Sunday, February 26, 2017

National Symposium on Improving eGovernance using Big Data Analytics - IIT Delhi | 28 February

Greetings!

IIT Delhi is hosting a National Symposium on Improving eGovernance using Big Data Analytics (IEGBDA). We, being an academic partner for the prestigious 10th ICEGOV Conference (International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance) and India hosting it for the first time, we are coming up with this run-up symposium. 

Date: February 28, 2017 (Tuesday)
Time: 8:45 AM to 1:00 PM
Venue: Vishwakarma Bhawan, DMS, IIT Delhi

The event is expected to be attended by the professionals, students, and researchers working in the domain. The event is open to all. No fees involved. However, prior registration is mandatory due to the limited number of seats. No fees are involved. Participants will be awarded a certificate.

Registration Link: bit.ly/iegbda2017

JNU celebrates National Science Day 2017 | 28th February at JNU Convention Centre


JNU celebrates National Science Day 2017 | 28th February at JNU Convention Centre, New Delhi, India

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

New Book | Space India 2.0: Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives | by ORF India, 2017

New Book
Space India 2.0: Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives
edited by Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan and Narayan Prasad. Observer Research Foundation, India, 2017, ISBN: 9788186818282.

About the Book
India's space programme has taken huge strides since its humble beginnings six decades ago. Today, India is recognised as a self-reliant spacefaring nation with capabilities not only in rudimentary missions, but in the most complex as well. This book addresses the prevalent policy issues in space and suggests measures to address them. In a world where space exploration and use carry a multitude of roles that range from peacekeeping to forewarning against disasters - Space India 2.0 seeks to serve as a guidebook for the country's policy makers.

Table of Contents
Foreword | K Kasturirangan, former Chairman, ISRO
Introduction | Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan and Narayan Prasad
Section I Space Commerce
1. Space 2.0 India: Leapfrogging Indian Space Commerce | Narayan Prasad
2. Traditional Space and NewSpace Industry in India: Current Outlook and Perspectives for the Future | Narayan Prasad
3. A Review of India's Commercial Space Efforts | K R Sridhara Murthi
4. Exploring the Potential of Satellite Connectivity for Digital India | Neha Satak, Madhukara Putty, Prasad H L Bhat
5. Unlocking the Potential of Geospatial Data | Arup Dasgupta
6. Developing a Space Start-up Incubator to Build a NewSpace Ecosystem in India | Narayan Prasad
7. Electronic Propulsion & Launch Vehicles: Today and Beyond – An Indian Perspective | Rohan M Ganapathy, Arun Radhakrishnan and Yashas Karanam
Section II Space Policy
8. Privatisation of Space in India and the Need for A Law | Kumar Abhijeet
9. SATCOM Policy: Bridging the Present and the Future | Ashok GV and Riddhi D'Souza
10. A Review of India's Geospatial Policy | Ranjana Kaul
11. Formation of PSLV Joint Venture: Legal Issues | Malay Adhikari
12. Exploring Space as an Instrument in India's Foreign Policy & Diplomacy | Vidya Sagar Reddy
Section III Space Security
13. India's Strategic Space Programme: From Apprehensive Beginner to Ardent Operator | Ajey Lele
14. Space Situational Awareness and Its Importance | Moriba Jah
15. Need for an Indian Military Space Policy | Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
Section IV International Cooperation
16. Cooperation in Space between India and France | Jacques Blamont
17. India-US: New Dynamism in Old Partnership | Victoria Samson
18. Evolution of India-Russia Partnership | Vladimir Korovkin
19. Cooperating with Israel: Strategic Convergence | Deganit Paikowsky and Daniel Barok
20. An Asian Space Partnership with Japan? | Kazuto Suzuki
21. India and Australia: Emerging Possibilities | Jason Held
Section V Space Sustainability and Global Governance
22. Space Debris Tracking: An Indian Perspective | MYS Prasad
23. Astro-propriation: Investment Protections for and from Space Mining Operations | Daniel A Porras
24. Sustainability, Security and Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty | Charles Stotler
25. Space Security, Sustainability, and Global Governance: India-Japan Collaboration in Outer Space | Yasushi Horikawa
26. India and Global Space Governance: Need for A Pro-active Approach | Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

CfPs: 14th ASIALICS Conference 2017 | 29-31 August | Tehran, Iran

14th ASIALICS Conference
29-31 August 2017
Tehran, Iran 
Conference Theme: Technological learning, innovation and catching-up in the context of international collaborations

