Vol. II: Shaping Information and Communication ... - IMA,ZLW & IfU

34
At the heart of this network project for cross-cultural innovation was the creation of proactive
and cross-disciplinary knowledge network of universities, regional knowledge centres and
entrepreneurs. The commitment of network partners to the cross-cultural communication and
pro-active participation was critical for the long term EU-India collaboration. The
sustainability of the project was assured through the creation of an operational framework for
joint working, and common actions including the development of collaborative post-graduate
and doctoral programmes, the development of cross-cultural methodology of action research,
and the creation of new cross cultural academic and entrepreneurial links.
2.2 Achievements of the Network
At the institutional level, this project has achieved that the project partners have successfully
created a network framework for research into the applications and impact of ICT and
multimedia in socio-economic development (rural areas) and entrepreneurial (small and
micro-enterprise, artisanal) sectors.
At the bilateral institutional level, the partners have formed collaborations in the development
of action research models in the dairy sector, and cluster models of innovation. In the field
education, postgraduate courses in IT and ICT, multimedia tools for entrepreneurial training,
and IT supported self-learning tools for collaborative learning have been implemented.
At the individual level, the project has created new opportunities for network researchers to
work in cross-cultural and trans-disciplinary environments. At the EU-India cooperation level,
the project has made a major contribution to the understanding of the richness of cultural
traditions of research, entrepreneurship and innovation. This network framework has opened
up new and some times unexpected possibilities of working across cultural and regional
boundaries, and how to break away from the traditional mono-cultural, mono-disciplinary,
and techno-centric model of research.
We have learnt about new dimensions of cross-cultural collaboration during this networking
journey. Our experiences of creating, evolving and sustaining this complex network, have
given us valuable insights into the working and functioning of cross-cultural collaborative
environments. Some of key lessons which could be beneficial for future collaborations in
cross-cultural settings are: