Friday, February 28, 2020

CfPs: 15th Annual Conference of Knowledge Forum on "Technology and Economy"

15th Annual Conference of Knowledge Forum
December 4-6, 2020
Organized by Forum for Global Knowledge Sharing (Knowledge Forum)
Hosted by: International Management Institute (IMI), Kolkata
Conference Theme: "Technology and Economy"

Call for Papers
Themes for discussion: Under the overall theme of "Technology and Economy" papers are invited relating to the following topics. Technology dimension will be common to all the topics and therefore is not mentioned separately.
  •  Big Data
  •  Creative Industries
  •  Foreign Direct Investment
  •  Environment and Sustainable Development
  •  Financial Sectors
  •  Global Value Chain
  •  Innovation and Development
  •  Social Entrepreneurship
  •  Water Resource Management
Conference Format: The conference will have an introductory session followed by Competitive Sessions. In the competitive sessions all the papers will be refereed before accepted for presentations. Case Studies from Technologists on any of the sub-themes of the Conference would also be considered for presentation. Last date for submission of title of papers and abstracts: May 31, 2020. Last date for full paper submission: July 31, 2020.
Send the abstracts and paper to: fgksindia[@]gmail.com

New Article "'Zero‑Error' Versus 'Good‑Enough': Towards a 'Frugality' Narrative for Defence Procurement Policy" by K Patil & S Bhaduri

'Zero‑Error' Versus 'Good‑Enough': Towards a 'Frugality' Narrative for Defence Procurement Policy
by Kapil Patil & Saradindu Bhaduri, Mind & Society, 2020, doi: 10.1007/s11299-020-00223-7
Abstract: The procurement decision-making process for complex military product systems (CoPS) has significant implications for military end-users, suppliers, and exchequers. This study examines the usefulness of adopting a fast and frugal decisionmaking approach for the acquisition of military CoPS. Defence procurement environment is complex. On the one hand, there are uncertainties and severe resource constraints due to regularly changing threat perceptions, limited flow of information about new technologies, and the growing demand to reduce defence related expenses. On the other hand, several stakeholders remain pre-occupied with the demand for 'zero-error' technologies. In such a setting, recurrent cost overruns and delays in supply are common in defence procurement programmes, across countries. Taking the illustrative examples of the missile system, fighter jet, and radar system acquisitions in India, we elucidate on 'optimising' versus 'satisficing' dynamics in the procurement decisions. The paper argues  that a fast and frugal decision-making process by relying on judgement, experiential knowledge, and intuitive learning might make procurement processes, adaptively, more efficient. Such an approach would enable a 'good enough' technology to be inducted, and improved upon, through regular feedback from the actual environment. The study has implications for policy scholarships on innovation policy instruments under uncertainty.
Keywords: Defence procurement, Complex military systems, Frugality, Fast and frugal heuristics, Technology development

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

CFIA Working Paper "Frugal Innovation in EU Research and Innovation Policy" | by P. Knorringa & S. Bhaduri

Frugal Innovation in EU Research and Innovation Policy
by Peter Knorringa and Saradindu Bhaduri, Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa, CFIA Working Paper Series, No. 6., 2018.

Abstract: In recent years, frugal innovation has caught the attention of European companies, citizens, policy makers, and NGOs. This Working Paper offers building blocks suggesting where and how frugal innovation could be integrated into EU policy. The paper focuses on possible connections with the 'Mission-Oriented Research & Innovation' program (Horizon Europe) that has been designed by the DG Research and Innovation. The Working Paper builds on the EU scoping Study on frugal innovation and the reengineering of traditional techniques (2017). It introduces three key types of frugal innovation processes, driven respectively by firms, NGOs and local communities. It also shows how these three distinct processes link up with different parts of the EU policy agenda. The paper furthermore explores how a frugal innovation angle could enrich some of the main EU policy instruments and also raises the idea that a more fundamental rethinking of future innovation trajectories might be needed to effectively address global challenges.

Call for Manuscripts -- New book Series on Studies in the Future of Humanity and Its Successors

Call for Manuscripts -- New book Series on Studies in the Future of Humanity and Its Successors

Co-Editors: Calvin Mercer and Steve Fuller 

Humanity is at a crossroads in its history, precariously poised between mastery and extinction. The fast-developing array of human enhancement therapies and technologies (e.g., genetic engineering, information technology, regenerative medicine, robotics, and nanotechnology) are increasingly impacting our lives and our future. The most ardent advocates believe that some of these developments could permit humans to take control of their own evolution and alter human nature and the human condition in fundamental ways, perhaps to an extent that we arrive at the "posthuman", the "successor" of humanity. This series brings together research from a variety of fields to consider the economic, ethical, legal, political, psychological, religious, social, and other implications of cutting-edge science and technology. The series as a whole does not advocate any particular position on these matters. Rather, it provides a forum for experts to wrestle with the far-reaching implications of the enhancement technologies of our day. The time is ripe for forwarding this conversation among academics, public policy experts, and the general public. For more information on Palgrave Studies in the Future of Humanity and its Successors, please contact Phil Getz, Editor, Religion & Philosophy

Additional information to check out the eight books already in the series.

