Jm. Feldman, Towards the post-university: Centres of higher learning and creative spaces as economic development and social change agents, ECON IND D, 22(1), 2001, pp. 99-142
A growing debate has emerged about corporations' growing influence on highe
r education and universities' role as entrepreneurial agents. At the same t
ime, economically peripheral regions that lack access to higher education r
esources or fail to attract and retain engineers risk being marginalized in
the 'informational society'. The apparent tradeoff between 'corporatizatio
n' and 'marginalization' can be resolved if new spaces for higher learning
and creativity are created that promote both democracy and sustainable grow
th. This article outlines a strategy for creating such new intellectual spa
ces by reviewing discussions about creativity, learning and innovative mili
eux as well as examples of creative organizations.