Dualisation, education and the knowledge economy: Comparing Germany and South Korea

Abstract

In post‐war Germany and South Korea, not only was vocational education and training key to the two countries' export‐oriented growth models, it also promoted social inclusion. More recently, the knowledge economy has put this skills‐based, inclusive growth model under pressure, and we see labour market dualisation calling into question the social contracts in the two countries. Studying education reform in Germany and Korea, we analyse government capacity to reconcile efficiency and inclusion in the knowledge economy, in the context of twin pressures from firms (with changing skills needs) and parents (with high aspirations for their children). We show that the German government, drawing on its corporatist past, has been more successful in mediating these pressures than Korea, where hierarchical business relations undermined employer engagement and more inclusive policies.

Knowledge Economy, Innovation and the Universities' Education Role in Saudi Arabia: A Study of Academicians’ Perspectives at the University of Hail

“…The rapid expansion of knowledge and the increasing reliance on computing, big data analysis, and automation are transforming the global economy to become more dependent on intellectual capital and skills and less dependent on traditional factors of production. The country's transition to KE and innovation required new education and skills institutions (Fleckenstein et al, 2023). Many studies have tried to research the relationship between the variables of the KE and innovation and the components of the educational system, in addition to trying to build perceptions of the future of the educational system in light of the KE and innovation and its most prominent obstacles.…”