CfP:: Science Communication Without Frontiers -- 11th International Conference on Public Communication of Science & Technology (PCST-2010)

Science Communication Without Frontiers - The 11th International Conference on Public Communication of Science & Technology (PCST-2010)

Dates: 6-10 December 2010

Venue: Pusa Complex, New Delhi, India

Organized by
International Network on Public Communication of Science & Technology (PCST-Network)
National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC/ DST)
and others

Public Communication of Science & Technology (PCST) is important for the economic and social wellbeing of society and for the exercise of participatory democracy. It implies the ability to respond to technical issues and problems that pervade our daily lives. It does not mean detailed knowledge of scientific principles, phenomena or technologies, but rather an appreciation of the way science works and how the community can interact with science to help shape its work. New technologies and new media can trigger and sustain public interest in S&T, allowing a dialogue to developing and preparing the people for change.

The 11th PCST Conference will deliberate on both practical and theoretical aspects of science communication, in a globalised world with major inequalities and development challenges. Science communication practitioners and analysts from all continents will compare experiences and perspectives on science-based issues of today and tomorrow.
India, one of the most emerging economies, is uniquely positioned to host a discussion on the role of science in modern society. Poised between modern and developing nations, India represents the future: a world where everything is under challenge including the old frontiers.

Objectives:

The aim of 11th PCST-2010 is to consider new ways of thinking about science communication, and new ways of putting the best ideas into practice, models, tools, policy matters and social factors involved in public communication of science and technology. In the footsteps of previous conferences in Malmo/Copenhagen (2008), Seoul (2006), Barcelona (2004), Cape Town (2002) and before, the Conference will provide an opportunity for the presentation and open discussion of all kinds of ideas, experiences and works related to science communication, popularisation and literacy.

Focal Theme and Sub Themes: The focal theme of the conference is 'Science Communication Without Frontiers'. Five Scientific Sessions with the following Sub Themes will be organized:

1. A Critical Review of Science Communication in the World
2. Science Communication Studies & Research
3. Role of Science Centres & Science Museums
4. Science Communication through Mass Media
5. Globalizing & Localizing Science Communication
   

Call for Proposals

The PCST Network, founded in 1989, aims at promoting public communication of science and technology, encouraging discussion on PCST related issues, and linking practices and theories in varied cultures and countries. The proposals for the 11th PCST 2010 Conference are welcome from individuals, or from groups who wish to propose a joint session. They may cover any of the following aspects of science communication:

• Public engagement strategies; Media representations; New media challenges and opportunities; Theories and models of science communication; Evaluation of public engagement initiatives; Public literacy and understanding; and Informal learning.

Proposals may be put forward for several forms of presentation, such as a paper that outlines research results, offers substantive theoretical reflection or proposes or evaluates practical initiatives. It may also be a proposal for a seminar on research or theory with details of participants and the topics; a workshop that explores and demonstrates practical techniques; an argument that could be included in a round-table debate; a poster that graphically summarises work-in-progress. Members of the PCST Scientific Committee will review the submitted proposals. Special consideration will be given to proposals that link theory and practice, incorporate different disciplines, explore cross-cultural dimensions of science communication and encourage discussions. The proposal template can be downloaded from the website.

Travel Fellowship

There is some provision of travel fellowships for Indian delegates. International delegates will make their own travel arrangements, except specially invited speakers. The organizers may consider providing local hospitality, i.e. stay, meals, local transport, etc., for some selected foreign delegates. Information on travel fellowships for the delegates from developing countries will be available latter on the website in case there is a possibility.

Time Line

• Last date for Submission of Proposals (500 words) - August 31, 2010
• Last Date for Application for Travel Fellowship - August 31, 2010
• Intimation of acceptance of Abstracts - September 30, 2010
• Last Date for Submission of Full Paper - October 31, 2010

Further Details

Just Published -- ICTs and Urban Microenterprises: Identifying and Maximizing Opportunities for Economic Development

ICTs and Urban Microenterprises: Identifying and Maximizing Opportunities for Economic Development - Final Report

By
P. Vigneswara Ilavarasan and Mark R. Levy

July 2010, IDRC Canada

This publication reports on a research project financed by Canada's International Development Research Centre (www.idrc.ca).

Executive Summary

The research reported here was guided by three questions: (1) What are the current and potential patterns of mobile phone, landline, PC, and Internet café use among urban microentrepreneurs? (2) Are mobile phones, PCs, and Internet cafés related to the stability or growth of urban microenterprises? (3) Can we identify those urban microentrepreneurs and/or microenterprises for which ICT use is associated with economic growth? We conducted in-depth interviews in Mumbai City, India, with 329 male owners or managers of microenterprises and 231 female owners of microenterprises from April through June 2009. In addition, data from a convenience sample of 102 men and women was carried out in September and November 2009. We defined microenterprises as businesses that had more than one but fewer than twenty hired workers. We found that:

• Nearly everyone who owned or managed a microenterprise—regardless of sex—had a mobile phone.
• Many female and male microentrepreneurs who owned or managed microenterprises and who used a mobile for business communication reported that the year-over-year income of their business had risen.
• Urban microentrepreneurs experience different levels of economic growth depending on how they use their mobiles for business communication.
• The positive impact of mobile phones on microenterprises might emerge only after two years of use. Microentrepreneurs who owned a mobile for two years or less saw some growth in business income; those who had begun to use their mobile more than two years earlier experienced even greater income growth.
• Levels of PC ownership and usage at home and work were low.
• Few microentrepreneurs frequented Internet cafés for business purposes.
• Only small numbers used their mobiles for the full range of business-enhancing activities.
• Consideration of a microentrepreneur’s full repertoire of ICT use showed a positive relationship with microenterprise growth, especially when other factors such as gender and motivation were also taken into account.
• Compared to women-owned microenterprises, microenterprises owned or managed by men had much greater increases in business income, although female owned microenterprises also experience some growth.
• The more positive a female microentrepreneur felt about her status and power because of her business, the more she was motivated to use ICTs in support of her business.
• The more that a woman entrepreneur used mobile phones, workplace computers, etc., the more her microenterprise grew, especially businesses in the trade sector of the informal economy.
  

