17-18 January 2014
Venue: University of Mumbai, India
The Stanford University is hosting an conference entitled "Technology, accountability and democracy in South Asia and beyond" on the 17-18 January 2014. Location: University of Mumbai, India. The conference is organised by the Center for South Asia, and the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) – both at Stanford University, in partnership with Department of Civics and Politics, University of Mumbai, and the Stanford Alumni Association of India.
Over the last few years, there has been unprecedented focus on corruption and accountability across South Asia. Accountability movements have resulted in a variety of initiatives including special monitoring bodies, transparency laws, monitoring mechanisms, judicial reforms and refining government processes. These initiatives bring different understandings of problems and approaches, with varied strengths and weaknesses. Despite these differences, they are increasingly converging on the use of technology to augment a growing set of accountability strategies. This conference proposes to bring together people who are engaged in these questions as activists, officials, academics and innovators to examine how technology is currently being used for accountability projects and to build meaningful platforms for the future. We specifically seek to bring together people with experience in accountability movements (with or without the use of technology), young innovators and researchers in order to promote rich multidisciplinary conversation and to build new collaborations.
More information and registration.
The Conference invites papers on relevant themes, see the the call for papers.
Libraries are at the heart of any institute of learning. A good university must have a good library, otherwise it does not serve its purpose.
Many students are disappointed every year when they do not make the cut to the mostly post-graduate, research-oriented Jawaharlal Nehru University. Since a seat at this university is as difficult to come by as some global universities that are famed for their libraries, the nine-storied JNU library too is trying to fulfil the expectations from it.
"We have six lakh printed books and one lakh e-books available for circulation. We subscribe to 800 print journals annually from all major international and some Indian publications. We also have access to around 2,300 newspapers from 97 countries in 52 languages, and around 55 research databases. Currently, we also have 8 lakh digital newspaper clippings which are relevant to 72 subjects, and possess a rare collection of Urdu, Persian and Art books," said JNU's head librarian Ramesh Gaur, who was called in around two years ago to overhaul the library which had been leaderless for almost five years.
"The most recent activity we carried out was to digitise around 20,000 thesis and dissertations, the hard copies of which were lying around. Those that are more than three years old can be accessed from anywhere in the world, whereas the others will be available on the net anywhere on the campus," he said, adding that when he got there, the first thing he noticed was the mess in the mezzanine section on the ninth floor.
The "before" pictures of this area show dusty books stacked high and almost reaching the ceiling, while "after" pictures show students sitting on wooden benches calmly reading or writing. "The room was hardly used, serving as a warehouse of sorts which was a pity since the view was so nice," he said. There are lifts, so it is easy to make use of the stunning view of the entire campus as well as the neighbourhood.
"The library has a carpet area of one lakh square feet and a seating capacity of 1,000. It opens at 8 a.m. and remains open until midnight. There is also a 24/7 reading room, which can seat more than a hundred on the ground floor. We have around 200 computers and a special section called "Helen Keller" meant for visually-challenged students with the latest assisted technology. Locker facilities are given to Ph.D. students and another new addition is more plug points for students to charge their computers. All our material has been catalogued," Dr. Gaur said.
Libraries have to evolve so there is a stock verification done routinely. The library, in a bid to be more involved, has also started the "JNU forum for mutual learning" where it organises guest lectures and author workshops. "Students want these workshops; we have editors coming and telling them how to get their work published, how to write abstracts, proposal letters and everything. We also organise book releases and other talk programmes and conferences," he said.
The latest facility the library has procured is the "turn it in" software that checks plagiarism. The university has made it compulsory for students to run their thesis through this software that points out any similarities that might exist with the work submitted and any other publication. "The Ph.D. supervisor also puts the thesis through this software, even after the student has submitted the report."
The library went one step further this past year when it set up a stall at the World Book Fair in the city showcasing student and faculty publications. "That was a first," added Dr. Gaur.
