Contributions of knowledge-based foundations of universities in knowledge city formation : a Malaysian case study

Purpose – In the 21st Century, as knowledge, technology and education are widely accepted to play key roles in the local economic development, the importance of making space and place for knowledge production is, therefore, on the rise resulting many city administrations and urban policy-makers worldwide restructuring their cities to become highly competitive and creative. Consequently, this has led to a new type of city form, knowledge city, and a new approach in their development, knowledge-based urban development. In this context, knowledge-based foundations of universities are regarded as one of the key elements for knowledge-based urban development and knowledge city formation due to their ability to provide a strong platform for knowledge generation, marketing and transfer. This paper aims to investigate the role and importance of universities and their knowledge-based foundations in the context of developing countries, particularly in Malaysia, in building prosperous knowledge cities of the era of the knowledge economy. Design/Methodology/Approach – The main methodological techniques employed in this research includes: a thorough review of the literature on the role of universities in spatial and socio-economic development of cities; a best practice analysis and policy review of urban and regional development policies targeting to use of university clusters in leveraging knowledge-based development, and; a case study in Malaysia with a review of various policy documents and strategic plans of the local universities and local and state authorities, interviews with key actors, and a trend analysis of local socio-economic and spatial changes. Originality/Value – This paper reports the findings of a pioneering research on examining the role and impact of universities and their knowledge-based foundations, in the context of Malaysia, in building knowledge cities of the era of the knowledge economy. By undertaking a case study investigation in Bandar Seri Iskandar, which is a newly emerging Malaysian knowledge city, located in Perak, Malaysia, the paper sheds light on an important issue of the 21st Century of how universities contribute to the knowledge-based development of cities. Practical Implications – Universities with their rich knowledge-based foundations are increasingly being recognised as knowledge hubs, exercising a strong influence in the intellectual vitality of the city where they are embedded. This paper reveals that universities, in joint action with business and society at large, are necessary prerequisites for constructing and maintaining knowledge societies and, therefore, building prosperous knowledge cities. In light of the literature and case findings, the paper sheds light on the contribution of knowledge-based foundations of universities in knowledge city formation and provides generic recommendations for cities and regions seeking knowledge city transformation.

Planning for knowledge based urban development in Malaysia : Cyberjaya @ Multimedia Super Corridor

Knowledge based urban development (KBUD) is a new paradigm in urban planning tailoring to the era of knowledge economy. It aims mainly to assist a contemporary city to promote a more sustainable socio-spatial order. The paper reports on the investigation of KBUD initiative in Malaysia which is manifested through the establishment of a project called Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC). MSC Malaysia aims to attract knowledge workers and industries to invest and operate within the area by creating a world class urban corridor with state-of-the-art multimedia infrastructure, efficient transportation system and an attractive living environment. Based on documents analysis and interviews, this paper analyses the strategies, implementations, and achievements of KBUD initiative in Cyberjaya, being the leading intelligent city of the unique Malaysia’s KBUD project-MSC Malaysia. A critical evaluation is made to assess the achievements of MSC, by looking at the physical changes after about ten years since its official launching. The findings recommend some valuable lessons for other cities that strive to develop KBUD strategies, strengthen their sustainable socio-spatial policies, and seek a global recognition.

Determining indicators of transportation disadvantage for establishing knowledge-based environments

Although, transportation disadvantage or imbalance between travel needs and supply of transportation system is a great harm to knowledge based environments, quantification and objectively measuring the state of transportation disadvantaged remain to be a great challenge for researcher due to its ambiguity. This poses questions of whether the current indicators are accurately linked with transportation disadvantages and the effectiveness of the current policies. Using current indicators of transportation disadvantages, the state of transportation disadvantage is often exaggerated due to limited afford has been put forward to provide clear assessment on the existed relationship between transportation disadvantage indicators with travel performance or capability. This paper proposes a structural equation model of transportation disadvantage using household variables gained from the 2006-2008 South-East Queensland Travel Survey (SEQTS). The underlying relationships between social economics and demographic characteristics of household with travel performance are modelled using a latent variable approach. The final model has been able to fit the data gathered from SEQTS and explained established links between key household factors with travel capability and determined key indicator of travel capability. The model recognises that travel capability is directly influenced by household factors; vehicle ratio, license possession, retirees and pensioners.