Download Full Report: PDF

CSSP Working Paper "Globalisation, Innovation and Social Capital: Changing Nature of Indo-French S&T Cooperation"

CSSP Electronic Working Paper Series on S&T Policy and Innovation Studies

ISSN: 0976-2051

The CSSP Electronic Working Paper Series (EWPS) is intended to explore and debate themes in science, technology and innovation studies. While drawing into active dialogue of leading scholars and practitioners who share similar concerns, this effort will reflect the academic priorities of the CSSP.

Working Paper No. CSSPEWPS 2
Globalisation, Innovation and Social Capital: Changing Nature of Indo-French S&T Cooperation
by
Pranav N. Desai (Centre for Studies in Science Policy, JNU, India)

April 2010

Abstract: The present paper is an attempt to explore whether the Globalisation process has enhanced the significance of social capital as an explanatory variable of innovation. The focus of present paper is on the international dimensions of innovation policies that are likely to influence not only international investment decisions and competitive strategy but also technological change and development process. An attempt is made to analyze the changing nature of Indo-French S&T cooperation in the wider context of the Globalisation of innovation process and whether any discontinuity is likely to be introduced in the collaboration pattern and international cooperation policy. India and France provide an interesting background for the study of the same as India and France are emerging as major global players.

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Working Paper No. CSSPEWPS 1
How Law Makes Technoscience: The Shaping of Expectations, Actors and Accountabilities in Regenerative Medicine in Europe
by
Alex Faulkner (King's College London, UK)
March 2010
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Further Details

CfP:: National Bioethics Conference 2010: Governance of Healthcare – Ethics, Equity and Justice

National Bioethics Conference 2010: Governance of Healthcare – Ethics, Equity and Justice

17-20 November 2010

Venue: All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

Organized by Indian Journal of Medical Ethics (IJME)

In recent decades, the Indian health sector has seen revolutionary changes. With the wave of globalisation that has hit the country, world class technologies, super-specialities and big corporate and private sector hospitals have emerged. However, these are distanced from the country’s poor and needy. Globalisation has also paved the way for international collaborations in the field of research, service delivery and health education. Although significant achievements have been made, there are gaping holes and discrepancies in the public healthcare setup which caters to a significant proportion of the population. Keeping these facts in mind, the third NBC, on the theme Governance of healthcare: ethics, equity and justice, is being held at the AIIMS, New Delhi, the premier medical institute in the country.

NBC 3 aims to bring together diverse perspectives on governance in healthcare, towards building an equitable and just health system. It will provide a platform for achieving a productive dialogue between practitioners, administrators, policy-makers and activists towards this end.

Specific objectives:

• To bring together key institutions within the healthcare sector to engage with the issue of governance with a view to ensuring equity and justice for all.
• To enable emerging research in bioethics in India to be presented in a public forum and encouraging this research to be published in national and international journals so that it reaches a wider audience.
• To create a forum for organising skill-building and resource sharing in bioethics among different organisations and to enable dialogue between key stakeholders from India and abroad on a range of issues and from a range of perspectives with a view to enlighten healthcare practice, policy making and management from a bioethics perspective.
  

Call for Papers and proposals for workshops

The scientific committee of the Third National Bioethics Conference seeks abstracts of papers, and proposals for holding workshops, on topics relevant to bioethics. These must be in line with the conference theme: "Governance of healthcare – ethics, equity and justice."

Some issues which will be discussed in the conference:

• Universal healthcare
• Clinical research
• Stem cell research
• Indian systems of medicine
• Community participation
• Organ transplantation
• Medical education
• Medical tourism
• Healthcare reforms
• Regulation of healthcare
• Ethics committees
• Publication ethics
• Accreditation of health institutions
• Public-private partnerships
• Medical technologies (assisted reproduction, imaging technologies, etc)
  

Abstract and proposal deadline: August 15, 2010

Further Details

From University Research to Economic and Social Benefit -- a Lecture by Sir William Wakeham

IISc-UK Lecture Series

Lecture by
Professor Sir William Wakeham

on
"From University Research to Economic and Social Benefit"

Abstract: World-class research conducted in manner that explores entirely new problems and encourages a blue skies approach is the start of a pipeline to societal benefit. UK Universities must now take this process beyond the first phase. This lecture series will include examples from Professor Wakeham’s experience of three Universities and will consider: the management processes to be put in place for Academic Staff; IP exploitation; Venture funding; Incubators; Science Parks; Business managers. Examples of processes/systems will be set out, and interesting examples of excellent research that has followed this route will be given.

Short Biography: Professor Sir William Wakeham retired as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton in September 2009 after 8 years in that position. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and its International Secretary, a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and the Institute of Physics. He is a Council Member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Chair of Its Audit Committee. He was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2009 for services to Chemical Engineering and Higher Education.

