PHDINN903 Understanding and Exploring Innovation

Upon completion of the course, the candidate should be able to:

Knowledge

• provide an overview of the general academic debates in the research field of exploring innovation;
• reflect critically upon the theoretical and conceptual foundations of the multiple understandings of innovation in the field of research;
• describe the main methodological approaches and their theoretical and conceptual underpinnings currently applied in the research field of exploring innovation;
• describe spatial aspects of innovation and reflect upon the role of geography in facilitation of innovation;
• reflect critically upon the tangible and intangible societal implications of innovation; and
• write an essay on the theoretical, methodological and/or ethical issues related to his/her own PhD project.

Skills

• identify the theoretical perspectives and conceptual foundations of the research field of exploring innovation;
• recognize the methodological approach(es) of a given study exploring innovation and its theoretical and conceptual underpinnings;
• structure analyses of the tangible and intangible societal implications of innovation;
• develop his/her own research ideas in close collaboration with established innovation researchers; and
• apply state-of-the-art knowledge in the research field of exploring innovation in his/her own PhD project.

General competence

• assess the applicability and limitations of the theoretical and conceptual foundations in the research field of exploring innovation;
• discuss and relate recent developments and research trends within the research field of exploring innovation; and
• identify central scientific venues and journals within the research field of exploring innovation.

The course is organized into two modules and consists of a combination of lectures, colloquia, seminars and essay writing.

Module 1 - Theories of Innovation

Lectures, colloquia and seminars are organized in an intensive 3-day workshop. The lectures cover the state-of-the-art in the research field. Colloquia will be arranged in which students discuss how their PhD project links to the state-of-the-art in the research field. The seminars will be based on these colloquia, and students will present an idea for an essay on the intangible-tangible nature of the processes of innovation.

Module 2 - Essay Exploring Innovation.

The end of student seminars, as part of the workshop, marks the point of departure for an essay writing process. Based on the seminars and in collaboration with those responsible for the course, PhD students will propose a topic for their individual essay on exploring innovation.

Module 1 - Lectures, Colloquia, Seminars.

Module 2 - Essay.

Students are expected to use at least 1 hour for preparation and debriefing for every hour of lecture, and 2 hours of preparation for every hour of colloquium and seminar. In addition, the essay writing is estimated to take about 90 hours of work, for a total of 140 hours.