Abstract

CARVAJAL, Beatriz Carolina. Management of sustainable academic knowledge Vision Approximate of Latin American Experiences. Hallazgos [online]. 2014, vol.11, n.22, pp.159-181. ISSN 1794-3841.  https://doi.org/10.15332/s1794-3841.2014.0022.09.

The research objective was analysis of knowledge management experiences in Latin American universities (Venezuela, Argentina, and Brazil). And analysis based on general guidelines that were raised in sustainable knowledge management. We are going to present a paper derivate from that research. The problem is approached from a trans-disciplinary perspective through Sociological, Biological and Ecological theories, in order to look at knowledge management, as the dynamic process that occurs by simultaneous articulation of social and ecological factors. This viewpoint -so mediated by several disciplines- would permit a clearer comprehension of the problem and could make possible a better management of knowledge in the future. Methodology: The author focusses on the concept of sustainable knowledge as a theoretical abstraction, that connects both the construct of coinspiration (Maturana, 1997a, 1997b) and autopoiesis (Maturana & Valera, 1999), with the principle of a sustainable mind (Vieira, 2011). Theoretical reflections are based on the results obtained from the analyses of semi-structured interviews, that were administered to scholars -who function as management of knowledge experts- at the following selected centers: a) Venezuela; Universidad Centroccidental "Lisandro Alvarado" (UCLA), Universidad del Zulia (LUZ), Universidad Nacional Experimental "Rafael María Baralt" (UNERMB) and the Universidad de Carabobo (UC); b) Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires and Universidad de Córdoba; and in c) Brasil; Instituto Federal Sul Río Grandense and the Universidad Federal de Río de Janeiro (UFRJ). Conclusions: production and management of sustainable academic knowledge have been hefty concerning matters for Latin-American scholars; besides, it has specific expressions within different countries. To worsen the difficulties, functionality of those academic centers is constantly modified by the impact of critical sociologic, political, ecological and economic factors; such as: poverty, hunger, uneven distribution of global income, availability of medical and biotechnological resources and ecological damage; just to mention a few. This reality should prompt academicians to look for responses to such a complex set of problems. Recommendations: To make the University actively function as an entire participant, by means of the incorporation of every one of its human components; so to process the management of knowledge through inter and transdisciplinary approach. And once that commitment is reached, to establish a conversational net of comprehension, inclusion and co-inspiration with the people the Academy is supposed to serve.

Keywords : Management; knowledge; sustainable; co-inspiration; autopoiesis; mind.

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