13 August 2010, 4pm, IIT Delhi

Other Lectures in IISc-UK Lecture Series

• "Catalysing Innovation: The Role of Universities" by Professor Alison Richard at IISc, Bangalore on 12/01/10 Download Presentation
• "Adaptation to Climate Change: Policy, Economics and Governance" by Professor Judith Rees at JNU, New Delhi on 22/03/10 Download Presentation
  

Newsletters of Indian S&T Organizations

• Akshay Urja: Renewable Energy [Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India]
• BARC Newsletter [Bhabha Atomic Research Center, India]
• BioTech News [Department of Biotechnology, India]
• Connect: IUSSTF Newsletter [Indo-US Science and Technology Forum]
• CSIR News [Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India]
• Current Science [Indian Academy of Sciences]
• DRDO Newsletter [Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), India]
• Dream 2047 [Vigyan Prasar, DST, India]
• Enviro News [Ministry of Environment and Forests, India]
• ICAR News [Indian Council of Agricultural Research]
• ICAR Reporter [Indian Council of Agricultural Research]
• ICMR Bulletin [Indian Council of Medical Research]
• Informatics: an e-governance bulletin [National Informatics Centre]
• Nuclear India [Department of Atomic Energy, India]
• Overseas Indian: Connecting India with its Diaspora [Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs]
• Seminar: The Monthly Symposium [Seminar Publications, New Delhi]
• Space India [Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)]
• Technology Focus [Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), India]

Others

• A World of Science [UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector]
• D+C Development and Cooperation [INWENT, Germany]
• IAEA Bulletin [International Atomic Energy Agency]
• ICSU Newsletter [International Council for Science (ICSU), France]
• ISSI Newsletter [International Society for Informetrics and Scientometrics]
  
• JSPS Quarterly [Japan Society for the Promotion of Science]
• OECD Statistics Newsletter [OECD, Paris]
• Research*EU: the magazine of european research area [DG Research, European Commission]
• Science and Public Policy: The Journal of Science, Research, Technology, Innovation and Policy
• SHS Views [UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector]
• TWAS Newsletter [Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), Italy]
• Voices [UNESCO in the Asia-Pacific]
• WIPO Magazine [World Intellectual Property Organization]

CfP:: Conference on Open Access Gateway to Open Innovation, November 2010, Kolkata

Conference on Open Access Gateway to Open Innovation & 27th Annual Convention of the Society for Information Science

24-26 November 2010

Jointly organized by Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) and Bose Institute, Kolkata

Open Innovation

Open Innovation has advantages such as, faster time to market, reducing R&D and product development costs, tapping global pool of experts, getting new product ideas, uncovering ready made solutions and sharing risk with others. Organizations in the era of rising cost of technology development and shorter product life cycles. It enables organizations to expand their reach to the global brain comprising scientists, researchers, students, faculties, research institutes, inventors, consulting firms, small and medium sized businesses and entrepreneurs. It is the use of purposive inflows and outflows of knowledge to accelerate internal innovation. Connections, contacts and communications between industries and experts of different fields are highly important in the innovation processes. It is important to create and encourage contexts and environments where serendipity may occur. Growing attention has recently been devoted to the concept of open innovations both in the academia as well as in the practices of business life, accessing knowledge and skills from outside including academia and national research laboratories.

Open Access
Open Access is one of the most important issues being currently debated in science community. Open Access model provides opportunities for free and online access to scholarly literature that can be disseminated further with proper author attribution. Significant developments in open access publishing have taken place in recent years with several new major funding policies coming into effect. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced their Public Access Policy, requiring all peer-reviewed articles resulting from research carried out with NIH funding to be deposited in PubMed Central and to be made freely available within 12 months of publication. Recently, the European Commission has introduced a pilot open access project in relation to the EC Seventh Research Framework Program (FP7) of funding requiring research grant recipients to deposit Open Access copies of published articles into an appropriate repository, the maximum delay being 6 or 12 months, depending on the subject area. The conventional research publications do not reach a wide audience even among scientific community, affecting both its visibility and impact; hence, publishing in OA journals and setting up institutional archives/repositories are important for scientific advancement. As it provides much greater visibility, it also improves impact for research work. In India there are only a few research institutions that have their Institutional Archives/ Repositories in place, Indian Institute of Science, a few constituent laboratories of CSIR and some of the NITs are among those. Initiatives at national level in this direction and motivation of scientific and technological community for their active involvement in this programme are the needs of the hour.

Call for Papers
Papers are invited on concepts, working models and case studies on the Theme and sub-themes.

Theme: Open Access: Gateway to Open Innovation
Sub-Themes:

• Open Access Initiatives
• Open Access: Paths & Players
• Open Access Repositories
• Open Access: Data Harvesting /Mining
• Open Knowledge Network
• Open Source Software and Discovery
• Open Standards
• Open Source Licensing and Diffusion
• Open Innovation

Who should participate?

IT professionals, R&D Managers, Scientists, Library Information Professionals and Research Scholars are welcome to participate.

