Thursday, March 31, 2022

Call for Applications: 15th Globelics Academy PhD School on Innovation and Development

15th Globelics Academy PhD School on Innovation and Development
15 - 26 August 2022
Tampere,  Finland

The Globelics Academy PhD school consists of a two-weeks event for young scholars in the fields of innovation studies.
The aim of the Globelics Academy PhD School on Innovation and Development (GA) is to support the training of PhD-students writing theses on issues related to innovation systems, economics of innovation, and technological change.
The Academy brings together frontier researchers within innovation studies with PhD-students from around the world, both to inspire and qualify their work and to help them to join high-quality research networks. It consists of a two-weeks event with a range of activities, such as (1) lectures from senior scholars from the Globelics community (https://www.globelics.org/ ), (2) young scholars presenting a PhD chapter/paper and receiving feedback from mentors and colleagues. Besides the academic activities, the academy offers (3) the opportunity to engage with the actors in the local ecosystem of innovation (start-ups, entrepreneurs and policy makers). The GA is in its 15th edition, and it consists of a unique chance to engage with a vibrant community, composed by other young scholars, early career researchers, mentors and senior established scholars in the field of innovation studies. The 15th version of the Globelics PhD Academy (GA) will take place in Tampere, Finland, from the 15th – 26th of August 2022. Please submit your application by 24 April 2022.


Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Just Released IAP Report "Combatting Predatory Academic Journals and Conferences"

Combatting Predatory Academic Journals and Conferences

by The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), March 2022

Call for Participation: IIFT Model WTO 2022 on "Intellectual Property Rights Waiver and Covid-19 Medicines"


Greetings from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)!

We are pleased to inform you that the Economics Department of IIFT, in collaboration with the Centre for WTO Studies, is organizing its first edition of 'Model WTO 2022'. The one-day virtual event brings in tremendous opportunities for students of economics to portray their understanding of the WTO and present their views in front of esteemed delegates and policy negotiators from India. Model WTO is more than a simulation of the World Trade Organization – it is a unique project for students to not only learn about the dynamics of the WTO decision making and its future implications, but to also actively deliberate feasible solutions with regards to internationally defined regulations on a profound level.

The theme for this year's Model WTO is "Intellectual Property Rights Waiver and Covid-19 Medicines''. The discussions and deliberations will focus on the economic aspects of the issues surrounding the debate of patents on Covid-19 vaccines and the implications for various stakeholders. It is a competitive event that will entertain 11 to 13 teams representing different countries, including one team representing the case of civil societies. Only students who are currently enrolled in Master's or PhD programmes in Economics can participate in the event as delegates. 

We would also like to extend our invitation to respected faculties and students (from all the domains/who do not want to participate as delegates) to join us in the Model WTO deliberations as listeners and audience members.

Some important details about the event are outlined below:

Important Dates:

  • Registration Period: 19th March, 2022 - 3rd April, 2022
  • Submission of Proposals: 5th April, 2022
  • Mock WTO (A precursor to the main event): 25th - 29th April, 2022

Important Links:

We request you to please go through the detailed brochure to find further information about formation of teams and important links for the event.

For further queries, please write to iiftecosoc@iift.edu

Thanking You,


Best Regards,
IIFT Economics Society (I.E.S.)
M.A. Economics (Specialization in Trade and Finance)
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade 
(Under Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India)
New Delhi | Kolkata

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Recordings of Sessions | JNU-GIAN Course on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): Conceptual Framework and Practices | 7-18 March 2022

Dear All,

Many thanks for your active participation in the JNU-GIAN Course on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): Conceptual Framework and Practices held during 7-18 March 2022. I am sending herewith some important weblinks for your future reference.

Recordings of Sessions

With Best Regards

Anup Kumar Das
Course Coordinator
JNU-GIAN Course on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)

On Thu, Feb 24, 2022 at 7:38 PM Shilpa Mishra <shilpa19mishra@gmail.com> wrote:

It is a matter of great satisfaction to know that courses on Responsible Innovation and Research (RRI) are being organized by Jawaharlal Nehru University. Such courses will certainly help the researchers to work in the responsible innovation field. As my research group has been working for more than 10 years on RRI, it is also encouraging that our university is coming together with foreign institutions to offer courses on RRI. I appreciate the efforts of the organizers for their efforts in contributing to the theme of RRI. 

