TADAO TAKAHASHIUN ICT TASK FORCE

Chair, LA&C Outreach Node

Universities as Centers for Universities as Centers for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

SOME IDEAS ON ICT-BASED ACTIONSSOME IDEAS ON ICT-BASED ACTIONS

TEN QUESTIONS

1. ARE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRAL TO THE IDEA OF UNIVERSITY?

2. WHAT IS THE SITUATION OF UNIVERSITIES IN LA&C REGARDING INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

3. HOW HAS ICT IMPACTED INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN UNIVERSITIES?

4. WHAT KIND(S) OF ICT EDUCATION ARE NEEDED?

5. WHAT KIND(S) OF INNOVATIONS ARE NEEDED?

6. WHAT KIND(S) OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP ARE NEEDED?

TEN QUESTIONS – Cont.

7. WHICH CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES ICT POSES REGARDING CONTENTS GENERATION AND DELIVERY?

8. WHICH LEGAL ASPECTS HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED TO SUPPORT INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

9. HOW TO PROMOTE ICT-BASED INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE WORLD?

10. HOW DO WE INTEND TO ORGANIZE ONE SUCH INITIATIVE IN LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN?

Q1: INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRAL TO IDEA OF UNIVERSITY?

• NOT REALLY, WHEN EXAMINING HISTORICAL EVOLUTION.

• CENTRAL TO THE IDEA OF UNIVERSITY WAS

the pursuit of knowledge

the transmission of skills

• UNIVERSITY AS THE LOCUS FOR

Education

Research

Q2: UNIVERSITIES IN LA&C REGARDING INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• UNTIL RECENTLY, UNIVERSITY WAS STRONGHOLD OF RULING CLASSES

• CLASSICAL PROFESSIONS: MEDICINE, LAW, ENGINEERING

• FROM 60’s, STRONG IDEOLOGICAL DISCOURSE SETS IN

• RESEARCH ACTIVITIES QUITE LIMITED

• GRADUATE STUDIES ABROAD VERY IMPORTANT UNTIL 80’s/90’s.

Q3: ICT IMPACT ON INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN UNIVERSITIES

• HUGE IMPACT FROM THE START

Computing Power

Network Access

Organizational Paradigm

• REVOLUTION IN EDUCATION & RESEARCH

Q4: KIND(S) OF ICT EDUCATION NEEDED

• ALL TYPES OF EDUCATION ARE NEEDED

• MAJOR CHALLENGES ARE NOT WITHIN ICT-AREAS, BUT IN THE ADOPTION OF ICT IN OTHER AREAS

Q5: KIND(S) OF INNOVATION NEEDED

• TWO MAJOR “TYPES”: TECHNICAL & ORGANIZATIONAL

• TECHNICAL : - deriving from Research & Development

- includes “proof of concept” results

(ex.: Digital Inclusion recipes)

• ORGANIZATIONAL : - deriving from changes in Social Systems

(ex.: Project Structures WWI,

Networks of Institutions,

Learning Organizations, etc.)

• NB – Digital Inclusion is perhaps more in need of Organizational Innovations today.

Q6: KIND(S) OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP NEEDED

• CLASSICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP NEEDED

• GOVERNMENT INTRA-PRENEURSHIP

• SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

(SCALING-UP FROM PROOFS-OF-CONCEPT, SELF-SUSTAINING, SELF- REPLICATING, CHANGING ORIGINAL STATUS QUO, PLANNING FOR LONG-RANGE SCENARIO)

Q7: ICT IMPACT ON CONTENTS GENERATION & DELIVERY

• WORLD QUALITY NECESSARY

(COMPLEX STRUCTURING, BASICS vs. DETAILS, UNIVERSAL vs. LOCAL, etc.)

• DELIVERY MECHANISMS MUST CONTEMPLATE:

asynchronous mode,

user-driver

INTERACTION.

• CURRICULA MUST CONCILIATE:

emphasis on basic skills, with

“hands-on” approach to specific training.

Q8: CHALLENGES IN LEGAL ASPECTS

(TO SUPPORT INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP)

• DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES NEED TO BE SUPPORTED AS FULLY ACCREDITED ACTIVITIES.

• CROSS-ACCREDITATION OF ACADEMIC WORK BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

• COMPLEX FRAMEWORK NECESSARY TO ALLOW UNIVERSITIES TO OPERATE AS INCUBATORS OF INNOVATIVE INITIATIVES.

Q9: WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PROMOTE ICT-BASED INNOVATION AND

ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

• TO LOOK AT UNIVERSITIES AS CENTRAL ACTORS IN PROMOTION OF INNOVATIVE INITIATIVES WITH PRIVATE COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENTS.

• TO PROMOTE THE STRUCTURING OF LOCAL NETWORKS (SMEs, CITIES, etc.) AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IN GLOBAL INITIATIVES.

Q9: WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PROMOTE ICT-BASED INNOVATION AND

ENTREPRENEURSHIP? – Cont.

• TO PROMOTE SOME GLOBAL PROJECTS WHERE CONCRETE EXECUTION CAN BE HIGHLY DISTRIBUTED:

Open Technologies/Documentation (E-Gov Applications, Backbone Devices, etc.)

Horizontal R&D Initiatives (E-Business, Genoma Research, etc.)

Fellowship Program for Future ICT-Champions

Q10: HOW TO ORGANIZE EFFORTS IN LA&C

• A VIRTUAL ORGANIZATION ARTICULATING ACTIVITIES OF A NETWORK OF SOME 6-10 UNIVERSITY-BASED R&D GROUPS.

• FUNDING FROM PRIVATE COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE REGION (AND INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES).

• PARTNERSHIPS WITH GOVERNMENTS FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS/GOALS.

• MAIN FOCUS OF INTEREST:

SCALING-UP PROOF-OF-CONCEPT RESULTS AS THE BOOTSTRAPPING PHASE OF PURELY PRIVATE INITIATIVES, PURELY GOVERNMENTAL PROJECTS, AND/OR PUBLIC/PRIVATE EFFORTS.

• COOPERATION WITH GLOBAL INITIATIVES WILL BE ACTIVELY SOUGHT

(GeSCI, ITAFE, NetGrowth, etc.)