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Establishing a Knowledge Commons at the CSIR

Madelein van Heerden, CSIR

In order to address national challenges and development objectives as per its mandate it has increasingly become necessary for the CSIR to focus on interdisciplinary research projects.  However, due to the physical distribution of CSIR researchers, collaboration across organisational boundaries is problematic and opportunities for knowledge transfer and serendipitous knowledge sharing have to be purposely created.  A new dedicated facility, the CSIR Knowledge Commons, plans to address these challenges through the provision of a suite of physical and virtual knowledge spaces.  These spaces will be conducive to learning and knowledge transfer through planned sharing - which will enable better knowledge practices within the CSIR.  In addition the Knowledge Commons aims to serve as the science showcase for the CSIR.  (There are huge differences between the typical academic library perception of a knowledge commons and what the CSIR is busy creating.  These differences will, very briefly, be mentioned.)

This paper will focus on the process to establish the Knowledge Commons and will include:

• a brief overview of the literature regarding the relationship between physical space and knowledge creation and sharing;
• the determination of user and stakeholder requirements through discussions and interviews;
• the design, functionality and planning of the Knowledge Commons facility and its associated initiatives; and
• pitfalls encountered as well as an update on the project progress to date.

The paper will also address the advanced ICT infrastructural requirements – especially necessary for global collaboration, in detail and will briefly expand on the link to the virtual knowledge commons.

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