21 e-Venture: The Making of 21st Century European Learning Regions

Within the context of the evolution of 'Europe of the regions' this paper examines the role of higher education in the information age. It contrasts two perspectives on contemporary society in relation to higher education. Ritzer's (1998: 151-163) Post modern perspective which positions McUniversity in the Consumer Society of mega-malls, fast food restaurants, television shopping networks and infomercials. And Postman's (1999) perspective, derived from the eighteenth century, which re-examines our values and calls for a 'future connected to traditions that provide sane authority and meaningful purpose.' Paradoxically, the world-wide information explosion and increasing global competition has resulted in the most enduring competitive advantage being created on the local level within the 'triple helix ' (Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff, 2001), that is the emerging clustering of inter-connected firms, institutions of higher education and government (Porter 1998). A new feature of the triple helix is the increased need for higher education to connect and relate with industries and the government and exchange knowledge for funding. It requires the fostering of new partnerships and the adoption of new and better higher education strategies to identify potential 'complementors ' with whom to co-evolve towards a value net, that generates a relation rent. The operation of the resulting system is e-Venture designed to support the rapidly emerging field of event management, a medium which responds to the needs of the consumer society and the values that provide meaningful purpose and contribute to the creation of cosmopolitan citizenship. The focus of the e-Venture project is on the critical linkage of both e-content in higher education and relationship management that enables the Triple Helix to support and realise ‘The Making of European Learning Regions'. 1