ABSTRACT
To what extent is the ultimate objective of learning knowledge for knowledge’s sake alone? Or is there also an immediate practical and professional application for knowledge and the results of research towards competitiveness, for which the university, its students, faculty and leaders have an intellectual, economic and societal responsibility? Indeed, are universities solely responsible for developing the advanced reasoning ability of individuals, researching into the nature of our physical and humanistic world, of generating and communicating such knowledge, and thus preparing society on the way forward? If the competitiveness of an enterprise is rooted in education as part of life-long learning, what are the linkages between intellectual enquiry, innovation and competitiveness in a company and in a society? Where do we draw the line between private and public benefit? Who pays for what?