In this context, I would like to draw the attention and interest of all of you that a lot of work has been (is being) done on Responsible Research and Innovation during the last 10 years by Dr Rajbeer and his students (Jaime, Dr Zahinos, Dr Setiawan, Dr Anjan, Shilpa, Swati, Jyoti, Krishna, Neha, Deepak) at TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, UPC Barcelona and Center for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Some of the students submitted their PhD thesis and MPhil dissertation on responsible innovation under the guidance of Dr Rajbeer and some PhD thesis and MPhil dissertation on RRI will be submitted soon. Dr Rajbeer and his students have built an excellent RRI theoretical framework that would be useful for all of you.  The research group is taking the RRI theory forward by finding evidence of this theory with the help of case studies such as the car industry,  unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV)/ drones, Electric vehicles, Smart Energy Networks,  Biofuels, Sensor technology in agriculture and Public Transport Systems. If you find this work useful then kindly feel free to include our work and experiences in any of the current or future courses or research or policy on responsible innovation by the University or STS network or STS community.


Here is a list of publications and Thesis already published under the supervision of Dr Singh which may be useful references on RRI for researchers and learners in the RRI area from developed and developing countries. 


  1. Mishra S., Singh R. (2018) Responsible Innovation: A New Approach to Address the Theoretical Gaps for Innovating in Emerging E-Mobility Sector. In: Governance and Sustainability of Responsible Research and Innovation Processes. SpringerBriefs in Research and Innovation Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73105-6_12 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-73105-6_12

  2. Rajbeer Singh, Shilpa Mishra and KrishnaTripathi (2020) Analysing acceptability of E-rickshaw as a public transport innovation in Delhi: A responsible innovation perspective, in Technological Forecasting and Social Change; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040162521003401

  3. Andri D. Setiawan, Rajbeer Singh, Henny Romijn (2019), Responsible Innovation: Moving Towards a Culturally Sensitive Approach, in Studies in Asian Social Science, https://doi.org/10.5430/sass.v6n2p46 https://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/sass/article/view/16076/10261 

  4. Singh, R., & Kroesen, O. (2012). Understanding responsible innovation from developing countries' perspectives. In The 2nd conference on responsible innovation 2012 (pp. 1568-1580). https://www.academia.edu/3411747/Understanding_Responsible_innovation_from_developing_countries_perspectives 

  5. Setiawan, Andri D. Sutrisno, Aziiz and Singh, Rajbeer (2018), Responsible innovation in practice with system dynamics modeling: the case of energy technology adoption, in International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development;  https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJISD.2018.095048

  6. Abel Zahinos, Rajbeer Singh and Margarita González-Benítez (2013), Moving toward Responsible Innovation Approach in the Automotive Industry: the SEAT Case, Conference paper, https://www.academia.edu/7096028/Moving_toward_Responsible_Innovation_Approach_in_the_Automotive_Industry_the_SEAT_Case 

  7. Setiawan A.D., Singh R. (2015) Responsible Innovation in Practice: The Adoption of Solar PV in Telecom Towers in Indonesia. In: Koops BJ., Oosterlaken I., Romijn H., Swierstra T., van den Hoven J. (eds) Responsible Innovation 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17308-5_12 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-17308-5_12

  8. Chamuah A., Singh R. (2020) Responsibility and Accountability in the Governance of Civilian UAV for Crop Insurance Applications in India. In: Avtar R., Watanabe T. (eds) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: Applications in Agriculture and Environment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27157-2_14 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-27157-2_14

  9. Anjan Chamuah, Rajbeer Singh (2020), Securing sustainability in Indian agriculture through civilian UAV: a responsible innovation perspective, in SN Applied Sciences, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42452-019-1901-6

  10. Anjan Chamuah, Rajbeer Singh (2022), Responsible governance of civilian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) innovations for Indian crop insurance applications, in Journal of Responsible Technology; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666659622000026

  11. Anjan Chamuah, Rajbeer Singh (2021), Responsibly regulating the civilian unmanned aerial vehicle deployment in India and Japan; in Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AEAT-08-2019-0172/full/html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_journalLatest

  12. Zahinos Ruiz, Abel (2015) Responsible innovation at the firm-level: Tracing in the car industry, PhD Thesis, UPC Barcelona, https://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/385859#page=1    or https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/tesis?codigo=83987 

  13. Jaime Michavila (2013), Best Practices for a Responsible Innovation Process: Application to a Car Manufacturer, TU Delft Master Thesis https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:ccd438db-f38c-41b7-adf4-1daa002e4c99/datastream/OBJ/download

