THE UniVErsiTy as an agEnT of KnowlEdgE TransfEr: THE CasE of THE laTVia UniVErsiTy of agriCUlTUrE
Journal Title: Problems of Education in the 21st Century - Year 2010, Vol 26, Issue 11
Abstract
There is a discussion within social science literature on theoretical models looking at the relationships between universities and stakeholders in the process of knowledge transfer particularly explaining whether universities are involved in the triple helix relationships (politicians, businesses representatives and university offcials) or a quadruple helix system where public constitutes the forth party. Universities have a number of functions which among the other include both creation and obtaining of knowledge and transferring it within wider community, thus promoting socioeconomic development. By studying the case of the Latvia University of Agriculture (hereinafter – LUA), the authors of the paper focus on cooperation networks that are involved in the process of knowledge transfer from the university to regional stakeholders and vice versa. The research methodology is based on the qualitative approach. For identifcation of cooperation agents, nineteen individual and six group semi-structured interviews were held involving 35 informants. For a deeper analysis of relationships between the LUA and regional stakeholders, policy documents concerning socioeconomic development of Zemgale planning region were analysed. The research results show that the LUA operates as a unique agent of knowledge transfer in many felds (agriculture, veterinary science, forestry, wood processing, food technology, etc.) at both regional and national levels thus diversity of structural elements in cooperation networks depends on demand and supply of knowledge as well as on involvement of institutions responsible for facilitation of successful knowledge transfer. The authors discuss which of the theoretical cooperation models is more evident in the case of the LUA and conclude that currently the triple helix relationships dominate; however, in some cases particular relationship patterns and activities indicate transformation towards the quadruple helix system.
Authors and Affiliations
Ginta Kronberga, Līga Paula, Dina Bite
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP34910
- DOI -
- Views 287
- Downloads 0
RELATION OF THE STATE AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES WITH THE LABOR MARKET
Globalization is not new in education, this process demands integration the labor market and consequently the problem facing to universities are very complex. They should create strategy towards the labor market. Univers...
THE VALUE OF DATA IN ETHNOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH
The primary objective of this analysis refers to the question of the value of information, which is an important issue in ethnographic research. The relevance of the study is articulated if one considers that the analys...
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY: A CASE STUDY AMONG SIXTH GRADERS
The purpose of this study was to clarify sixth graders’ (aged 12-13, N=87) perceptions about environmental problems and environmental responsibility. Four classes from two Finnish primary schools participated in the stud...
SUBJECTIVITY TOWARDS EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE AND THREATS OF CONTEMPORARY TIMES: EXCEPTIONS OF REFLECTION
Subjectivity today is commonly referred to as a necessary condition of education. Regardless of the world-view option, of social, or religious doctrine which determines the ideological layer of the education, the problem...
LACK OF INTEREST IN SCHOOL SCIENCE AMONG NON-SCIENCE STUDENTS AT THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
this study investigated the factors that contribute to the non-science students’ lack of interest in school science through the use of a 27-item questionnaire. This assisted in comparing the male and female non-science...