Human development, capabilities and university-industry partnerships: A case study of the Institute for Postharvest Loss

In a globalized era of knowledge-based economies, U.S. universities have become entwined with industry, creating research centers and institutes that are increasingly innovative and entrepreneurial in solving real-world problems. However, university-industry research captures a strong tension between the profit-driven imperatives of industry, “third mission,” and the traditional teaching and research missions of the academy (Etzkowitz, 1998; Slaughter & Leslie, 1997; Slaughter, Slaughter, & Rhoades, 2004; Washburn, 2005). While the number of university-industry institutes is growing, their role in global, human development is under researched given the tension between academic and entrepreneurial missions or private benefits versus public good. This qualitative case study explores the role of a socially inspired, university-industry institute in promoting global, human development at the nexus of teaching, research, and entrepreneurialism using the Capability Approach (Amartya Sen, 1999). The capability approach focuses on the impact education has on expanding human ability to lead a valuable life and enhance the substantive choices people have. This study concludes that the Institute evolved into an intermediary organization or “knowledge hub” between higher education, industry, government, and other organizations. The Institute engaged in conventional research and teaching functions and entrepreneurial endeavor developing strategies to operationalize technology innovations. However, unlike purely commercial, for-profit models of university third mission, the Institute took on a philanthropic agenda, animating indigenous development and fostering a wide range of human capabilities. The Institute can be characterized as a charitable knowledge organization with an emphasis on social wellbeing, education and research, and reliance on market mechanisms to develop human capabilities.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Policy Studies

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Sadomytschenko, Georganne

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dhillon, Pradeep
• Dávila, Liv
• McCarthy, Cameron
• Herman, Richard

• university-industry
• human development
• postharvest loss
• university institutes
• capabilities approach
• globalization
• higher education

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2020 Georganne Sadomytschenko

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108625

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/108625