Important Dates

• Abstract submission - 31st August, 2010
• Acceptance Intimation - 15th Sept, 2010
• Full paper submission - 31st Oct, 2010
  

Further Details

Call for Papers:: 13th ISSI Conference 2011

13th International Society of Scientometrics and Informetrics Conference 2011 (ISSI 2011)

4-8 July 2011, Durban, South Africa

Scope

Although the generic term informetrics has become increasingly popular, scientometrics, bibliometrics and webometrics are all closely related or interlinked sub-disciplines. They belong to the general field of Information Science and are all employed for the quantitative analysis or measurement of all forms of recorded information by studying their distribution, circulation and use pattern largely within or among individuals, disciplines, organisations or countries. The informetric disciplines thus contribute to evidence-based and informed knowledge about scientific research and provide input to research and innovation policy making worldwide. Evidently, a conference of this magnitude always encourages the growth of research and increased national and international collaboration. We are convinced that by organising the conference on African soil, we will be able to popularise research in the areas of informetrics, scientometrics and webometrics within the country and on the continent. The ISSI 2011 Conference will provide an international open forum for scientists, research managers and authorities, information and communication related professionals to debate the current status and advancements of informetric and scientometric theory and applications, with emphasis on the progress of scientometrics and science in developing countries. The conference is organized under the auspices of ISSI – the International Society for Informetrics and Scientometrics. The conference language is English.

Call for Papers

ISSI 2001 invites researchers worldwide to submit original full research papers, research-in-progress papers or posters within the area of informetrics. Major conference themes are listed below. A Doctoral Forum and dedicated tutorials will be held the day prior to the formal conference start.

Topics of interest include, but not limited to:

• Theory, Methods and techniques
• Citation and co-citation analysis
• Indicators
• Webometrics
• Mapping & visualization
• Research policy
• Productivity & publications
• Journals, databases and electronic publications
• Collaboration
• Country level studies
• Patent analysis
  

Important Dates:

• Full Papers, Research-in-Progress and Workshop/Tutorial paper submission deadline 15-01-2011
• Paper/Workshop/Tutorial notification of acceptance/rejection 15-02-2011
• Poster submission deadline 18-02-2011
• Doctoral Forum submission deadline 01-03-2011
• Poster notification of acceptance/rejection 14-03-2011
• Paper in camera ready form sent to system (at least one author must register) 17-03-2011
• Doctoral Forum result announcement 01-04-2011
  

Download Call for Papers

Further Details

CfP:: IEEE International Workshop on Business Applications of Social Network Analysis (BASNA)

IEEE International Workshop on Business Applications of Social Network Analysis (BASNA)

15th December 2010, Bangalore, India

The aim of this workshop is to encourage multidisciplinary discussions related to novel ideas and applications geared towards analyzing social network data. By bringing together researchers in the fields of Social Network Analysis (SNA), data mining, and management studies, the workshop will focus on identifying areas of collaboration among their respective disciplines:

• The role of data mining techniques in identifying scalable methods for the extraction and organization of social relations for management research and business practice
• The role of management research in guiding data mining efforts and SNA metrics development towards theoretically-grounded discoveries about social network emergence.
• The role of Social Network Analysis in developing and applying metrics and tools for the mapping, evaluation, visualization, and design of social relations in organizations.
  

BASNA is seeking original research work which is not yet published or not submitted in any other conferences, journals or magazines. Accepted papers of the workshop would be available via IEEE Xplore digital library.

Important Dates:

• Deadline of Submission of Papers: 19th September, 2010
• Paper Review Notification: 11th October, 2010
• Final Camera Ready Paper Due: 31st October, 2010
• BASNA Workshop: 15th December, 2010

Call for Papers

Further Details

Call for Papers: Global Conclave of Young Scholars of Indian Education 2011

Global Conclave of Young Scholars of Indian Education

27-29 January 2011

Organized by: National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), New Delhi, India

Call for Papers

The first Global Concave of Young Scholars of Indian Education presents a unique opportunity for young scholars (doctoral and post-doctoral researchers and early-career faculty) working on any aspect of Indian education in universities and research institutes in India and abroad to come together, to share and to showcase their research, to network and to publish across boundaries of nations and disciplines. The young scholars will also have the benefit of critique and advice from senior, renowned scholars who shall be invited to give special lectures, to comment on the current status of educational research, to suggest directions for future research, and to discuss the selected papers. Those under 35 years of age are particularly encouraged to apply.

Submission of Proposals and Papers

Given the wide canvas of research on Indian education, the theme for the conclave is open-ended. Papers are invited on any aspect of Indian education. The papers may explore theoretical and ideological orientations, empirical realities, issues of method, design and disciplinary boundaries. They could focus exclusively on Indian education or present comparisons with other countries. In the first instance, abstracts of 300-500 words (including statement of the problem, research strategy and findings) along with contact information, designation, institutional affiliation, disciplinary background and one page CV should be submitted by email to nuepa.conclave@nuepa.org and nuepa.conclave@gmail.com by 25 August 2010. Successful candidates shall be informed by 15 September 2010. Full research papers shall be solicited from the successful candidates by 15 November 2010. All abstract and paper submissions should be formatted in Times New Roman font, size 12, and spaced 1.5 lines. Both abstracts and papers shall be subject to a process of peer review. Papers that lend themselves to publication will be selected for submission as a special issue in an internationally reputed peer-reviewed journal.

Financial Support
A limited number of bursaries towards travel and accommodation expenses will also be provided. Those interested in availing of the bursaries are requested to apply for the same along with their full paper. Those being awarded bursaries shall be informed by 30 November 2010. However, all candidates are advised to explore alternate funding arrangements as it may not be possible to accommodate all the requests for bursaries.

