This concept paper traces the emergence of the term K*.

“K* — the collective term for the set of functions and processes at the various interfaces between knowledge, practice, industry and policy that improve the sharing of knowledge and its application, uptake and value in the pursuit of progress.”

In April 2012, a conference hosted by the United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) in Hamilton, Canada, brought together people from different geographies and different sectors who represented these different functions. The aim of the conference was to discuss their similarities and differences in the context of improving knowledge use in policy, industry and practice; K* was coined as shorthand for all the different functions, as an attempt to be inclusive.

This report – produced with the valued support of the World Bank as a contribution to their thinking related to the Bank’s second Knowledge Report – is one of the outputs of the K* Conference. Once finalised, the report will be formally published, and also incorporated into the KStar Green and White Paper process.

The K* concept paper can be accessed below, please comment on the concept paper, for expanding our knowledge of K*, (KT, KE, KTT, KMb, KB, KM etc) comments will be collated by the end of August.

Title: Expanding our knowledge of Kstar Author: Louise Shaxson (ODI) with Alex Bielak (UNU-INWEH), and: Ibrahim Ahmed (General Department of Agriculture, Um Ruwaba, Sudan), Derek Brien (Pacific Institute for Public Policy), Bernadette Conant (Canadian Water Network), Anne Middleton (Health Canada), Catherine Fisher (IDS Impact and Learning Team), Elin Gwyn (OMAFRA), Laurens Klerkx (Wageningen University), Sarah Morton (University of Edinburgh,Laxmi Pant (University of Guelph) Year: 2012