“Learning-by-living”: the hidden contribution of universities to economic development

The importance of the contribution of universities to economic development has been widely acknowledged, citing the role of education and research. The authors propose that the contribution of universities goes much beyond the one provided by these activities. The hidden dimension of the university´s role in promoting growth is associated with the institutional characteristics of the university. The paper presents anecdotal evidence that they argue, shows that “learning-by-living” in universities has contributed to economic development. They describe traditional perspectives on the impact of universities on growth, and discuss recent advances that shed light on the importance of learning-by-living. Finally, they derive policy, university management, and theoretical implications. An important result is that the institutional integrity of the university must be preserved