Science-Policy Interfaces and Academic Boundary-Spannersin a Global City: Can Internationalized Higher Learning Make Local Knowledge More Salient in Times of Crisis?

Abstract

This discussion paper explores the challenges of universities embarking on building science-policy interfaces to increase the salience of public knowledge in times of global crisis. How can universities and their stakeholder communities create effective boundary spanners for prompt inquiry and response to emergencies when there is insufficient data and local resources are disabled? With increasing cross-border interdependencies in higher learning, science-policy interfaces acquire a meaning greater than simply interdisciplinary collaboration or knowledge transfer. Serving the public good in a crisis entails risk-taking in spite of political stigma, knowledge limitations and loss of life. The case of the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Hong Kong illustrates some critical dilemmas faced by academics generating a wider network of knowledge for productive synergies across jurisdictional, cultural and professional boundaries.