The
 “Epistemology of Science and Knowledge Management”
Research Project
Newsletter
Nr. 1/dd.12.2009

1. Newsletter Launch 

The Center for the Study of Rationality and Beliefs within The Faculty of Philosophy of The University of Bucharest launches the newsletter of its “Epistemology of Science and Knowledge Management” research project, whose activities are funded by CNCSIS through PNII Idei program. Issued every three months, the newsletter aims at informing the academic community, the project collaborators and any interested person about the project ongoing activities.
If you wish to receive the future issues of project newsletter, you can subscribe using the form at http://www.managementulcunoasterii.ro/phplist/?p=subscribe .

2. The  Epistemology of Science and Knowledge Management Research Project

One of the theoretical novelties of the last years of the 20th century is the rise of knowledge management, discipline interested in the administration, development and the transfer of knowledge amongst the individuals interacting within an organization.  On the other hand, one of the most important trends in the philosophy of science of the last decades was a shift of interest towards the way science is actually practiced. This focusing on the de facto issues turned attention towards an array of issues starting with the methods employed for developing scientific theories and ending with the way scientist reason, collaborate or experiment. Such a convergence of inquiries makes philosophical reflection particularly useful for knowledge management, and can provide the latter with a useful theoretical apparatus and outcomes.
From this standpoint, the “Epistemology of science and knowledge management” research project aims at:

• Clarifying the conceptual relations between knowledge management and strategic management;
• Providing an analysis of the concept of knowledge employed in knowledge management;
• Philosophically reconstructing and making operational the knowledge concept specific to managerial theories;
• Establishing the consequences the reconstruction of the concept of knowledge has upon the administering and developing of the organizational knowledge;
• Providing the managerial and the philosophical community with a theoretical and operational framework capable to set the common ground needed for a dialogue;
• Providing instruments for the management required by the knowledge society of today;
• Carrying out case studies on the issue of how various organizations, including universities, use knowledge management.

The members of the project team are:

• CONSTANTIN STOENESCU, assistant professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest – project director;
• ILIE PÂRVU,  Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest;
• ROMULUS BRÂNCOVEANU, professor at  the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest;
• LAURENȚIU STAICU, assistant professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest;
• LAVINIA MARIN, research assistant at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest;
• BOGDAN BOGHIȚOI, research assistant at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest.

In addition, the project aims at gaining the collaboration of other researchers, project managers and organizations interested in the research in this area.
The project intends to further capitalize on its theoretical results and disseminate them by:

• Elaborating studies about the representations and conceptions of knowledge, that will be published in journals listed in international databases, including ISI;
• Organizing conferences;
• The development and accrediting of distance learning and regular knowledge management master’s degree courses at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Bucharest
• The creation of a dedicated website - www.managementulcunoasetrii.ro
• The newsletter of the project.