Download Call for Papers

Further Details

EU-India Cluster event: Promoting Research, Innovation and Industrial Cooperation between European and Indian Clusters

EU-India Cluster Event
Promoting Research, Innovation and Industrial Cooperation between European and Indian Clusters

1 December 2010

Venue: Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, India

Organizers: Delegation of the European Union to India, European Commission, EBTC (European Business Technology Centre), and the Institute for Competitiveness.

Objectives

Globalisation of research and innovation and global competition are putting a new emphasis on the role of clusters and further their development. Clusters increasingly see the need to link with other clusters on the international level building on complementarities in order to improve their global reach and competitiveness.

In Europe, regional clusters seen as key drivers for competitiveness, innovation and regional development are being promoted through both EU Member States national-level measures and EU-level support instruments, notably the 7th EU Research Framework Programme, the Cohesion Policy Funds and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme.

In India, the promotion of clusters formation and global standards of competitiveness have gained significance and momentum with organization like the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) Ministry, the Ministry of S&T and other research & innovation organisations taking initiatives in this direction.

The objective of the EU-India Cluster event is to stimulate and facilitate global outreach of European and Indian clusters through:

1. Increasing mutual awareness on cluster policies, development methods and management practices;
2. Fostering cooperation between research, innovation and industrial clusters in Europe and in India;
3. Facilitating in Europe and in India access to and contact with the appropriate stakeholders and understanding of their respective research, innovation and industrial environments.
   

Outline

The programme of the EU-India cluster event will include in particular:

• Seminar including presentations of cluster policies, methods and tools in Europe and in India, and existing cooperations between European and Indian clusters;
• Presentations of Indian and European clusters, including European networks of clusters, ETPs (European Technology Platforms) and KICs (European Knowledge Innovation Communities), and one-to-one meetings between cluster stakeholders with a forum of personalised discussion, and exhibition space for clusters;
• Reception and informal networking.
  

Targeted participants

• Managers of Indian and European clusters as well research, industrial, financial stakeholders of European and Indian clusters; European and Indian officials from ministries, embassies and research and innovation agencies.
• The event is open to all technology fields and industrial sectors, with particular focus on water-related challenges in relation to health, environment and agriculture.
• On the European side, the targeted participants also include European networks of clusters, as well as the European Technology Platforms and the European Knowledge Innovation Communities.
  

Registration
Join the event by registering FREE. For registration mail to: Delegation-india-st@ec.europa.eu

Further Details

Call for Proposals: 13th TCI Annual Global Conference on Competitiveness, Innovative Clusters and Prosperity

13th TCI Annual Global Conference on Competitiveness, Innovative Clusters and Prosperity

Dates: 29 November to 3 December 2010

Venue: Gurgaon/ New Delhi, India

TCI 13th Global Annual Conference is an initiative to celebrate the evolution of clusters and their impact on the economic order based on growth and prosperity and we hope to see you be part of the Indian voyage to competitiveness. 13th TCI Annual Global Conference, organized in collaboration with the Institute for Competitiveness India and the Management Development Institute, will gather practitioners from Indian and global clusters to create an expansive discussion platform for the future of clusters. With over 300 delegates present from all over the world, including cluster managers, CEOs, academics, representatives from governments, international organizations and development agencies, the conference will be the place to meet and share policies, development methods and practices and facilitate the exchange of innovation, learning and research, and also to forge business and academic ties for future, long-term benefits.

Call for Proposals

Practitioners around the world are invited to submit papers or proposals for presentations on the theme "Innovative Clusters and Prosperity". The conference will include a session where ideas and processes examining clusters and competitiveness are to be presented.

Format: Abstracts of proposed presentations should consist of a cover page and an abstract of the proposed presentations.

The cover page should contain: Title of the presentation, Full name and title (Mr, Mrs, Dr, Professor etc), name of the organization / company, country, job title, a brief CV of not more than 200 words, contact email address and telephone number.

The abstract should contain: Brief details of the main areas of the presentation and should be no longer than 1000 words. We specially encourage young practitioners to submit an abstract. CV's and abstracts must be emailed to submissions@competitiveness.in

Deadlines
15 August 2010 Submission of abstracts
31 August 2010 Notification for selected abstracts

Selection: The selected presentations would be presented at a special session dedicated to new ideas and theories. You would need to formally register for the conference to present your ideas within the session proceedings.

Best Presentation Award: The best presentation at the session would receive a special mention and an award would be announced at the conference.

Further Details

UNESCO publishes World Social Science Report 2010

World Social Science Report 2010: Knowledge Divides

Social science from Western countries continues to have the greatest global influence, but the field is expanding rapidly in Asia and Latin America, particularly in China and Brazil. In sub-Saharan Africa, social scientists from South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya produce 75% of academic publications. In South Asia, barring some centres of excellence in India, social sciences as a whole have low priority. These are a few of the findings from World Social Science Report, 2010: "Knowledge divides".

Produced by the International Social Science Council (ISSC) and co-published with UNESCO, the Report is the first comprehensive overview of the field in over a decade. Hundreds of social scientists from around the world contributed their expertise to the publication. Gudmund Hernes, President of the ISSC, Adebayo Olukoshi, Director of the United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), Hebe Vessuri, Director, Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), and François Héran, Director of Research, National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED), France, are among the experts who presented the Report during its official launch at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 25 June 2010.

