THE RISE AND DECLINE OF A KNOWLEDGE NETWORK IN A UNIVERSITY IN CHILE: THE INDI CASE

Abstract

This study analyses the emergence and decline of the INDI knowledge network at a Chilean public university, exploring the strategic importance and challenges faced by these networks in traditional academic environments within the Chilean social and cultural context. To this end, a case study methodology was used, based on 15 interviews. The case study describes the creation of the network in four stages, addressing the unique way in which the network was generated, its organic and strategic development, its consolidation over time, and finally its decline. The analysis (still in progress) examines the evolution of this organisation and the unique way in which it operates in a complex, interdisciplinary and politically adverse environment. The case study provides a better understanding of how university knowledge networks are generated in the Chilean context and the influence of the environment on their development, as well as the tensions that coexist during the process.