Technology, belonging and partnership: The Emerging Technologies Centre at Lancaster University Ghana as a community of practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71957/sj3djh81Abstract
The Emerging Technologies Centre (ETC) at Lancaster University Ghana (LUG) is a shared technological hub designed to provide students across disciplines, community members and corporate partners with access to emerging technologies while promoting collaborative learning, partnership and a sense of belonging. This study explores how the ETC promotes inclusion, skill development and collaboration beyond the provision of technological infrastructure.
Using a qualitative case-study approach, data were obtained through observations, semi-structured interviews with students, corporate professionals and community participants, and programme records. Guided by the Community of Practice framework, the findings indicate that the ETC functions not only as a technological facility but also as an interactive learning ecosystem where academia, industry and the wider community participate in shared learning and innovation. Such participation contributes to skill development, inclusion, belonging and partnership across diverse groups.
The study demonstrates how universities can leverage emerging-technology infrastructure not merely as a technological investment, but as a strategic platform for inclusive learning, community engagement and partnership. Drawing on the experience of the ETC at Lancaster University Ghana, the paper offers lessons that may inform the design and use of emerging-technology spaces across higher education institutions in diverse contexts.
References
Atiase, V. Y., Kolade, O., & Liedong, T. A. (2020). The emergence and strategy of tech hubs in Africa: Implications for knowledge production and value creation. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 161, 120307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120307.
Etzkowitz, H., & Leydesdorff, L. (2000). The dynamics of innovation: From national systems and ‘Mode 2’ to a triple helix of university–industry–government relations. Research Policy, 29(2), 109–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(99)00055-4
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815355
Strayhorn, T.L. (2018). College Students' Sense of Belonging: A Key to Educational Success for All Students (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315297293
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511803932
Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. M. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