Table of Contents

• Foreword – Irina Bokova (Director-General of UNESCO)
• Foreword – Pierre Sané (Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences)
• Preface – Gudmund Hernes (President, International Social Science Council)
• General introduction (Françoise Caillods and Laurent Jeanpierre)
• 1. Social sciences facing the world
• 2. The institutional geography of social science
• 3. Unequal capacities
• 4. Uneven internationalization
• 5. Homogenizing or pluralizing social sciences?
• 6. Disciplinary territories
• 7. Competing in the knowledge society
• 8. Disseminating social sciences
• 9. Social sciences and policy-makers
• 10. Conclusions and future lines of action

Also includes:

• Krishna, V.V. and Krishna, Usha. "Social sciences in South Asia". In: World Social Science Report 2010. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, 2010, pages 77-81.
• Khadria, Binod. "Brain drain and brain circulation in South Asia". In: World Social Science Report 2010. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, 2010, pages 124-125.
  

Download Full-text PDF

Further Details

NIXI Fellowship Programme - Calling Next Generation Leaders

NIXI Fellowship Programme - Calling Next Generation Leaders

National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) invites applications from qualified young Internet professionals from Academia, Industry, Civil Society, Public Sector and Media for the NIXI Fellowship Programme. The objective is to groom the Next Generation Leaders in the field of Internet Technology, Policy & Business.

Eligibility: A Graduate in any branch of knowledge with a deep understanding of IT & Internet related issues. Preference will be given to those who are engaged in Research or have working experience in these areas.

Age: Minimum 21 years and Maximum 35 years. (as on 1.7.2010)

No. of Fellowships: 30

Duration of Fellowship: 1 year

Mode of Selection: Based on Interview (including Telephonic Interview) of short listed candidates

Further Details

Welcome to CSSP's Twitter account @IndiaSTS

Welcome to CSSP's Twitter account @IndiaSTS.

Stay connected.

Invitation for Nominations:: Indira Gandhi Prize for Popularization of Science 2011

INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY
Bahadur Shal Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110 002, India

Invitation for Nominations

Nominations are invited for the award of Indira Gandhi Prize for Popularization of Science for the year 2011 by the Academy.

The Prize will be awarded for outstanding work by an individual for the popularization of science in any Indian language, including English. The nominee must have had a distinguished career as a writer, editor, journalist, lecturer, radio or television programme director, film producer, science photographer or as an illustrator, which has enabled him/her to interpret science (including medicine), research and technology to the public. He/she should have a knowledge of the role of science, technology and research in the enrichment of cultural heritage and in solution of problems of humanity.

The prize is open to any Indian national residing in the country and will carry Rs 25,000 in cash and a bronze medal. The prize winner will be expected to deliver a lecture at the venue to be fixed by the Academy. Nominations for the award may be made by the Fellows of INSA, Vice-Chancellors and Directors of leading scientific institutions and National Laboratories and Editors of Indian Science Journals in the prescribed proforma.

The nomination form duly completed in all respects may be sent so as to reach the Executive Secretary, Indian National Science Academy, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110 002 latest by 16 July 2010. Prescribed proforma for nomination is obtainable from the address as mentioned.

CSSP Working Paper: "How law makes technoscience: The shaping of expectations, actors and accountabilities in regenerative medicine in Europe"

CSSP Electronic Working Paper Series on S&T Policy and Innovation Studies

The CSSP Electronic Working Paper Series (EWPS) is intended to explore and debate themes in science, technology and innovation studies. While drawing into active dialogue of leading scholars and practitioners who share similar concerns, this effort will reflect the academic priorities of the CSSP.

Working Paper No. CSSPEWPS 1

How law makes technoscience: The shaping of expectations, actors and accountabilities in regenerative medicine in Europe

by

Alex Faulkner (King's College London)

March 2010

Abstract: The paper undertakes a textual analysis of the Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) Regulation which passed into law in the European Union (EU) in 2007, using the analytic concept of performativity. The ATMP document is significant for the development of regenerative medicine in the EU and globally. Drawing on concepts from socio-legal studies, innovation studies and science & technology studies, the text is discourse-analysed with a focus on: scientific-industry structure; production and technology; expectation and vision; rights and responsibilities; and actors - regulatory actors, participants in regenerative medicine production, and the public. The analysis shows a tension between standardisation and imprecision in the conceptual scaffolding of the legislative text, and reveals a number of 'elephants in the room' - including the concept of regenerative medicine itself. The reasons for the imprecision and conspicuous absences are discussed. Such texts combine material significant to key concerns of recent theorising of innovative technologies, such as technology expectations, sector-building and the stabilisation of technology. Referring to philosopher John Austin's well-known work on 'how to do things with words', Austin's concept of the 'conventional consequences' of a performative text is referred to in order to argue that legislative texts are a special class of document which should be accorded a more prominent place in studies of the governance and emergence of new scientific-technological zones and sectors.

Biographical Notes: Dr Alex Faulkner is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Biomedicine & Society (CBAS), Kings College London. He is a sociologist of medicine and technology, and has been researching the developing regulatory regimes for tissue engineering in the EU, supported by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council. In 2009 he received a substantial grant from the UK's National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) to investigate the different pathways that device technologies take into the healthcare system. He has published over 30 scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals. His recent book is: 'Medical Technology into Healthcare and Society: a sociology of devices, innovation and governance' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009). Other current interests are in theories of governance of emerging biomedical sectors in the global context, and the interface of sport and regenerative medicine.

