Public Universities Faculty and Leaders' Perspectives on the Role of Public Egyptian Universities in Developing National Innovation System

Abstract

This paper describes university faculty and leaders' perspectives on the role of Public Egyptian universities in developing national innovation system(NIS), as universities are often cited as a critical institutional actors in national innovation systems, most of the literature on national innovation systems defines them as the institutions and actors that are critical for the creation, development, and diffusion of innovations. This qualitative study is based on interviews with 73 University Faculty and Leaders in  Egypt, finds possible advantages for Public Egyptian universities to develop national innovation system, as well as a number of barriers that hinder the Public Egyptian universities to develop national innovation system. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the relevance of innovation systems to economic growth , analyze the Egyptian NIS beginning with a brief introduction of the role of innovation and an examination of the elements that comprise national innovation systems, interaction between various actors involved, and shows how the Public Egyptian universities are important players in developing the National Innovation System. One important theme in this paper is to define the challenges that faces the Public Egyptian universities to substantially support NIS. Three existing Frameworks ( “Mode 2 ” ,”Triple Helix” and “Entrepreneurial University) to explain the significance of universities linkages to NIS  are discussed, and the context of developing innovation systems in Egypt and the government initiatives in that regard will be explored.

Keywords: Innovation ,National Innovation System; Egyptian universities; knowledge Innovation; education reform;  Mode 2;  Triple Helix.