7th CMS VATAVARAN: International Environment & Wildlife Film Festival and Forum

7th CMS VATAVARAN: International Environment & Wildlife Film Festival and Forum

The 7th edition of CMS VATAVARAN: International Environment & Wildlife Film Festival and Forum will be held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) Lawns (Near India Gate)from (Thursday - Monday) Jan 30 - Feb 03, 2014. The 2014 theme is mainstreaming biodiversity conservation at different levels to promote living in harmony with nature. For more information visit www.cmsvatavaran.org

This year a kaleidoscope of films (more than 100), seminars, workshops, open forums, contemporary discourses, exhibitions, musical nites, film store, organic green haat, organic food festival and eco-trips will be organised for sustained impact and promoting environment sensitivity at scale. The footfall is expected to be more than one lakh people, over five days.

Festival Highlights include:

• 150 Nominated Films
• 70 Eminent Speakers
• 48 Thematic Sessions
• 20 Best of World’s
• Biodiversity Cinema
• 5 Thematic Lawns
• 5 days of Biodiversity Gala
• 1 Platform
• Music Festival
• Organic Food Festival
• Organic Green Haat
• Open Stage
• Exhibitions

Celebrate diversity in nature in Asia’s largest film festival and forum on environment and wildlife – online registration is now open -  www.cmsvatavaran.org

Venue: IGNCA Lawns at C V Mess, Janpath, 3, R P Road and 11 Mansingh Road

Time:

• Film Screenings and Sessions: 11:00 a.m.- 06:00 p.m.
•  Music Festival: 07:00 p.m.- 09:00 p.m.
•  Organic Food Festival: 11:30 a.m. onwards
•  Organic Green Haat: 11:30 a.m. onwards

Details on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CmsVatavaran2014EnvironmentWildlifeFilmFestival

Applications invited for 2014 Human Development Fellowships

2014 Human Development Fellowships

The application process for the 2014 IC4HD Human Development (HD) Fellowship is now open!

The IC4HD 2014 Human Development Fellowships support three month/six month/nine month programmes which do not involve empirical work with data collection and fieldwork during the fellowship period. The research supported under the 2014 fellowship programme must focus on a well-defined aspect of human development under the theme of Social Security in the Global South.

The IC4HD Human Development Fellowships aim to encourage mid-career professionals (academics, civil servants, and civil society practitioners) to analyze critical development issues from the human development perspective. This contributes to development theory, and identification of applications and policies that put people at the centre of development debates.

The objectives of the IC4HD HD Fellowships are to:

• Support innovative analytical work on a particular theme, which is selected every year, from the human development perspective
• Identify actionable goals that could be prioritized in development initiatives in countries in the South based on the existing evidence and analysis
• Promote South-South learning and sharing of expertise and experiences
• Promote a network of experts who can identify innovative options for policy measures in the global South

This is a residential fellowship offered at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla, India. As the Indian Institute of Advanced Study organizes several national level seminars every year, on themes of pressing contemporary relevance as well as of fundamental theoretical significance, the fellowship provides the opportunity to interact with several scholars.

Fellows must have relevant work experience of about 10-12 years, and be nationals of countries from selected countries of the Global South (please refer to the brochure for the list of selected countries).

For more information on the fellowships and on how to apply, please view/download the brochure.

The application form can be downloaded here.

Incomplete applications will not be processed. Candidates should submit their complete applications by 15 February 2014 to: hdfellowships@ic4hd.org

Rajya Sabha Secretariat invites applications for Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair and Rajya Sabha Fellowships

Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Parliament of India, New Delhi invites applications for Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair and Rajya Sabha Fellowships