15 November, 2013 - 22 November, 2013
Organized By German House for Research & Innovation (Deutsches Wissenschafts- und Innovations Haus, DWIH), New Delhi
Call for Applications for students/ post-docs from any field of Science/Humanities/Social Sciences
Deadline for Applications: Monday , 7 October 2013
What is a science slam? It ́s an unconventional way to bring together passionate researchers and the curious public. Bring science on stage! Compete for the hearts of the audience by your performance in a maximum of ten minutes.
What do you need? Excellent knowledge of your research subject, your courage & presentation skills.
How should a Slam look like? You are the best judge! Be creative! Be funny! Any format is allowed, from the conventional talk to a stage play or musical performance. Just respect the time limit of ten minutes.
How do you benefit? Apart from exposure to other fields of science and a new experience, the winner will have a chance to spend two months with an eminent research group in Germany.
Send your applications along with a photograph to: info@dwih.in
(Please write "Application for the Science Slam" and your name in the subject line)
For ideas, please see the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qtgnaiLR-WA#!
Eligibility
Subjects
http://www.dwih.in/content/dwih-new-delhi-excellence-tour-ahmedabad
Centre for the Study of Regional Development, JNU
Workshop on
Using Life Cycle Assessment and a Systems Approach to Sustainability
The Centre for the Study of Regional Development, JNU in collaboration with Oxford University, UK is organsing a learning workshop on 'Using Life Cycle Assessment and a Systems Approach to Sustainability' during 27 September-1 October, 2013. This workshop will provide an understanding of the concepts, merits and pitfalls of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and how LCA can be combined with techniques from different disciplines to understand interactions within and between different measures of sustainability. The workshop would be conducted by Dr. Alfred Gathorne-Hardy from Oxford University. Interested candidates are requested to apply with a short CV and brief note on the relevance of the workshop for their current/ future research to Dr Deepak K Mishra, CSRD, JNU (E-mail: deepakmishra@jnu.ac.in ; deepakmishra.jnu@gmail.com) on or before 20th September 2013.
Centre for the Study of Regional Development, JNU
Workshop on
Using Life Cycle Assessment and a Systems Approach to Sustainability
The Centre for the Study of Regional Development, JNU in collaboration with Oxford University, UK is organsing a learning workshop on 'Using Life Cycle Assessment and a Systems Approach to Sustainability' during 27 September-1 October, 2013. This workshop will provide an understanding of the concepts, merits and pitfalls of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and how LCA can be combined with techniques from different disciplines to understand interactions within and between different measures of sustainability. The workshop would be conducted by Dr. Alfred Gathorne-Hardy from Oxford University. Interested candidates are requested to apply with a short CV and brief note on the relevance of the workshop for their current/ future research to Dr Deepak K Mishra, CSRD, JNU (E-mail: deepakmishra@jnu.ac.in ; deepakmishra.jnu@gmail.com) on or before 20th September 2013.
Watch Films, Tell Stories, Learn to Script – Shoot & Edit
Tuning Fork Film workshops are about:
From an idea to a film, make your OWN FILM in 5 days!!
It is a process that involves creativity, skill building & teamwork
Workshop Module – Aspects Covered
'READING' FILMS
- Breakdown the film into different components – understand the language of cinema
- Understand its nuances – how the medium of film works
- watch and discuss different kinds of cinema – world cinema, documentary, and short films
MAKING FILMS
- Using a DSLR & video Camera, basics of photography & visual aesthetics
- how to visualize and transform an idea into a story
- Process of film making – Scripting, Storyboarding, Shooting & Editing
- Learn to edit: Digital Video Editing & Video Technology (Final Cut Pro & Adobe Premiere Pro)
- Practicalities of finances & budgets on making films
- making a film: from START to FINISH
For whom: This workshop is for anyone with an interest in films. Individuals, students, professional, NGO's, artists, media professionals and whosoever keen on making films with just a camera and a laptop!
