Conference on Launching a Program to Transform University-
Industry-Government Relations in Ethiopia

May 29-31, 2006
United Nations Conference Center
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia

 
The conference was held at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on May 29 – 31, 2006. The conference language will be English.

The meeting brought together more than 60 distinguished researchers, policy makers, business representatives and practitioners. The participants will came from Ethiopia, other African countries, Europe, Asia, North and South America. From the host country, participants included senior policy makers, university leaders and managers of private sector and business entities.
Contributions from the international arena ware made, amongst others, by: technology transfer practitioners, entrepreneurial education experts, incubator directors, academics with experience in adapting the entrepreneurial university model, S&T policy analysts and “Triple Helix” researchers and policymakers.

Overall Objectives

The overall objective was to explore and advance insights into the way that the Triple Helix, coupled with perspectives of other concepts such as innovation systems and clusters, can be exploited for the purpose of advancing economic and societal performances around the world. Special attention was paid to addressing the crucial, long-term issues in Ethiopia and other developing countries, and to find more effective ways of translating between countries the lessons learned from past experiences.

Workshop Objectives

On this basis, the conference had the following objectives:
• To provide a unique venue for the discussion of theoretical and empirical issues of the institutional spheres of university, industry and government in the development process between academics, researchers and policy makers;
• To analyse the concept of the ”entrepreneurial university” and how to adapt and reorient existing institutions of higher education to take a more active role in society, especially in fostering an innovation culture and practice in developing countries;
• To examine how the role of government can be adjusted at national and regional level and what new forms of public organization and governance mechanisms might be introduced to foster innovation.
• To identify more fruitful ways for the business sector to upgrade the dynamism of the triple helix as a whole.

Project Coordination:

IKED, International Organisation for Knowledge Economy and Enterprise Development,
With the participation of:

Professor Henry Etzkowitz, State University of New York, University of Newcastle upon Tyne Business School
Thomas Andersson, President, IKED

Coordination in Ethiopia is assured by the Ethiopian Triple Helix Association,

Preparatory Workshop
[April 1, 2006 - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia]

A successful introductory workshop was held in Addis Ababa to inform and prepare potentially interested participants and institutions in advance of the main event in May 2006. Several institutions from the academic and private sectors sent representatives.

>> Read more: Proceedings from the workshop