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair
Applications are invited for Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair from eminent scholars who have proven record of scholarship and publications. This prestigious Chair has been established in the name of the first Vice-President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha for conducting an indepth inquiry and research on different aspects of parliamentary democracy in India. The proposals received shall be placed before the Search & Advisory Committee (SAC) which will recommend a panel of the names to the Hon'ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha. The SAC may also suggest on its own name(s) of eminent scholars for the Chair. The tenure of the Chair will be two years. The Chair will be required to get the research output published in the form of a book. The research grant for the Chair is Rs. 14 lakh and a contingency amount of Rs. 2 lakh for the entire period to be paid in instalments. The person selected, if already employed, will be required to produce a 'No Objection Certificate' from his/her institution for taking up the assignment. The detailed terms and conditions for the Chair and the Application Form are available on the Rajya Sabha website: http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/fellowship/main.htm.
Applications may be sent to Shri S. D. Nautiyal, Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Room No. 147, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi - 110001 on or before February 28, 2014. Applications can also be forwarded through email at sd.nautiyal@sansad.nic.in.


Rajya Sabha Fellowships
Applications are invited for two Rajya Sabha Fellowships on Parliamentary Studies from academics with aptitude for conducting an indepth inquiry and research on different aspects of parliamentary democracy in India. The proposals received shall be placed before the Search & Advisory Committee (SAC) which will recommend a panel of the names to the Hon'ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha. The SAC may also suggest on its own name(s) of scholars for the Fellowships. The tenure of the Fellowships will be one year. The Fellows will be required to get the research output published in the form of a book/monograph. The Fellowship grant is Rs. 3 lakh to be paid in instalments. The person selected, if already employed, will be required to produce a 'No Objection Certificate' from his/her institution for taking up the assignment. The detailed terms and conditions for the Fellowships and the Application Form are available on the Rajya Sabha website: http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/fellowship/main.htm.
Applications may kindly be sent to Shri S.D. Nautiyal, Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Room No. 147, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi - 110001 on or before February 28, 2014. Applications can also be forwarded through email at sd.nautiyal@sansad.nic.in.

Further Details: http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/fellowship/main.htm

CfP: Summer School Programme for Future Leaders in Development; May 31- July 11, at IIM Udaipur

Summer School Programme for Future Leaders in Development: A learning event for Development Students and Practitioners
May 31- July 11, 2014, Udaipur, India
Organizers: Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur; Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, USA

IIM Udaipur and the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University are pleased to invite applications for the 2014 edition of the Summer School Program for Future Leaders in Development. This program is a six-week signature academic workshop sponsored by the Center for Development Management, Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur and the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, USA. It brings together a select gathering of students and practitioners of development drawn from Duke University, prestigious Indian universities, non-profit organizations and social enterprises. Aimed at students and NGO professionals seeking careers in the academic field and practice areas of development and related sectors, the summer school program imparts theoretical perspectives, research skills and empirical tools for young development leaders who are engaged in or getting ready to apply themselves to contemporary socio-political challenges.
The program provides a unique opportunity for students to work and interact with globally reputed faculty (including academics and practitioners) through a combination of coursework that includes lectures, discussions, direct field investigations and project work that aims to help in transforming the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. The curriculum will be of particular significance to young development leaders who are engaged in, or getting ready to apply themselves to contemporary socio-political challenges. Some of the themes included in the curriculum program are as follows:

•     Concepts and theories of Development
•     Investigative research methods
•     Thematic modules on health, education, livelihoods
•     Professional development through grant writing and data presentation skills

To encourage peer-learning and project development, students will be placed in a three-person team that will include one student each from an Indian University, an early career staff member from a non-governmental organization (NGO) and Duke University. Teams will spend considerable time in rural areas as hosts of an NGO in order to identify and assess existing gaps in community needs. Through this experience, they will employ academic learning from the classroom for transforming real-life.
The program is fully residential. Students will stay in IIMU dorms while classes are in session. Host NGO's will arrange home stays during field visits. Selected participants will receive a full scholarship to attend the program and cover program costs, although they will have to arrange for their own travel to and fro from Udaipur.

