Role of Higher Education in National Innovation System: Case of Pakistan

This thesis investigates role of Higher Education in the National Innovation System in Pakistan. Through the triangulation of data obtained from primary and secondary sources, it both examines and extends some of the theoretical assertions made by the Western theorists (Nelson & Winter, 1982, Metcalfe, 2000, Freeman, 2002; Lundvall, 2002 & 2010, Fagerberg, 2003 & 2010, Malerba, 2005). The term National Innovation System (NIS), although relatively new to the developing countries is well established in the developed countries’ context. Western theorists (Chaminade & Edquist, 2005; Van der Steen, Marianne, Enders & Jurgen, 2008) emphasise appreciating and realizing the role of universities in building innovation systems and the knowledge economy. However, as stated above, there is dearth of research on NIS in the developing countries’, and so is true for Pakistan. The primary aim of this research is to examine applicability of the NIS approach in the socio-economic and cultural context of Pakistan. This research systematically explored ways as how do universities contribute their share in building and strengthening the National Innovation System in the indigenous context of Pakistan. The major findings include that setting up National Innovation System unfolds itself in the form of intertwined institutional layers, resources, R&D, policy making, political and administrative support by crafting and adhering to the long-term economic vision through implementing successive sets of reforms. To do so this, the Study proposes an indigenous model of the National Innovation System to be employed seeking preeminent role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through systematically unfolding ways to exploit economic significance of knowledge.