  14. Swati Kumari, Rajbeer Singh (2021), Ensure Value Sensitive Design Responsibly for Social Sustainability: A Case of E-vehicle in Delhi, India, STS. Conference Graz Proceeding, TU Graz, Austria. https://openlib.tugraz.at/download.php?id=6188f3985b14a&location=browse

  15.  Swati Kumari, Rajbeer Singh (2019), E-Mobility Through R.R.I. to Achieve Social Sustainability: A Case Study of Women Commuters of Delhi, India, STS. Conference Graz Proceeding, TU Graz, Austria. http://diglib.tugraz.at/download.php?id=5e29b15157ee3&location=browse

  16. Swati Kumari (2018), Nanomaterials in Sewage Treatment for Cleaning River Yamuna from the Lenses of Responsible Innovation,  STI 2018 Conference Proceeding, Centre for Science and Technology Studies (C.W.T.S.), Leiden University. https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/65293 


The group member of this member participated and presented papers on responsible innovation framework in various national and international conferences like -

4TUEthics Conference on the Ethics of Disruptive Technology. Technical University Eindhoven, the Netherlands. 

Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainable Systems (IDEAS), 2019 conference. Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.

International Conference on Technological Innovations for Integration of Food and Health (TiiFH 2019)Tezpur University, Assam, India, International Conference on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in Environment (ICUAVE)-2018. Hokkaido University, Japan. 

National Conference on Role and Challenges of Women's Participation in Environment Sustainability and Innovation Policy. Jawaharlal Nehru University and National Commission for Women.

International Seminar on Globalisation and India's Innovation System a Creative Destruction,  Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam Kerala 

International Conference on Responsible Research and Innovation in Science, Innovation and Society Rome, Italy 

9th Sustainability Forum in September 2021

7th Network for Early Career Researchers in Sustainability Transitions (NEST) Conference 2022,France 


Submitted Thesis 

Anjan Chamuah, Deploying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology for crop insurance in Gujarat and Rajasthan: a responsible innovation perspective"2015-2021


These are the Thesis that will be submitted in 2022. 


  1. Shilpa Mishra, "Anticipating Values for a Smart Energy Network for Electric Vehicles in Delhi: A Responsible Innovation Perspective" year from  2016-2022.

  2. Swati Kumari, "Innovating Responsibly for the Futures of Women's Safety in Public Transport in Delhi" 2016-2022.

  3. Jyoti, "Development of Sustainable Biofuels in India: A Responsible Innovation Perspective "2016-2022

These theses would be submitted in the next one and a half years

  1. Krishna Tripathi. "Innovating the energy storage systems for the adoption of e-mobility in Delhi: A responsible perspective." 2017 -2022

  2. Neha Sehra, "Governance structures of responsibly deploying the Civil UAVs in Indian agriculture: A responsible innovation perspective.", 2018-2023

  3. Deepak Indolia, "SENSOR NETWORK TECHNOLOGY BASED PRECISION IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN INDIA: AN ANALYSIS THROUGH RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION PERSPECTIVE.", 2018-2023


On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 6:26 PM anup kumar das <anupdas2072[@]gmail.com> wrote:
GIAN Course on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): Conceptual Framework and Practices

Foreign Faculty : Dr Robert Braun, Institut für Höhere Studien - Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), Vienna, Austria

Duration: 7-18 March 2022 (Two Weeks)

Supported by: Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN), Ministry of Education, India

Host Institute: Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

Course Objectives:
i) Exposing participants to the fundamentals of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI);
ii) Building in confidence and capability amongst the participants in the applications of RRI principles in the research and development (R&D) ecosystem in the higher educational institutions;
iii) Providing exposure to practical problems and their solutions through case studies and best practices in RRI;
iv) Enhancing the participants' capability to identify and problem solving based on RRI principles and practices.


Registration with JNU: http://www.jnu.ac.in/GIAN/

--

Friday, March 25, 2022

42nd RIS-STIP Public Lecture on 28th March 2022 at 3:30PM IST Virtual on “Rewiring the Brain - is it possible?”


Dear Madam/ Sir,

Greetings from Vigyan Prasar.

Vigyan Prasar (VP), is an autonomous organization of the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India engaged in large scale science popularization activities in the country. We have been extensively involved in generating science-based knowledge and communicating among all sections of the society on several relevant issues at the national level.

The Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) Forum has been set up with the objective of promoting debate on various aspects of Science, Technology and
Innovation Policy. The Forum would go beyond the disciplinary boundaries by taking into account the inter-sectionality of STI. It aims to will also bridge the gap between science and society for dissemination of scientific achievements as well as for generalizing debate of societal aspirations and promoting responsible research and innovations. Research and Information System for
Developing Countries (RIS), The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA), Vigyan Prasar and India Habitat Centre (IHC) are collaborative institutes.

We are honoured to have with us Dr K Sridhar, Honorary Secretary, Neurological Society of India to deliver on the topic "Rewiring the Brain - is it possible?" scheduled for 28th March 2022 at 03:30PM onwards. Dr Nakul Parashar, Director, Vigyan Prasar will be chairing the session.

It would be our pleasure to invite you to attend the 42nd RIS-STIP Public Lecture on the above topic and interacts with the speaker in the open discussion. Any questions or experiences can be shared in the open discussion or in the comments section after the lecture.
Kindly find the invitation and the links to join the Webinar.

LINK FOR THE WEBINAR:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZjNmNTgxMjEtYWMxOC00YjM3LTllY2UtOGQ3YzhkMTQ2YzEw%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22ae27de43-55f1-4997-b624-5bf752877804%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2225b92e16-a368-4b63-a0e2-b6aa5e359729%22%7d

We look forward to your active participation.

With warm regards,


--
Kinkini Dasgupta Misra
Scientist - F
# India Science, Technology & Innovation Portal
# DST Communication Project & VIGYAN SAMACHAR
# Gender & Technology Communication
Email: kdgm@vigyanprasar.gov.in, kdgm04@gmail.com
Office Phone No: 011-24608201, Mobile No. 9810941887

Sunday, March 20, 2022

New report: Is the solution to water crises hiding right under our feet?

UNESCO Press release No.2022-28

New report: Is the solution to water crises hiding right under our feet?

Paris, 21 March 2022 — Groundwater accounts for 99% of all liquid freshwater on Earth. However, this natural resource is often poorly understood and consequently undervalued, mismanaged and even abused. According to the latest edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report published by UNESCO, the vast potential of groundwater, and the need to manage it sustainably, can no longer be overlooked.

Today, UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water is launching the latest edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report, titled "Groundwater: Making the invisible visible" at the opening ceremony of the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal. The authors call on States to commit themselves to developing adequate and effective groundwater management and governance policies in order to address current and future water crises throughout the globe. Groundwater presently provides half of the volume of water withdrawn for domestic use by the global population, including the drinking water for the vast majority of the rural population who do not get their water delivered to them via public or private supply systems, and around 25% of all water used for irrigation.

Globally, water use is projected to grow by roughly 1% per year over the next 30 years. Our overall dependence on groundwater is expected to rise as surface water availability becomes increasingly limited due to climate change.

"More and more water resources are being polluted, overexploited, and dried up by humans, sometimes with irreversible consequences. Making smarter use of the potential of still sparsely developed groundwater resources, and protecting them from pollution and overexploitation, is essential to meet the fundamental needs of an ever-increasing global population and to address the global climate and   energy crises" says the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay.

"Improving the way we use and manage groundwater is an urgent priority if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Decision-makers must begin to take full account of the vital ways in which groundwater can help ensure the resilience of human life and activities in a future where the climate is becoming increasingly unpredictable" adds Gilbert F. Houngbo, Chair of UN-Water and President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Huge social, economic and environmental benefits and opportunities

The quality of groundwater is generally good, which means it can be used safely and affordably, without requiring advanced levels of treatment. Groundwater is often the most cost-effectiveway of providing a secure supply of water to rural villages.

Certain regions, such as Saharan Africa and the Middle East for example, hold substantial quantities of non-renewable groundwater supplies that can be extracted in order to maintain water security. However, consideration for future generations and for the economic, financial and environmental aspects of storage depletion should not be overlooked.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the opportunities offered by the vast aquifers remain largely underexploited. Only 3% of farmland is equipped for irrigation, and only 5% of that area uses groundwater, compared to 59% and 57% respectively in North America and South Asia.

As the report points out, this low use is not due to a lack of renewable groundwater (which is often abundant), but rather by a lack of investments in infrastructure, institutions, trained professionals and knowledge of the resource. The development of groundwater could act as a catalyst for economic growth by increasing the extent of irrigated areas and therefore improving agricultural yields and crop diversity.

