Academy vs Institute
Throughout the world, educational, scientific, and art establishments are often named as academies or institutes, and people tend not to pay much attention to their differences. This is because both terms, academy and institute, are used interchangeably for these establishments, with only minor differences in the nature and purpose of the organization using one term over the other. In fact, even the owners of such establishments who name them as institutes or academies are often unaware of the subtle distinctions between the two terms. Let’s take a closer look at these differences.
Both academies and institutes are nouns that generally refer to educational settings. As a result, we can have both an academy of arts and an art institute, and there’s no reason to find fault with this kind of naming.
Institute
In large cities, there are many institutes, such as computer institutes, fashion institutes, and art institutes, where students receive education. Institutes can be part of universities or colleges, or they can be autonomous, like the Indian Institutes of Technology. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is perhaps the best example of using the word “institute” for educational settings. In many parts of the world, government departments have research institutes and agricultural institutes that work to improve people’s lives by developing more nutritious and wholesome food crops.
Academy
The term “academy” was more popular in the past, although its use has decreased somewhat in recent times. While we still see schools and colleges including the word “academy” in their names, the term is now more commonly used for establishments and settings that provide specialized training in a particular field, as well as for various associations and groups of like-minded people, such as academies of scientists, writers, or artists. When considering the use of the term, the first academy that comes to mind is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is the organization that presents the annual Oscar awards in Hollywood. Similarly, there are defense academies like the US Air Force Academy and the National Defense Academy in India.
Key Takeaways
- It is difficult to differentiate between an academy and an institute, as both terms are currently used for similar establishments.
- While institutes are more common in the sphere of education and research, academies tend to refer more to associations or groups of like-minded individuals, such as academies of writers and scientists.
- The term “academy” is also prominently used for armed forces and defense institutions.
