Navigating the Knowledge Economy

We are #Openforlearning

We offer globally-accredited degrees and courses taught by the region’s finest academics in world-class facilities.

Our aim is to provide you with a learning environment in which you can strengthen your skills as a self-directed learner and enhance your capacity to interact and collaborate with your peers, share experiences, challenge accepted ideas and build new knowledge.

Need help choosing a programme?

Ask a programme advisor. Choose the programme that best suits your life goals.

View programme advising:

Undergraduate Graduate

Start Date
September/January

Duration
<1 Year

Modality
Online

Costs
$/credit see details

Apply Now through September 1 - October 4, 2019 to study in our 1st semester commencing October 7 - December 11, 2019. Apply here

Course Summary

Many leaders, managers, decisionmakers and students are estranged from the results and values of science, technology and innovation and are not fully aware of, or have benefitted from, the stream of information, knowledge, principles and guiding patterns that can enhance decision making, management and governance. As knowledge economies develop, decisionmakers at all strata of society must at least become familiar with the rudiments of the characteristics, potential impacts and applicability of knowledge to all facets of socioeconomic development.

Introduction

Developing countries, such as those in the Caribbean region, are grappling with problems of violence, food security, poverty, environmental degradation and natural hazards. Addressing these problems successfully will depend on harnessing new information and insights as well as better understanding of local conditions and expectations. It is largely accepted that knowledge is the key driver of socioeconomic development and it is now clear that countries that have not actively embraced this new reality are being left behind in their abilities to cope with modern life. Therefore, in seeking to remedy the curse of underdevelopment, we need to embrace these new approaches to socioeconomic development. It is imperative to start a remedial process founded on a critical group of individuals and institutions by inculcating the ability to comprehend and harness the opportunities offered by the knowledge revolution, with insightful caution, emanating from the discoveries and knowledge flowing from an expanding network of scientists, inventors, innovators and technologists.

Unfortunately, many Caribbean leaders, managers and professionals in politics, business, industry and civil society are not making use of the best information available to improve their decision making. It is increasingly clear that a concerted effort is required to bridge the divide between the creators of knowledge and those who have need of it, to make critical decisions that impact the welfare of citizens, institutions, businesses, communities and nations.

This programme is an attempt at engaging individuals from these segments of society in an immersive course through which a wide range of new and emerging scientific technologies will be used to illustrate their potential impacts on all aspects of modern life - on business processes, environmental management, health services, food systems, transport systems, education delivery mechanisms, etc. - to provide insight into the implications of employing/or not employing them.

There are no known courses being offered in the Caribbean that deal specifically with the subject matter. The Open Campus has recognised this gap and is now positioning itself to lead the charge in filling the need for training in this critical area of regional development.

Course Description and Target Audience

The Scientific and Technological Development for the Caribbean course will be conducted over 30 contact hours and aims to make participants aware of the importance of knowledge, equip them with insights and tools to navigate, identify and analyse information to make decisions that impact institutions, businesses and the wider society.
The target group includes individuals working in public and private sector entities, academia and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

Course Aims and Objectives

The aim of this course is to provide decisionmakers with the awareness and understanding to appreciate the impact of emerging and complex issues that the explosion of knowledge systems is having on decisionmaking at individual, community, national, regional and international levels.

At the end of the programme, participants should be able to:

Evaluate the impacts of developing a knowledge economy on economic and social development
Critically assess the role of knowledge workers and the support systems required to develop their capabilities.
Understand the roles of government, the private sector and other support entities in creating an enabling environment for access to information, the generation and use of scientific data and catalysing innovation.
Include scientific and technological principles, data and information in making decisions and implementing them.

Course Structure

This course is divided into 8 units comprising 30 contact hours, earning 3 continuing education credits. The units to be covered in this course are as follows:

Unit 1: Evolution of the global socioeconomic order

Unit 2: Understanding and defining knowledge

Unit 3: Knowledge based economies and their roles in building advanced societies

Unit 4: Knowledge and the pursuit of sustainable socioeconomic development

Unit 5: Knowledge products

Unit 6: Knowledge workers

Unit 7: Building Innovative capacities in developing countries to cope with the knowledge challenge

Unit 8: Prospects for the small Caribbean states in the knowledge era

When Will the Course Start?

This course will commence in on October 7, 2019 and ends on December 11, 2019.

How Do I Apply?

Kindly contact The UWI Open Campus Camp Road, Jamaica at Jamaica.eastern@open.uwi.edu for information on the application process.

Course Cost

The cost for the course is US$300.

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through blended modality (face-to-face and video conferencing) at The UWI Open Campus, Camp Road, Jamaica.

Educational Resources

Participants are encouraged to read widely from the list provided. Regular class discussions and group work will be encouraged, and opportunities will be given for students to analyse information relevant to their own circumstances. Each week readings will be assigned that may contain any combination of online learning resources, academic articles, textbook chapters, and occasionally online videos.