Program Structure: In the six-week program, each student will be part of a three-person team that includes a student from Duke university, a student from an Indian University and an early career staff member from an Indian non-governmental organization (NGO). Each team will be assigned to a regional NGO and will produce for the host NGO a detailed project proposal, including a needs appraisal, an implementation plan, budget and cost-benefit analysis, which the NGO may present to a potential funder. A considerable amount of time will be spent living in rural villages or urban slums served by the host NGO, where the student team will be required to identify gaps in existing responses to community needs and develop plans for responding to them. The curriculum will be of particular significance to young development leaders who are engaged in, or getting ready to apply themselves to con-temporary socio-political challenges.

Why Apply?

• Use classroom knowledge first-hand in implementing your project proposal in the field.
• Collaborate with the sharpest young minds who will be leaders in development tomorrow.
• Further your professional development through interactions and lectures by NGO and governmental officials

Admissions/ Eligibility Criteria

• For applicants from Indian universities and colleges: Mandatory: Master's Degree (or) must have appeared for final exam of final year of degree; Preferred but not required: Work Experience.
• For applicants from NGOs and Social Enterprise Professionals: Mandatory: Bachelor's Degree (and): Work Experience – 5 Years; Preferred but not required: Master's degree

Selection procedure: Online Application form, Statement of Purpose, Telephonic Interview

Costs: All selected students will get a full scholarship that covers program costs, Accommodation and Boarding charges.

Curriculum
Students will earn a Certificate from IIM Udaipur. Course Modules include:

• Concepts and Theories of Development
• Investigative Tools and Methods
• Managing Development
• Thematic Modules
• Professional Skills
• Three weeks of collaborative field investigation

Housing: Students will live in IIM Udaipur student hostels while taking classes in Udaipur. While in field locations they, along with other members of their study team, will live with host families

Some Participating NGOs: Aajeevika-National Rural Livelihoods Mission; Action Research and Training for Health; Foundation for Ecological Security; Seva Mandir; Vidya Bhawan; Many more that focus on child labor, agriculture, and women's rights.

Contact Information: You may send in your queries to cdmadmissions@iimu.ac.in

Further Details: http://iimu.ac.in/programs/summer-school.html

CfPs: 11th ASIALICS International Conference; 25-27 September; at DGIST at Daegu, Korea

11^th ASIALICS International Conference

 25-27 September 2014

at DGIST at Daegu, Korea

 

About ASIALICS

Asian Association of Learning, Innovation, and Co-evolution Studies (ASIALICS) is an association among scholars, practitioners and policymakers who are interested in a learning, innovation and competence building system in Asia. It has a cooperative relationship with the Global Network for the Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems (GLOBELICS). ASIALICS aims to explore and develop the concept of learning, innovation and competence building as an analytical framework. The objective of ASIALICS is to stimulate the establishment of knowledge based strategies for economic development in Asia. The idea is to bring together interesting issues about what is going on in Asian countries and companies and to share experiences regarding methodology, analytical results and policies.

Asia has been a serious player not only in science, technology and innovation but also in linking different cultures of the world. This is in line with the ongoing Asia-wide cooperation schemes that emphasize knowledge and experiences sharing and joint efforts to promote knowledge-based and learning economies such as ASEAN Plus Three (Japan, China, and South Korea), ASEAN-Japan Free Trade Area, and Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD). To achieve this aspiration, a group of Asian scholars from Thailand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and Vietnam with strong support from GLOBELICS held the first international conference on Asian innovation systems in Bangkok on April 2004. About 150 professionals who participated in the seminar agreed to organize the ASIALICS conference annually, publish a journal and book in Asian innovation system and clusters, and explore possibilities of joint research and training in this field.