Workshop Costs:
Rs. 8000 (includes workshop costs & boarding & lodging at Deer Park Institute)
How to register: Fill in the attached form and send it to us with a registration fee of Rs. 1000 (deductible from total workshop fee)
LAST DATE FOR REGISTRATION: 30th September 2013
BRINGING TOGETHER THE BEST OF INDIA AND THE UK
The Chevening CRISP Programme is open from 13 September 2013 to 1 November 2013.
The CHEVENING ROLLS-ROYCE SCIENCE AND INNOVATION LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME is a Scholarship funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Rolls-Royce for 12 mid-career top level people in the field of science and innovation - with links to public policy - in India. It will provide funding for three months' study on a tailor-made course in the UK.
The Chevening Rolls-Royce Science and Innovation Leadership Programme (CRISP) is a unique programme aimed specifically at mid-career Indian professionals working in the fields of science, innovation, business and related public administration. The ideal candidate should be in mid-career in business or the public sector with exceptionally high potential. The following disciplines are particularly relevant: business, research, technology, manufacturing, and public administration.
This programme provides an invaluable opportunity for Indian professionals to establish their own networks of contacts in the UK who would be of direct value to their work and career development in India.
Applicants SHOULD NOT apply directly to the UK programme providers. Simply complete the Chevening application.
Each Scholarship covers the following:
The Programme offers an intense all-expenses paid 11-week course at the prestigious Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.
Its wide range of modules will include lectures, workshops, visits and interactions with high profile companies and scientists, and will bridge pure research and business/scientific entrepreneurship, practical processes of innovation, commercialisation of research and technology transfer.
The course is aimed at some of India's brightest scientists, business people and public servants.
The objectives of the Programme are to:
Participants will
The programme provides opportunities for personal and professional development and for participants to extend their own individual UK-India network.
The programme includes a mixture of academic sessions, visits, group and individual projects, tutorials/ mentoring sessions (including personal development), debates, guided/focused study visits and seminars and projects of professional relevance, and social and cultural activities (with an emphasis on visual and spoken communication). There will be significant contact with UK specialists and opportunities for participants to develop their own connections and interests.
There will be four main strands: Science, Innovation, Leadership & Management and Politics/Policy. Each module will include lectures, exercises and discussions that focus on relevant ideas and challenges. As part of the programme each participant will research, develop and present a business plan.
Throughout the programme, participants will receive personal and profession development coaching from trained mentors at the Said Business School. These mentors will help guide individuals and groups through the content of the programme, and will also work to ensure that each person gets the most out of his or her experience.
Participants will be asked to keep a video-diary of their time at Oxford, either individually or in groups. Training on how to do this well will occur in week one, so that the diaries can be a useful learning tool as well as a fond record of an extraordinary experience and a creative output to share with others.
There will be three main modules: science, innovation and policy.
Each module will include lectures, workshops and discussions that focus on relevant ideas and institutions, and introduce the group to experts and opinion leaders, together with a significant element of practice, including case studies, visits and projects.
A programme of external speakers, visits, projects and events will ensure a lively variety of engagement with UK institutions throughout.
The Saïd Business School:
The Saïd Business School is one of Europe's youngest and most entrepreneurial business schools. An integral part of the University of Oxford, the School embodies the academic rigour and forward thinking that has made Oxford a world leader in education. The School is dedicated to developing a new generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs, and conducting research not only into the nature of business, but the connections between business and the wider world.
For university details please visit http://www.ox.ac.uk/ and http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/Pages/default.aspx
Partner organisation
The award is supported by one of the UK's most innovative companies, Rolls Royce.
Rolls-Royce is actively involved in, and supportive of, educational opportunities and activities for students, graduates and professional executives. The company is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy. In 2009, Rolls-Royce invested £864 million in research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental aspects of its products, in particular the reduction of emissions. Please visit the Rolls-Royce website for more detail: http://www.rolls-royce.com/
Eligibility criteria
Successful applicants should have the 'Chevening' qualities of ambition, drive, and leadership potential, a commitment to change and organisational development, a talent for innovation and creativity, and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, not only in technical and professional terms but also culturally.
