Publish at June 19 2024 Updated June 19 2024
If there's one parameter that makes an individual feel part of a community, it's recognition. JJ. Rousseau, quoted by Véronique Bedin and Martine Fournier (2013), said in this regard.
"The savage lives within himself, the sociable man, always outside himself, knows how to live only in the opinion of others, and it is, so to speak, from their judgment alone that he derives the feeling of his own existence".
From this thought, we can see that a human being can only be recognized in a society by his fellow human beings. This fact is intrinsic to man in his immediate and distant environment.
According to Émilie Lemire Auclair, there are four types of recognition:
The first consists in recognizing a person as an equal human being, while the second takes into account an individual's professional qualities. The third takes into account the efforts made to achieve objectives. Finally, the fourth recognizes not only the efforts made, but also the results achieved. These types of recognition are typical of the professional world, and fit in with the recognition of competence that Christian Lazzeri and Alain Caillé (2004) distinguish from the recognition of belonging and love.
Émilie concludes her article by pointing out that "organizations should be concerned with providing employees with all 4 types of recognition". However, we may wonder whether all organizations are capable of adapting the same types of recognition. Wouldn't the academic world have its own peculiarities? The recruitment of university teachers and researchers is a succession of recognitions.
The recruitment of university teachers and researchers, when not directly determined by politicians who often take other parameters into account, is mainly a succession of recognitions. So, if you're thinking of entering this world, it's important to keep all these elements in mind.
In many fields, recruitment is based on skills and not necessarily on diplomas; but this is not the case at university. This institution, whose prerogatives include the training of users, attaches the utmost importance to the quality of diplomas. In fact, the different levels of recruitment, even though they may vary from country to country, are dependent on diplomas. A research associate must have at least a Master's degree, and an assistant must have a doctorate.
In France, the qualification of "Maître de Conférence" awarded by the Conseil National d'Université, opens the door to the University. But this qualification is conditional on obtaining a doctorate. If you are a foreigner and have obtained your degree outside France, you are required to have your diploma recognized by the Enic Naric service. This service evaluates your diploma and classifies it according to French diploma standards.
In Cameroon, it's the Ministry of Higher Education which, at the graduate's request, provides equivalences.
Even if in certain cases or certain countries, these conditions can be reviewed, the general rule remains: the diploma is a condition for recruitment, but often the diploma alone is not enough.
Generally speaking, academics around the world do not necessarily go through a teacher training college. In addition to diplomas, they are evaluated on the work they produce. This work takes many forms: participation in colloquia, papers presented, scientific articles written, research projects supervised, seminars led, books produced, etc. It is this work that attests to the quality of the teacher. It is this work that attests to your ability to enter university, and for this to happen, it must be recognized by your peers. So, if you're thinking of joining a university, you need to think downstream about taking part in scientific activities or producing work to this end.
In France, an analytical presentation is required as part of the recruitment process for maîtres de conférences. This provision is set out in a decree, notably the "arrêté du 6 février 2023 relatifs aux modalités générales des opérations de mutation, de détachement et de recrutement par concours des maîtres de conférences, des professeurs des universités et des chaires de professeurs juniors". In Cameroon, Senegal and many other African countries, applicants are required to submit not only a list of their work, but also copies of it.
In the scientific world, these works speak for themselves. Very often, in certain contexts, these works are not enough.
The recruitment process at university is often initiated by the senior administration (presidency or rectorate), but is mainly carried out at department or laboratory level. And in a laboratory, there are professors with a certain amount of experience and budding researchers. Very often, these researchers are called upon by experienced teachers or researchers to carry out tasks.
If you are part of this laboratory and avoid carrying out these tasks, which are often unpaid, you reduce your chances of applying for a position later on, especially in a context where job openings are scarce. In addition to these tasks, there are also administrative ones. On the Galaxie website, where job vacancies are advertised in France, there is a section to be completed for "administrative tasks performed".
Sometimes, the description of the profile sought is tailor-made for a specific candidate, in the case of "arrowed" calls for applications. Your dynamism in a laboratory or research structure can be crucial to your recruitment in higher education.
Once your application has been accepted to continue the recruitment procedure, you are invited to an interview. Another moment of recognition.
If, during your interview, the jury is looking to find out more about you in order to better correlate your documents with your personality, don't lose sight of the fact that this is also the moment for you to recognize not only the great theorists in your field, but also the masters of your laboratory.
If you're applying to an institution where you haven't been trained, you'll need to recognize the work done by specialists in your field. You'll need to recognize the work done by specialists in your field, either to promote it or to criticize it. If you're applying to a laboratory where you've been a researcher, you'll need to find the right balance when it comes to recognizing the value of your colleagues or masters: you'll need to acknowledge their work or their contribution to your training. Because very often, you need to flatter the ego of those who are listening to you.
Recognition is a philosophical concept that has lasted for centuries but is still relevant today. At university, it's not just an object of study, but also a way of doing things, an instruction manual.
In objective cases, you are recruited because your diplomas, your work and your personality are recognized by your future colleagues or collaborators. So, as a student or researcher aspiring to join a university, know that your integration will be nothing but a series of recognitions.
Bibliography
Lemire Auclair, Émilie (2023), "La reconnaissance, un outil puissant", https://www.revuegestion.ca/le-pouvoir-de-la-reconnaissance
Bedin, Véronique and Fournier, Martine, (2013), Les philosophes de la reconnaissance, in La reconnaissance, pages 7 to 11.
https://www.cairn.info/la-reconnaissance--9782361060367-page-7.htm
Christian Lazzeri, Caillé, Alain, (2004), "La reconnaissance aujourd'hui. Enjeux théoriques, éthiques et politiques du concept", In Revue du MAUSS 2004/1 (no 23), pages 88 to 115.
https://www.cairn.info/revue-du-mauss-2004-1-page-88.htm
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