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Figure 3 – Key features of knowledge society

Features of knowledge networking
From the perspectives of information and communication technology (ICT), knowledge is reusable
information in a specific context. Knowledge networking is an effective way of combining individual
knowledge, experiences, and skills in the pursuit of personal and community objectives. Knowledge is shared,
developed, and evolved in the creation of new values. ICTs provide a new era of human thinking and
knowledge processes. For knowledge workers, the use of ICTs has steadily changed from computation and
communication. When people think about new concepts and patterns on real challenging issues, they can
use the computing system to search in the local or external databases, use the e-mail and conference system,
and discuss together with experts. The new work environments provided by ICTs attract highly motivated
and knowledgeable individuals to address the detailed technical issues and engage in conceptual arguments.
All the time through networking, knowledge is being continually evolved and developed. A lot of debate is
invited and helpful criteria are suggested. To solve the outstanding problems, offline or one-to-one
conversations can take place at the same time during the conference. Sometimes, within hours an expert
solves the problems and then people make the decision with enough wisdom of the know-how.

Figure 3 shows the key features of knowledge society. First, knowledge networking is a collection of
distributed and scattered knowledge. There is a rich and dynamic phenomenon of knowledge since it is more
than access to information, more than the rules and inferences from theory, and more than tacit knowledge
and wisdom of people's experiences. Second, from openness of communication, people gain information
from experts in heterogeneous domains. They are willing to contribute their knowledge freely. The
challenging problems are analysed by experts in different domains. The genuine process of cooperation is
essential to share conclusions in harmony. Third, in knowledge society, a breakthrough innovation in a
business matter helps to get patents. The scientific innovation leads to productive growth in related
industries. The more radical and revolutionary innovations are easy to emerge from research and
development through exchange of professional experiences. The information and communication
technology can provide a new work environment favourable to innovation. With the help of ICTs, future new
industries can be invented from creative idea generation.

Cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge
One of the key characteristics of knowledge is seeking to synthesize broad perspectives, skill, experiences,
and know-hows by crossing boundaries and thinking across traditional academic schools.
Interdisciplinary knowledge is applied not only with education and training, but also with research and
development. To solve the global common tasks on climate change and health, interdisciplinary studies are

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