A Note from the Co-Editor
  • For those who are considering writing about the future of humanity, this may be the place to publish. We are considering not only monographs but also edited collections and even conceptually targeted reference works.

ZHCES Talk "Role of Educational institutions in Creating a New Ecosystem to Flourish Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Case of ‘Startups’ in India" | 26 February

ZHCES Seminar Series

 

Role of Educational institutions in Creating a New Ecosystem to Flourish Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Case of 'Startups' in India

 

Dr. Dhanya MB

Associate Fellow, VV Giri National Labour Institute, Noida

 

About the Speaker: Dr Dhanya MB is an economist and working as Associate Fellow (Faculty) at VV Giri National Labour Institute. She is the Associate Coordinator of the Centre for Labour Market Studies. She has been involved in policy initiatives of the Ministry of Labour and employment, Government of India on various subjects on labour & Employment.She has authored three books/monographs and also coedited two books in the area of Labour Market studies, includes: 'Demographic Dividend and SDGs in India: Labour and Employment Opportunities' (Routledge, 2020 forthcoming); 'Quality Employment Generation in Micro and Small enterprises (MSEs) in India: strategies and way forward' (2018);'Worker's Rights and Practices in the Contemporary Scenario: an overview' (2014); 'Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and informal economy in India' (2013);'Engendering Gender Statistics' (2012); published by VVGNLI. Currently, she is working on a research project on 'Promoting Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship: A Study with special focus on 'Startups'.

 

Abstract:  The role academia plays in fostering entrepreneurial intention is the popular way to augment overall economic activity and the process of discovery. Entrepreneurial university model is a technique to attract individuals with ideas and give them the needful entrepreneurial and managerial skills in the new socio-economic landscape. This exploratory research study analyses the role of some prominent universities/institutes of Delhi in nurturing future young entrepreneurs and it also discusses the startups ecosystem jointly run across India which is having student-faculty collaboration. This work envisaged investigation among 48 startups samples in the different part of Delhi-NCR region. The presentation begin with the analysis of youth employment situation to set the context for the current situational analysis in India and then the discussion would be on the role of universities in creating a new ecosystem to flourish entrepreneurship & innovation and the current policies surrounding startups and how the government policies are geared towards creating an environment in which startups flourish and contribute to the growth of youth employment generation opportunities.

 

DATE: 26th February, 2020 (Wednesday)
TIME: 3:00 pm
Room No. 207, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES II


(All Welcome)

NIPGR organizes National Science Day Public Lectures On Biodiversity of NCR on 28 February at NIPGR, JNU Campus

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

CfPs: AJSTID Special Issue on "Catching–Up Along the Global Value Chain: Models, Determinants and Policy Implications in The Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution"

African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation & Development (AJSTID)
Call for Papers for the Special Issue on "Catching–Up Along the Global Value Chain: Models, Determinants and Policy Implications in The Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution"

The CatChain research project is funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 to investigate the development of Catching-up process both from the developed as well as developing countries' perspective at the country, sector and firm level. The project is coordinated by ICRIOS in Bocconi University with global partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe with countries such as Greece, the Netherlands, Estonia, France, Spain, Brazil, India, Costa Rica, Malaysia, South Africa and Republic of Korea.
The research is organised through the exchange of scholars among the developed and developing parts of the globe. Scholars are exchanged to share their research experience among the partners. This multidisciplinary approach allows the project to have a strong focus on the delivery of high quality research output by undertaking both primary and secondary data analyses by using rigorous scientific methodologies.
The scholars that have participated in the secondment have to generate research output; and the publications of their work both in journals and books are expected to be delivered. The African Journal of Science Technology Innovation and Development (AJSTID) calls both those who joined the secondment of the EU-Horizon 2020 Cat/Chain GVC and other scholars to submit research papers for peer review of the first special issue that includes the presentations that have been made in the first cat/chain GVC Research Seminar on January 29, 2020 with the TUT-FMS.

Objectives and scope of the special issue :
The general objective of the special issue is focusing on specific issues in bridging catching-up approach with the GVCs literature, to provide a strong scientific answer as to preparedness of a country to enter into the global market. The focus is on, but not limited to: what are the roles that entry, learning, and upgrading strategies interconnected with different Business Models play in fostering the process of catching-up; how can building innovation capabilities contribute to sustainable industrialization; what opportunities and challenges exist, and what type of policy frameworks need to be in place, and what interventions are required; what value chain approach can be adopted to give attention to opportunities and challenges of SMEs in the global economy; how can the fourth industrial revolution change the GVCs; how can countries and firms take advantage of engaging with GVC in building effective  sustainable  innovation system at global, regional, national, sectoral, technology  levels?   