Call for Papers
The conference will explore, among other things, the modes of technological learning and innovation within the context of international collaborations for successful catching up. It is extremely important for the West-Asia to learn from the experiences of the East-Asian's successful countries; while it needs to explore its own way based on its internal capabilities and conditions. We welcome papers pertaining to the issues of technological learning and innovation, capability building, catching-up and even development in different levels (i.e. firms, industries or countries). We would like to see the ramifications of these experiences and their implicated learning for the West-Asian countries. West-Asian countries, especially the Middle-East region, is characterized by rich diversity of resources, religious heritage, warm climate, especial geographical location and somehow a turbulence political situation. Analysis of the role of each of those factors in the success or failure stories within this region is highly welcomed.
Similar factors are also welcomed to be further scrutinized such as the role of finance, intellectual property rights, foreign direct investment, standardization, industrial policies. Those studies could reveal general bottlenecks that might impose substantial barriers in the way of learning and catching-up. Especial attention would be the role of international collaborations and the possible ways for enhancing technological learning within this context. Comparative studies would also be very interesting in order to reveal the similarities and differences between the context of West-Asia and other regions. We encourage participants to use any possible sources to conduct those types of comparative studies. Keynote lecture will be given by Prof. Lundvall from Aalborg University, Denmark and Prof. Djeflat from Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille (Lille-1), France. We may add some extra keynote lecturers according to the conference program. If you wish to be involved, remember we are open for full paper submissions (under 12,000 words and original, in that it has not been presented before), to be registered before 8th of June 2017. Paper submission and registration are online via the conference website. Further information and news are also available via the conference website. Please don't forget to check for important dates too.

Paper submission deadline: 8th June 2017

Best Paper Award: Best International paper, best PhD student paper and the best Iranian paper will be awarded according to the scientific committee judgments.

FundingSome funding might be available for travel expense or accommodation. If you need funding, after acceptance of your paper you could apply for it.


CfPs: 15th Globelics Conference 2017 | 11-13 October | Athens, Greece

15th Globelics Conference
11-13 October 2017
National Technical University of Athens, Greece 

The Globelics International Conference 2017
The 15th Globelics Conference will be held in Athens, Greece. It will be hosted by the Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics (LIEE) at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), the oldest (established in 1837) and most prestigious Greek academic institution in the field of Technology and Engineering. Athens will be the first European city to host the Globelics Annual Conference. This was considered as an opportunity to highlight the challenges for a country hit by the recent economic crisis. Innovation and competence building in the context of industrial and institutional change can be of great importance when envisaging a strategy out of the crisis. The conference will combine plenary sessions, presentations of research papers in parallel tracks, thematic panel sessions or special sessions, poster presentations, a book presentation session and debate,exhibition on industrial research in Greece, innovative start-ups presentations, sightseeing and cultural events, as well as artistic and culinary exhibitions.

Background
Globelics is a worldwide network of more than 2000 scholars engaged in research on how innovation and competence building contribute to economic and sustainable development. The network is open and diverse in terms of disciplines, perspectives and research tools. Globelics is a platform for cooperation and interactive learning. It was conceived at the very beginning of the new millennium. Inspired by the work of Christopher Freeman and Richard Nelson, the network was initially built on conversations among scholars in the South and in the North and developed by economists and experts on innovation systems. Over time the network has integrated expertise from a wider social science background and experts on broader aspects of development.
One of its main activities is the Annual Globelics Conference, which brings together over 400 leading and young scholars from all over the world. The Conference also aims at building research capacity and orienting research toward the local challenges of the host country. 

Conference Theme
The main conference theme for Globlelics 2017 is Innovation and Capacity Building in the context of financialisation and uneven development of the global economy: new roles for the state, productive sector, and social actors.
The conference invites papers addressing the role of different types of actors such as the State, local authorities, continental entities, knowledge institutions, productive political and social actors in shaping innovation and capacity building so as to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth. In particular, it aims to explore whether we need new approaches to study inequality in the age of globalization as there are widening disparities within countries, regions and social classes. The conference will also consider the need to tackle new challenges related to innovation and capacity building in addition to our systems of innovation approach. The conference also welcomes papers studying how systems of policies can be implemented at different levels and across different countries to innovate out of the crisis.