Applications for the Chevening Rolls-Royce Science and Innovation Leadership Programme are open until 1 November 2013.
Before applying, applicants should read the Appendix on short courses in the Guidance.
Applicants must complete an online application form and submit their application before the deadline.
e-Learning Course on Export Promotion and Market Access for Agriculture and Food Products from Asia [13-AG-07-GE-TRC-B]
(based on the Global Development Learning Network of the World Bank platform)
17-19 September 2013
Organized by National Productivity Council, New Delhi
Further Details: http://www.apo-tokyo.org/wp/annual-program/files/2013/01/e-Learning-13-AG-07-GE-WSP-B-Export-Promotion-PN-PNA1-PNA21.pdf
Nomination Form is Attached here.
Please send your Nomination Form to Bajrang Lal <bajrang.lal@npcindia.gov.in> latest by 13 September 2013
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bajrang Lal <bajrang.lal@npcindia.gov.in>
Dear Sir,
Kindly find Attached programme details for above mention e-learning programme. The participation fee has been waived off for few participants.
Kindly, confirm at the earliest so that we can accommodate you without fee.
With Best Regards
.................................................................................................. Bajrang Lal
Assistant Director,
National Productivity Council M/o Comm & Industry
Utpadakta Bhavan, 5-6 Institutional Area, Lodhi Road,
New Delhi - 110003
Website -http://www.npcindia.nic.in
Email: bajrang.lal@npcindia.gov.in
Phone +91-11-24607375
EPBX-+91-11-24690331 Ext-375
Fax- +91-11-24615002
EPABX Lines : 24690375,
Gram : PRODUCTIVITY, Fax : 91-11-24615002, 8447469855
...............................................................................................
Emerald Group Publishing Limited, publisher of the largest collection of international business and management journals, and the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), a global membership organization with more than 700 institutional members from academia, business and public services, seek to celebrate excellence in research by sponsoring the 2013 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards.
Award-winning entries will receive a cash prize of €1,500 (or currency equivalent), a certificate and a winners' logo to attach to correspondence. In addition, a number of Highly Commended Awards will be bestowed. This year there are 12 categories:
1. Researchers must apply online using the application form at:
http://ww2.emeraldinsight.com/awards/odra.htm
2. The following documents will be required electronically:
• Covering letter – as part of this please state whether or not your doctoral research has been published and/or will be published in any form (conference paper, article, peer reviewed journal, etc)
• Executive Summary – paper that summarises the Doctoral research. The Executive Summary should not exceed 2,000 words (reference lists and presentation of data, as either Tables or Figures, do not count towards this total). Please download the template executive summary.
• Letter of recommendation/reference from a supervisor/senior faculty member. The letter should state why your supervisor feels that your work is outstanding and what impact it will have. For short-listed applicants, further contact may be made with the referee.
3. Applicants must only submit to one of the categories below.
If you are unsure of which category to submit to please feel free to contact us, and after consultation with our Editorial team, we can suggest that which is most appropriate.
To be eligible for the Awards, the research must address an issue that is of importance to one of the various subject areas listed above. The Awards are open to those who have completed and satisfied examination requirements for a Doctoral award, between 1 October 2010 and 1 October 2013, and have not applied previously for one of these Awards.
The entries will be judged by the Editor(s) and at least one Editorial Advisory Board member of the sponsoring journal. Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
1. Significance/implications for theory and practice.
2. Originality and innovation.
3. Appropriateness and application of the methodology.
4. Quality of data/research.
Short-listed applicants may be required to answer further questions as appropriate from the judging panel. Winners will be required to submit an unpublished paper, sole- or joint-authored, derived from the research, within six months of winning the Award. The Editors reserve the right not to select a winning paper if, in their judgment, none of the entries is considered satisfactory.
Please note that the decision of the judges is final. Due to the large number of submissions, applicants will not receive any feedback.
Please read the frequently asked questions.