The thematic areas include:
  • Catch-up along the value chain through country specific case studies at firm and sectoral level towards infrastructure and sustainable social-eco-system development
  • Design and implementation of innovation policies for industrial development
  • Micro-level performance of domestic producers and services (import and export handling)
  • Policy framework that facilitates entries and supports SMEs towards inclusive and sustainable industrialisation for catching-up in the Global Value chain.
  • Building effective sustainable innovation systems at different levels and identifying the factual policies in order to prepare tomorrow's workforce for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Submission guidelines:
We would like to invite you to submit a full manuscript to be considered for publication in the Special issue of 'Catching–Up along the Global Value Chain'. Submission of a full manuscript does not indicate automatic acceptance for the present special Issue.
1. In order to submit, authors should read carefully the journal instructions and requirements in terms of length, reference style etc.
2. All full manuscripts to be considered for the special issue must be submitted through the online submission system at the website of African Journal of Science Technology Innovation and Development (AJSTID) published by Taylor and Francis. During the submission process, authors must indicate that the manuscript is intended for this Special Issue, by selecting: "Catching–Up along the Global Value Chain: Models, Determinants and Policy Implications in The Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution".
3. All manuscripts will be subjected to double blind peer review and inclusion in the Special Issue will be determined on a final acceptance decision by the Editor of African Journal of Science Technology Innovation and Development, on the basis of peer reviews and recommendations made by the Guest Editors.
4. Successful papers will go through the production process and be assigned a DOI and uploaded online to the website of African Journal of Science Technology Innovation and Development.
Important dates:
  •  1st March 2020 : Full Manuscript submission will be open
  •  31st August 2020 : Submission deadline for full manuscript.
  •  July 2021 : Expected publication date
Editorial Advisors:
  • Prof. Mammo Muchie (Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa),
  • Prof. Franco Malerba (Bocconi University, Italy)
  • Dr. Roberto Mavilia (Bocconi University, Italy)
  • Dr. Yemisi Abisuga (Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa)
  • Dr. Thokozani Simelane (Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria)

Handling Editors:
  • Prof. Mammo Muchie, (e-mail: mammo.muchie2019[@]gmail.com)
  • Dr. Angathevar Baskaran (email: anga_bas[@]yahoo.co.uk)
  • Dr. Swapan Kumar Patra (e-mail: skpatra[@]gmail.com)
  • Dr. Emmanuel Ojo (email: Emmanuel.Ojo[@]wits.ac.za)

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

CfPs: National Conference on Role of Women in Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (STREE2020) | 5-6 April at JNU, New Delhi

Call for Papers 
National Conference on Role of Women in Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (STREE2020)
5–6 April 2020 | Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Conference Objective
  • To bring the scientists, entrepreneurs, academicians, NGOs, SHGs on the same platform to share their experiences, suggestions, opinions and vision.
  • To formulate a road-map for time bound achievement of goal of sustainable development.
  • To further increase the participation of women in achieving sustainable development goals by extending the outreach to women in general through development of scientific temper.
  • To bring forth and render due credit to the efforts and innovations made by women in India across all the fields those were hitherto hidden or remained unnoticed but can bring about great change in the manner sustainable development is perceived by the world.
  • To showcase the glorious history of Indian culture which having been led by women has the ethos of sustainable development at the very core of its heart.
  • To encourage dissemination of scientific innovations and technologies by women scientists.
  • To promote more community participation for the development of society with the intervention of science and technology.
  • To increase interaction and promote networking and exchange between women scientists, women activists and women entrepreneurs from across the country.
  • To increase understanding of the role of science and technology in supporting women's critical role in sustainable development.

Guidelines for paper & poster presentation
Abstract of the oral/poster presentation should cover one of the themes in English with following Guidelines:
  • The abstract should be in Ms word of A4 size paper not exceeding 200 words typed in Times New Roman font size. 12 point with double spacing. It should have the margin of 1.5″ on the left side and the margin of 1″ on the other three sides.
  • Title of the paper in upper case centered and bold with font size 14 points.
  • Author(s) Name and Affiliation (s), centered with font size 11 points. Authors addressed 10 points italics.
  • The abstract should be sent online to the convenor latest by 28 February 2020.
  • Email for Abstract submission: abstract.stree2020@gmail.com.
  • Intimation of accepted Abstracts for Oral presentation or Poster presentation will be intimated by 2 March 2020.
  • Authors are requested to send the abstracts and full paper not more than 2000 words in word format to the convenor. It will be reviewed by the Academic Committee and Abstract of selected papers on each theme will be published in Souvenir.
  • Selected Abstracts will be published in Souvenir Cum Abstract Book.