 

 

Paper Submissions

 

Important Dates

Deadline for paper submission                          01 Mar 2014

Notification of paper acceptance                       01 May 2014  

Deadline for discounted registration                   01 Jun 2014    

Deadline for final version submission                  01 Aug 2014   

 

Conference Themes

The contemporary economies of many countries have tendencies for slow growth, and this gives rise to fears of a global economic slump. Consecutive periods of low economic growth, as well as economic growth without job creation, inevitably generates many social problems such as the rise of unemployment, greater polarization between the rich and the poor, the widening of the income gap, decreases in quality of life, and more. Many governments have sought solutions to shift their economies toward more sustainable growth. It has been frequently stated in Korea that the promotion of a creative economy might be a solution to cure the current problems of slow growth in the economy. A creative economy is defined by the convergence of science and technology with industry, the fusion of culture with industry, and the blossoming of creativity in the border regions that were once permeated by barriers.

Sub-themes

A number of sub-themes have been identified for the conference, including:

Nature of creative economy and related policies

Innovation mechanisms through convergence to grow creative economies

Innovation of science and technology through convergence

National innovation systems and technological convergence

Sectoral innovation systems and technological convergence

Regional innovation systems and technological convergence

Innovation clusters and technological convergence

Corporate innovation systems and technological convergence

Cultural analysis of science and technology convergence

Humanities and social science approaches to convergence

Management of innovation for science and technology convergence

Government policies to promote innovation and convergence

Other practices of innovation and convergence (user innovation, open innovation, service innovation, etc.)

Large data analysis of innovation activities

Other issues in creative economies and convergence

Further Details: http://www.asialics.or.kr

CfPs: 12TH GLOBELICS International Conference "Partnerships for Innovation-Based Development"; 29-31 October, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

12TH GLOBELICS International Conference

Theme: Partnerships for Innovation-Based Development

29-31 October 2014, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Organised by: Globelics, Addis Ababa University, Adama Science and Technology University

 

About

The 12th Globelics International Conference will be hosted by Addis Ababa University and Adama Science and Technology University and held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Like previous Globelics Conferences, this conference intends to bring together scholars from different disciplines to enhance the quality of innovation studies in relation to development and growth in the context of globalization and accelerating pace of change. The conference will combine presentation of research papers in parallel tracks with panel discussions and plenary lectures.

This year's key note lectures will be given by the world leading scholars on innovation and development, Martin Bell (the 2014 Freeman Lecture) and Calestous Juma (the 2014 Globelics Lecture).

 

Paper Submissions

We invite submission of original unpublished full papers for the conference. Submission of full paper (in PDF) not exceeding 12,000 words (including notes, tables, appendices, list of references, etc.) should be made via the online submission form available at the conference website http://2014.globelics.org. We especially encourage the participation of young researchers. The selection of the papers will be based on a peer review process. Globelics reserves the right to use available software to control for plagiarism and to take appropriate action in severe cases.

 

Travel Support

Application for travel support is open from 2 June 2014 up to and including 22 June 2014. Scholars from developing countries with accepted papers to the Globelics Conference can apply for travel support from the Globelics Secretariat to attend the conference.

 

Important Dates

Deadline for submission of papers 23 April 2014

Acceptance notification 2 June 2014

Deadline for application for travel support 22 June 2014

Response to applicants for travel support 4 July 2014

Conference registration 2 June – 30 August 2014

Last date for upload of final version of paper 22 September 2014

 

Conference Themes

The 12th Globelics International Conference will give attention to a wide set of themes covering important aspects linking innovation and competence-building to development. The location of the conference in Africa and Ethiopia will be reflected in the list of themes. Special attention will be given to public-private partnerships, including University-Industry relationships. This call thus invites papers addressing one or more of the following themes:

1. Public-private partnerships for innovation-based development

2. University-Industry relationships and the promotion of learning, innovation, and competence building systems

3. Overcoming raw material curse through new manufacturing and service activities

4. National strategies to stimulate spill overs from BRIC-presence in Africa.

5. Indigenous knowledge, informal sector, innovation and development.

6. Work organization, education and economic development

7. Inclusive innovation, gender and development

8. Science, technology and innovation policy and politics

9. Innovation, sustainable development and energy in the South

10. Financial institutions, intellectual property rights, innovation and development.

11. National and regional innovation systems

12. Sectoral innovation systems, industrial policy and development

13. Trade, FDI, value chains and innovation networks

14. Innovation, growth and catching-up

15. Innovation management, organizational learning innovation and development

 