In terms of climate change adaptation, the capacity of aquifer systems to store seasonal or episodic surface water surpluses can be exploited to improve year-round freshwater availability, as aquifers incur substantially lower evaporative losses than surface reservoirs. For example, including groundwater storage and abstraction as part of urban water supply planning would add security and flexibility in cases of seasonal variation.

Unlocking groundwater's full potential – what needs to be done?

    1. Collect data

The report raises the issue of the lack of groundwater data and emphasizes that groundwater monitoring is often a 'neglected area'. To improve this, the acquisition of data and information, which is usually under the responsibility of national (and local) groundwater agencies, could be complemented by the private sector. Particularly, the oil, gas and mining industries already possess a great deal of data, information and knowledge on the composition of the deeper domains underground, including aquifers. As a matter of corporate social responsibility, private companies are highly encouraged to share these data and information with public sector professionals. 

     2. Strengthen environmental regulations

As groundwater pollution is practically irreversible, it must be avoided. Enforcement efforts and the prosecution of polluters, however, are often challenging due to groundwater's invisible nature. Preventing groundwater contamination requires suitable land use and appropriate environmental regulations, especially across aquifer recharge areas. It is imperative that governments assume their role as resource custodians in view of the common-good aspects of groundwater to ensure that access to – and profit from – groundwater are distributed equitably and that the resource remains available for future generations.

    3. Reinforce human, material and financial resources

In many countries, the general lack of groundwater professionals among the staff of institutions and local and national government, as well as insufficient mandates, financing and support of groundwater departments or agencies, hamper effective groundwater management. The commitment of governments to build, support and maintain institutional capacity related to groundwater is crucial.

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The United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR), UN-Water's flagship publication on water and sanitation issues, focuses on a different theme every year. The report is published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water and its production is coordinated by the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme. The report gives insight into the main trends concerning the state, use and management of freshwater and sanitation, based on work by members and partners of UN-Water. Launched in conjunction with World Water Day, the report provides decision-makers with knowledge and tools to formulate and implement sustainable water policies. It also offers best practice examples and in-depth analyses to stimulate ideas and actions for better stewardship in the water sector and beyond.

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Media Contacts:



If you would rather not receive future communications from UNESCO, let us know by clicking here.
UNESCO, 7, place de Fontenoy, PARIS, NA FRANCE France

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Call for Papers: i-KOAL 2022 International Conference on Knowledge Organisation in Academic Libraries | 22-23 April

i-KOAL 2022 International Conference on Knowledge Organisation in Academic Libraries
22-23 April 2022 (Fri-Sat)
Venue: Tumkur University Tumukuru, Karnataka, India
Theme: Digital Transformation: Moving Towards Developing Smart Libraries
Jointly Organized by: Tumkur University, Tumukuru, Karnataka, India & Library Professionals Association, New Delhi