Important Dates
  • Last date of Abstract Submission: 28 February 2020
  • Intimation of Accepted Abstract will be by: 02 March 2020
  • Last date for Registration: 05 March 2020
  • Last date for Submission of Full Papers of Accepted Abstracts for Paper or Poster: 15 March 2020

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

CfPs: National Conference On "Science, Technology and Medicine in the History of Modern India" | NOIDA, 23-24 March

National Conference On "Science, Technology and Medicine in the History of Modern India: Exploring Recent Trends, Interdisciplinary Approaches and New Sources"
23-24 March, 2020 at Amity University (Main Campus), Noida. 
Email the abstract to madhumitasaha30@gmail.com by 20th February 2020.

CONCEPT NOTE & BRIEF SUMMARY

The proposed conference on histories of science, technology and medicine in India will build on existing historiography and seek new ways of writing the discipline's histories. The conference aims to recover the specificities of the Indian experiences of science, technology and medicine by exploring a gamut of case studies on related topics. It will critically engage with both intellectual histories as well as practices of techno-scientific and medical researches. While the presenters will delve on a range of topics on techno-scientific and medicinal researches, including histories of institutions, individuals, and instruments, it will also bring to focus other lesser studied topics, such as histories of material cultures, private corporations, and research funding patterns, history of philanthropy, and diplomatic history. The temporal focus of the conference will be on modern India, covering the colonial and post-colonial period. But the conference does not intend to frame histories of science, technology and medicine in terms of binaries of colonialism and nationalism as recent researches bring out limited nature of the control exercised by any form of governments in the use of science, technology and medicine as a 'tool' to fulfill all its ambitions. Rather, the goal is to find out what roles the process of state formation, modernization, Cold War politics and the associated social, political, economic and cultural contexts played in influencing the trajectory of techno-scientific and medical researches. Exploring the twin themes of 'agency' and 'denial' is an important goal of the conference. The papers will seek out the interaction between science, technology and its users not simply in terms of acceptance or  resistance but how the new artifacts or knowledge gave agency to people of different strata of society. At the same time, it will also look into how technologies, medical and scientific knowledge came to be denied to members of society in name religion, caste, feminine virtue etc. The conference wants to explore the histories of science and technology with that of medicine not because we believe that they are of similar nature. Rather, the case studies from the respective fields will show how there are thematic overlaps, convergences and diversities when we look at questions of colonialism, modernity, state building, power politics, and agency through the lens of history of science, technology and medicine. 

Featured Panel
Science and other Indian knowledge systems: The panel discussion will explore the relationship between science and other knowledge systems. In doing so, the discussants will interrogate the categories, reflect on their nature and recount the experience of its practitioners. But most importantly, the discussants will try to give us a roadmap as to what could be the variety of sources for writing the History of Science, Technology & Medicine.
Confluence: History of Science, Technology & Medicine: As History of Science, Technology & Medicine of South Asia is increasingly enjoying a very high standing in the academic world, it is imperative that we find new ways of making the discipline innovative and exciting. Also, it is very important that we start exploring new methodological approaches, which would take us beyond the constraints of the archives, to write these histories through engaging with other historical sources. The resource person attending the conference will look into how histories of science, technology and medicine can be more incisively written by including a more multidisciplinary approach, for instance, sociology of science, STS, anthropology, gender studies and post-colonial studies to name a few.

BROAD THEMES
  • Through the Lens: Science, Technology & Medicine in Construction of History
  • Technology, Power and Development
  • Public Health, Disease and Medicine
  • Techno-Scientific Knowledge Production
  • State, Science and Native Response
  • Confluence: History of Science, Technology & Medicine
  • Technology and Environment
  • Technology and Democracy

__________________
A Note from the Organizer

Dear Prof. Govind,
The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) has recently given me the grant to arrange a national conference on the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at Amity University, Noida (main campus). I am attaching the brochure which contains the necessary details, including the main themes. But I am looking for speakers who will take us beyond a narrow frame of 'history' of science, technology and medicine. I am looking for scholars who will be willing to speak on AI, Linguistics, Philosophy of Science, bioethics, morality and science, law etc as well as from science policy perspective. 
Please let me know if there are scholars, researchers in CSSP-JNU who will be interested in participating in the conference. Without the participation of CSSP students/researchers/faculties, this conference can't be successful. 
Thank you very much for your help.
Sincerely,

ODS Article "Grassroots Innovations in the Informal Economy: Insights from Value Theory" | by FA Sheikh & S Bhaduri


Grassroots Innovations in the Informal Economy: Insights from Value Theory
by Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh & Saradindu Bhaduri, Oxford Development Studies, 2020, DOI: 10.1080/13600818.2020.1717453.

