School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology

Technology, Regions, and Policy

PUBP 6415 - Dr. Philip Shapira

Fall 2006 course at Georgia Tech. Wed 12:05-2:55 pm. DM Smith Room 203

Overview

This course is offered as a seminar that explores concepts, issues, and strategies at the interface of technological change, regional development, and public policy.  The class format will depend primarily on intensive reading and discussion of selected recent literature that links technological, regional, and policy themes.

Objectives

As a result of completing the participation, reading, discussion, presentation and writing requirements of the Seminar on Technology, Regions and Policy, students will acquire:

1. Improved awareness and understanding of concepts, issues, and strategies at the interface of technological change, regional development and public policy. 
2. Enhanced knowledge of key authors and contemporary debates about regional innovation concepts, issues and strategies.
3. Sharpened skills in assessing and critiquing research literature and policy arguments in a collaborative context.
4. Greater in-depth knowledge of a specific topic of interest within the regional innovation policy field.
5. Improved skills in preparing and writing a high quality research review paper.

Reading

During the seminar, we will read and discuss at least four books and several other key articles.  Two required books have been ordered through the Georgia Tech bookstore, and can be purchased there.  Additional books will also be read (see options below).  We will discuss which of these to read and whether to substitute others once the seminar starts, based on in-class discussion and student interests.  Additional books are available in the Georgia Tech library and/or through online booksellers (to ensure speedy delivery). Some references are available online.

Required reading (please purchase)

Saxenian, Annalee. Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. Paperback (1996). Harvard University Press; ISBN 0674753402

Florida, Richard. The Rise of the Creative Class. Basic Books (2002). ISBN 0465024769

Reading Options

Acs, Zoltan J. (Editor). Regional Innovation, Knowledge and Global Change (Science, Technology, and the International Political Economy Series). Paperback (March 2000). Continuum Press; ISBN: 1-85567-443-2

Bergman, Edward J. and Edward J. Feser. Industrial and Regional Clusters: Concepts and Comparative Applications. Morgantown, WV: Web Book of Regional Science, Regional Research Institute, 1999. http://www.rri.wvu.edu/WebBook/Bergman-Feser/contents.htm

Castells, Manuel and Peter Hall. Technopoles of the World. Paperback (1994). New York and London; Routledge; ISBN 0-415-10015-1

Cooke, Philip and  Kevin Morgan, The Associational Economy : Firms, Regions, and Innovation. Hardcover (April 1998). Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0198296592

Danson, Michael and Geoff Whittam. Regional Governance, Institutions and Development. Morgantown, WV: Web Book of Regional Science, Regional Research Institute, 1999. http://www.rri.wvu.edu/WebBook/Danson/contents.htm

Fuchs, Gerhard, and Philip Shapira, eds. (2005), Rethinking Regional Innovation and Change: Path Dependency or Regional Breakthrough? Springer, New York, NY, USA. 2005. ISBN 0387230017.

Markusen, Ann R., Yong-Sook Lee, and Sean Digiovana (Editors). Second Tier Cities: Rapid Growth beyond the Metropolis. Paperback (1999). University of Minnesota Press; ISBN: 0816633746

Storper, Michael. The Regional World. Paperback (1997). Guilford Press; ISBN: 1572303158

Additional Resources

Florida, Richard, "Revenge of the Squelchers," The Next American City, 5, 2004 | HTML | PDF

Student and guest papers. Towards the end of the class, we will discuss papers presented by student participants (see papers).  Guest presenters may also present papers based on seminar themes.

Assessment

In addition to reviews of reading and class participation, students will prepare, present and write a paper on a topic related to the theme of the seminar.  Assessment will be based on assignments to be presented at the seminar and participation in seminar discussions (50%) and a final seminar paper (50%).

Seminar paper

Each student participating in the course for credit will prepare and present a final seminar paper. 