Further Details: http://2014.globelics.org/

ISID-PHFI National Workshop-cum-Conference on Pharmaceutical Policies in India: Balancing Industrial and Public Health Interests; 3-7 March; New Delhi

National Workshop-cum-Conference on Pharmaceutical Policies in India: Balancing Industrial and Public Health Interests

3-7 March 2014

Venue: Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID), New Delhi

 

The Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID) and Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) will co-host this five day workshop-cum-conference. It includes several plenary and technical sessions with a focus on industrial policy-health interface. Several national experts, policy makers, civil society groups, academia and media would participate in the five day deliberations. The workshop-cum-conference is expected to deliberate and discuss the ways and means of strengthening the pharmaceutical policies in India and the key challenges it faces.

The three day workshop followed by two day conference is expected to be held during 3-7th March, 2014, at the Conference Hall, ISID Compus, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. The three day workshop will feature six expert presentations in the forenoon sessions while the post-lunch sessions are likely to be set aside for hands-on training in evidence gathering and data crunching in the area of pharmaceuticals. The hands-on training is intended to address current technical-deficit in the area of pharmaceutical policy landscape and equip research scholars and civil society members to intervene effectively in the policy arena. The two-day conference will feature 32 invited presentations by experts from policy-makers, civil society, academia, and industry leaders. The conference objective is to bring various stake-holders in the area of pharmaceuticals to debate and address current policy concerns.

Some of the broad themes of the workshop-cum-conference would include:

i) Access to medicines: Policies and institutions for availability, rationality, quality and affordability including medicines pricing;

ii) Local production of drugs and pharmaceuticals;

iii) Promotion and marketing of medicines;

iv) R&D, innovation and intellectual property rights; and

v) Investment in drugs and pharmaceuticals. 

Specific issues underlying these themes are expected to focus on the implications for both industrial development and access to essential medicines.

Participants of the workshop-cum-conference will be selected based on the qualifications, experience and interest in the area of public health and pharmaceuticals and on first-come-first-served basis. Research scholars pursuing M.Phil. and Ph.D. in various disciplines in universities/research institutions and mid-level professionals in civil society organizations are encouraged to apply. Participants whose applications are accepted for workshop-cum-conference, the host will make efforts to financially support economically challenged participants for their travel, boarding and lodging. 

The final date of application submission is February 10, 2014. The application should be submitted via email to conference.isid@gmail.com. 

For more information please visit http://www.isid.org.in/workshop.html for downloading application form. Those who wish to participate only in the conference can intimate us so in the application.

Further Details: http://www.isid.org.in/workshop.html

Conference cum Workshop on Development with Dignity: Issues and Challenges; at SRCC, 28-30 March

Conference cum Workshop on Development with Dignity: Issues and Challenges
Shri Ram College of Commerce (University of Delhi)
28-30 March 2014

Researchers/teachers/students are invited to present papers, organize/participate in its annual conference cum workshop.
This conference cum workshop seeks to address the problems of structural imbalances associated with the current growth regime in India, and consequently, its sustainability. While admitting that these different aspects are part of a larger story of imbalanced growth, feeding on each other, it will focus on the following aspects:
1. Sectoral imbalance, 2. Income and wealth imbalance, 3. Ecological imbalance, 4. Technological imbalance, 5. Labour and work force imbalance, 6. Inflationary imbalance, 7. Balance of payment imbalance, 8. Academic imbalance, 9. Political imbalance.

