KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A GATEWAY TO EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION IN AFRICA
The Knowledge Management Research Team sponsored by the National Research Foundation in collaboration with the Information Studies Programme, School of Sociology and Social Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg) will host the abovementioned conference from 22-24 February 2006. This conference is going to provide an opportunity for knowledge sharing and collaboration among academics, researchers, and information and knowledge practitioners.
Sue Myburgh
University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
Themes
Although knowledge management is gradually gaining acceptance in the field of higher education, institutions of higher learning in the world are still "on the very first steps of what appears to be a long ladder", to use the words of von Krogh and Roos (1996). In fact, academic institutions have not yet adequately addressed and evaluated the advantages offered by knowledge management tools to enhance teaching, learning, scholarship and research, and innovation. Research has shown that knowledge management is a viable means in which higher education institutions may build and exploit intellectual and social capital effectively and gainfully. The application of knowledge management principles may improve performance at institutions of higher learning and foster a culture of excellence. In that regard, institutions of higher learning in Africa should embrace knowledge management practices and principles in order to address the challenges they are facing in a society that is increasingly becoming knowledge-based.
Contributions are invited on a range of subjects relating to knowledge management and its related processes. Themes that may be addressed are wide and open, but an advanced academic level of discourse is required.
Inter alia the following broad themes will be addressed at the conference:
- Academic institutions as learning organizations
- Knowledge management as a strategy for capacity building
- Knowledge sharing dynamics in higher education
- Ethical issues that arise in managing knowledge at institutions of higher learning
- Implementing knowledge management in higher education: key processes and strategies
- Measurement of impact of knowledge management programmes
- Organisational culture and knowledge management
- Dynamics of collaboration among academics in higher education
Submission Procedure
Submissions should include the speaker's name(s), affiliation, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers, a short one-paragraph biographical note, the title of the paper, and an abstract of 400 to 500 words. Each abstract will be double-blind reviewed. Papers accepted will be published in the conference proceedings provided authors present their work at the conference.
Important dates
Submission of abstracts deadline: 30 August 2005
Notification of abstract acceptance: 30 September 2005
Final copy of full paper: 30 November 2005
Notification of paper acceptance: 05 January 2006
Final paper submission: 30 January 2006
All abstracts should be submitted in MS Word as an e-mail attachment to
Dr Patrick Ngulube: [email protected]
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