Universities in the Knowledge Economy

Universities in the Knowledge Economy

The roles and scope of universities in changing knowledge economies and regions will be examined at a conference at the University of Auckland next week.
“Universities in the Knowledge Economy: Perspectives from Asia-Pacific and Europe” will be held at the University of Auckland 10-13 February.

In what will be the largest ever gathering of researchers addressing university reform in New Zealand, over 90 speakers from North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Australasia will examine questions such as: What is the place of universities in the emerging ‘ecology’ of higher education systems that draws in industry, government and the public sphere? How are universities negotiating the different demands placed upon them to compete in the global knowledge economy? What new subjects and spaces are emerging under these changing conditions of existence for universities? How are academics, students, managers and policy makers making sense of these changes, and are there better ways to organise higher education?

The conference includes addresses from Sue Wright (Aarhus University), Jill Blackmore (Deakin University), Nick Lewis (University of Auckland), Stefano Harney (Singapore Management University), Chris Newfield (UC Santa Barbara), Rebecca Boden (Roehampton University), Pavel Zgaga (Ljubjlana University), Gilsun Song (Zhejiang University) and Susan Robertson (Bristol University). This expert line-up will ensure that wide-ranging changes in universities will be addressed. Conference sessions will allow an in-depth focus on issues such as the changing nature of university leadership and management, gender relations, changing ideas about academic freedom, the emergence of new online methods of teaching and learning (e.g. MOOCs), new finance arrangements and the explosion of student debt, and the question of what makes for a ‘liveable university’.

From a New Zealand perspective, the conference includes sessions on the role of the academic as ‘the critic and conscience of society’ and ‘trends in the NZ research environment’ with representatives from MBIE, UniServices and the government’s Chief Science Advisor.

The conference is being jointly funded by MBIE and the European Commission as part of a major (4.2.m Euros) Marie-Curie initiative- UNIKE (Universities in the Knowledge Economy)- which seeks to develop cutting-edge research about the changing nature of universities in the context of profound economic and social change.
Further details can be found at Universities in the Knowledge Economy: Perspectives from Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Registration is free for all university students and speakers, for other attendees registration is $30 for the four days. All conference participants (even speakers) need to register online at www.auckland.ac.nz/UNIKE2015

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