LALITPUR, NEPAL, February 5th and February 6th 2025 – A two-day intensive Knowledge Management (KM) session, led by Prof. Dr. Mahesh Banskota, was successfully conducted by Learning, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (LIKE) Lab. The session focused on the evolving landscape of KM and its significance in organizational learning, sustainability, and innovation. Participants engaged in discussions and group activities designed to enhance their understanding of knowledge creation, retention, sharing, and translation for institutional efficiency.
Key Takeaways from the Knowledge Management Sessions
Day 1: Understanding Knowledge Management
The session commenced with an overview of the changing nature of knowledge, emphasizing how knowledge evolves and diminishes over time. Key topics covered included:
- The role of the Internet of Things (IoT) in reshaping knowledge access and management.
- The responsibilities of a Knowledge Manager, such as data collection, organizing knowledge, facilitating sharing, training, monitoring, and creating resources.
- The need for Kathmandu University to develop a formal KM strategy.
Evolution of KM: The session highlighted how KM has evolved as a key organizational paradigm, driven by the value of intellectual capital, technological advancements, and the need for knowledge retention.
Barriers to KM: Common challenges identified included people-centric issues, lack of awareness, time constraints, and technological inefficiencies. Strategies to overcome these barriers included establishing a KM brand, developing a multi-channel strategy, engaging leaders, and creating a dedicated KM portal.
Knowledge Sharing and Applications
Participants shared key lessons from their experiences, discussing issues such as stakeholder remuneration, dependency reduction, event organization challenges, and the need for evidence-based interventions. The discussions also shed light on educational barriers, including declining school enrollment due to migration and a lack of resources.
Other key discussions included:
- The SECI Model of Knowledge Creation, which outlines socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization as the core stages of knowledge development.
- The importance of explicit and tacit knowledge and strategies for their effective capture and use.
- Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) applications in knowledge management, including gender-neutral communication, community engagement, and addressing structural barriers.
Innovative Approaches to Knowledge Generation, Translation, and Exchange
Through group activities, participants identified creative strategies for knowledge management, such as:
- Knowledge Generation: Child-friendly brochures, essays, case studies, animations, and student-led initiatives.
- Knowledge Translation: Teacher training, social media posts, drama, board games, and disaster risk reduction drills.
- Knowledge Exchange: Focus group discussions, debates, storytelling, role-playing, and interactive social media engagement.
Day 2: Knowledge Translation and Sustainability
The second day built upon the previous day’s learnings with a review session, followed by knowledge translation (KT) and sustainability strategies.
Knowledge Translation in Research: Participants explored ways to make research more accessible and actionable. Key challenges identified included limited capacity for research engagement, language barriers, and resource constraints.
KM in GESI and Knowledge Sharing: The session emphasized the need for knowledge repositories and digital platforms tailored for diverse socio-cultural contexts. Discussions also focused on adapting KM strategies for Nepali schools, promoting inclusive curricula, and utilizing digital education tools.
Equitable and Inclusive Education Systems: Participants discussed strategies for:
- Designing equitable curricula.
- Promoting leadership and empowerment in schools.
- Addressing gender biases in educational settings.
- Enhancing participation and governance transparency.
Mobilizing Knowledge for Impact: The final session highlighted the need to bridge the gap between research and community applications. Strategies discussed included ensuring knowledge retention post-project, informing policy decisions with research insights, conducting risk analysis, and developing localized case studies.
These sessions emphasized the vital role of KM in strengthening institutional learning and development. Participants left with a deeper understanding of knowledge generation, translation, and exchange, equipped with innovative strategies to enhance KM implementation in their respective fields. As we continue to prioritize KM, there is a growing recognition of the need to integrate these strategies into institutional frameworks, ensuring long-term sustainability and impact in research, education, and community development.