Conference Tracks
Accepted papers will be organized around parallel paper tracks encompassing:
1. University relationships with industry and society: the developmental university
2. Indigenous knowledge, informal sector, innovation and development
3. Gender, innovation and development
4. Science, technology, innovation policy and development
5. Intellectual property rights, open innovation and development
6. National, continental and regional innovation system
7. Technological infrastructure and technological capabilities
8. Sectoral innovation system, systemic industrial policy and development
9. Innovation systems, networks, global value chains and foreign direct investments
10. Entrepreneurship and innovation management in companies, organizations, government and local authorities
11. Agricultural innovation system
12. Science, technology, innovation and the sustainable development goals
13. Creative industries, smart cities and economic development
14. Innovation, financialization and the global crisis: what kind of policies and strategies are needed?
15. Innovation studies: Empirical methodologies, data requirements, indicators, different approaches and methodologies

Paper submission: We encourage scholars at scientific institutions, universities, enterprises and public sector institutions to take this opportunity to present their work to leading scholars in the field of innovation and development. We especially encourage young researchers to submit papers. Papers for oral presentations and poster presentation must be written in English, and the selected ones must be presented at the conference in English. Submission of full paper (in PDF) not exceeding 12,000 words (including notes, tables, appendices, list of references, etc.) should be made from 1st until 30th April 2017 via the online submission form available at the Conference website: www.liee.ntua.gr/globelics2017.
Papers must be submitted no later than April 30, 2017. The selection of papers is based on a peer review process that focuses on relevance, academic quality and originality. Globelics reserves the right to use available software to control for plagiarism and to take appropriate action in such cases.

Travel support: Faculty members and PhD students from developing countries with accepted papers to the conference can apply for travel support. Application for travel support must be submitted at the same time as submission of paper. Further information on procedure for application of travel support will be available on the conference website.

Contact Details: For further information on the conference organization please consult our website. If you have any questions that cannot be answered using the website, please send an e-mail to: athens.2017@globelics.org

Monday, February 20, 2017

Call for Participation: INDIALICS 2017 Training Workshop "Innovation for Sustainable Development: Perspectives, Policies and Practices in South Asia" | 1-5 November 2017 | JNU, New Delhi, India

The 4th INDIALICS Conference 2017
Innovation for Sustainable Development: Perspectives, Policies and Practices in South Asia

Training Workshop: 1st to 5th November 2017
(INDIALICS Academy 2017)

Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Call for Participation in Training Workshop
In the last few decades, technological and organizational innovations have played a pivotal role in transforming the economies and societies of the South-Asian countries, setting them at the frontiers of science and technology advancement. Various policies and institutional arrangements have been restructured and created to achieve global competitiveness and faster economic growth. However, along with high economic growth, there is increasing inequality and exclusion as well as over-exploitation of natural resources. The emerging challenge, therefore, is to accomplish equilibrium between economic growth and social justice, through innovative and sustainable practices.
Drawing inspiration from the existing narratives and discourses, the 4th Indialics Training Workshop is thematised as 'Innovation for sustainable development: Perspectives, Policies and Practices in South Asia'. This Training Workshop will explore the nature, determinants and direction of innovation and new pathways for meeting future challenges in the context of sustainable development with specific reference to South Asia. We posit that the challenges cannot be seen as isolated from each other but interconnected and requires social, institutional and policy innovations, political processes and the interconnections between these. The training workshop will reflect on challenges and opportunities in fostering innovation for socio-economic development and sustainability.

Key Training Tracks will include:
  • Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture/ (including Food Security, Farmers’ Innovation)
  • Global Value Chains and Innovation Systems
  • Sanitation and Waste Management
  • Climate Change Adaption, Mitigation, and Resilience
  • Gender, Technology and Innovation
  • Innovation in the Informal Economy
  • Indicators for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)
  • R&D and Technology Transfer; University-Industry Linkages
  • Innovations in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
  • IPR, Standards & Regulations in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)
  • Foresights and Futures for Technology
  • Responsible Innovation
Expression of interests is invited for those interested to participate in training workshop. Training workshop is especially directed for those undertaking M.Phil./ PhD in Science-Technology-Innovation Studies (STIS) and Related Disciplines.
Important Dates:
  • Deadline for Application for Participation in Training Workshop: 20th April 2017
  • Notification of Acceptance of Participation: 20th June 2017

Application Form for Participation in Training Workshop:  http://bit.ly/2k5xu2J

Key questions will be asked include why you are interested to attend the Indialics2017 Training Workshop and what is your expectation from the Training Workshop. Selected participants will be invited to attend both Indialics2017 training workshop and conference. The participants are expected to become rapporteurs or discussants in different sessions of Indialics2017 conference and training workshop. All submissions should be submitted online.  