The papers should focus on analytics of linkages of overall growth dynamics with one or more of the above mentioned structural imbalances, possibly with some description of the same. The list above is indicative and not exhaustive.
Scholars are encouraged to explore beyond what is mentioned here. Please send an abstract of your paper/brief proposal of workshop by 10th of February 2014. Selection of the received papers will be subject to screening by a selection committee. The authors of the selected papers and the participants of workshops coming from Indian destination will be provided T.A. and free accommodation as per the UGC norms.
A few selected participants from universities abroad may also be provided with travel expenses. The final submission of full paper/detailed design of the workshop should be done by 10th March, 2014.
For more information and to look at a detailed conference note, please look at the college web site: www.srcc.edu
Email your papers/proposals/questions: conf.srcc2014@gmail.com
Contact the organizer: Rakesh Ranjan (phone +91 9868500456)

National Workshop on Research Methodology for Social Sciences, at GIDR, Ahmedabad, 25 February- 06 March

National Workshop on Research Methodology for Social Sciences

Gujarat Institute of Development Research

Ahmedabad

February 25 - March 06, 2014

 

The Gujarat Institute of Development Research (GIDR) shall hold a National Workshop on Research Methodology for Social Sciences (NW-RMSS) during February 25 - March 06, 2014, sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi.

 

The workshop aims at orienting young researchers in social sciences (such as Economics, Political Science and Sociology) to both quantitative and qualitative methods of research analysis.  A special module on research writing and publishing will be a distinct feature of the workshop.

 

Pedagogy  

In addition to the interactive classroom lectures the participants will be introduced to the use of selected statistical packages.  They will also have the opportunity to present their research and interact closely with the faculty of the Institute and the invited experts.

 

Eligibility Criteria

Young researchers and teachers affiliated to colleges, universities or research organisations and those pursuing or preparing for their PhD or MPhil courses are eligible to apply.  A limited number of applications from young researchers working as consultants, activists and NGO functionaries may also be considered. 

 

How to Apply

The applicants are expected to submit the application form, recent curriculum vitae and a write-up (maximum 200 words) on what they would expect out of the workshop.

 

Travel and Lodging

The Institute shall provide free lodging and boarding facilities and partial travel assistance to the selected participants.

Email submissions should be made to workshop.2014@gidr.ac.in. The last date of submission of application is January 25, 2014.  Successful applicants will be intimated by January 30, 2014.  

 

The applications shall be sent to:

Dr. Tara Nair 

Coordinator

NW-RMSS

Gujarat Institute of Development Research

Gota, Ahmedabad 380 060

Tel: 02717 242366/67/68

Fax: 02717 242365

Application Form: www.gidr.ac.in/pdf/NW-RMSS-Application%20Form.pdf

 

Call for Proposals: BRICS Initiative for Critical Agrarian Studies

Call for Proposals: BRICS Initiative for Critical Agrarian Studies

2 December 2013: The BRICS Initiative for Critical Agrarian Studies (BICAS) invites applications for small grants for research papers on the themes outlined below, and welcomes applications from PhD students or recent PhDs.

The deadline for proposals is 1 February 2014.

About the BICAS Initiative

BICAS is a collective of largely BRICS-based or connected academic researchers concerned with understanding the BRICS countries and their implications for global agrarian transformations. Critical theoretical and empirical questions about the origins, character and significance of complex changes underway need to be investigated more systematically.

In taking forward this research agenda, we are building on and intending to extend the focus of existing knowledge about the BRICS. The rise of BRICS countries has been accompanied by the rise of interest and academic research initiatives in recent years. Most of these initiatives are Africa-centric, tracking the impact of several BRICS countries on Africa. In building our network, our research focus and analytical frameworks differ from other research on the BRICS in some ways, including: (i) we are pursuing research and analysis framed primarily within agrarian political economy; unlike most BRICS research partnerships, we are not conducting strategic studies nor focused on international relations (IR) explanations; (ii) we are scholars rooted in the contexts of the BRICS countries and their neighbours. These are considered the world's new centres of capital accumulation, but they also need to become hubs for knowledge production, and BICAS is founded on a desire to shape the process and politics of knowledge production about the BRICS, from within them; (iii) we do not focus exclusively on the BRICS countries; rather, we want to examine them in relation to both the older conventional hubs of global capital in the North Atlantic, and the rising MICs.

