| The
City of Knowledge is a research project created in
2001 by economist, sociologist and journalist Gilson
Schwartz, PhD, Visiting Professor at the Institute of
Advanced Studies of the University of São Paulo (IEA-USP),
Brazil.
Envisioned
as a living network, it could be approximately described as a
“digital city” built by “communities of practice” that
develop new space-time frameworks for the production of
cultural identities and collective intelligence.
Its
source of energy is social life, its forms of expression are
still unfolding through the creative development of new
languages and synergies. New opportunities may arise for
underserved communities, if appropriately designed social
policies are implemented. This is especially relevant in Latin
America, Africa and Asia.
In a
more optimistic scenario, the democratization of knowledge
creating networks could be the foundation for a developmental
“leap”, especially through the improvement of human
development indicators.
The
activities are organized in three interdisciplinary fields:
·
Living
Labor Dictionary
Public
construction of knowledge creating networks to foster
employability.
·
Education
for the Information Society
Network
of teachers and other professionals working in the educational
system or in continued education projects, based on
specialization courses that focus on the impacts of new ICTs
in learning spaces (mostly public and private schools).
·
Social
Design Studio
Network
of professionals and organizations in governmental and non-governmental
sectors as well as in private companies that are committed
to the development of a knowledge economy in Brazil (priority
to information society-related development projects designed
and managed by underserved communities). The main activity
in 2002 was the “Digital
Media Management” program for staff working at
telecenters (City of São Paulo), inforcenters (Acessa São
Paulo Program of the State of São Paulo) and NGOs, with
the objective of designing local development projects leveraged
by information and communication technologies.
·
Research
R&D
efforts target issues such as knowledge management and the
political economy of intangible assets, social design,
advanced policy issues such as media convergence, HDTV
standards, digital inclusion and regulation in the new
economy, connected to an international network of scholars and
consultants.
·
Results
-
Permanent
relationship network involving students from high school to
graduate levels and professionals of all areas, skills and
ages, moderated by the University of São Paulo (the largest
public university in Brazil
);
-
Development and
publication of new contents in Portuguese, especially for
internet broadcasting;
-
Fostering
of tacit knowledge exchanges, creatively “anchored” to ICT-intensive
infrastructures and believed to be a major source of dynamism
for the development of the economy, its “animal spirits”,
embedded entrepreneurship and employability.
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