Biography of the Professor
Witold Kwaśnicki is a professor of economics at the Institute of Economic Sciences at the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics, University of Wroclaw (head of the Department of General Economic Theory). In 1976, he graduated from the Faculty of Electronics Wroclaw University of Technology, and got Master’s Degree with specialization in electronics engineering – ‘cybernetics systems’. In 1980, he defended his PhD thesis on Simulation of a certain class of evolutionary processes of development, at the Institute of Engineering Cybernetics, Wroclaw University of Technology. In 1995, he habilitated at University of Economics in Wroclaw obtaining his habilitation in economic sciences with specialization ‘theory of economic growth’. His research interests are evolutionary economics, innovation processes, economic growth theory, history of economic thought. As he usually is saying: “I am an engineer and an economist by education and libertarian by conviction”.

Requirements for passing a course
Written exam, three questions from the list below, to pass a student needs 50 %, for B – 70 %, for A – 90 %

Exam questions
1. Why American engineers selected ‘Electrification’ as the most important innovation in the 20th century? 
2. Basic analogies between ‘Gold rush’ and ‘Initial stages of Electrification’ to the internet evolution (Jeff Bezos on the next web innovation). 
3. Contribution of Saracens to development of science and technology. 
4. Learning versus Teaching: what does it mean to Saracens ‘educational policy’? 
5. What are the main achievements (innovations) of Eli Whitney, which changed America? 
6. Basic principles of innovation process in Google company. 
7. Why innovation of spectacles were so important for western civilization development? 
8. Moore’s Law – Basic Message. 
9. Inventions, innovation, imitation, discovery – general definitions. 
10. Process and product innovation – definitions, and relative importance in different phases of industrial evolution (time). 
11. Intrapreneureship – basic notions.

Sources

Sources
• Joe Tidd and John Bessant, Manging Innovation. Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change
• Lecture notes: http://kwasnicki.prawo.uni.wroc.pl/?page_id=1209

Classes
• H.G. Weaver, The Mainspring of Human Progress: please read: Contribution of Saracens, Learning versus Teaching, Priceless Zero, Advances in Medicine, The Saracens Invade Europe (pp. 104-110), Ch. 18 Inventive progress (pp. 211-236)
• Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity, Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution!, Ken Robinson: How to escape education’s death valley, Three Reasons Why Dutch Children Are the Happiest Children
• Niall Ferguson: The 6 killer apps of prosperity; The Importance of Free Speech to Human Progress
• Government Spending on “Innovation”: The True Cost Is Higher Than You, see also here, and here.
We Could Have Had Cell Phones 40 Years Earlier
• The Power of the Free Market, How the FAA is Killing Drone Innovation
• Navi Radjou: Creative problem-solving in the face of extreme limits; Tim Harford: Trial, error and the God complex