Introduction: In India, the implementation of technical infrastructure to improve access to the digital world and various e-government initiatives are empowering the country through an informed community and an efficient government. The times are changing with Internet access and electronic reading devices, visiting the library is no longer a necessity for today's academicians. The library has changed a great deal over the past decade, dueto changing demands from researchers, teachers, and learners and the onset of a digital revolution of library holdings. Digital transformation is powered by disruptive digital technologies, insights and processes. Tomanage with the changes, library professionals have to transform themselves and their activities using ICTand trends. The revolutions transformed different phases of libraries like: temple libraries (oral communications), manuscript libraries (primitive libraries), paper / print libraries (Traditional libraries),microform libraries, electronic libraries, digital libraries, virtual libraries, networked libraries, cloud libraries and now smart libraries etc. The 'smart' libraries and information services can support the development of 'smartcities', and also discuss the knowledge, skills, and personal attributes that 'smart librarians' will need. The High-quality information content and innovative service provided by smart libraries are capable of satisfying their needs. The overall purpose of conference is to examine this transformational process into smart libraries and positioning the Library as a key player for sustained engagement and capability building of Library staff,Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) development team and learners, working in partnership with stakeholders to embed academic skills development within curriculum and developing high quality learning resources and tools that are interactive, engaging, collaborative.
About Tumakuru: Tumakuru District is an administrative district in the state of Karnataka. It was formerly part of the old Mysore State. It was formed in 1832 during the days of British commissioner of Mysuru Sir Mark Cubbon. The district headquarters are located at Tumakuru. It is a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Bengaluru, the capital ofKarnataka. Tumkur city is governed by the Municipal Corporation. The city is well-connected to Bangalore and other cities in the state by trains and buses. The nearest airport to Tumkur is Kempegowda InternationalAirport in Bangalore which is around 85 km from the city.
About Tumkur University: Tumkur University was established in 2004 in Tumkur, Karnataka, India. It was carved out of BangaloreUniversity to accommodate the needs of the students from Tumkur district. Established under the KarnatakaState Universities Act, 2000, as a multi-faculty university, it has 21 postgraduate departments, 2 constituent colleges and 94 affiliated colleges. In 2012, the university was recognized under section 12(b) of the UGC Act,1956. In the same year, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an inter-university council of the UGC, accredited the University with"B+" Grade in the three-grade rating scale.
About DLISc: Department of Studies and Research in Library and Information Science was established in 2005 with the objective of imparting high quality education in Library and Information Science with competence in meeting the challenge of the knowledge society. The Department has a well-equipped computer lab, information processing tools and well-qualified faculty members with rich academic, industrial and corporate experience.The faculty members have successfully carried out major and minor research projects funded by UGC andICSSR. They are actively engaged in publishing papers in reputed international and national journals and conferences, and have won several best paper awards. In the past seven years, the Department has organized an international and four national conferences. "Saturday Mirro" Special Lecture series is unique imitative of the Department.
About Library: The university has a spacious and well-ventilated library with a collection of 43755 print reference books and textbooks, and special collection in literature, 151e-books, 12458 e-journals under e-Shodhsindhu, 10 print journals, 15 Newspapers, 19 Magazines (periodicals), 01(E-Shodhsindhu-ISID News clipping and Indian Journals Indexed database) and 190 CD's/Videos. The central library and reading hall have a seating capacity of 120 user.The library provides access to e-books, e-journals, Urkund plagiarism detection software and computers withInternet facility for students, teachers and Research Scholars.
About Library Professionals Association (LPA): Library Professionals Association (LPA) is a registered society under The Society Registration Act 1860. It is a non-profit professional association constituted for encouragement, development and support to the Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals as well as LIS profession in India through free communication,organising seminars, conferences, meetings, training courses, practical workshops, providing manpower support and other short terms educations activities and orientation programs with the help of new emergingInformation Technologies. Training courses, Seminars, Workshops, Practical Orientation Courses, and Lecturesetc. are being organised for a sufficient workforce of competent professionals by the association from time to time. LPA has been organising its annual conference every year as "Knowledge Organization in Academic Libraries' '(KOAL) under different themes since 2012 in various reputed organisations. KOAL-2012, KOAL-2013 held in New Delhi and KOAL-2014 organised in Jalandhar, Punjab. First time we organized the International Conferenceon Knowledge Organisation in Academic Libraries (I-KOAL 2015) at Manipal University, Jaipur, Rajasthan and that was very successful. Again we conducted KOAL-2016 in Palakkad, Kerala, I-KOAL 2017 in collaboration with Goa University, I-KOAL 2018 at Hyderabad in collaboration with University of Hyderabad and I-KOAL2019 at Anand, Gujarat in collaboration with Sardar Patel University.
Conference Objectives: To provide an opportunity to put forward innovative plans, debates, classic ideas, and promote closer cooperation among professionals and encourage them for participation in future. To share innovative ideas and experiences to cultivate creativity and inventiveness. To offer specialized areas to encourage learning through experience and innovative research. To provide spaces to discuss current issues like smart libraries etc. with national and International Information professionals. To prepare recommendations for the common interest of the professionals and forwarded to the concerned and competent authorities for its implementation.
Important Dates
  • Paper Submission Ends: March 20, 2022
  • Notification of Acceptance: March 25, 2022
  • Nomination for Awards: April 05, 2022
  • Conference Dates: April 22-23, 2022
Author's Guideline  | THEMEMoving Towards Developing Smart Libraries
Sub-themes
  • Copyright / IPR and Libraries
  • Capacity Building & HR Management in Digital Age
  • Collection Development Policies in Digital Age
  • Digital Library initiatives
  • Emerging Trends in Libraries
  • Innovative Library Services
  • Institutional Repositories
  • Library Association & Networks
  • Management of Digital Libraries
  • Open Technology Movement
  • Research Ethic, Plagiarism and Technology
  • Smart Libraries: Concept & Processes
  • Transforming Library as Educational and Cultural Hubs
Original research papers, research surveys, case studies or action plan on any of the sub-themes or covering topics relevant to the main theme of the conference, using 11 Point Times New Roman Font, APA bibliographic and citation standard, may be submitted to conferencelpaindia@gmail.com. The selected papers will be published as an edited book with ISBN in print format upon submission of registration fee. All research papers on the above theme should be submitted by March 20th through email to: conferencelpaindia@gmail.com.

