PPOL 5310: Public Management for Technology Innovation

Fall 2025

Background and Description:

Science, technology and innovation are widely accepted to have changed the world we live in. As the pace of change accelerates, innovation and technology promise to bring even more radical changes to our everyday lives. Given the increasing centrality and ubiquity of science and innovation, it is necessary to learn of the analytical approaches for developing appropriate public policy and governance structures so as to harness the full potential of scientific and technological advances.

Innovative policies, management, communication, collaboration in the strategic use of digital technology, are all required a public policy is to appropriately channelled the power of science technology and innovation to make significant improvements in the lives of people served.

While advancements in science and technology have been rapidly expanding the range of solutions governments’ most pressing problems, science and technology innovations have also raised a set of emerging ethical, institutional and legal issues for government, non-profit and private entities. This course aims to help students familiarize themselves with opportunities and challenges brought about by advances in science and technology, and analytical approaches for developing appropriate public policy measures, and governance structures to harness the full potential of these advances. Major topics covered include: science and technology policy, regulation of the use and application of new technologies, smart cities, the application of big data, and the management and governance of new media.

Objectives:

This course:

- Introduces tools, concepts, and insights to a public sector manager/leader responsible for managing science, technology and innovation

- Examines leadership and a variety of tools and approaches to public sector management of science in technology and frameworks for the effect of use of those tools and approaches

- Analyzes and discusses illustrative case examples of the development and implementation of innovative ideas and approaches in the public sector for the management of science, technology, and innovation

Requirements:

This course is structured around two main components: lectures and discussion sections. Lectures will occupy the first half of each class meeting, followed by interactive discussion sessions. Attendance at ALL lectures and discussion sections is mandatory, as is completion of all assigned readings. Please note that more than two unexcused absences will result in a reduction of one sub-grade from your overall course grade.

Readings:

There is no single textbook for this class. Instead, students will read selected articles and chapters predominantly from two books (below) each week. All readings are available on the course’s Canvas website. Readings should be completed during the week in which they are assigned. You are also encouraged to read local newspapers and follow current-day news stories on innovation and technology policy developments in Hong Kong.

Tidd, Joe, John R. Bessant. 2025. Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change, 8th Ed. John Wiley & Sons: Sussex, England.

HKUST library link: https://lbdiscover.hkust.edu.hk/bib/991013405594703412

Smits, Ruud E., Stefan Kuhlmann and Philip Shapira. 2010. The Theory and Practice of Innovation Policy: An International Research Handbook. Edward Elgar Publishing: Cheltenham, UK.

Grade Distribution: