Education and Innovation Policy

Master 2020/2021

Type: Elective course (Political Analysis and Public Policy)

Area of studies: Political Science

Delivered by: Public Policy Department

Where: Faculty of Social Sciences

When: 2 year, 1, 2 module

Mode of studies: offline

Instructors: Arnab Roy Chowdhury, Artem Uldanov

Master’s programme: Political Analysis and Public Policy

Language: English

ECTS credits: 5

Contact hours: 40

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

The course is created with the objective to highlight and explain main linkages between different approaches to build a successful education policy and how to properly transfer results of this policy to the sphere of innovations and vice versa. The effective implementation of a well-designed education policy is a necessary pre-condition for the societal and economic growth and in contemporary world such kinds of growth are almost unreachable without systematic implementation of innovative practices and ideas. The postindustrial economy has been going through a new cycle of knowledge-based economy where the innovation centric education is in the highest demand. There are many evidence that human development and quality of education contributes to economic growth no less than physical capital. Thus, the emphasis now is on both qualitative and quantitative improvements, and there is as much concern with the equity as with the efficiency of educational investment. The evaluation of education investments becomes even more complicated when we consider that yet another factor must be taken into account-the important links between education and other sectors. During this course, we will focus on history and evolution of education as well as different methods and techniques of knowledge transfer and the commercialization of scientific research. Content of the course is structured around systemic approach to the orchestration of knowledge creation and innovation processes by linking the three areas of academic research and knowledge creation, education and training, and business innovation. We will discuss main concepts related to knowledge transfer, such as: third mission, entrepreneurial university, knowledge triangle and the triple helix model. These concepts offer different approaches both for analysis and policy, but they also have some common and overlapping features. As a part of the course, we will also observe how to evaluate efficiency of investments in education

Learning Objectives

To provide students with general understanding about concepts of education, linkages between education, innovations and development in different regions with the focus on education reforms and policies
To analyze how and why education serves as pre-condition for innovation policy in different countries
To understand the challenges of knowledge transfer and main issues of policy formulation in related fields
To develop skills and competencies to propose strategies and advice for policy-makers

Expected Learning Outcomes

General understanding about the trajectories of edcucation institutions development that could be utilized in writing assignmenrs for the course and in individual presentation
Practical understanding about how theories of education are connected with design of existed education design and practices
Know the range of concepts from the social sciences that assist the understanding and analysis of the relationship between education, learning and implementation of innovations in different countries
Understand correlations between education, social capital and knowledge transfer
Be able to analyze and evaluate relevance and quality of different policy measures and instruments in related fields
Be able to analyze and propose public policy solutions and mechanisms in spheres of knowledge transfer and implementation of innovations

Course Contents

Concepts, aims and issues of contemporary education
How to approach the concept of education and how to properly theorize it? From ancient Greece to French postmodern thought philosophers and scholars arguing about this issue. And their debates have been reflected in every process of education and curriculum creation. In contemporary globalized world where changes occur with enormous speed proper approaches to establish relevant and helpful education is vitally important
Evolution of views on role and place of education in the history of mankind
Practices of education experienced a dramatic development in XX and the beginning of XXI century, but history of education consists of many other important and significant periods. We'll look how education evolved from a 'school of life' to more advanced and institutionalized forms and how power and religion shaped these forms throughout the history
Lifelong education
One of the answers to current challenges in the sphere of education is the creation and establishment of a system where those who learn can get skills and experience how to acquire in different situations and how to promote practices of education beyond school or university walls. What kind of curriculum and instructional design must be introduced to create such a system and how stakeholders involved in education processes can work together to improve it and have access to reliable feedback
Human resources, education and social capital
What are the main linkages between the sphere of education and social capital of an individual or a group? How can educational institutions positively contribute to development of social capital and elimination of inequality in society? And why is social capital so important to understand development and economic growth?
Inequalities in Higher Education
What are the main inequalities that exist in higher education? How to measure some types of inequalities in higher education, for example, gender disparities? What are the possible policy solutions in inequality elimination? This class aims to answer the questions to find out the fundamental problems of higher education from relevant inequalities. The topic consists of two parts: (1) lecture with students &; discussions about inequalities; (2) group work on the different types of inequalities (students and academic staff) and ways to eliminate them.
Policy design: combining education and innovations
How to bring academia and other spheres closer to each other? How policymakers can support innovative cooperation and promote fragile results of this interexchange? Scholars and experts did a great job in theorizing and description of different ways of proper policy design, but there are still a lot things to do and many chances for better policy learning and understanding
Innovations and knowledge transfer
Knowledge transfer (KT) is a term used to encompass a very broad range of activities to support mutually beneficial collaborations between universities, businesses and the public sector. To make innovations happen it must be a specific environment where tangible and intellectual property, expertise, learning and skills are floating between academia and the non-academic community. How to organize such an environment and what kind of policy must be developed to make it work?

Assessment Elements

Reflection paper
Final essay
Individual presentation

Interim Assessment

Interim assessment (2 module)
0.4 * Final essay + 0.3 * Individual presentation + 0.3 * Reflection paper

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Brown, T. (2018). Lifelong Learning: An Organising Principle for Reform. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 58(3), 312–335. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1199967
Cohen, D. K., & Hill, H. C. (2001). Learning Policy : When State Education Reform Works. New Haven: Yale University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=188002
Conrad, D. M., & Blackman, S. (2017). Education : Historical and Contemporary Issues. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1487250
Gerard Ferrer-Esteban, & Mauro Mediavilla. (2017). The more educated, the more engaged? An analysis of social capital and education. Working Papers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.ieb.wpaper.doc2017.13
Lahmandi-Ayed, R., & Malouche, D. (2018). More investment in Research and Development for better Education in the future? Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsarx&AN=edsarx.1807.08458
Panitsides, E. A., & Talbot, J. (2016). Lifelong Learning : Concepts, Benefits and Challenges. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1226262
Plank, D. N., Ford, T. G., Sykes, G., & Schneider, B. L. (2009). Handbook of Education Policy Research. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=270704
Wehn, U., & Montalvo, C. (2018). Knowledge transfer dynamics and innovation: Behaviour, interactions and aggregated outcomes. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.FD24817D

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Epple, D. (2019). Information, Incentives, and Education Policy. Journal of Economic Literature, 57(3), 698–700. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ecn&AN=1784268
Pierre André, & Paul Maarek. (2017). Education, social capital and political participation Evidence from school construction in Malian villages. THEMA Working Papers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.ema.worpap.2017.18
Rosa Maria Dangelico, Achille Claudio Garavelli, & Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli. (2008). Knowledge creation and transfer in local and global technology networks: a system dynamics perspective. International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business, (3), 300. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.ids.ijgsbu.v2y2008i3p300.324

Course Syllabus