Deviant knowledge : criminology, politics and policy

The “political” dynamics and the details of conducting criminological research on a day-to-day basis are examined. The role of government and commercial contracts in contemporary criminological scholarship are explored, as well as the various obstacles that criminologists must negotiate during the completion of a research project. The criminological implications of the ways in which academic environments are changing under new managerialist philosophies are examined. The ways in which notions of “critique” have become subordinate to the politics of existing governing rationalities are also examined. Chapter 1 details the questions, contours, and methods of “deviant knowledge.” Chapter 2 discusses the contours of criminological knowledge, including early criminological developments, international reconstruction and developments in criminological research following World War II, the United Nations, and the rise of critical genres. Chapter 3 explores criminology, government, and public policy, including the policies of the Home Office of England and Wales; the National Institute of Justice in Washington, DC; and the Australian Institute of Criminology in Canberra. The politics and control of criminological knowledge are discussed in chapter 4, along with ethical and legal issues, gathering and accessing data, and publishing results of research. Chapter 5 describes the “War on Terror” and government intolerance and suppression of free speech. Chapter 6 examines the new modes of governance and the commercialization of criminological knowledge. Chapter 7 discusses intellectual independence and collective concern, and the value of critique. 3 appendices, 546 references, index

Middle school social sciences : exploring teachers’ conceptions of essential knowledge

This study examines teachers’ conceptions of essential knowledge in the humanities and social sciences, commonly referred to as "social education", in the middle years of schooling. Social education has long been a highly contested area of the curriculum in Australia. In Queensland, social education comprises the integrated learning area of Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE). However, the new Australian Curriculum marks a return to discipline-based study of history and geography. This phenomenographic study addresses a perceived lack of understanding in the current research literature in Australia of the nature of middle school teachers’ professional knowledge for teaching the social sciences. Teachers are conceptualised in this study as curriculum makers in the classroom and, as such, their conceptions of essential knowledge are significant. Shulman’s (1986, 1987) theory of teachers’ knowledge forms the theoretical foundation of the study, which is contextualised in Federal and State education policies and the literature on the middle phase of schooling. Transcripts of interviews conducted with a group of thirty-one Queensland middle school teachers of SOSE were subjected to phenomenographic analysis, revealing seven qualitatively different categories of description. Essential aspects of knowledge for social education emerging from the study were: (1) discipline-based knowledge; (2) curriculum knowledge; (3) knowledge derived from teaching experience; (4) knowledge of middle years learners; (5) knowledge of integration; (6) knowledge of current affairs; and (7) knowledge invested in teacher identity. The three dimensions of variation that linked and differentiated the categories were: (1) content; (2) inquiry learning; and (3) teacher autonomy. These findings are presented as an outcome space where the categories are grouped as knowledge of the learning area, knowledge of contexts and knowledge of self as teacher. The results of the study suggest that social education teachers’ identity and knowledge of self are critical aspects of their knowledge as curriculum makers. The results illustrate that the professional and personal domains intersect, extending Shulman’s (1986, 1987) original theorisation of teachers’ knowledge into the personal arena. Further, middle years teachers’ conceptions of essential knowledge reveal a practice-based theorisation of knowledge for social education that fits the goals of middle schooling. The research concludes that attention to teacher identity in teacher education and in-service professional development has considerable potential to grow teachers’ knowledge in the social sciences and enhance their capacity for school-based curriculum leadership.

