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The International Knowledge Transfer Conference Began in Hong Kong on December 1, 2014 at the Hong Kong Convention Centre with nearly 300 delegates. Speaking in the inaugural plenary, most University Presidents and government leaders equated knowledge transfer to technology transfer, and rarely mentioned exchange. It appeared that the convention's main aim is to exhort Hong Kong technology and business companies, including universities, to more aggressively 'market' their knowledge/technology to the 'big market' in the north--the Chinese mainland.
Two characteristics stood out in these presentations; technology transfer (or TT) seems to imply aggressive self-promotion; most national and international speakers spoke about what excellent work they had done, and are doing; presentation of ideas, strategies or even challenges, independent of self-promotion, was missing. Second, also missing were women amongst the delegates and young speakers; most speakers were grey-haired, old men.
The session on 's ocial Innovation' had similar characteristics; Dr Rajesh Tandon gave a keynote speech on the meaning and implications of 's ocial innovation'. His presentation argued that social innovation entails creation of such transactions amongst multiple stakeholders that social value is created; he contrasted this with creation of economic value alone. He did make a case for recognising and valuing multiple perspectives and modes of knowledges in order to co-construct social innovation.
Others speakers in the session once again 's old' their wares--school of design, Hundayi and social investments. The panel conversation was somewhat more stimulating as some of the innovators from Hong Kong gave dynamic examples.
While the session on social innovation did get some more women and students in the audience, the panel was entirely composed of men.
There are surely many examples of knowledge exchange, technological and social innovation created and championed by women? In my view, social innovation, and social value creation in particular, is not possible without substantive assertion of women's knowledge.
Dr. Rajesh Tandon with Mr Erwin Huang, Chief Executive Officer, WebOrganic, Hong Kong at International Knowledge Transfer Conference at Hong Kong on 1st December, 2014.
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