For any additional information please contact: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/research/awards/odra.htm
UGC-CAS Programme
Centre for the Study of Regional Development, JNU
in collaboration with Oxford University, UK
A Learning Workshop on Using Life Cycle Assessment and Systems Approach to Sustainability
27 September – 1 October 2013
Organized by Centre for the Study of Regional Development, JNU
This Workshop will provide an understanding of the concepts, merits and pitfalls of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and how LCA can be combined with techniques from different disciplines to understand interactions within and between different measures of Sustainability.
Eligibility: Workshop is open for PhD scholars, postdocs, faculty and researchers working in any university, institute and independent researchers working on related areas. Priority will be given to candidates who are likely to use Life Cycle Assessment in their on-going, future research.
Application: Interested candidates may apply with their one page CV and a one page write-up on the relevance of the workshop for their current/ future research to the organizers at deepakmishra@jnu.ac.in on or before 20 September 2013.
Resource Persons: Dr. Alfred Gathorne-Hardy, Oxford University, UK; Dr. Deepa K Mishra, CSRD, JNU
The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) announces the National Student Challenge (NSC) 2013.
NSC 2013 brings together young people who want to be change-makers in India's urban transformation. If you believe that you can design solutions to some of the most pressing urban problems – mobility, housing, livelihoods, education, safety and violence, and disaster risk reduction – NSC 2013 is the platform for you.
We invite undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students from institutions all over the country to come up with creative ideas to solve traffic problems, manage waste or provide viable livelihood options to the urban poor. Winning teams will receive an implementation grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, in addition to expert guidance and support to turn their ideas into sustainable ventures.
Eligibility Criteria
Undergraduate Students
Post-graduate Students
Doctoral Students
Age Limit: 30 Years (As of 15.10.2013)
Participate in the 'Challenge'
1. Form teams of 3 to 5 students
2. Identify an urban challenge
3. Formulate Problem Statement and a Possible Solution Statement
4. Submit Problem and Solution Statements
After submission
The deadline for submission of statements is 01.10.2013. 25 teams will be shortlisted based on several parameters and notified by 13.10.2013. If your team is shortlisted, you will be assigned a mentor, a subject matter expert in your chosen theme, who will help streamline your solution. After 6 weeks of mentoring, you will present your solution to an eminent jury at the finals on December 11 and 12, 2013 at the IIHS Bangalore Campus.
"Cultural Expression" to an Urban Issue
The 25 shortlisted teams have the option of expressing their observations about Urban Issues through creative arts. You may also select a performing art to portray your idea. The expressions could be in the form of play-acting, film, dance & song, role-play, narration, miming, parody, photography or painting. These expressions could complement your chosen themes and provide relatable context. Cultural Expression is optional.
Prizes
Top three teams will receive an implementation grant of Rs. 3,00,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation apart from the individual cash prizes they also get.
Additionally, please free to contact us at any point of time at nsc@transformurbanindia.com or call us at: 91-80-67606666. You can ask for either Shalini Pal or Sarat Chandra Gnanamgari and we'll be happy to assist you with your queries. We wish you all the best!
IMPORTANT DEADLINES
09|09|2013 – Final date for registration of teams
01|10|2013 – Final date for the submission of the statements
12|10|2013 – Final shortlisting of the teams
19|10|2013 – Mentor mapping and assigning of mentors
11 & 12 December 2013 – NSC 2013 Finals
School of Environmental Sciences
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Cordially invites you to a presentation on
NATIONAL STUDENT CHALLENGE 2013
Speakers: Team, Transform Urban India, Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bangalore
Date: 3rd September (Tuesday)
Time: 3pm onwards
Venue: Seminar Room, SES.
Brief Sketch of the organization: The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a national education institution committed to the equitable, sustainable and efficient transformation of Indian settlements. IIHS holds its flagship student-focused initiative, Transform Urban India National Student Challenge (TUI-NSC) each year. The NSC 2013 is a platform which aims to bring together young people who want to be change-makers in India's urban transformation. Undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students are invited from institutions all over the country to come up with creative ideas to solve problems facing urban centers.
