Are conflicts with the philosophy department basically FHI’s fault?
I think this is a relevant question, but I don’t think it’s the whole question (not that you were claiming it was). As an outsider who has heard some stories and has some guesses, I would conjecture that the University is (at least sometimes) unreasonable and bureaucratic, but nevertheless, if you want to be a director of a university-affiliated research group, “managing the relationship with the university, even when they are being unreasonable” is absolutely a core competency of the job, and it’s not one that Nick has had much luck with.
I think this is a relevant question, but I don’t think it’s the whole question (not that you were claiming it was). As an outsider who has heard some stories and has some guesses, I would conjecture that the University is (at least sometimes) unreasonable and bureaucratic, but nevertheless, if you want to be a director of a university-affiliated research group, “managing the relationship with the university, even when they are being unreasonable” is absolutely a core competency of the job, and it’s not one that Nick has had much luck with.