Abstract
Traditionally, at the core of their activities, universities are regarded as being engaged in delivering degrees and other academic qualifications. In the process, universities produce a number of dissertations, theses and other materials which contribute significantly to the advancement of knowledge. However, increasingly, higher education institutions are being called upon to transfer this knowledge to society and other stakeholders to ‘make a difference’ to the world. Unfortunately, this remains highly problematic and seems impossible to achieve without the appropriate mechanisms and organisational structures. This leads inevitably to a situation of non foreign brain drain (NFBD) where knowledge does not leave the country but rather remains within the walls of the university. The present study looks at the situation of one major distance education institution with the highest enrolment rate and how knowledge transfer could be implemented. The research reveals that the high number of academic works produced results in an inadequate process where lack of staff, inefficient technology and rare links with industry or civil society hamper the setting up of a knowledge transfer office (KTO). This leads to an inadequate storage, retrieval and use of the massive knowledge produce which can also cause duplication of projects and loss of revenue if the knowledge transfer was monetised. The paper recommends a simple roadmap for the local university to ensure a knowledge transfer culture and integrate a knowledge management process from the inception of projects, appointment of trained staff and use of AI to transform the community into a knowledge society.
Presenters
Mrinal SohorayeLecturer, Academic Affairs Division, Open University of Mauritius, Mauritius
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Organizations as Knowledge Makers
KEYWORDS
KNOWLEDGE, TRANSFER, OFFICE, BRAIN, DRAIN, UNIVERSITY
