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A Systematic Approach to Knowledge Exchange

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Universities as Engines of Economic Development

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Abstract

How important is knowledge exchange to economic development? How can it be improved?

Knowledge exchange is key to the economic contributions of the university. It links the university’s activities with partners in innovation and entrepreneurship. The partners develop new goods, services, and systems and create economic impact.

We propose a systematic approach to knowledge exchange that incorporates features of effective human dialog. The approach includes a discussion of partner needs, a sensitivity to those needs in the conduct of university efforts, and a proactive process to exchange outcomes.

The systematic approach is applied to 11 effective academic practices, in education, research, and catalyzing innovation. The practices are described, and the outcomes used in knowledge exchanged are identified.

Education encompasses four practices that prepare talented graduates with deep working knowledge of fundamentals and as agents of innovation.

Research includes four practices that enable researchers to make discoveries at the frontier of knowledge, with potential for impacting innovation.

Catalyzing innovation adds three more practices with innovation creations as outcomes.

Implementing these practices requires a quickening in the pace of change. The required change need not be disruptive and can build on the historic adaptability and resilience of the university.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Edward Crawley & Juan Cristobal Garcia Sanchez

  2. Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    John Hegarty

  3. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

    Kristina Edström

Authors
  1. Edward Crawley
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  2. John Hegarty
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  3. Kristina Edström
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  4. Juan Cristobal Garcia Sanchez
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Crawley, E., Hegarty, J., Edström, K., Garcia Sanchez, J.C. (2020). A Systematic Approach to Knowledge Exchange. In: Universities as Engines of Economic Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47549-9_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47549-9_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-47548-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-47549-9

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