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This paper aims to examine the relationship between knowledge-economy and economic growth in 16 Asia-Pacific (AP) countries during the period 2011–2018. The study also aims to investigate a diversity of knowledge-economy pillars, including tertiary education, domestic innovation, foreign innovation, economic incentives and institutional regime and information and communications technologies (ICTs) and their relation to economic growth.

The study applies a comparative empirical analysis using pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), one-step difference generalised methods of moments (GMM) and bias-corrected least-squares dummy variables (LSDVc) estimators to test this relationship.

Pooled OLS estimators deemed suboptimal to the panel data under study, while GMM results reveal a significant relationship between tertiary education, domestic and foreign innovation, government expenditure and investments with economic growth. Of these results, domestic innovation, investments and government consumption are positively correlated with economic growth, whereas tertiary education and foreign innovation show a negative relation. Meanwhile, institutions and ICT have insignificant relationships with economic growth. LSDVc results coincide with GMM results with respect to tertiary education, whereas institutions is the only additional significant and negatively correlated variable with economic growth.

The main limitation of this research lies in the unavailability of proxy data for knowledge economy pillars in monetary terms, and hence, the paper relies on indices.

The novelty of the study lies in its aim to investigate economic growth in the AP region that is enhanced by domestic innovation, foreign innovation or both – an area which is empirically understudied in the knowledge-economy context. Further, the paper’s novelty lies in its application of a comparative empirical analysis between the most popular dynamic panel estimators – dynamic GMM and bias-corrected LSDVc for AP countries.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the government and private sector collaboration by focusing on their roles in influencing the innovation activities crucial for the development of a knowledge economy (KE) in Bahrain.

A qualitative methodology based on an explorative single multi-unit case study strategy was used with individual and focus group interviews as primary sources of data collection. Perspectives of 22 individuals and three focus groups involving participants working in private, semi-government and government sectors that influence the economy of Bahrain were collected along with reports and articles published regarding those sectors as second sources of data compilation.

The preliminary findings show that Bahrain’s pursuit of a KE has already begun by the government developing policies and regulations for the financial sector to innovate in financial technology (FinTech). It was also found that in order for innovation processes and products to be developed further in Bahrain, the government had to play a stronger role in promoting, facilitating and incentivizing those processes and developments. The role of the private sector emerged as the sole producer of innovation and the main entity responsible for producing innovative products and services that would inject direct values into the commercial economy of the innovation ecosystem.

This is the first study that examines the influence of collaboration between the government and the private sector on innovation development in Bahrain. This research also provides an assessment tool that can serve as the groundwork for studies in the Gulf Cooperative Council countries since those countries share similar culture, language, religion and a hydrocarbon-dependent economy as Bahrain and are aiming to develop KE strategies.

The paper aims to evaluate the knowledge-based urban development (KBUD) dynamics of a rapidly emerging knowledge city-region, Tampere region, Finland.

The paper empirically investigates Tampere region’s development achievements and progress from the knowledge perspective.

The research, through qualitative and quantitative analyses, reveals the regional development strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Tampere region.

The paper provides useful suggestions based on the lessons learned from the Tampere case investigation that could shed light on the KBUD journey of city-regions.

There is considerable efforts by government and various agencies towards the development of information and communication technology (ICT) skills in the developing nations. The efforts include the procurement and deployment of ICT devices and curriculum development; but, these are not yielding the ultimate results as the digital divide continue to widen regionally. This calls for innovation in teaching and learning in ICT. The study assessed the effectiveness of infusion approach to teaching and learning in the tertiary education level. This approach utilises a framework and student-centred approach for which its effectiveness as an instructional delivery was tested for efficacy.

The study adopted quasi-experimental design with pretest and posttest comparison to assess the treatment given. Performance was measured quantitatively through online assessment.

The results showed a phenomenal effectiveness of infusion approach to teaching and learning of general ICT skills as the participants achieved very high performance at the end of the instructional period.

This research is based on general ICT skills and covers a regional cross-section of Nigeria.

Adoption of infusion approach to teaching and learning in ICT would close the prevailing knowledge gaps in the development of ICT skills.

This infusion approach would close the prevailing digital divide, thereby enhancing societal well-being.

This is a novel approach to the development of ICT skills, which would enhance teaching and learning in ICT.

Neither distance learning courses nor utilising information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance these courses are new to sub‐Saharan Africa. “Long‐distance” training by correspondence has been practised here for decades. ICT as basic as e‐mail has the potential to enable the remotely situated student to interactively take part in a particular programme. Additional equipment can simulate the lecture environment by allowing the student to watch a video of a presentation while communicating via telephone. This article is an investigation of the status quo of ICT‐based distance learning in sub‐Saharan Africa. Broad trends were derived from the multitude of sources on the topic, depicting just as many examples of programmes currently being maintained. ICT inroads in Africa are addressed; the problems to acquire and maintain these are discussed, as well as ICT’s potential role in future distance learning programmes. Examples of public‐private partnerships are highlighted. It is emphasised that only through these partnerships will African tertiary institutions succeed in increasing the output of their much needed graduates.

This paper aims to address the mechanisms of, and barriers to, knowledge transfer between Australia and China in the tertiary sector.

