Complexity, Innovation, Knowledge and Learning: A quantum interpretation of management

The OECD and the challenge of open source learning material

Tom Schuller, director of the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation develops an argument for the free availability of pedagogical material. In his recent publication: "Giving knowledge for free: the emergence of open educational resources" he argues along lines I really like, appreciate and support.

This would allow "learners" (a word that hardly exists, doesn't it?) that are less represented in classical learning approaches (say schools) to participate in the learning process. It would at the same time remediate the English language dominance in learning material (with its unifying cultural consequences), since more "other language" material could be made available easily. These themes, in my opinion, challenge our higher eduation efforts and if we would be unable to address them, it would certainly hamper the realisation of the Unesco Right to Education program and the UN decade for education for sustainable development. Let us try to take up these challenges.

Do we ask ourselves ever questions ?

I just returned from China (Shangai) where I participated in the Centenary Celebration of Tongji University.  An exclusive ceremony, that took place in the different Schools and I participated in the Celebration of the School of Economics and Management. Impressive what they have been able to do and what they are still doing. But "what is in it for us"?

I had some interesting discussions in the side lines (that is how I think you call it). Most growth figures have double digits, including foreign investment (1-0). And of course, the "local" Chinese market is immense.  But where do foreign investors make their money? Profits cannot easily be tranfered to the HQ (2-0).  The best (if not only) effective way is therefor to reinvest in the country (3-0). The good news for the foreign investor is that he can produce in China very cheap and sell for the same Western market price (3-1).  One could question the ethics and/or even corporate social responsibility of it, but let us not be pessimistic.  We can always deal with the ethics later, can't we? Due to the growing export of China, the salaries in China rise (4-1) and so does the general quality of life. A growing internal market gets an increased purchasing power and an upwards spiral is started (5-1). But once the production cost of China increases up to the level of other countries (cheap European ones ?) what remains for the foreign investor.  A 5 to 1 loss in the World Soccer Championship's final might cost the trainer his head.

Do we ask ourselves ever questions ?   

"Le defi Indien"

I had the opportunity to visit India during the last two weeks, and it made me think back about a famous book of the 70s, published in Europe, written by Jean-Jacques Servan Schreiber, and titled "Le defi americain" (the American challenge). Ever since there have even been updates on this book, titled "Le nouveau defi americain", written by different authors, and dealing with different themes. The original book argued that Europe had to undertaken action in order to be able to counterbalance the American challenge.

Visiting a number of Business Schools in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, with which we have cooperations, and meeting with their faculty and managers, I am impressed by the combination of conceptual thinking, possibility of application, and above all motivation. Add to that the fact that the people I was able to talk to, all show a set of values that are deeply rooted in their daily behavior, manifesting the inner connectedness that is so manifest amongst humans, but that we seem to have lost in Europe. The vast numbers of "good" students in that country (or should I say continent) is a real potential for development.  Europe should be interested in this continent that value wise is probably closer to Europe than to the US, where historically their interest goes to.

I was invited to give a presentation in the series "Bang on IT" in Bangalore, aiming to bring cutting edge scientific thinking for a wider public.  My talk was entitled: "Complexity and Knowledge Management: A-causality and a quantum interpretation of management".

To be followed.