Organizer:
This Training Workshop is being organized by the Centre for Studies in Science Policy (CSSP), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
Convener of the Training Workshop: Saradindu Bhaduri, Chairperson, CSSP.
Coordinators: Sujit Bhattacharya (CSIR-NISTADS) and Dinesh Abrol (ISID)
All communications regarding the INDIALICS2017 should be addressed to:
Dr Anup Kumar Das, CSSP, Room #228, SSS-I, JNU, New Delhi 110067. Tel. +91-11-26738906.
Hashtag for Social Media: #INDIALICS2017

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Call for Papers: 4th INDIALICS Conference 2017: Innovation for Sustainable Development: Perspectives, Policies and Practices in South Asia | 2-4 November 2017 | JNU, New Delhi, India

The 4th INDIALICS Conference 2017
Innovation for Sustainable Development: Perspectives, Policies and Practices in South Asia

Dates: 2nd to 4th November 2017

Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Call for Papers & Research Proposals
In the last few decades, technological and organizational innovations have played a pivotal role in transforming the economies and societies of the South-Asian countries, setting them at the frontiers of science and technology advancement. Various policies and institutional arrangements have been restructured and created to achieve global competitiveness and faster economic growth. However, along with high economic growth, there is increasing inequality and exclusion as well as over-exploitation of natural resources. The emerging challenge, therefore, is to accomplish equilibrium between economic growth and social justice, through innovative and sustainable practices.
Drawing inspiration from the existing narratives and discourses, the 4th Indialics conference is thematised as "Innovation for Sustainable Development: Perspectives, Policies and Practices in South Asia". This conference will explore the nature, determinants and direction of innovation and new pathways for meeting future challenges in the context of sustainable development with specific reference to South Asia. We posit that the challenges cannot be seen as isolated from each other but interconnected and require social, institutional and policy innovations, political processes and the interconnections between these. The conference will reflect on challenges and opportunities in fostering innovation for socio-economic development and sustainability.
Key Conference Themes will include:
  • Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture/ (including Food Security, Farmers’ Innovation)
  • Global Value Chains and Innovation Systems
  • Sanitation and Waste Management
  • Climate Change Adaption, Mitigation, and Resilience
  • Gender, Technology and Innovation
  • Innovation in the Informal Economy
  • Indicators for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)
  • R&D and Technology Transfer; University-Industry Linkages
  • Innovations in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
  • IPR, Standards & Regulations in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)
  • Foresights and Futures for Technology
  • Responsible Innovation
 Important Dates:
  • Deadline for Extended Abstract: 20th April 2017
  • Notification of Acceptance of Extended Abstracts: 20th June 2017
  • Last Date for Submission of Full Papers: 20th September 2017 (for Selected Abstracts).              

Format for Extended Abstract/Research Proposal (around 1200 words): Paper proposal should preferably include following subsections (a) Purpose (b) Design/Methodology/Approach (c) Findings (d) Implications (e) Originality/Value (f) Keywords (maximum 5). The extended abstract should not have been published earlier in any form. Authors of the accepted abstract will be invited to present their work at the conference. Papers by young scholars are particularly encouraged. The author(s) are expected to follow above format for submission. All submissions should be submitted online.

Form for Submission of Extended Abstracthttp://bit.ly/2lmF9tO

Organizer:
This conference is being organized by the Centre for Studies in Science Policy (CSSP), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
Convener of the Conference: Saradindu Bhaduri, Chairperson, CSSP.
Coordinators: Sujit Bhattacharya (CSIR-NISTADS) and Dinesh Abrol (ISID)
All communications regarding the INDIALICS2017 should be addressed to:
Dr Anup Kumar Das, CSSP, Room #228, SSS-I, JNU, New Delhi 110067. Tel. +91-11-26738906.
Hashtag for Social Media: #INDIALICS2017

Thursday, February 16, 2017

3ie Delhi Seminar on Working Together to Realise Swachh Bharat Mission | 17 March at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

3ie Delhi Seminar

Improving development effectiveness through impact evaluation and evidence synthesis

Save the date: 17 March 2017

From evidence to action:  Working together to realise the Swachh Bharat Mission


presented by
Param Iyer, Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India

The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM, also known as the Clean India Mission) is focussed on achieving universal sanitation coverage. Among SBM's numerous targets is the aim of eliminating open defecation in India by 2 October 2019. While many civil society organisations are engaged in supporting the SBM, there is a lot more that could be done to make its targets achievable.
 
In this 3ie Delhi seminar, Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Param Iyer will talk about how civil society could be supporting the SBM vision and how the gaps between policy, programming andpractice could be bridged. He will also elaborate on how the government's need for evidence on SBM's effectiveness could be met within the deadline of 2019.
For more information, please click here

March 2017
17
Register here
Discussant: Upneet Singh, water and sanitation specialist, World Bank
Chair: Emmanuel Jimenez, executive director, 3ie
Time3.00-5.00pm 
Venue: Maple Hall, India Habitat Centre,
New Delhi – 110003
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Call for Participation: Workshop on Role of ICT in Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge in North Eastern India | 15-17 March | NIT Silchar, Assam, India

Workshop on Role of ICT in Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge in North Eastern Region

(Capacity Building Programme for NER)

15-17 March, 2017

Venue: NIT Silchar, Assam, India

Jointly Organised by IGNCA, NIT Silchar, and TERI, North East

 

Background

Biodiversity, indigenous knowledge (IK), and sustainable development are very closely linked. Indigenous knowledge has been noted to make a significant contribution to sustainable development of local communities, as it is seen as a set of perceptions, information, and behaviour that guide local community members to use the land and natural resources. The goal of managing indigenous knowledge is to provide the right information to the right people at the right time. Application of traditional knowledge has and will continue to immensely benefit the society at large.

Hence, there is a need for preservation and conservation of traditional and indigenous knowledge culture resources for Sustainable Future. Simultaneously, it become equally significant that these cultural resources should get access to external world so that next generation come to know about the rich custom and traditions existed in India. It also focused the various methods of preservation of cultural resources, understating the copyrights, how to do basic research, writing skills and many more. For mapping & dissemination of Traditional and Indigenous knowledge, the ICT can play a major role. Thus the programme will highlight how ICT can be used in preservation and conservation of Traditional and Indigenous knowledge culture resources. In the said background, the three days' workshop will be conducted on March 15-17, 2017 at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Silchar.

 

Objectives

The workshop main objectives of the programme is to introduce, train, motivate and enrich the knowledge of the young scholars of North East India which helps them to understand, study, document and safeguard the rich cultures of the region.

The main aim of the workshop is to expose participants to the state-of-the art technology (ICT Tools) available to map, conserve & preserve the cultural resources of the North Eastern Region.  The select objectives of the workshop to:

1. understand the management and preservation of traditional cultural knowledge

2. means and ways to store the tacit and explicit knowledge

3. use appropriate  ICT Tools to map, document & preserve the cultural resources

4. share information used by indigenous people for national and cultural management

5. implement programs to collect, preserve and disseminate indigenous and local traditional knowledge resources.

6. communicate and increase the outreach and publicize the value, contribution, and importance of indigenous and local traditional knowledge to both non-indigenous and indigenous peoples.

 

Participation

The workshop is expected to draw professionals from a wide range of disciplines. Around 100 participants with mere knowledge and interest on cultural resource management will add value to them. This workshop will have great benefit for the following kind of audience:

  • PhD and Masters Students from Arts, Sociology and Culture, Science disciplines
  • ICT Implementers, Academicians, Practitioners and Policy makers

The selected participants from North Eastern Region will be given TA/DA (limited to Bus / Sumo / sleeper class train fare) with free accommodation in the NIT Guest House on first cum first serve basis based on the background & profile of the participants. Students, Researchers & Faculty members those who wants share their experience / case study in the workshop are requested to contact Dr. Kishor Satpathy of NIT Silchar.

 

Topics of the Workshop

The workshop will include lectures, presentations, best practices, case study demonstrations, and will cover following topics:

  • Different Facets of Cultural Resource Management
  • Technology Trends
  • Role of ICT in Preservation of IK
  • Preservation and Curation of Culture
  • Preservation of Cultural Knowledge Resource: Documentation,  Archiving and Knowledge Management
  • Academic Integrity - Copyright, Plagiarism, Digital Rights Management  of IK

 

Original practical papers, best practices & case studies are invited on the said topics only few selected papers will be allowed for presentation in the experience sharing session.

 

Resource Persons

  • IGNCA: Dr Sacchinanda Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA | Dr P R Goswami, Director, IGNCA
  • TERI: Mr Prabir Sengupta, IAS (Retd), Distinguished Fellow and Director, Knowledge Management Division | Mr Dipankar Saharia, Associate Director, TERI North East Office | Dr P K Bhattacharya, Fellow and Area Convenor, KM Division | Dr Shantanu Ganguly, Fellow, KM Division | Ms Maning Thangal, Information Analyst, KM Division

Location: NIT Silchar is located on the Silchar - Hailakandi road at a distance of about 8 K.M. away from the railway station/bus stand. Silchar is linked to the rest of the country by road, rail and air. There are daily flights from Kolkata and Guwahati. Silchar is also well connected by road. Deluxe Buses run every day between Guwahati / Shillong / Aizwal / Agartala / Imphal and Silchar.

 

Important Dates

  • Deadline for Registration: 25 Feb 2017
  • Confirmation by Hosts: 28 Feb 2017
  • Workshop Date:   15-17 March 2017

Contact Details:

Dr. Kishor Chandra Satpathy | Librarian & Workshop Coordinator | National Institute of Technology, Silchar-788010, Assam, India | Tel: +91-3842-240055, +91-9435175531 (M) | Email:  ksatpathy@gmail.com


Science Circle Lecture - Innovation in Agriculture | 3 March | DWIH New Delhi

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in India and the German House for Research and Innovation - DWIH New Delhi cordially invite you to the

Science Circle Lecture "Revival of the Malthusian Threat? – The Importance of Innovation in Agriculture"
by Prof. Dr. Johannes Sauer, Head, Chair for Agricultural Production and Resource Economics at Technical University Munich
on Friday, 3 March 2017 at 5: 30 pm
at German House, 2 Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

As seating is limited, we request you to register on http://eepurl.com/cBpFLb
 
We would be delighted if you stay on and join us for refreshments after the talk.

Best regards, 
Organising Team
German House for Research and Innovation – DWIH
info@dwih.in

Call for Applications: 7th Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences: Linking Theory and Empirical Research | 16-27 July 2017

7th Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences: Linking Theory and Empirical Research
July 16 – 27, 2017
Berlin, Germany 

We are delighted to announce the 7th Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences. The summer school aims at supporting young researchers by strengthening their ability in linking theory and empirical research. The two-week program creates an excellent basis for the development of their current research designs.
In the first week, we address the key methodological challenges of concept-building, causation/explanation, and micro-macro linkage that occur in almost all research efforts. We strive for a clarification of the epistemological foundations underlying methodological paradigms. In the second week, these methodological considerations are applied to central empirical fields of research in political science, sociology, and other related disciplines. In this second part of the program, participants are assigned to four thematic groups according to their own research topics. The thematic areas covered are: "External Governance, Inter-regionalism, and Domestic Change", "Citizenship, Migration, and Identities", "Social Struggle and Globalization", and "Democracy at the Crossroads".
The program is characterized by a varied format comprising lectures, workshops, seminars, and one-to-one consultations. During the summer school, participants will also have the opportunity to present and discuss their own work extensively. Participants will be provided with hands-on advice for their research designs.
The school brings together a faculty of renowned international and Berlin-based scholars. Among the confirmed international lecturers are Dorothee Bohle (Central European University), Donatella della Porta (Scuola Normale Superiore), Gary Goertz (University of Notre Dame), Macartan Humphreys (Columbia University), Sanjay Reddy (New School for Social Research), Saskia Sassen (Columbia University), and Hendrik Wagenaar (University of Sheffield).
The Berlin Summer School was co-funded by the Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences (BGSS) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. Moreover, we receive generous funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Details on travel grants and tuition fees can be found on our webpage.
The international summer school is open to 50 PhD candidates, advanced master students, and young postdocs. The call for applications is currently open. Applications can be submitted online via the application form on the summer school webpage until March 31, 2017. The decisions of the selection committee will be announced to the applicants in April. For more information, please visit our webpage at Berlinsummerschool.de. If you have any further questions, please contact the organizing team at summerschool.bgss@hu-berlin.de.