The themes for 2013 include
The winning teams will receive an implementation grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, in addition to expert guidance and support to turn their ideas into sustainable ventures.
• Copy of the brochure available with the AO in SES office
Many countries are pursuing a policy of setting up centres of research excellence within universities, as inter-university centres or stand-alone institutes, often as part of a strategy to improve not just research but also teaching and innovation. But centres of excellence may not always be a panacea for upgrading science, research and teaching in developing countries, the OECD experts meeting in Marseille heard. Many countries are pursuing a policy of setting up centres of research excellence within universities, as inter-university centres or stand-alone institutes, often as part of a strategy to improve not just research but also teaching and innovation. But centres of excellence may not always be a panacea for upgrading science, research and teaching in developing countries, the OECD experts meeting in Marseille heard.
A country must have "a strong science system and education system", as well as excellent universities and research. "Without that, trying to impose centres of excellence as a policy measure might backfire," said Venni V Krishna, professor of science policy in the school of social sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
Krishna's study on India's experience of centres of excellence was presented at the meeting organised by the OECD's programme on Innovation, Higher Education and Research for Development – IHERD – held in Marseille from 1-2 July.
"A country needs to develop a scientific research climate and research innovation ecosystem for a certain period of time, then try to build excellence. Only then will it be able to reap the benefits," Krishna said.
African countries, for example, will first need a few good universities with good laboratories and to develop a local scientific community in two to three areas of research, before setting up a centre of excellence.
"If the country doesn't have a worthwhile scientific community, if it is not publishing science, if it is not publishing research, what is the use of having centres of excellence? It will remain a kind of oasis," Krishna told University World News.
India's experience
India has successfully set up a number of centres of excellence.
Some are based at universities geared towards professionalising and advancing research and training in specific areas of science, technology and social science. Others are centres within government science-oriented agencies, geared towards research, innovation and specialised services in new technologies.
While sponsored by the science-oriented ministries, most of the centres of excellence are based at specialised academic research institutes such as the Indian institutes of technology and the Indian Institute for Science in Bangalore.
While India does not spend as much on R&D as many industrially advanced countries, the money it has provided has been as long-term financial support for the centres, which is important for continuity.
Despite a push by the government to develop research at the university level – in part due to pressure from international university rankings, in which India performs relatively poorly – Krishna said there was no evidence to show that one system is better than the other.
"We don't see any kind of difference between the academic output located within universities or outside them in terms of the quality of the research and the knowledge," he said.
Because international rankings include a number of indicators, including internationalisation – on which India does not score well – Krishna believes rankings do not reflect research quality alone.
But modern science is very capital intensive. "Even if you get to the professional level, you need to constantly pump in money." With half of India's science budget being spent on atomic energy and space research, these areas of research are world class, he pointed out.
Despite a lack of infrastructure compared to European public universities, some Indian centres of excellence, Krishna believes, are on a par with top universities like Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Economics in the intellectual quality of social science research.
Professionalising research
But some centres of excellence have fizzled out in India – notably mathematics research at Banaras Hindu University – and a few are a pale shadow of their former selves because they relied heavily on strong individual intellectual leadership.
Professionalising and institutionalising research is important to building a research community. "The intellectual culture and professional culture which was centred on the research leader was not able to become institutionalised over a period of time. So when they [the leaders] left, those excellence centres started crumbling," Krishna said.
"But if you look at Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, individual elite scientists become unimportant and the system is very important. No matter what happens, the system continues to maintain that excellence."
Centres of excellence can be based around fundamental science or more applied sciences and innovation, but the goals must be clear.
The university-based centres are not specifically directed to promote technological innovation, university-industry relations or transfer of knowledge to create new firms, according to Krishna's paper, but to strengthen research quality in particular spheres.
These goals can be long-term, mainly fundamental research such as India's space programme, or medium-term or shorter-term research designed to solve particular problems.