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Further Details

Beyond Web 2.0: Multimedia Journalism and Social Media

Beyond Web 2.0: Multimedia Journalism and Social Media

Dates: 14-25 June 2010

Venue: IGNOU Campus, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi-110068

Organized by: The School of Journalism and New Media Studies, IGNOU in collaboration with DW-AKADEMIE Academy,

DW-Trainers: Guy Degen and Marcus Bösch

Summary of course concept

The two week course (10 training days) aims to provide participants with the necessary skills to produce multimedia content and use social media platforms for research, news gathering, networking and distribution.
The course is designed for online journalists seeking to broaden their multimedia and social media skills, and journalists working in print or broadcast media who are making a transition to online multimedia journalism, yet already have a solid working knowledge of online platforms such as blogs and regularly use social media.
The course seeks to not only harness current Web 2.0 tools, but also show participants how they can adapt in an era of fast-paced digital development in journalism and move beyond Web 2.0.
The course strongly focuses on practical training in parallel with building upon the prior online journalism and digital knowledge of participants.
Throughout the course participants will learn:

• how to produce and present a multimedia project for the web;
• how to effectively use social media during their whole working processes;
• new ways of using tools such as digital cameras and mobile phones for producing multimedia journalism; and,
• about new online and social media tools that can be practically applied to journalism.
  

The course will be split into two sections. The first week will concentrate on introducing participants to new skills and digital tools as well as providing the opportunity for practice and skills development. The second week will focus on the gathering of digital audio and visual materials and production of a group multimedia journalism project.

Further Details and Registration Form

CfP:: International Conference on Climate Change and Environment (ICCCE 2010)

International Conference on Climate Change and Environment (ICCCE 2010)
Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala, INDIA
22 - 24 September 2010

International Workshop on Climate Change & Island Vulnerability
Kadmat, Union Territory of Lakshadweep, INDIA
26 - 28 September 2010

The conference will focus on evidences of climate change, its impacts on the environment, and tangible mitigation and adaptation options including the policy dimension. The thematic areas of the conference are:

• Evidences of climate change
• Drivers of climate change
• Impacts of climate change on physical and biological systems
• Climate change modelling
• Adaptation and mitigation
• Climate policy and governance
  

The Workshop at Lakshadweep will deliberate on vulnerability of islands to climate change and identify adaptation and mitigation options to minimize the possible adverse impacts. The workshop is restricted to 50 participants. The thematic areas of the workshop are:

• Water as a resource
• Marine and coastal biodiversity
• Coastal erosion and accretion
• Sustainable livelihood options
• Mobilizing stakeholders
• Mitigation, adaptation and governance
  

Call for Papers

Researchers, planners and policy makers interested to participate in these events are requested to submit the abstracts of their papers indicating their choice of participation either for the International Conference or the International Workshop or for both. The prospective contributors are expected to submit specific case studies pertaining to above thematic areas and possible mitigation and adaptation options.

Authors are requested to submit an extended abstract (less than 2 pages) by 30t h May 2010 in the prescribed format (available at http://climate.niscair.res.in/abstract_format.doc) to climateconf[at]niscair.res.in or climateconf[at]gmail.com. The acceptance of the abstracts will be intimated to the authors by 10th June 2010. The full paper of the accepted abstracts should be submitted by 25th July 2010 along with the registration fee.
The accepted full papers would be peer reviewed for being published in the journals published by NISCAIR, CSIR such as Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Physics, Indian Journal of Radio & Space Physics, Indian Journal of Chemistry B, Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, and Indian Journal of Marine Sciences and also for edited volumes by UNESCO and other reputed publishers.

Travel Support

• The Organizing Committee intends to provide limited support to authors whose full papers are accepted for the International Workshop at Lakshadweep, which includes travel expenses from Cochin to Kadmat Island in Lakshadweep and back and local hospitality during the Workshop period. Delegates of the Workshop will commute from Kochi to Kadmat Island (25th September) and back (29th September) in a launch chartered by the Lakshadweep Administration.
• All efforts will be made to provide partial travel support and local hospitality for selected national and international participants of the International Conference at Kochi.
  

Important Dates

• Extended Abstract Submission 30th May 2010
• Acceptance of Abstracts 10th June 2010
• Submission of Full Paper 25th July 2010
• Last Date of Registration 25th August 2010
• Conference at Cochin 22nd to 24th September 2010
• Workshop at Lakshadweep 26th to 28th September 2010

Brochure

Further Details

Recent Working Papers by V.V. Krishna, CSSP

V.V. Krishna, Sujit Bhattacharya (2009)

Internationalisation of R&D and Global Nature of Innovation: Emerging Trends in India
ARI Working Paper Series, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore #WPS 123
Abstract: The corporate model of R&D pursued within home country locations of the corporate firm is fast eroding. Important magazines such as The Economist (3 March 2007, p69) has begun to talk about, 'The rise and fall of corporate R&D'. The internet and telecommunication revolutions have dismantled geographical barriers creating a new innovation potential at different levels of value chain which are now dispersed at different locations. The Asian region has come to occupy a significant space in these trends. India and China are becoming major locations for off-shore R&D and innovation affiliations. The last decade witnessed two trends in the pattern of global science and technology systems in the Indian context. The first concerns the internationalisation of R&D and the second the increasingly global nature of innovation.
This paper explores three main issues in the Indian context. Firstly, it explores the significant changes in the macro economic and science and technology policies which have propelled changes during the last decade and a half. Secondly, through various indicators the paper maps the growth of internationalization of R&D and global nature of innovation. Thirdly, the paper explores the context of innovation to see whether these trends signify a 'new international division of labor' between North and South or whether there is a significant transformation underway for global nature of innovation.

