The ways in which knowledge—scientific, social, and cultural—is produced has undergone significant and fundamental changes in the last century.

Knowledge production is often defined in a higher education context. It typically refers to related activities in a higher education institution, research center, or enterprise that is engaged with producing new knowledge. The term refers broadly to basic research as well as the more applied type of research associated especially with industry.

As described by the International Encyclopedia of Higher Education Systems, knowledge production has become a central task in modern universities. This represents a shift from the university’s origins in medieval Europe, which informed what became known in Europe and America as a “liberal education” —historically widely viewed as the purpose of universities, which in turn was closely associated with the supply of individuals prepared with the skills to meet the needs of the state, commerce, and the church.

There is growing awareness that knowledge production is moving beyond the main purview of higher education institutions, as industry invests more in research and development, driven in large part by rapidly accelerating science and technology developments.