Creating Institutions: Linking the Local and the Global in the Travel of Crime Policies

Institutions represent the ‘technologies of the social.’ They are increasingly modelled and transported to other cultures and societies, and criminal justice institutions—traditional, parochial, and local as they are—are no exception to this. Problems of crime and insecurity have engendered the travelling of institutions from the centre to the periphery and vice versa. This paper will explore the problems which arise from travelling and modelling, and from the transport and creation of institutions in the area of criminal justice. An important feature in the travel of criminal justice institutions is the use of ‘local knowledge’ and its role in this process.

Comparing: knowledge-based urban development of Vancouver, Melbourne, Manchester and Boston

The research reported in this paper introduces a knowledge-based urban development assessment framework, which is constructed in order to evaluate and assist in the (re)formulation of local and regional policy frameworks and applications necessary in knowledge city transformations. The paper also reports the findings of an application of this framework in a comparative study of Boston, Vancouver, Melbourne and Manchester. The paper with its assessment framework: demonstrates an innovative way of examining the knowledge-based development capacity of cities by scrutinising their economic, socio-cultural, enviro-urban and institutional development mechanisms and capabilities; presents some of the generic indicators used to evaluate knowledge-based development performance of cities; reveals how a city can benchmark its development level against that of other cities, and; provides insights for achieving a more sustainable and knowledge-based development.

Proteomics science & society : the role of knowledge translation in moving towards clinical applications

Background: Outside the mass-spectrometer, proteomics research does not take place in a vacuum. It is affected by policies on funding and research infrastructure. Proteomics research both impacts and is impacted by potential clinical applications. It provides new techniques & clinically relevant findings, but the possibilities for such innovations (and thus the perception of the potential for the field by funders) are also impacted by regulatory practices and the readiness of the health sector to incorporate proteomics-related tools & findings. Key to this process is how knowledge is translated. Methods: We present preliminary results from a multi-year social science project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, on the processes and motivations for knowledge translation in the health sciences. The proteomics case within this wider study uses qualitative methods to examine the interplay between proteomics science and regulatory and policy makers regarding clinical applications of proteomics. Results: Adopting an interactive format to encourage conference attendees’ feedback, our poster focuses on deficits in effective knowledge translation strategies from the laboratory to policy, clinical, & regulatory arenas. An analysis of the interviews conducted to date suggests five significant choke points: the changing priorities of funding agencies; the complexity of proteomics research; the organisation of proteomics research; the relationship of proteomics to genomics and other omics sciences; and conflict over the appropriate role of standardisation. Conclusion: We suggest that engagement with aspects of knowledge translation, such as those mentioned above, is crucially important for the eventual clinical application ofproteomics science on any meaningful scale.

The strategic importance of tacit knowledge management activities in construction

Purpose: Tacit knowledge is perceived as the most strategically important resource of the construction organisation, and the only renewable and sustainable base for its activities and competitiveness. Knowledge management (KM) activities that deal with tacit knowledge are essential in helping an organisation to achieve its long-term organisational objectives. The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence for the stronger strategic role of tacit KM in comparison to explicit KM. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was administered in 2005 to a sample of construction contractors operating in Hong Kong to elicit opinions on the internal business environment, intensity of KM activities as executed by targeted organisations, and contribution of these activities to business performance (BP). A total of 149 usable responses were received from 99 organisations representing about 38 per cent of the sampling frame. The statistical analyses helped to map the reported KM activities into two groups that, respectively, deal with tacit and explicit knowledge. The sensitivity to variations of organisational policies and strength of association with BP in relation to the two groups of KM activities were also compared empirically. A total of 15 interviews with the managerial and professional staff of leading contractors was undertaken to provide insightful narratives of KM implementations. Findings: The effective implementation of organisational policies, such as encouraging innovations and strengthening strategic guidance for KM, would facilitate human interactions of tacit KM. Higher intensity of activities in managing tacit knowledge would ultimately help the organisations to achieve economic gain in the long run. Originality/value: The stronger strategic role of tacit KM is empirically investigated and established within the context of construction organisations.

Knowledge transfer through dual degree programs between Australian and Indonesian universities : a case study

While dual degree programs (DDPs) between Australian and Indonesian universities are expected to facilitate knowledge transfer (KT) between the partnering universities, little is known about how and what KT process taking place within DDP partnerships. Using an inter-organisational KT framework, this study investigated Indonesian universities’ rationales and outcomes of establishing DDPs and mechanisms facilitating knowledge transfer between Australian and Indonesian universities. Two Indonesian universities along with their common Australian partner university participated in this case study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 key university officers and pertinent university documents provided the main data. Both data sources were thematically analysed to identify emerging patterns. The findings suggest that Indonesian universities prioritised developing capacity to improve their international recognition more than the Australian partner. Consequently, the DDPs benefited the Indonesian universities through capacity development made possible by KT from the Australian DDP partners. KT processes occurred in DDP partnerships, particularly through curriculum collaboration, but they were more limited for the managerial area. Factors enabling the KT included both technology-aided and face-to-face communication, intention to acquire knowledge from the partners, capitalising on the unequal power relations to advance KT opportunities, and knowledge management system. The findings of this study suggest the importance of prioritising capacity development in DDP partnerships to enable KT, executing the KT stages to ensure institutionalisation of acquired knowledge into the university’s systems and policies, and maintaining financial sustainability of the DDPs to reach mutually beneficial outcomes between Australian and Indonesian universities.

Knowledge based urban development lessons from a non-western country : the Malaysia experience

Knowledge based urban development (KBUD) is seen as a new paradigm in urban planning and development which is now being implemented across the globe in order to increase the competitiveness of cities and regions. The KBUD concept has been widely applied in western and more developed countries over the last decade, and many have been proven successful. This paper, however, aims to provide an overview of the KBUD exercise in a context of a non western country scenario—Malaysia. Literature suggests that the urban development process in non western countries is different and very much focusing on physical elements. Whether this is the case or otherwise, this paper scrutinises the project of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), Malaysia, which is regarded as one of the first large scale manifestations of KBUD exercise in South East Asia. Based on development policies analysis and results of the interviews with the major stakeholders, this paper investigates the application of KBUD concept within the Malaysian context by examining the development and evolution of the city of Cyberjaya—the leading intelligent city of the MSC project. In the light of the literature and case findings, the paper provides recommendations and lessons learned, on the orchestration of KBUD, for other non western cities and regions that are working hard to develop KBUD strategies, strengthening their sustainable socio-spatial policies and seeking a global recognition.

Knowledge-based urban development performance analysis : moving towards an integrated system

Knowledge-based urban development (KBUD) has become the new development paradigm for the cities of the global knowledge economy era. Nevertheless, to date international KBUD performance analysis of prosperous knowledge cities is understudied. This paper, therefore, introduces the methodology and application of a novel performance analysis approach to comprehensively scrutinise the global perspectives on KBUD of cities—i.e., The KBUD Assessment Model (KBUD/AM). This indexing model puts 11 renowned knowledge cities—i.e., Birmingham, Boston, Brisbane, Helsinki, Istanbul, Manchester, Melbourne, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver—under the KBUD microscope to provide a benchmarked international outlook. The results of the indexing provide internationally benchmarked snapshot of the degree of achievements in various KBUD performance areas. This paper discusses the further development avenues and potentialities of the index to become an integrated system for the policy-making circles of cities to benchmark themselves against their competitors and develop relevant KBUD policies.

Taking culture seriously : the case of Indigenous knowledge and food security

Mainstream discourse on the revolving around food security is often portrayed by macro level indicators on nutrition, consumption and food production. While these indicators may prove significant in addressing food security in the national and regional levels, it falls short in addressing it among the indigenous peoples’ (IP) communities in the Philippines. Reflecting through the experiences in agricultural production, indigenous knowledge and socio-political institutions are relevant factors that must be seriously considered when food security among IPs are concerned. It is argued that disregarding micro level interactions over macro development policies will not address the issue of food security among marginalized sectors. The paper presents policy recommendations in taking cultural systems seriously in addressing food security among indigenous peoples.