The knowledge divide

Photos via: Culture Shock

The World Bank defines the knowledge economy as an economy “where organizations and people acquire, create, disseminate, and use knowledge more effectively for greater economic and social development.” The World Bank stresses the importance of education and life-long learning amidst today’s knowledge revolution. While the benefits of such a revolution are recognized by developed countries, developing countries are at a competitive disadvantage. As such, the “knowledge divide” poses a threat to the future development of countries with weaker institutions, poorer economies and a far more limited access to the knowledge that is abundantly available to developed countries. In reaction to this growing divide, the Skills & Innovation Policy (SIP) program of the World Bank Institute's Growth and Crisis practice seeks to guide developing countries as they transition to the knowledge economy. One of the four pillars of the knowledge economy is education, and as such, the SIP advocates for global learning (The World Bank, 2011). Education is not only a means to achieve a competitive advantage, but it is also a means for developing countries to achieve economic prosperity. In this flattened, consolidated world, social issues such as civil rights and education are, in fact, global issues -- we must urgently address.