Towards the post-university: Centres of higher learning and creative spaces as economic development and social change agents

A growing debate has emerged about corporations' growing influence on higher education and universities' role as entrepreneurial agents. At the same time, economically peripheral regions that lack access to higher education resources or fail to attract and retain engineers risk being marginalized in the 'informational society'. The apparent tradeoff between 'corporatization' and 'marginalization' can be resolved if new spaces for higher learning and creativity are created that promote both democracy and sustainable growth. This article outlines a strategy for creating such new intellectual spaces by reviewing discussions about creativity, learning and innovative milieux as well as examples of creative organizations.