December 20168 The launch, by the Soviet Union, of Sputnik 1 in October 1957 is a key event in the history of creativity and innovation. The so-called Sputnik Shock that reverberated through the West, and in particular, the United States, resulted in an immediate search for an explanation ­ how could the Soviets win this first leg of the space race, when the US was so superior, both technologically and culturally? Attention quickly turned to engineering ­ not only were DARPA and NASA established in the wake of Sputnik, but the US Congress enacted the National Defense Education Act in 1958, designed to stimulate math and engineering education at universities. However, the underlying issue was this ­ the US and other Western countries had assumed that their quantitative superiority ­ greater numbers of more highly educated engineers ­ was their inherent advantage. Sputnik, however, turned attention to a more qualitative explanation that focused on creativity ­ an assumption was that the Soviets must have more 'creative' engineers! This change in mindset was critical (even if the premise was false), as it represented a shift from a quantitative explanation to a qualitative one. In effect, leaders in the West started to realize that it was something 'about' the engineers that mattered ­ some key characteristics, abilities and qualities ­ and not just their sheer numbers. That 'something' was creativity, and the The connection between creativity and innovation is critical. Creativity is concerned with a range of personal, organizational and cognitive factorsReigniting Innovation ­ Is it Time for a New "Sputnik Shock"?By David Cropley, Associate Professor of Engineering Innovation, University of South AustraliaUniversity of South Australia, founded in 1991, is an Australian based educational organization. With more than 32,000 students, the university offers a wide range of degree courses in several subjects including business, law, arts and social sciences, health sciences, and more.IN MY VIEW
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