The BICAS research agenda

BICAS is an 'engaged research' initiative founded on a commitment to generating solid evidence and detailed, field-based research that can deepen analysis and inform policy and practice. In BICAS we will aim to connect disciplines across political economy, political ecology and political sociology in a multi-layered analytical framework, to explore agrarian transformations unfolding at national, regional and global levels and the relationships between these levels.

BICAS is founded on a vision for broader, more inclusive and critical knowledge production and knowledge exchange. We are building a joint research agenda based principally on our capacities and expertise in our respective countries and regions, and informed by the needs of our graduate students and faculty, but aiming to scale up in partnership and in dialogue with others. Our initial focus will be on Brazil, China and South Africa.

While we will build on a core coordinating network to facilitate exchange we aim to provide an inclusive space, a platform, a community, hence we invite your participation.

Key themes and questions for the Small Grants Proposals

We are interested in proposals for research papers that address the following broad themes and questions:

1. BRICS and MICs in their regions: what agrarian transformations are underway in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa, and Latin America and how are the BRICS countries and some MICs in those regions shaping these transformations? What are the dominant directions of change but also any countervailing directions? What endogenous and exogenous forces are driving changes in agrarian structures? What are the outcomes for changes in demographics, settlement and migration; inputs and investments in agriculture and other rural productive sectors; agricultural production and the rise of boom crops; agroprocessing and the rise of manufactured foods; and formal and informal markets? What is the character of investment and trade relations between the BRICS countries and MICs located within their regions? What food systems are emerging at the regional level? How is this manifested spatially? Are there winners and losers, and, if so, who are they?
2. BRICS and MICs in relation to the old hubs of global capital: What is the role of BRICS countries in the emerging financialization of agriculture? How are the BRICS countries' roles in global trade in food and agricultural commodities changing? What are their histories of trade and trading partners, what historical processes constituted the current world agro-food system and how is the system changing at present? Through what economic, political, legal and other processes are current changes unfolding?  How is membership of the BRICS group influencing and enabling these changes?  How are other actors responding, and to what effect? What new sites of contestation around food production, circulation, consumption, and forms of accumulation are opening up with possibilities for alternatives to emerge?
3. China in Focus. For this particular Call for Proposals, there will be a relatively larger allocation of funds to proposals that take China as a key reference point. Illustrative examples include the following:

• (i) China in relation to the rest of the BRICS countries
• (ii) China in specific regions: a primary focus on China in Southeast Asia, and a secondary focus on China in Latin America and China in Russia/Siberia (not China in Africa)
• (iii) China in relation to MICs, especially in Southeast Asia
• (iv) China/BRICS in relation to the traditional hubs of global capital (e.g. North Atlantic countries)

(These proposals should make reference to China's 'extractive sector/investments' (broadly cast) and the implications of these for global/regional agrarian transformations, with particular attention to questions of poor people's access to and control over natural resources: including land, water, and forest in these regions.)

Proposals

Please submit an approx. 1,000 word proposal for research papers on any of three broad themes outlined above. (Note that there will be more funds allocated to the third thematic cluster). Explain why your prospective paper will contribute fresh theoretical and/or empirical insights that help provide answers to the broad questions outlined above. Research papers should be between 8,000 and 12,000 words in length.

Please attach a short CV of no more than three pages.

Grants

Each small grant will comprise US$ 3,000.

One-third (US$ 1,000) of the grant will be paid on approval of the proposal, and the remainder (US$ 2,000) on completion of the research paper.

Timetable

• 1 February 2014: deadline for proposals
• 15 February 2014: announcement of successful proposals
• 15 September 2014: deadline for full draft papers
• 30 September 2014: feedback from reviewers
• 31 October 2014: deadline for revised papers for copyediting and publication as BICAS Working Papers

Papers will be published in a BICAS Working Paper Series. Some authors will be invited to an international conference to be held in Beijing in 2015.

