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Stephen Ruth, professor of public policy and director of the International
Center for Applied Studies in Information Technology (ICASIT), and two
colleagues recently completed a study of knowledge management (KM) diffusion
in the context of university
programs world-wide. The report, titled Knowledge Management Education:
An Overview of Programs of Instruction was co-authored by Virgil Frizzel
and Nancy Shaw and appeared in Handbook on Knowledge Management, edited
by Clyde W. Holsapple (New York, Springer-Verlag, 2003).
Professor Ruth was surprised at the study’s results, which indicated that most KM programs are not housed at universities.
“Many colleges and universities have a course here and there,” said Dr. Ruth. “But the primary source of KM learning is through programs offered by businesses. Locally, George Mason is unique since the School of Public Policy offers both a masters program that features major KM components and an increasing number of PhD students who are interested in KM applications. George Washington University and George Mason are probably the only two schools in the country with that level of KM breadth.”