"In biotechnology, India has been building postgraduate research centres, teaching and research centres in 35 universities and the government of India's Department of Biotechnology funded them for 30 to 40 years and did not ask questions of what is coming out of it.
"After 30 years we realised we had an excellent biotechnological base in agriculture, health and pharmaceuticals, because the money had gone into it."
Goal-oriented research
The second type of research in centres of excellence is strategic, such as research into nuclear or atomic energy, aimed at developing areas with economic returns in the medium or long term.
But there is also research that needs to show results in the short term, such as in urban development, transport and telecommunications, where solutions need to be found swiftly.
"There are more than 960 million mobile phones in use in India for 1.2 billion people. But from mobiles you will have to go into higher grade and integrate and increase the internet intensity within these mobiles and create information technology for development – health, nutrition and so on," Krishna argued.
"But even in the short-term you need excellence because without excellent systems you won't manage 950 million mobiles. It's a gigantic network."
Krishna warned that for top research "there can't be a universal policy tool to develop centres of excellence. Every country has its own national socio-cultural context within which centres of excellence would come up."
Countries like Britain and Germany are engaged in global 'frontier' research while African countries would be looking at local and national frontiers. These would nonetheless be centres of excellence.
In Africa a policy of creating centres of excellence would mean institutionalisation and professionalisation of science, developing links between universities and reaching certain standards and quality.
University World News
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20130811092741586
Call for competitive papers by young scholars from South Asia
Theme: "Labour Markets, Employment and Inclusive Growth in South Asia"
Rapid economic growth in South Asia has not yielded commensurate returns in terms of better livelihood and employment conditions for its fast growing labour force. A large majority of the region's workers are engaged in low-paid jobs in the informal economy, resulting in widespread insecurity of livelihoods. The region has witnessed concentration of the benefits of growth among only a fraction of the population, and the exclusion of many. SARNET is a research and network programme of South Asian institutions and scholars coordinated by the Institute for Human Development (IHD), New Delhi, in collaboration with ILO and ESCAP, with support from IDRC (Canada). Its objective is to find ways to improve the nature of growth in South Asia so as to reduce the existing vulnerability of workers, to increase the quality of employment and to enhance social protection. The other objectives of the programme include capacity building of young researchers from the region who are interested in studying labour markets.
SARNET is issuing this first competitive call for papers on 'Labour Markets, Employment and Inclusive Growth in South Asia'. The topics and issues include, but need not be restricted, to the following: What has been the pace and pattern of employment creation in South Asia during the last two to three decades, and what kind of linkage can be seen with growth performance? Why is there a high level of informalization of jobs in South Asia? What kind of policies and institutions are needed to promote formalization? What are the constraints to manufacturing growth in South Asia? What are the dynamics of the emerging patterns of labour market inequality and social exclusion in South Asia? What kinds of changes are required in labour market institutions to generate high quality jobs and lead to growth for the promotion of inclusive development?
Young scholars (below the age of 35 years) of South Asian nationality (working either in the region or outside) are invited to submit proposals for empirical papers, covering any or all of the major South Asian economies, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SARNET supports gender parity and encourages women to apply. The proposals should include an abstract (of around 1000 words) outlining the main research questions, conceptual framework, methodology and empirical base of the paper. The paper (of about 8000 words) should not have been published earlier in any form. An amount of USD 3,000 would be paid for the accepted papers. The proposals and submitted papers would be reviewed by a committee of international experts. SARNET reserves the right to publish accepted papers in some reputed journals and/or in a book.
Proposals should be received by 21 August 2013. Authors of the selected proposals would be contacted by 1 September. Full drafts have to be submitted by 1 December 2013. The authors of the accepted papers would be invited to present their papers in a conference to be held in New Delhi during the middle of December 2013. Funds permitting, SARNET would provide travel subsidy and arrange accommodation of some authors from outside the region as well to enable them to attend the Conference.
Address for correspondence: Ms. Priyanka Tyagi, Communication Officer, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi, Email: priyanka.tyagi@ihdindia.org with a copy to: sarnet@ihdindia.org
