Universities in regional development: knowledge transfer in a less favoured region
| dc.contributor.advisor | Marais, J. G. L. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Atkinson, D. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Cloete, N. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Fongwa, Neba Samuel | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-08-14T08:51:35Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-08-14T08:51:35Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 13-Jun | |
| dc.description | Thesis (Ph.D.(Centre for Development Support))--University of the Free State, 2013 | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 This dissertation is an exploratory study aimed at increasing the theoretical and empirical understanding of knowledge transfer from a university to its region. The study builds on the increased emphasis on the role of universities as ‘engines’ for development. By using the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of the Free State, South Africa as a case study, this study aimed to provide a nuanced understand of the factors affecting knowledge transfer between academics and stakeholders in a less favoured region. By means of the learning region concept and supported by other empirical studies, key indicators were identified from the literature and were developed for investigation. A qualitative approach was followed to collect data from academics in the Faculty of Agriculture and from relevant stakeholders by means of semi-structured interviews and a detailed review of some key policy documents. Institutional data, farmer databases and an academic survey provided quantitative data with a view to facilitating the triangulation of data and the minimising of bias. Findings from the study revealed that the process of knowledge transfer from the UFS was affected by a combination of demand and supply factors. Some of the factors affecting supply included the nature and the history of the UFS and the Faculty of Agriculture, adequate incentive structures, the level of policy alignment and the embeddedness of knowledge outputs from the faculty. Demand factors included the absorptive capacity of the region, the presence of coordinated demand systems and the nature of the networks that existed between stakeholders. This thesis argues that because of institutional lock-ins in the region ‒ that have led to path dependency in the practice of agriculture ‒ knowledge from the faculty has failed to realise its potential in respect of contributing to regional development. While there is evidence of networks between farmers and academics, the network forms are ‘distorted’ and as yet strongly embedded along historical social and racial lines. There is also limited evidence of a properly institutionalised notion of engagement with emerging farmers and thus knowledge transfer continues to be path dependent. The findings have implications for the UFS, for the faculty and for the region. While the UFS has defined itself as having both a national and an international agenda, the university will consciously have to define its regional role and then have to establish structures for active engagement ‒ not only broadly but also specifically with the agricultural sector. At the faculty level, engagement needs to be reconceptualised, with engagement moving from a philanthropic ethos to one that is part of the core function of teaching and learning. At the regional level, there is a need for the establishment of new forums in which the UFS and the different stakeholders may engage. More importantly, these initiatives will have to be built on trust, social capital and networks for collective benefits to result. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂𝒏𝒔 Hierdie proefskrif is ʼn verkennende studie wat daarop gemik is om die teoretiese en empiriese begrip van kennisoordrag van ʼn universiteit na die streek waarin dit geleë is, te verbeter. Hierdie studie bou voort op die toenemende klem op die rol van universiteite as ‘ontwikkelingswerktuie’. Deur die Landbou Fakulteit aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat, Suid-Afrika as gevallestudie te gebruik, het hierdie studie ten doel gehad ʼn begrip van die faktore wat kennisoordrag tussen belanghebbendes en akademici in ʼn minder begunstigde streek beïnvloed. Sleutelindikatore is in die literatuur geïdentifiseer en met die oog op ondersoek ontwikkel deur middel van die konsep van die leerstreek en op grond van ander empiriese studies. ʼn Kwalitatiewe benadering ‒ aan die hand van semigestruktureerde onderhoude en ʼn gedetailleerde oorsig van enkele deurslaggewende beleidsdokumente ‒ is gevolg ten einde data van akademici in die Landbou Fakulteit en van relevante belanghebbendes te bekom. Kwantitatiewe data ten einde die triangulasie van data te fasiliteer en sydigheid te verminder, is verkry by wyse van institusionele data, databasisse aangaande boere en ʼn akademiese opname. Die bevindinge van die studie het aan die lig gebring dat die proses van kennisoordrag vanaf die UV deur ʼn kombinasie van aanvraag- en voorsieningsfaktore beïnvloed is. Van die voorsieningsfaktore wat voorsiening beïnvloed, sluit in die aard en die geskiedenis van die UV en van die Landbou Fakulteit, toereikende insentiewestrukture, die vlak van beleidsgerigtheid en die verankerdheid van kennisuitsette vanaf die fakulteit. Aanvraagfaktore was onder andere die absorpsievermoë van die streek, die teenwoordigheid van gekoördineerde aanvraagstelsels en die aard van die netwerke tussen belanghebbendes. Die argument wat in hierdie proefskrif voorgehou word, is dat ‒ as gevolg van die institusionele inperking (lock-in) wat in die streek voorkom en wat tot koersafhanklikheid (path dependency) in die landboupraktyk aanleiding gegee het ‒ kennis vanaf die fakulteit nie daarin kon slaag om die potensiaal ten opsigte van streeksontwikkeling te laat realiser nie. Alhoewel daar aanduidings is van netwerke tussen boere en akademici, blyk hierdie netwerkvorme ‘verwronge’ te wees en tot dusver sterk verankerd te wees in historiese en rassekontoere. Ook is daar weinig aanduidings van ʼn behoorlik geïnstitusionaliseerde begrip van betrokkenheid by opkomende boere, met die gevolg dat kennisoordrag steeds koersafhanklik (path dependent) is. Die bevindinge het implikasies vir die UV, vir die fakulteit en vir die streek. Alhoewel die UV volgens eie definisie oor sowel ʼn nasionale as ʼn internasionale agenda beskik, sal die universiteit sy streeksrol pertinent moet definieer en dan strukture vir aktiewe betrokkenheid moet vestig ‒ nie net in die algemeen nie, maar veral in die landbousektor. Op fakulteitsvlak sal betrokkenheid geherkonseptualiseer moet word, met betrokkenheid wat moet verskuif van ʼn filantropiese etos na ʼn etos wat deel is van die kernfunksie van onderrig en leer. Op streeksvlak is daar ʼn behoefte aan die vestiging van nuwe forums vir die wisselwerking tussen die UV en die verskillende belanghebbendes. Belangriker egter is dat sodanige inisiatiewe op vertroue, sosiale kapitaal en netwerke gegrond moet wees met die oog op kollektiewe voordele. | af_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/866 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Abstract in other languages 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘴 | |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Community and college | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Economic development -- Effect of education on | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Rural development | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Regional planning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Universities and colleges | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Technology transfer -- Economic aspects | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Universities in regional development: knowledge transfer in a less favoured region | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |