Interactive nature of knowledge systems: some implications for the third world

摘要

The traditional institutional models relating ex-pert knowledge to social need are increasingly unable to cope with the demands of a technol-ogically complex world The knowledge needed to understand such a system is context depend-ent It can no longer be assumed that there are general truths which have the same standing as physical laws. Although consultancy is often seen as a means of funding research, it is in fact an essential part of an academic's professional job and the knowledge thus gained is of vital importance to the needs of modern society.