15 November 2013

Cape Town

9 October 2013 9 October 2013

Linking knowledge producers and marginalised communities:

DST/ HSRC/ CPUT Science seminar

Linking knowledge producers and marginalised communities:

DST/ HSRC/ CPUT Science seminar

Social science that makes a difference

Social science that makes a difference

AIM: Bring together researchers and policy makers in the

higher education, community engagement, social innovation and development spaces

AIM: Bring together researchers and policy makers in the

higher education, community engagement, social innovation and development spaces

• Debate role knowledge producers in different types of universities and science councils can play in innovation for inclusive development

• Examine nature of university interaction with marginalised communities to promote livelihoods

• Identify mechanisms through which universities can promote innovation for the public good

• Provide a comparative perspective from Argentina

Social science that makes a difference

SA debate: disjuncture but potentialalignment

SA debate: disjuncture but potentialalignment

Higher Education sector and research

Science and Technology sector and research

Focus on university’s role in equity, responsiveness to social justice and promoting the public good

Focus on university’s role in big science, innovation, economic demand and promoting global competitiveness

Shift to promote ‘community engagement’ as integral to academic scholarship

BUT contestation - and diverse conceptualisation and forms in practice

Shift to include a focus on ‘broad-based social innovation’ and technology for poverty reduction

BUT contestation – and lack of conceptual models to inform intervention and practice

How do universities (and public research institutes) promote an integrated and inclusive socio-economic development mandate,

particularly to the benefit of marginalised and rurally-based communities?

Innovation-growth nexus Innovation-social inclusion nexus

Who

Policy actors

University-Firm

STI, HEI, Science Councils, Granting councils, Firms R&D

University-Marginalised community

HEI, Science Councils, Local community, Development issues Social Policy, ST

Why Competitiveness GrowthGlobalisation

Equality, local developmentInclusive developmentSocial accountability

What (inputs) Industrial specialisationEconomic infrastructureJobs Production Trade

National/ Local opportunities Social impactsImproved livelihoodsImproved services Socio-economic infrastructure

How Technology transferPatents, licencing Incubators, commercialisation Base of the PyramidTeaching, Research and community engagement

Grassroots innovation Teaching, research of community engagementCoherence, alignment and integration between*teaching*research*community engagement