KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT- TAKING EDUCATION BEYOND EXCELLENCE

Knowledge is the very quintessence of human evolution. Since immemorial time, knowledge has been an extraordinary asset that has given meaning to mankind. The knowledge revolution began with the invention of text and its dissemination exponentially accelerated with development in technology. Although knowledge comprises the basic content of the human mind in all its capacities, it cannot exist in isolation. This is because it has the ability to impact anything associated with it. In order to ensure that this impact is of utmost advantage, it is essential to manage knowledge in an efficient manner. Knowledge management as a concept has always existed, but it has now, become a necessity more than a need. The reason is the plethora of knowledge, which needs to be effectively channelized in a purposeful direction. Not only that, the time and effort spent in realizing the vast potential of information around us and giving it the right kinesis needs to be articulated effectively.

Scholarly research plays a profound role in the social, cultural and economic prosperity of a nation. Therefore, knowledge management in this area is of enormous significance for progression. The impediment of too much knowledge in an education environment is that it loses its impact and becomes more or less redundant or farfetched. The aim of knowledge management in institutes of learning is to leverage the individual as well as collective knowledge and make it easily accessible and more meaningful. It should also ensure that in the process, knowledge sharing remains uncomplicated and doesn’t turn into a mechanical process. Optimizing the transfer of knowledge and removing the ambiguity from the knowledge acquisition process should be the primary goal in educational institutes.

This research paper aims at highlighting the core areas where initiatives in knowledge sharing can improve the overall functionality of a University. The enduring value of knowledge management needs to be recognized by Universities and knowledge based organizations should be adaptable to internal and external changes. In line with academia interests, Knowledge management initiatives are explained with respect to key areas of research, teaching, training, University- Industry collaboration, knowledge driven innovation, development of knowledge portals etc. Also, expounded are the constraints that could act as a deterrent for effective Knowledge management like psychosocial barriers, learning styles, lack of expertise, and ineffective mechanism for successful use of knowledge capital. The growth and development of educational institutes is directly proportional to their change ability with respect to the dynamic environment. The premise of this research is to provide a perspective on the existing Knowledge management usages as well as to examine the best practices in knowledge collaboration in educational institutes. Be it history or futurity- knowledge management or the lack of it- is and shall be the single differentiating factor of advancement.