Universities and Development: Third Role and Social Inclusion

Montevideo, Uruguay, 23 November, 2006-12-20

1.- Framework

This workshop was conceived as an opportunity to present the results of the case study “Universidad de la República”, which followed the guidelines of the UniDev project, and to share the first results of an exploration of the direct linkages between academic research and social inclusion.
Which should be the “third role” of universities, moreover, of public universities? This is a controversial question, not only in the developing world. On the one hand, we have the controversy around the “new” third role of universities: should it be committed to economic development or to development tout court? On the other hand, we have the controversy, mainly present in Latin American public universities, around the “classical” third role: how should extension, born as the third mission in the early XX Century, be conceived today? How should the notion of solidarity be understood nowadays, in the knowledge society, from a university perspective? (more…)

Linkages between bio-innovation, knowledge production and policy

1. Introduction
There is probably no better example of the necessary interaction between scientific and technological research and innovation than biotechnology. The following statement from Chris Freeman could have been inspired by life sciences related innovation:
… what is at issue is the ability of a national science and technology system to make use of the results of world science to advance national technology. It is certainly the case that it is impossible to understand and assimilate new advances in many branches of science without an active participation in the world scientific community. Moreover, it is also the case that the interdependence of science and technology is increasing and some of the most important generic new technologies are intimately related to basic science (Freeman 1987: 30).
Bio-innovation, that is, the ensemble of new products and services derived from the exploitation of new knowledge in life sciences, can be included in what current literature terms a sectoral systems of innovation. (more…)

Uruguay Position Paper presented at UNIVERSIDAD06
Uruguay Power Point presented at UNIVERSIDAD06

The UniDev project in Uruguay will be located at the University of the Republic, the only public University in the Country. The intention is to relate the project with an agreement between the University of the Republic and the Planning and Budget of the National Government, to be signed soon. The cooperation between the University and this high rank Government Department will ensure the genuine participation by both parts through out the full project.

The first national workshop will take place during 2006. A more exact date is to be decided at a later stage, when new research results have been gathered and transformed into working documents with the purpose of monitoring and communicating the process to external actors.