Abstract: The scholarship on innovation hitherto has prioritized exchange value, scalability and large scale commercialization, overlooking the other significant human centric values discussed in 'value theory'. Consequently, innovations in the informal economy are often undermined due to their inability to generate exchange values. This paper identifies and examines the suitability of the nuanced set of values discussed in value theory for informal sector grassroots innovations. Based on ten years of ethnographic research in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir in India, we find that  these innovations generate a diverse set of values, ranging from use value to socially embedded reciprocal exchange value to different forms of relational and non-relational intrinsic values. At a juncture when strengthening alternative innovation approaches occupies a priority, these findings have important bearing on innovation policy scholarship.

Current Science Commentary "Science and Innovation in the 21st century: New Paradigmsand Challenges for Policy Design" | by Sujit Bhattacharya

Science and Innovation in the 21st century: New Paradigms and Challenges for Policy Design

by Sujit Bhattacharya, Current Science, 118 (3): 348-349, 10 February 2020.

Abstract: Responsible innovation, entrepreneurial university, translation gap, valley of death, sustainability, risk, regulation and governance broadly encompass the oeuvre of innovation studies, and are becoming ubiquitous concepts in the debate on science, technology and innovation (STI). Close reading of the literature shows distinct strands of research within this domain; lack of convergence in terms of conceptual framework leading to articulation of different models for conduct and governance of science and technology (S&T). The persistent selective framing of innovation is leading to considerable bias in the way we theorize and define innovation, resulting in articulation of weak policy frameworks. This note draws attention to two dominant strands of scholarship within innovation studies, one influenced by economic thinking and the other STS (science–technology–society studies) to make the above claim. Keeping this as the basis of argument, the note posits that this divergence is creating impediments in developing successful models for translation of S&T for socio-economic benefits. Thus, it calls for exploring and exploiting models that can build convergence between the different strands of innovation research. In this context, it draws attention to the promising possibilities of the 'post-normal science' thesis to show this as one of the useful analytical frameworks in the contemporary context. 

Download OA PDF

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

22nd L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards recognizes five exceptional women researchers in the life sciences


UNESCO Press Release No.2020-07 

22nd L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards recognizes five exceptional women researchers in the life sciences

Paris, 11 February—On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, L'Oréal Foundation and UNESCO are announcing the winners of the 22nd For Women in Science Awards, which honour five exceptional women scientists from different regions of the world. This year, the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards recognize the achievement of women scientists in the field of life sciences: biotechnology, ecology, epigenetics, epidemiology and infectiology.

Each of the five laureates will receive €100,000 at a Ceremony on 12th March 2020 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. They are recognized alongside 15 Rising Talents, young women scientists from all over the world.

The 2020 For Women in Science laureates are:

Africa and the Arab States

Professor Abla Mehio Sibai – Medicine and Health sciences, Professor of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon, for her pioneering research and advocacy to improve healthy ageing in low- and middle-income countries and their impact on health and social policy programmes.

Asia-Pacific

Doctor Firdausi Qadri – Biological sciences, Senior Scientist, Head Mucosal Immunology and Vaccinology Unit, Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh, for her outstanding work to understand and prevent infectious diseases affecting children in developing countries, and promote early diagnosis and vaccination with global health impact.

Europe

Professor Edith Heard – Biological sciences, Director General of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Chair of Epigenetics and Cellular Memory at the Collège de France, Paris, France, and former Director of the Genetics and Developmental Biology Unit at the Institut Curie, Fellow of the Royal Society (UK), for her fundamental discoveries concerning the mechanisms governing epigenetic processes, which allow mammals to regulate proper gene expression and are essential for life.

Latin America

Professor Esperanza Martínez-Romero Ecology and Environmental sciences, Professor of Environmental Science at the Genomic Science Center of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico, for her pioneering work on the use of environmentally friendly bacteria to support plant growth for increased agricultural productivity and reduced use of chemical fertilizers.

North America

Professor Kristi AnsethBiological sciences, Distinguished Professor, Tisone Professor and Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Colorado, Boulder, United States of America, for her outstanding contribution in converging engineering and biology to develop innovative biomaterials that help tissue regeneration and drug delivery.

 

The 15 Rising Talents are:

Africa and the Arab States

Dr Laura-Joy Boulos – Neuroscience
Levant, Saint-Joseph University, Lebanon
Dr Nowsheen Goonoo – Biomedicine
Sub-Saharan Africa, University of Mauritius
Dr Nouf Mahmoud – Health Sciences
Levant, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan
Georgina Nyawo – Molecular Biology, Medical Microbiology
Sub-Saharan Africa, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Asia Pacific

Dr Rui Bai – Biological sciences
China, Westlake University
Dr Huanqian LohPhysics
Singapore, National University of Singapore
Dr Mikyung Shin – Biomaterials
Republic of Korea, Sungkyunkwan University

