, their procedures altered, their organization infiltrated or have been defrauded, stolen or destroyed by negligence or intention. Soon enough, the imperatives of selection, security, defense and prevention come into play.
When the technology and know-how work, and the organization follows, the need for clear ethics becomes imperative. If nothing works, we look first at the application of know-how, then at organization, recruitment and training. If everything is in place, then we look at ethics. Ultimately, ethics ensure the integrity of the operation and the organization. Ethics become a badge of prestige. Everyone likes to be associated with something reliable, not corrupt.
The collapse of Volkswagen's prestige was not due to a technological defect, but to an ethical fault. Examples abound. The scandal surrounding bribes for student enrolment at the most prestigious American universities shows that, as prestige increases, so does the pressure on ethics.
Under pressure from the competition, it can be tempting to lower standards or, on the contrary, to limit oneself to a particular niche. Knowing how to renew oneself helps avoid these pitfalls.
Prestige is associated with appreciated or respected achievements; it wears thin and can only be maintained with new achievements. If you have prestige in a certain field, you can make a name for yourself in related fields and continue to build up your prestige. Branding allows you to play on the need to identify with the group, without necessarily having to renew yourself, but the best thing is to anticipate wear and tear, to constantly provide new successes.
In the case of educational institutions, it's easy to highlight their most prestigious alumni and their past, but even better to present their new orientations, their best teachers or their new facilities dedicated to some future sector, to present their future.
When it comes to funding, university foundations are one of the best ways of ensuring the sustainability of research and innovation capacity. Many university foundations are now endowed with billions, and virtually all major educational institutions now manage such foundations. With several hundred thousand alumni, and knowing that the average donation is around $250 a year for more than 5% of them, it's easy to see why the pot is growing fast.
By renewing itself regularly, you're giving copycats and imitators a run for their money: they're condemned to copy what's already old.
The best stay ahead.
References
Airbnb : petite start-up deviendra grande - Audrey Fournier - Le Monde
https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2012/08/19/airbnb-petite-start-up-deviendra-grande_1742148_3234.html
Integrated research clusters - Wave 2 - December 2018
https://next-isite.fr/clusters-de-recherche-integree-vague-2-decembre-2018/
Volkswagen affair - Dieselgate
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affaire_Volkswagen
US universities caught up in athlete recruitment scandal
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/sports/1157903/poursuite-universites-etats-unis-scandale-recrutement-athletes-etudiants-tricherie-examens-admission
These universities receive the most money through college endowments
Grant Suneson - USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2019/03/28/college-endowment-universities-receive-most-gifts-funds/39230729/
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