Abstract
Universities and colleges are embedded in rapidly changing local, national, and global contexts that are strongly affected by the notion of a knowledge economy. Powell and Snellman (2004: 201) emphasize the key role of human resources in their definition of a knowledge economy as “production and services based on knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to an accelerated pace of technological and scientific advance as well as equally rapid obsolescence. The key components of a knowledge economy include a greater reliance on intellectual capabilities than on physical inputs or natural resources”. As a consequence of this shift from physical to human resources, universities and colleges have gained political and socio-economic importance as core ‘knowledge institutions’. This has resulted in the enhanced importance of higher education as a policy area, as well as a growing academic interest in studying the transformation processes in higher education.
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Notes
- 1.
For example, for Norway, see the annual report on Science and Technology Indicators, published by the Norwegian Research Council (https://www.forskningsradet.no/prognett-indikatorrapporten/Home_page/1224698172612)
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Maassen, P., Nerland, M., Yates, L. (2018). Reconfiguring Knowledge in Higher Education: Emerging Themes and Research Avenues. In: Maassen, P., Nerland, M., Yates, L. (eds) Reconfiguring Knowledge in Higher Education. Higher Education Dynamics, vol 50. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72832-2_11
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