Latin America

Dr Paula Giraldo Gallo – Physics
Colombia, University of the Andes
Dr Patrícia Medeiros – Biological sciences
Brazil, Federal University of Alagoas

North America

Dr Elizabeth Trembath-Reichert – Earth Science /Environmental Science
United States of America, Arizona State University

Europe

Dr Vida Engmann – Material Engineering
Denmark, University of Southern Denmark
Dr Serap Erkek – Molecular biology / Epigenetics
Young Talents Awards – Turkey, Cancer Epigenomics Laboratory, Biomedicine and Genome Center
Dr Jennifer Garden – Chemistry
Young Talents Awards – United Kingdom, University of Edinburgh
Dr Cristina Romera Castillo – Marine sciences
Young Talents Awards – Spain, Institute of Sea Sciences
Dr Olena Vaneeva – Mathematics
Young Talents Awards – Ukraine, Institute of Mathematics of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine

For Women in Science: A commitment since 1998

Convinced that the world needs science, and that science needs women, UNESCO and L'Oréal Foundation actively support women in science, in order to increase their visibility, raise awareness of their talent and inspire more of them to work in science.

Every year since its creation in 1998, the For Women in Science programme has honoured and supported five outstanding women researchers from all regions, totalling 112 laureates to date. It has also supported more than 3,300 talented young women scientists, including doctoral candidates and post-doctoral researchers, in more than 118 countries.

Almost 260 talented young women scientists, doctoral candidates or post-doctoral researchers, are supported each year through the national and regional For Women in Science programmes. The 15 most promising researchers of this group, listed above, will be honoured in a ceremony at the French Academy of Sciences on 10 March.

Globally, women continue to represent only 29% of researchers. [1] Although they are more numerous in certain disciplines, the glass ceiling remains a reality within research as a whole. Men therefore occupy 89% of senior academic posts in Europe, [2] and only 3% of Nobel Prizes for Science have ever been awarded to women.

****

Media contacts –L'Oréal Foundation
Mathilde RATINAUD / mathilde.ratinaud@mtrchk.com / +33 (0)6 48 48 68 05
Gladys GROS-DÉSIR / gladys.gros-desir@mtrchk.com / +33 (0)6 83 59 69 31
Aïda-Marie SALL / aida-marie.sall@loreal.com / +33 (0)6 80 00 45 59


Media contact UNESCO
Lucia Iglesias Kuntz l.iglesias@unesco.org
Bernard Giansetto b.giansetto@unesco.org
Roni Amelan r.amelan@unesco.org

 

[1] UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 (2015).
[2] Boston Consulting Group study for the Fondation L'Oréal (2013) on 14 countries (South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, China, Egypt, Spain, United States, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, United Kingdom).



UNESCO, 7, place de Fontenoy, PARIS, NA FRANCE France

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Call for Applications: 2020 AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy


The call for applications of the 2020 AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy is now open. The course is organized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and TWAS and aims to expose participants to some key concepts on the interactions between the scientific and policymaking communities. 

The AAAS-TWAS Course on Science and Diplomacy will be held from 10 to 13 July 2020 in Trieste, Italy. For full details, please see: https://twas.org/opportunity/2020-aaas-twas-course-science-diplomacy
  • Travel, accommodation and visa expenses will be provided to the selected participants.
Online Application Form. Applications can only be submitted online.

The application deadline is 5 March 2020. Successful candidates will be contacted in April. 

For any queries, please contact sciencediplomacy@twas.org


CSSP Talk on Endogenous Knowledge-based Innovation in Comparative Perspective | by Dr Diran Soumonni, 12th February at SSS-1, JNU

Centre for Studies in Science Policy 
Jawaharlal Nehru University


Invites you to CSSP Wednesday Lecture Series

 

Talk on

 

Endogenous Knowledge-based Innovation in Comparative Perspective: Towards a Model for Africa-India Cooperation

 

By

Dr Diran Soumonni (Wits University, South Africa)


Venue: Room No. 227, 2nd Floor, CSSP, SSS-1 Building, JNU

 

Date: Wednesday, 12th February 2020 | Time: 11:30 am

 


About the Speaker: Dr Diran Soumonni is a Senior Lecturer in Innovation Policy and Management, and Programme Director of the Master of Management in Innovation Studies at the Wits Business School, South Africa. He obtained his PhD in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where he focused on both innovation studies and energy policy. He is an active member of the Global Network for the Economics of Learning, Innovation and Competence Building Systems (GLOBELICS) and of the Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S). He serves on the scientific board of the African Network for the Economics of Learning, Innovation and Competence Building Systems (AFRICALICS), and is also a Steering Committee Member of the International Network on Appropriate Technology (INAT).

