Global connections

This course illustrates how seemingly local transformations and innovations have a global dimension that often remains hidden. To fully understand localised technological developments, it is essential to understand how they are intertwined with global developments and their social contexts. Global connections are key in this process. We will focus on global connections of two different kinds: material based connections like information, communication, and transport technologies and the institutional and human relations in knowledge systems. Concepts of globalization, globalization and appropriation will be introduced and discussed.

The recent global and transnational turn in innovation sciences forms the scientific background of this course that takes a connection perspective. In this course students will get a better understanding of connections based in a material infrastructure (transport, communication, and information technologies) and those related to knowledge exchange. Technical as well as knowledge infrastructures connect places, people, and organizations. In addition, they enable the circulation of people, artifacts, knowledge, and information, which are essential ingredients for innovation and transformation. During the course the focus will be on the connectivity in physical and knowledge infrastructures, its dynamics and societal implications. Students will discuss how worldwide transitions and innovations are embedded in crossing of national, organizational, social, and institutional borders. Finally, they will analyse processes of adaptation to different places, people, and knowledge, which will contribute to a better understanding of global innovative and transformative capacities.
The course will consist of readings, lectures, discussions and exercises. The purpose of the lectures will be to provide an overview of the main themes and literatures, and clarification concerning the issues and debates concerning global connections. The purpose of the discussions and exercises will be to provide students with opportunities to engage with the issues, questions, and evidence. The exercises will initially be conducted as small group discussions, but students will also be expected to provide some individual written submissions.
Finally all students have to write a research paper related to one of the research themes. Guidance will be given during the tutorials and during ‘office-hours’ students are able to ask questions and discuss the feedback on their concepts. A mid-term presentation will be part of the process.

After the course students will be able to …

• identify, categorize, compare and contrast different kinds of connections; those based in a material infrastructure (transport, communication and information technologies) and those related to knowledge exchange.
• recognize the processes of circulations of people, artifacts, knowledge, and information, which are enabled by the infrastructures and illustrate their importance for innovation and transformation.
• define and reflect on concepts of globalisation, glocalisation and appropriation
• reflect on the coherence between worldwide tranformations and innovations and crossing national, organizational, social, and institutional borders.
• deconstruct glocalisation processes and local processes of adaptation.
• write a research paper on one of the research themes concerning global connections
• formulate and present a standpoint in a scientific debate

You must meet the following requirements

• In Block GS2 you must be part of one of the following target groups
• Students who followed the course previously You must also meet one of the following collections of requirements
• Collection 1
• Completed Final examination Bsc program
• Collection 2
• Completed Pre-Master

• Articles & book chapters