Higher Education Commercialization and University-Business Relationships in Comparative Context

Although individual institutions and subsectors of higher education have long had economic prosperity as part of their mission the near universality of this mission across the globe is truly unprecedented.

From the United States to Europe Asia South America and beyond nation states are actively engaged in policymaking designed to stimulate more efficient and effective diffusion of innovations from the university laboratory to the marketplace. The book begins by placing globalization and commercialization in its historical and contemporary context providing valuable data related to the globalization of academic research and development activity and raising questions about the forces at work that may lead institutions to look to inappropriate a peera role models.

Part II considers how universities serve as engines of economic development discussing such issues as ethical practices in technology commercialization the knowledge networks demonstrated in academic patenting and the gender dynamics of entrepreneurial science.

The booka's concluding section explores regional issues and challenges. This result is an entry in the Issues in Globalization and Social Justice series that looks deep under the hood of higher educationa's embrace of the economic development mission and explores what is both promising and troubling in its effects.