 

About the Talk: The dominant modern discourse on globalization masks the fact that the history of humanity itself is one of migration, exchange, and interpenetration in all facets of life. Furthermore, the prevailing apparatus designed to foster "development" in most of the world is economistic in its orientation, and tends to downplay the plurality of values that provide people with a higher sense of meaning and purpose. Thus, the task of formerly-colonized nations in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere, must be to not only problematize these discourses, but to offer alternative pathways for a more just global order. As a contribution to such an exercise, this paper first highlights the underpinnings of endogenous knowledge, cursorily understood to signify that "knowledge of self" is the properly-suited basis for a reciprocal valorization of diverse knowledge systems. In contradistinction to the framing of Africa that was inherited from its arbitrary partition, however, the premise that serves as the basis for this paper is that which was defined by the preeminent Beninese linguist and cultural theorist, Ambassador Olabiyi Yaï, as "the sum total of African cultures as sedimented for millennia in philosophies, wisdoms, ways of being and doing things, as well as ways of relating to otherness". Secondly, some salient examples of political leaders in India and Africa, who attempted to base the development of their emerging states on a critical appropriation of modern science, will be underscored. Thirdly, some notable contemporary models of endogenous knowledge-based, innovative initiatives in both territories will be highlighted. Finally, these building blocks, namely, endogenous knowledge generation, innovative organizational development, and nation-building, provide the basis for a three-tiered, but mutually-reinforcing model for South-South cooperation in general, and for Africa-India cooperation, in particular.

There is a growing body of social science research on the role of innovation in socio-economic development in the Global South. In this regard, the Systems of Innovation (SI) framework, which has been embraced by numerous Indian and African scholars alike, offers insights that predominantly provide strategies for acquiring technological capabilities from outside sources and subsequently upgrading them for the purpose of economic development. Another orientation within the same systemic perspective emphasizes low cost, grassroots, and socially-inclusive innovation. The latter are roughly analogous to the early themes in the Appropriate Technology movement, which were largely inspired by the Indian economist, J.C. Kumarappa and the Sri Lankan scholar of Indian culture, Ananda Coomaraswamy, among others. However, despite the significant potential of applying scientifically-novel or "emerging technologies" such as advanced Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), biotechnology or nanotechnology to developmental challenges, the synthesis between the two main approaches largely remains elusive. Furthermore, only a few related studies in either perspective attempt to ground their work in the historical experience of African and Indian peoples, their intellectual heritage, or the viable innovative solutions that continue to emerge from their knowledge bases, both indigenous and contemporary. This paper, therefore, combines the concept of "Endogenous Development", as developed by the late, renowned Burkinabé historian, Joseph Ki-Zerbo, in his 1992 book, "La natte des autres", with selected analytical tools from the SI approach to propose an Endogenous Systems of Innovation (ESI) framework. Of specific interest, with respect to Africa-India knowledge exchanges, are the concepts of "alternative science" articulated by Shiv Visvanathan, as part of his critical reflections on the Swadesi movement in Bengal, and "alternative sciences" as propounded by Ashish Nandy. Far from being essentialist or nativist, these perspectives provide an enlarged set of insights for integrating diverse knowledge forms, while remaining true to "endogeneity" as a referential, though self-critical and evolving matrix. From the vantage points of gender inclusivity, social equity and ecological consciousness, the scholar-activists, Sunita Narain and the Late Wangari Maathai, provide cutting-edge Global South critiques and alternatives to contemporary environmental discourses and practices.

Following the conceptual groundwork presented, some more experiential and programmatic models are offered that could provide blueprints for how reciprocal, knowledge-based exchanges might be strengthened. In the first set of examples, some of the core convictions of the Late Tanzanian president, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and the Late Indian Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, with respect to both harmonious science-based development and South-South solidarity, are presented. The second set of illustrative cases relates to non-governmental organizations that offer much-needed developmental services in an "endogenous" manner. These include the Benin-based, innovation award-winning Songhaï Center, which promotes "authentic technology" based on sustainable agroecology, and the collaboration between the Mauritius-based Global Rainbow Foundation and the Indian not-for-profit organization, Jaipur Foot, in the manufacturing and fitting of artificial limbs. Lastly, some recommendations that emerge from the three-tiered endogenous development exchange model are offered for concrete, future engagement.

 

 


 

All are welcome to attend the Lecture. 