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V.V. Krishna, Nimesh Chandra (2009)
Knowledge Production and Knowledge Transfer: A Study of Two Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT, Madras and IIT, Bombay)
ARI Working Paper Series, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore #WPS 121

Abstract: Institutions of higher education engaged in teaching and research have come to occupy an important place in the knowledge production and knowledge transfer. These institutions are now seen as frontiers of innovation and in capitalizing knowledge assets contributing to economic progress, and aiding national economies in international competitiveness. In this paper two Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) are taken up for case studies.

IITs in India have evolved as country's leading engineering institutions over the last six decades. The structure of teaching courses and research in IITs, right from the beginning, has drawn inspiration from the MIT model. Over the last six decades, Indian IITs have acquired international recognition and a 'brand name' for excellence in teaching and producing quality engineering and science graduates. Through 'human capital' and research contribution, IITs have come to occupy a significant position in the Indian national innovation system, particularly during the last decade. The two institutions explored in this study, namely IIT Madras and IIT Bombay, are clear examples of the IIT system as whole.

The major objective in this paper is to explore knowledge production and knowledge transfer in these two institutions. Our focus is laid on the ways in which institutional structures have progressed over the last decade or so to foster and promote university-industry linkages and enterprise creation. Secondly, our concern has been to explore the extent to which the Indian IITs have embraced entrepreneurial university 'culture' or still uphold the values of 'Humboldtian Model' of teaching and research excellence. Thirdly, to explore how the two institutes differ in the processes of knowledge transfer and enterprise creation.

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Recent Discussion Papers by S. Bhaduri, CSSP

Saradindu Bhaduri, Hemant Kumar (2009)
Tracing the Motivation to Innovate: A Study of 'Grassroot' Innovators in India
Papers on Economics and Evolution, Max Planck Institute of Economics #0912

Abstract: Extrinsic motivations like intellectual property protections and fiscal incentives continue to occupy the centre stage in debates on innovation policies. Joseph Schumpeter had, however, argued that the motive to accumulate private property can only explain part of innovative activities. In his view, "the joy of creating, of getting things done" associated with the behavioural traits that "seek out difficulties…and takes delight in ventures" stand out as the most independent factor of behaviour in explaining the process of economic development, especially in early capitalist societies. Taking the case of 'grassroot' innovators in India, we re-examine the motivations behind innovative behaviour. We draw upon the literature on effectance motivation theory to construct operational indicators of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. Interestingly, we find that pure extrinsic forms of motivation drive only a fraction of individual innovative behaviour. Also, importance of intrinsic motivation in guiding innovative behaviour is found to high when uncertainty is high. We accordingly draw a few policy implications.

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Amit Shovon Ray, Saradindu Bhaduri (2009)

Co-evolution of IPR Policy and Technological Learning in Developing Countries: A Game-theoretic Model

CITD Discussion Paper No. 0904
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Saradindu Bhaduri, H. Worch (2008)

Past Experience, Cognitive Frames, and Entrepreneurship: Some Econometric Evidence from the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry

Papers on Economics and Evolution, Max Planck Institute of Economics #0804

Abstract: The theoretical literature identifies three important entrepreneurial dimensions, namely discovering new opportunities, responsiveness to uncertainty, and coordination of a firm. In the empirical literature, past experience has been identified as having an important influence on organizational behavior. This literature, however, focuses predominantly on the impact of experience on new opportunities using a resource-based view and human capital perspective. In contrast, we draw upon the cognitive science literature to argue that past experience shapes an entrepreneur's cognitive frame, and, hence, influences entrepreneurship in a more holistic manner. We provide econometric evidence of the impact of past experience on all three entrepreneurial dimensions from the small scale Indian pharmaceutical enterprises.

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Saradindu Bhaduri, Janashruti Chandra (2008)
Informal Values and Formal Policies: A study of Japanese Technology Policy and Significance for India
ICRIER Working Paper No. 219

Abstract: The main objective of this paper is to analyse some aspects of Japanese policy in the post World War-II period and understand how the various informal institutions (shared mental models) have influenced key dimensions of technology strategy with regard to the nature and trajectory of activities it sought to promote. Previous studies have mainly focused on industrial policy on the basis of the White Papers published by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Our study, in contrast, focuses exclusively on technology policies by examining the White Papers on Science and Technology (Kagakugijutsu Hakusho) published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). We then endeavour to understand the significance of our findings for policy making in India. However, the limited scope of this undertaking makes our results indicative in nature.

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K. Chandrasekhar, Saradindu Bhaduri (2005)

Vicarious Learning and Socio-Economic Transformation in Indian Trans-Himalaya: An evolutionary tale of economic development and policy making

Papers on Economics and Evolution, Max Planck Institute of Economics #0518

Abstract: Recently, it has been suggested that the process of economic development should ideally be viewed as a socioeconomic transformation. Such a view requires a comprehensive understanding of how agents learn and change their behaviour. However, these aspects have only been inadequately addressed in development theory. This paper argues that social-cognitive vicarious learning theories can become a useful methodological tool by incorporating a triadic interaction between personal factors (beliefs, values), behaviour and environment. Our analysis is based on a survey of the Indian trans-Himalayan regions. The development trajectory of these regions suggests that a proper understanding of the vicarious learning mechanism provides crucial insight into the speed of socioeconomic transformations. It also helps to identify appropriate change agents within a society and, in turn, underscores the need for a comprehensive, yet flexible, development policy framework.

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