How Does Convergence Influence Cluster-Based Economic Growth in Regions?

This thesis is a novel study examining the influence of convergenceon cluster-based economicgrowth in regions. The goal of which isto provide exploratory insights frombothnational and international perspectives. This research study examines the relevant literature in thefieldsof convergence,clusters,and regions. It thenadoptsideologies from the most salient studies,to create a conceptual framework. There is limitedextantliterature currently available on the connection between convergence, cluster-based economicgrowth,and regions. AnOECD (2011) report identified the importance of regions as they are themost effective place to make economic decisions. The convergence approachof moving towards equality, bottom-up growth,and co-opetition can be regarded as being imperative to the successful augmentation of a region. This research used a qualitative method (Bryman and Bell, 2015) with 30 semi-structured interviews. The rationale behind the use of a qualitative methodology (Fidel, 2008),is the limitedliteratureavailableon convergence.Therefore, in order tounderstand how convergenceinfluences cluster-based economic growth in regions, it is essential to conductaqualitativestudy andanalysis (Rocha, 2004)

Circular Design Project – Open knowledge co-creation for circular economy education

Design has a key role to play in developing innovative solutions to current local and global challenges – approaches that must consider the needs of end users and integrate sustainability criteria in processes and strategies for creating products and services. The Circular Design – Learning for Innovative Design for Sustainability (L4IDS) project is a three years Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance financed project, within the social business and the educational innovation field. The project’s goal is to support the development of skills necessary to promote sustainable production and consumption of products and services in Europe. This is achieved through a knowledge co-creation process and a collaborative action research framework, which led to the development of training materials in order to teach and train students, academics and enterprise staff in Innovative Design for Sustainability (IDfS) strategies. The project is aligned with European Circular Economy policies and contributes to the realization of a more sustainable society. The project has four objectives: (1) to increase and improve the learning strategies of Design for Sustainability; (2) to gather and cluster open educational resources and training courses for industry staff and academics in Innovative Design for Sustainability; (3) to train up innovative and entrepreneurial students designers who are capable of dealing with a transition towards Design for Sustainability as a mainstream design approach, and (4) to establish a basis for a permanent and active European Network of Design for Sustainability. The project was formed by 12 partners who are organised around four country hubs in Ireland, The Netherlands, Catalonia and Sweden. Each country hub consists of one university with education and research in Sustainable Design, one design company with expertise in sustainable design and one national design association. The researchers and professionals involved with the project demonstrate how an interdisciplinary co-design approach tackling wicked design problems can develop viable sustainable and product service systems in partnership with SMEs and students. Following this line of thought, this paper will introduce an internship programme that builds a collaboration among institutions and businesses, while enabling novice designers to experience real-life challenges and developing sustainable design solutions that can transform business practices to address issues of sustainability. Therefore, a total of 11 projects were performed by 48 interns and 16 industry partners. Addressing environmental problems 7 of them were focused on sustainable product solutions and 4 of them offered solutions to enhance the implementation of circular processes in the urban environment. As a reinforcement for the project’s mission, it was recognized as a best practice under the umbrella of the World Environment Day, promoted by the Barcelona City Council.Postprint (published version

What should be the contribution of further and higher education in Ireland to the current global economic crisis?

This paper will be in two parts; the first section will examine the current tertiary education situation in Ireland amid the global economic crisis and will review what should education’s contribution be to help alleviate the crisis. Through doing this both the state and the market, who have interests in the academy and their graduates produced, will become part of the review, as building stronger links with the academy and the economy to help raise skills, efficiency and productivity is becoming more important in ensuring global competitiveness and retaining equality and accessibility in the academy (see Gaffikin and Morrissey, 2003: 98). The second and final section will look at the merge of entrepreneurship and education. As the lifelong learning society is conceptualised largely in terms of maintaining a flexible and competitive economy in the knowledge society, the concept of an entrepreneurial society will be proposed to fill the gap which has emerged since the exit of many international companies for cheaper labour elsewhere. Within all levels of education entrepreneurship should be encouraged and embedded in the curricula from the earliest stages as a prevention rather than cure to the current economic crisis in Ireland

How do school networks operate to support DEIS schools? A case study analysis of two Transforming Education through Dialogue (TED) Project facilitated school networks

This research sought to understand two networks of DEIS schools, PLUS and OSCAILT, from members’ perspectives including their evolution, how they operate to support members and how learning and knowledge creation take place within and beyond the networks. A qualitative, instrumental case study research design (Stake 1995) was adopted involving primary data collection through focus groups, individual interviews and surveys and secondary analysis of relevant documents. A Conceptual Framework to understand PLUS and OSCAILT is presented, informed by policy, practice and theory. This encompasses influential policy developments and draws on school network literature to establish the practice base and key elements in the analysis of school networks. Social capital theory and Communities of Practice (CoPs) are adopted as theoretical lenses to illuminate how the networks operate at the individual and collective level and the way in which learning occurs. Given the DEIS school context, the Framework draws on the theory of Bourdieu on economic, cultural and social capital to highlight social class and other differentials in educational outcomes in Ireland and address the persistence and perpetuation of inequality in education through social reproduction and the ideology of meritocracy. Four key propositions are proffered based on the research findings. Firstly, the networks enhance bridging, bonding and linking social capital of members. Secondly, the networks are Communities of Practice that enhance learning, professional development growth and leadership skills of members. Additionally, the networks support key policy areas for schools including wellbeing, DEIS plans and School Self-Evaluation. Finally, the challenges of networking as experienced by participants and limitations of these particular networks are explored. Essentially, PLUS and OSCAILT have been found to support DEIS schools to respond to intractable social issues by building professional capital, supporting wellbeing, connecting network priorities to those of key stakeholders and building lateral capacity for systemic change.N