Kent State Conference Tackles Knowledge Economy Issues

Kent State University will host more than 200 delegates representing the business community, technology sector, academia, nonprofit, civic and government organizations, and the broader workforce to consider how the university’s newly created Knowledge Sciences Center can help organizations meet the challenges of the 21st-century knowledge economy.

The Knowledge Sciences Symposium will take place Sept. 4 and 5 at the University Center, Kent State University at Stark in Canton, Ohio, and on Sept. 10 and 11 at the National Transportation Library at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.

Participants can attend either session in person or remotely. The free symposium is coordinated by Kent State’s Information Architecture and Knowledge Management program in the College of Communication and Information and is open to anyone interested in learning more about how to leverage knowledge management and engage with the university to transition to the knowledge economy. Organizations of all types and sizes are encouraged to add their voices to the discussion.

Advance registration is required due to the large numbers expected to attend. Visit www.kent.edu/knowledgesciences for details.

To facilitate the discussion and prepare delegates for the symposium, Kent State offered weekly webinars, which have been archived at www.kent.edu/knowledgesciences.

Top sponsors include The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and the Department of Transportation. Pawan Handa, Ph.D, Director of Strategic Integration at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and Mills Davis, CEO, Project10X, a Washington, D.C.-based research consultancy that specializes in smart technologies, semantic solutions and Web 3.0 business models, will deliver the keynote addresses on the opening day of each session.  

“Goodyear’s longstanding relationship with Kent State University’s knowledge management program continues to be beneficial for both entities,” Handa said. “This symposium is an example of this continual collaboration. At Goodyear, we find that open exchange of knowledge is key to building a learning organization.”

Breakout sessions will feature a panel of experts representing different stakeholder groups, speaking to knowledge economy transition issues that affect their communities. On the second day of the symposium, working groups will help design a blueprint for Kent State’s new Knowledge Sciences Center.

At the Ohio event, Canton mayor William J. Healy II and Stanley T. Wearden, Ph.D , Dean of Kent State’s College of Communication and Information, will deliver opening remarks. In Washington, D.C., opening speakers are Amanda J. Wilson, director, and Mary Moulton, digital librarian, National Transportation Library.

Grounded on vision developed through the webinars and at the two symposium events, the Knowledge Sciences Center will provide learning and training opportunities, serve as a networking hub, support collaborative engagement opportunities, advocate for knowledge sciences issues, support and promote research and development, and provide opportunities to assist communities, cities and states transitioning to the knowledge economy.

“We expect the Knowledge Sciences Center to play a role similar to that of an agricultural extension service as the country built its robust agricultural economy in the 19th century,” said Denise Bedford, Ph.D., Goodyear Professor of Knowledge Management at Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science. “We will accept challenges and problems as well as convene teams of experts to develop affordable and effective solutions for all kinds and sizes of organizations and communities.”

The center will have a physical presence on Kent State University’s Kent Campus as well as a virtual presence on the Internet.

Kent State University’s Information Architecture and Knowledge Management (IAKM) program is part of the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) in the College of Communication and Information. One of the nation’s top 20 programs (according to U.S. News & World Report), the school offers master’s degrees and certificates in library and information science and IAKM, along with a new, interdisciplinary Ph.D. For more information, visit www.kent.edu/slis.

Media Contacts:
Cynthia Williams, cdwilla@kent.edu, 330-244-3262
Britney Sage, britney_safe@goodyear.com, 330-796-7067
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797