Individual focused interviews are conducted with one Chinese and ten Australian senior academics engaged in supervisory roles at all levels of knowledge transfer. Content and sociolinguistics analysis is conducted on the questions: How is knowledge transferred between key academic/research staff? What is the potential for commercialization of research findings between Australia and China? What role does information and communication technology (ICT) play in knowledge transfer?

Knowledge transfer between Chinese and Australian universities consists of research partnerships, collective publications, and joint degree programs. One‐way transfer of knowledge from Australia to China, rather than the desired reciprocal transfer of knowledge, appears to be most common. Barriers to bi‐directional knowledge sharing include misunderstandings surround intellectual property and cultural differences, which undermine trust between China and Australia. The participants overwhelmingly hold optimistic views about the potential of commercialization of research findings between China and Australia and report that ICT enhances communications assisted in successful knowledge transfer. However, ICT is reported to be under‐utilized because of unequal access to hardware and broadband in China as well as blocking and censorship of communication by China.

This paper contributes to the discourse on international, intercultural and bi‐directional knowledge transfer in the tertiary sector and has implications for enhanced academic and research excellence between China and Australia. Moreover, insight into the mechanisms of successful knowledge transfer may be applicable to improve knowledge transfer between Australia and other countries.

This paper aims to address tertiary education informal learning space preferences for learners’ informal learning activities. The study accentuates learners’ preferred informal academic learning space (IALS) for informal learning activities that required interaction and communication and collaboration.

The research is based on a survey questionnaire that participated by 1,079 diploma learners from Polytechnics’ technical and non-technical academic programmes in Malaysia.

The finding reveals that learners mostly preferred IALS that were categorized as semi-outdoor and connected to nature. Learners prefer to have IALS for collaborative learning activities with the appropriate information, communication and technology facilities and thermally conductive. Learners preferred an attractive layout design with comfortable furniture for informal learning activities. Apparently, learning space design is more focused on formal learning rather than informal learning.

This study grants a profound insight centred upon the learner’s perspective on the spatial alignment of education 4.0 learning ecosystem can be configured to enhance collaborative and self-regulated learning activities by distinguishing the critical preference of IALS.

Agricultural education and training (AET) institutions will play a strategic role in helping to prepare Africa’s rapidly growing youth populations for productive careers in agriculture and related agri-businesses. The purpose of this paper is to examine the magnitude of skills and youth employment needs emanating from high-population growth rates. It then explores how agricultural education institutions are responding to these challenges in four different countries at different levels of food system development: South Africa tier 1, Tanzania in tier 2 and Malawi and Uganda in tier 3.

Demographic and school enrollment data provide information on the magnitude of job market entrants at different levels of education while Living Standards Measurement Studies in the respective countries provide a snapshot of current skill requirements in different segments of the agri-food system. In order to evaluate AET responses, the authors have conducted country-level reviews of AET systems as well as in-depth assessments at key tertiary AET institutions in each of the four case study countries.

Growth rates in primary school enrollments are high in sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, because of budgetary constraints, transition rates decline rapidly – about 40 percent from primary to secondary and 7 percent from secondary to tertiary. As a result, substantial numbers of primary and secondary school graduates seek jobs.

The case study countries are limited to four. Had more financial resources and time been available, researchers could have spread further afield and in so doing increasing the precision of the results.

Estimation of the number of primary and secondary school leavers seeking employment because of failure to proceed to the next level of education. Estimation of the level of education shares in the various components of the agri-food system.

The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, to identify and encapsulate the enablers that can facilitate technology integration in higher education and second, to understand and analyze the interplay between technology agility enablers.

The study used the Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) approach to construct a theoretical model of the technology agility enablers in higher education and MICMAC analysis for ranking and segregating the enablers based on their dependence power into four categories: Autonomous, Dependent, Linkage and Independent.

The study helped identify eight technology agility enablers, with the Covid-19 pandemic as the most significant enabler. The Covid-19 pandemic has catalyzed the diffusion of technology across the education sector in India, including tertiary higher education. The study revealed government initiatives and institutional commitment as other enablers that can promote technology agility in higher education.

The results of this study would assist the policymakers and management of universities and colleges in understanding the important enablers that can facilitate technology integration in higher education.

Research in the past on technology adoption in higher education has looked into each enabler in isolation. This research provides a comprehensive view of the enablers and has attempted to establish a multidirectional interplay between the enablers.

The main aim of this paper is to test the ways in which the role of high‐technology services (HTS) in the economy of European Union (EU) member countries changes and the extent to which the development of HTS depends on the quality of human resources.

The paper adopts comparative and cluster analysis of statistical data published by Eurostat.

The empirical analysis approved the growing proportion of HTS in both employment and gross value added in the EU as a whole. However, there are great differences among individual member states that can be grouped into four clusters. HTS have a significantly higher proportion of tertiary educated employees, belong to young sectors and show a higher rate of participation in continuing education. HTS development is closely related to information communications technology (ICT) literacy of the population of the country, on the one hand, and on its economic standards, on the other.

The major findings constitute a starting‐point for more thorough national analysis and for setting measures supporting HTS development, especially through the availability of an appropriately educated labour force.

The growing proportion of HTS in the economy is an important feature of knowledge economies; therefore it is necessary for politicians to have information about the development of this sector.

HTS has been little researched in a detailed way to date. This paper tries to indicate all the important features that should be further and more deeply analysed.