RSVP: Dr. SALEK CHAND, Conference Convener, I-KOAL 2022 & 
General Secretary, Library Professionals Association, M.: +91-9667356024(LPA PayTm/Payphone) | http://lpaindia.orgM. +91-9868803377

Registration Download Brochure

Monday, March 14, 2022

New UNESCO study stresses vital role of mathematicians in tackling contemporary challenges

UNESCO Press Release No.2021-31

 

New UNESCO study stresses vital role of mathematicians in tackling contemporary challenges

 

Paris, 14 March – Despite the omnipresence of mathematics in our daily lives, in our phones, credit cards, cars etc., there may not be enough mathematicians to solve the complex challenges we face, from climate change to pandemics, a new UNESCO study finds.

 

Some 41% of the global population is at risk from flooding caused by tropical cyclones. Thanks to new mathematical models and better algorithms, the path of a tropical cyclone can now be predicted up to a week in advance.  In 2019, it could only be predicted five days in advance and, in the 1970s, just 36 hours ahead. Longer visibility gives municipal authorities precious additional time to plan the evacuation of populations in highly exposed areas.


This is just one of many case studies in Mathematics for Action, a new UNESCO publication released on 14 March to mark International Mathematics Day. "The study demonstrates why it makes sense for governments to include a mathematician on their team of scientific advisors", says Christiane Rousseau of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Montréal in Canada, who led the development of the toolkit.  

 

Mathematical methods to design vaccines

 

"The COVID-19 pandemic has really brought mathematical modelling into the public eye", she adds. "Two years ago, who would have thought that a term such as 'flattening the curve' would become part of the public lexicon?" Similarly, news stories referring to mathematical terms such as the basic reproduction rate (R0) of the virus or 'herd immunity' through mass vaccination have become regular features. Mathematical methods themselves have been used to design vaccines more efficiently and to model vaccine hesitancy as a social phenomenon.

 

But the utility of mathematics does not stop there. For Norbert Hounkonnou, President of the Network of African Science Academies, "the Mathematics for Action toolkit is a revolutionary policy-oriented tool. It showcases the decisive role of mathematics in contributing to solving the world's most pressing challenges and in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals".

 

One of these goals is to end poverty. The toolkit describes, for example, how researchers were able to compile poverty maps of 552 villages and communities in Senegal and identify areas in need of greater public investment, despite missing census data. By applying mathematical tools like machine learning algorithms (artificial intelligence), the researchers were able to establish the extent of poverty in specific areas. .

 

Scenarios for the future

 

How are the many services nature provides, such as freshwater, medicinal plants or crops to be priced? Two research studies in Mathematics for Action do just that by quantifying the value of ecosystem services and biodiversity of large estuaries in North America and Asia.

 

The toolkit describes how mathematical models enable the exploration of multiple "what-if" scenarios to inform the decision-making process. Scientists use climate models in combination with storylines to produce plausible alternative scenarios for the future.

 

"The shortage of quality mathematics teachers around the world is a threat to training a sufficient number of mathematicians and scientists capable of meeting the challenges of the contemporary world", warn Merrilyn Goos and Anjum Halai, the two Vice-Presidents of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction, two authors of the toolkit.

 

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Read the toolkit Mathematics for action: supporting science-based decision-making

 

Media contact: Clare O'Hagan, c.o-hagan@unesco.org

 

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Note for editors

 

The International Day of Mathematics was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2019 to draw attention to the extensive contribution that mathematics makes to social progress and the plethora of vocations that mathematics offers to boys and girls.

 

Mathematics for Action: Supporting Science-Based Decision Making is a series of policy briefs produced by UNESCO, the Centre de recherches mathématiques of Canada, the International Mathematical Union, the International Science Council and their partners.

 

The Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM) was the manager of the toolkit project, which was produced by a consortium composed of the:

 

 



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