Rural Community Vitality in a Global Economy

Purpose

Globalization and Knowledge Clusters for Rural America was a 3-year joint project of the the Hubert H. Humphrey School's State and Local Policy Program and the Freeman Center for International Economic Policy. This research and outreach project examined the implications of globalization and the shift to a knowledge-based economy for America's rural communities.

A national conference on globalization and rural knowledge clusters was held September 13-14, 2002 in the Twin Cities. The conference featured results from the first year of the project, which includes:

Research examining the phenomenon of "rural knowledge clusters" - innovative, globally competitive groups of firms based in rural communities - through a series of case studies and related empirical research.
Research examining the consequences of globalization for local government and local development policy and activities.

The conference drew in research and practice analogous to the project focus, produced by partners from throughout the United States. The conference's purpose was not to sell the concept per se, but to use the mid-project timing to present what has been learned and to stimulate dialogue on these issues in hopes of creating better research tools and dissemination of knowledge. Our goal was to attract panelists who represent three perspectives of rural development: practitioner, academic, and policy.