Submit your proposal to: bricsagrarianstudies@gmail.com

For further queries, get in touch with any of the co-coordinators of BICAS. For more information about BICAS, see: http://www.iss.nl/bicas

Who we are

The convening institutions and key contact researchers of BICAS are:

• Brazil: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), with Prof. Sergio Schneider, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), with Sergio Schneider
• Brazil: University of Brasilia (UnB), Planaltina Campus (FUP), with Prof. Sergio Sauer
• China: College of Humanities and Development Studies (COHD) at the China Agricultural University, Beijing, with Prof. Ye Jingzhong and a group of faculty at the college, and adjunct professors Henry Bernstein, Saturnino ('Jun') M. Borras Jr., Jennifer Franco and Jan Douwe van der Ploeg
• South Africa: Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, with professors Ben Cousins, Andries Du Toit and Ruth Hall

In collaboration with: Transnational Institute (TNI – www.tni.org); International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague, Agrarian, Food & Environmental Studies (AFES) research sub-cluster is part of the Research Program: Political Economy of Research, Environment and Population Studies (PER). www.iss.nl; Future Agricultures Consortium www.future-agricultures.org

http://www.future-agricultures.org/research/land/7917-call-for-proposals-brics-initiative-for-critical-agrarian-studies

Current Science's Special Focus on Science Writing in India

Current Science's Special Focus on Science Writing in India

Current Science, 2014, 106 (1), 20-21.

• Science journalism in South Asia – untapped potential, by T.V. Padma Download
• Science for all, by Nidhi Jamwal Download 
• Writing science for school children, by Shubashree Desikan and A. S. Ganesh Download 
• The (science) writing life, by Seema Singh Download
• Is blogging journalism and other questions, by Subhra Priyadarshini Download
  
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New Article "Changing Social Relations between Science and Society: Contemporary Challenges" by V.V. Krishna, CSSP, JNU

Changing Social Relations between Science and Society: Contemporary Challenges
by Venni V. Krishna
FMSH Working Papers Series FMSH-WP-2013-54

Abstract:
Social history of modern science, particularly the way it acquired social legitimacy clearly depicts the science and society relationships emerging from the time of Galileo. The social institution of science has evolved as one of the most powerful, highly influential and sought out institutions. Knowledge as public good; peer review of science; prominence attached to open publications; and premium placed on professional recognition and scientific autonomy remained the hall mark of science for the last three centuries. Based on this ethos of science, the social institution of science evolved a unique social contract between science and society in the last six decades. As we enter the second decade of 21st century, the social institution of science is undergoing a major change. Three societal forces are responsible for the change: a) globalization; b) industrial and post-industrial society; and c) climate change. What is at stake? Is there a significant change? Is it transforming the very social institution of Science? And what implications this has for our contemporary and future society? These are some of the important issues, which will be addressed in this essay, which has inspired the lecture given during the awarding of the Charles and Monique Morazé Prize 2013 to the international journal Science, Technology and Society published by Sage India.

Download Full-text PDF: http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/91/07/07/PDF/FMSH-WP-2013-54_Krishna.pdf

Current Science Paper "Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013 of India and in Formal Sector Innovations" by Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh, CSSP

Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013 of India and in Formal Sector Innovations

Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh

Current Science, 2014, 106 (1), 21-23.

Abstract: This commentary discusses the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013 of India in relation to the bottom-up 'informal science'. The main intention is to see how informal innovations or informal ways of knowledge generation in the in formal sector are dealt with in the new policy document. Informal economy or informal sector, which constitutes a staggering 94% of India's workforce, forms the main source of employment and livelihood. However, neither the current Science, Technology and Innovation Policy document nor any other innovation literature proposes a comprehensive policy framework that leverages the strengths of in formal sector innovations.

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