Non-linear thinking.

I'm personally starting to understand the journey of writing a thesis. No matter how structured an outline, ideas and thoughts never fall within a fixed framework. And that's a good thing, if not, no good and original ideas would ever be birthed.

The process isn't about pure execution, but has a lot to do with spending the time to simply - think. Not writing, think. It's a bit strange to our Asian blood to not actively 'work', but it's in the mind that value begins to be created, and no good thoughts ever emerge without some time spent in contemplation. I fight all the time with the feeling I'm wasting time by not doing SOMETHING, but when a mini-Eureka ends the 'silence', it's all worth it.

And so, after a day of thinking, an hour of jotting down my thoughts, I've put my fingers to the keyboard and produced one more ray of light to our journey down the IC tunnel.

And now, once again, the circle begins.

Pilot research: Helsinki!

Sarah and I have been reading books and articles on IC, KBE, Innovation,... making notes on key concepts, and study the relationships between these key terms.

It's time to put our knowledge (and data from Carol) into use ~ PILOT research on Helsinki.

Our task for coming week:
Analyse the innovation system and IC elements of Helsinki, Finland

Sub-tasks:
1. Research on the economic and social background of Finland (and Helsinki in particular), to understand how Helsinki evolves (time base analysis) to an innovation system it has now.

2. Study how (contributing factors) the sub-IC elements of Finland evolve over time.

3. Study the linkage between the IC elements (HC, MC, PC, RC) and the innovation system Helsinki has.

Hopefully by completing this PILOT research, Sarah and I could develop a good framework / model for our further research on Singapore and Malaysia!

Stay tune!

Map of our Minds, Updated.

Above is our thesis mindmap updated with colour to denote the different areas by country, topic, dimension. Key questions that we will attempt to address are highlighted in green.

Am currently reading "The Innovation Superhighway" by Debra Amidon, and she talks about the art of storytelling to get complex messages across. I believe this becomes even more important with intellectual capital being an area that is not easily captured in its entirety in numbers alone. We hope that our thesis will be able to tell the tale of 3 cities, and in so doing perhaps chart an outline for other cities and nations to frame themselves in or towards.

But in order to tell a proper tale, research must done. As I read Amidon's book, my mind continually thinks back to Singapore and how she would fare as an "Innovation Nation". Born and bred there, I have my insights, which may differ from what Western authors may have gathered about this tiny but mighty country. Let's see how my interpretive stance compares against empirical data, but first, an overview and comparison of the 3 nations and a case study on Finland to set the frame of reference.

And so our journey begins - again.

And we're back!

Aside from a takehome exam due 29 Mar, we are finally free of coursework, and able to now focus on the Thesis at hand.

Alliz and I are firstly going to set aside the period from now till 7 April to do some reading up on the (many) books we have borrowed re: IC, as well as do some further research on relevant articles that relate specifically to the countries we are examining in close detail - Singapore, Malaysia and Finland. We are then going to do a deep dive together into Finland, and use our findings from there as a framework to proceed with Singapore and Malaysia.

Leaving a picture that may best describe the thesis process. Hopefully there are more "Eurekas" than "Huh?" in our process :)

Temporary break.

Alliz and I have just submitted our thesis proposal, so that's one milestone crossed!

Now, a temporary hiatus to focus on exams and project deadlines for the current study period, before our minds can be 100% committed to this thesis paper.

Back by end March!

The Map of our Minds.

As of today, this is where we stand -

Balancing act.

After a short hiatus due to coursework and exams from another module stealing our time and attention, Alliz and I are back to working on our thesis proposal. We have agreed on most of our approach, information sources and methodology, now is to put the pen to the paper (or the fingers to the keyboard) and write.

Many have said that writing a thesis is a journey, where the destination can be unknown until one is almost there. I sure hope that Alliz and I won't take too long to get there, given we only have 10 weeks!

In the meantime, it's reading, research and more reading. The library may just become our 2nd home soon.