• The paper is to be on a topic related to the themes considered in the seminar, with the topic mutually agreed by the student and instructor.  You can select an individual research or thematic topic that particularly interests you.   Alternatively, you can prepare an extended book review, which examines a particular book in the context of related literature and issues.  The book chosen should be consistent with the themes considered in the seminar and should not be a book that we have discussed in class.
• Topics will be agreed by the end of the third week of the seminar. 
• The paper should be about 4,500 - 5,000 words in length and use a customary reference-citation method.
• A draft version of the paper will be presented at the seminar, towards the end of the semester.  The draft should be made available no less than 2 days before the seminar, so that participants can read it.  Drafts may be distributed electronically.
• A final version of the paper is to be submitted by December 8, 2006, in an electronic format (MS Word, HTML, or RTF). Email to instructor.

Completed papers - earlier seminars | 1999 | 2001 | 2004

Presentation guidelines

• Seminar paper presentations are organized into panels, with a chair for each panel. The chair is responsible for keeping the session on track and facilitating discussion.
• Paper presenters. Important - each paper presentation should *not* exceed 15 minutes. This will allow 3-4 minutes for discussant comments, then about 5 minutes for open discussion. Presenters will be given warnings at 12 minutes and 14 minutes. At 15 minutes, your time slot will be regarded as complete!
• An overhead slide projector will be available. If you wish to use overheads, please prepare them on plastic overhead slides. Do not prepare too many overheads, since this will likely cause you to overrun your time. Probably 4-6 overheads is reasonable.
• To avoid time lost in connecting computers and inserting disks, we will not be able to use an LCD projector.
• Please circulate your paper in electronic form to all participants on the Monday before the date of your presentation. Discussants - if you do not receive the paper, please check back with the author. For participant email addresses, select "Class". At the bottom of the list is a link "Group mail to class list" that should allow you to email everyone in the class with one click (including instructor). Please email paper as an attachment in MS Word, HTML, or RTF format.
• The paper that you circulate to participants should be regarded as a good draft. You will have the opportunity to revise your paper, based on comments received, and submit at the end of the semester.
• Designated discussants should read the paper carefully and offer constructive comments and raise questions, as appropriate. Please prepare no more than 3-4 minutes of comments.
• The schedule is tight, but is very comparable with the amount of time allowed for paper presentations and discussions at major professional conferences.
• The seminar presentations will be publicized and hopefully we may welcome some additional participants.

Communications

Electronic Office Hours: For fastest response, students are encouraged to communicate by electronic mail, to:

Regular Office Hours: Wed 3.30 pm - 4.30 pm, Room 314, DM Smith.

Individual Meetings. Where physical meetings can be arranged, students are encouraged to schedule individual appointments with the instructor in DM Smith.  At other times, electronic communication methods are available.

Telephone: USA: +1 (404) 894 7735; Fax: USA: +1 (404) 894 0535

Class List: select

Course Web site: http://www.cherry.gatech.edu/trp

Instructor

Dr. Philip Shapira is Professor of Public Policy in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, USA.  He co-directs the Georgia Tech Program in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy.

Research and teaching home page: http://www.cherry.gatech.edu/ps

Schedule

Updated 08/30/09. To check assignments - select here.

Rights and Responsibilities

Enrollment in this course indicates that you have read, acknowledge and agree to abide by the following:

• Policy on academic performance and incompletes - see Georgia Tech School of Public Policy Student Handbook.
• Georgia Tech Honor Code - including Addendum for Graduate Students. You are informed that student papers may be reviewed by plagiarism detection software.

Enrollment for the course indicates that you agree to attend all scheduled classes on time. With instructor's permission, one or two absences from class may be forgiven for good reason. Absences beyond this or repeated non-timeliness will likely result in a lower final grade.

Access to an email account is a necessary requirement for effective course participation and interaction.  All class emails will be sent to official Georgia Tech student email addresses, which are generally on prism.  You are responsible for ensuring that you have access to this prism account.  If you wish to use a private email address, it is your responsibility to redirect your prism mail to your preferred address. For more information, see E-mail guidance and also Georgia Tech Office of Information Technology.

You also acknowledge that completed assignments may be shared electronically with other students and posted to the Worldwide Web.  See privacy statement that will guide postings.

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