知识经济正在世界范围内悄然兴起 ,人类社会正逐步进入一个以智力资源的占有、配置 ,知识的生产、分配、使用 (消费 )为最重要因素的经济时代。未来社会的经济增长比现在更明显地依赖于知识的产生、传播和利用。因而 ,知识经济时代将给成人高等教育发展带来一个难得的历史机遇? The knowledge economy is quietly rising all over the world. Human society is gradually entering a economic era where the possession and allocation of intellectual resources, the production, distribution and use (consumption) of intellectual resources are the most important factors. The economic growth of the future society is more obviously dependent on the generation, dissemination and utilization of knowledge than it is now. Therefore, the era of knowledge economy will bring a rare historical opportunity for the development of adult higher education.