 

Coordinator, CSSP Lecture Series



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Centre for Studies in Science Policy
School of Social Sciences

SSS 1 Building, 2nd Floor
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi - 110067, India
Tel: +91-11-26704461
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Friday, February 7, 2020

JNU Workshop on Facilitating Thesis Writing with AuthorCafe.com | 19th February

Dr B R Ambedkar Central Library JNU 
in collaboration with AuthorCafe Cordially invites you to a 
Workshop on Facilitating Thesis Writing with AuthorCafe.com
AuthorCafe is a Knowledge Management Platform that facilitates academia for the creation, collaboration, review, dissemination and the administration of research content such as reports, theses, dissertations and grant proposals. It provides workflows to simplify thesis and dissertation writing, internal and external reviewing and cover all the deliverables to various repositories. The Presentation will cover:
  • How writing theses & dissertations can be simplified with AuthorCafe and how it can help with the Electronic Theses & Dissertations (ETD) Life-cycle management.
Key benefits for Students & Guides:
  • Hardware-independent internet-based digital platform.
  • Personal digital library space for storing all reference documents, images, citations etc.
  • Collaboration features – write & review, comment, track changes – between any numbers of students, guides or others.
  • Integration with many global academic platforms like Mendeley, CrossRef, Zotero etc. for automatic integration of citations & content.
  • Auto-formatting of Theses to JNU's templates. No need to manually style the content. Huge saving of time and effort.
  • Easy import & export from and to multiple formats.
  • Integration with JNU's ETD management system could make communication easier with multiple stakeholders and make compliance easier to university's requirements such as submitting periodic updates.
Date: 19th February 2020 at 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Venue: Auditorium, Convention Centre JNU, New Delhi

Thursday, February 6, 2020

JNU organizes a National Workshop on Scholarly Publishing, MOOCs and OERs in Education and Research | 13 February

Dr BR Ambedkar Central Library is organizing a 

National Workshop on Scholarly Publishing, MOOCs and OERs in Education and Research

on 13th February, 2020 

at Lecture Hall 1, Convention Centre, JNU, New Delhi  

CfPs: National Conference On "Science, Technology and Medicine in the History of Modern India" | NOIDA, 23-24 March

National Conference On "Science, Technology and Medicine in the History of Modern India: Exploring Recent Trends, Interdisciplinary Approaches and New Sources"
23-24 March, 2020 at Amity University (Main Campus), Noida. 
Email the abstract to madhumitasaha30@gmail.com by 20th February 2020.

CONCEPT NOTE & BRIEF SUMMARY

The proposed conference on histories of science, technology and medicine in India will build on existing historiography and seek new ways of writing the discipline's histories. The conference aims to recover the specificities of the Indian experiences of science, technology and medicine by exploring a gamut of case studies on related topics. It will critically engage with both intellectual histories as well as practices of techno-scientific and medical researches. While the presenters will delve on a range of topics on techno-scientific and medicinal researches, including histories of institutions, individuals, and instruments, it will also bring to focus other lesser studied topics, such as histories of material cultures, private corporations, and research funding patterns, history of philanthropy, and diplomatic history. The temporal focus of the conference will be on modern India, covering the colonial and post-colonial period. But the conference does not intend to frame histories of science, technology and medicine in terms of binaries of colonialism and nationalism as recent researches bring out limited nature of the control exercised by any form of governments in the use of science, technology and medicine as a 'tool' to fulfill all its ambitions. Rather, the goal is to find out what roles the process of state formation, modernization, Cold War politics and the associated social, political, economic and cultural contexts played in influencing the trajectory of techno-scientific and medical researches. Exploring the twin themes of 'agency' and 'denial' is an important goal of the conference. The papers will seek out the interaction between science, technology and its users not simply in terms of acceptance or  resistance but how the new artifacts or knowledge gave agency to people of different strata of society. At the same time, it will also look into how technologies, medical and scientific knowledge came to be denied to members of society in name religion, caste, feminine virtue etc. The conference wants to explore the histories of science and technology with that of medicine not because we believe that they are of similar nature. Rather, the case studies from the respective fields will show how there are thematic overlaps, convergences and diversities when we look at questions of colonialism, modernity, state building, power politics, and agency through the lens of history of science, technology and medicine. 

Featured Panel
Science and other Indian knowledge systems: The panel discussion will explore the relationship between science and other knowledge systems. In doing so, the discussants will interrogate the categories, reflect on their nature and recount the experience of its practitioners. But most importantly, the discussants will try to give us a roadmap as to what could be the variety of sources for writing the History of Science, Technology & Medicine.
Confluence: History of Science, Technology & Medicine: As History of Science, Technology & Medicine of South Asia is increasingly enjoying a very high standing in the academic world, it is imperative that we find new ways of making the discipline innovative and exciting. Also, it is very important that we start exploring new methodological approaches, which would take us beyond the constraints of the archives, to write these histories through engaging with other historical sources. The resource person attending the conference will look into how histories of science, technology and medicine can be more incisively written by including a more multidisciplinary approach, for instance, sociology of science, STS, anthropology, gender studies and post-colonial studies to name a few.

BROAD THEMES
  • Through the Lens: Science, Technology & Medicine in Construction of History
  • Technology, Power and Development
  • Public Health, Disease and Medicine
  • Techno-Scientific Knowledge Production
  • State, Science and Native Response
  • Confluence: History of Science, Technology & Medicine
  • Technology and Environment
  • Technology and Democracy