CfP:: National Seminar on "E-waste Management and Recycling in India: Issues and Challenges"

National Seminar on "E-waste Management and Recycling in India: Issues and Challenges"

17-18 March 2011

Organised by
Department of Economics, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
under UGC Special Assistance Programme (SAP)

The main objective of this seminar is to involve all the stakeholders in informed discussions on the various aspects of the e-waste management and recycling in India. Academicians, environmentalists, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, researchers, students and other stakeholders will be involved in these deliberations. The proceedings of the seminar will be published in the form of an edited book for wider dissemination.

Themes of the Seminar are as follows:
1. E-waste – Size and Composition
2. E-waste - Challenges, Prospects and Response
3. E-waste or E-Resources
4. Modified Draft on E-waste (management and handling) rules 2010 - An Assessment
5. E-waste and health and Environmental Hazards (impacts)
6. International Experience in E -waste Management and Recycling
7. Role of Unorganized sector in E-waste management and recycling
8. Role of awareness in E-waste management
9. Use of technology in E-waste management
10. E-waste and energy recovery
11. Population, migration and E-waste
12. Institutional mechanism in E-waste management and recycling
13. Climate change, environmental refuges and challenges to E-waste management
14. Urban vs. Rural aspects of E-waste management
15. People's participation in E-waste management
16. Capacity building for E-waste management
17. Legal and Policy aspects etc

Call for Papers
Research papers are invited from academicians, professionals, environmentalists, NGOs, policymakers, research scholars, students, other stakeholders and people engaged in various aspects of e-waste management on any of the topics / themes mentioned above or related topics. Only analytical papers should be submitted for consideration. An abstract at least one page (around 100-150 words) should reach the organizing committee not later than 21 February 2011. Abstract must contain full title of the paper, the names and affiliations of all authors, e-mail address and full mailing address of the principal author. The abstract must clearly describe the content of the presentation, broad aims, objectives, methodology preliminary findings and tentative conclusions Full paper (in duplicate) not more than 30 pages including tables, references and foot notes (Microsoft word, Times New Roman, font 12, 1.5 line spacing) must be send to organizing committee on or before 1st March, 2011, The papers received will be reviewed by a panel of experts and their decision to accept or reject the paper will be final. Both abstract and full paper must be send to ashrafjamia[at]yahoo.com and ab1sul2[at]yahoo.com.

Important Dates

• Last date for submission Abstract: 21 February 2011
• Last date for submission Full paper: 01 March 2011
• Notification of Acceptance/Rejection: 05 March 2011

Further Details

Awakening Aesthetic Awareness Workshop at Kerala: The holistic way of being in the world.

Awakening Aesthetic Awareness : The holistic way of being in the world.

're integrating art, science and language'

're integrating work, play and learn'

're integrating intuition and reasoning'

're integrating the mind and body'

're integrating the feminine and masculine'

'becoming PRESENT to the moment'

Why we should awaken the sense of beauty within ourselves? The retreat/workshop is an attempt to repair the psychological, physiological and cognitive damages done by modern institutions (schools, market and hospital) and culture. Schools makes us in to rigid, mechanical and second hand beings, ready to serve or to order as we learn 'authority' at schools. Authority of teacher, authority of knowledge. Another damage is the inability for creativity as we loose our intuitive ability because of over use of logic and dependency on memorized knowledge. The reasoning ability is often used to reason away, to maintain status quo of our rigid and static mind. Since our link to the world is through text our experience is textualised.

WHEN

16th to 20th February 2011 (Wednesday to Sunday)

WHERE

Nilambur, Malapuram, KERALA, India

HOW

Beauty is the most fundamental of human existence. Beauty is what truly makes one authentic. Beauty is what binds us to the external world. Senses are our doors to knowledge and beauty. Consciously learning to experience the beauty of the world by seeing, touching, feeling.

PROCESS

Engaging with nature, Habit breaking, Dialogues, silence, reflection, sharing, Sensitizing senses, Awakening of aesthetic sense is brought in as a central issue. making, drawing, seeing, listening This helps them to move away from 'rational' mind to some extent.

FOR WHOM

Anyone who wants to reclaim the authentic natural learning process and creativity. This could help Parents and teachers to enable them to see children's real potential and to enable them to let children be.

FEES AND REGISTRATION

Rs 7,500 to be paid by 20th January 2011 along with the registration form. Any contributions over and above the basic registration fees are welcome to support those who can't pay. (Fees also includes stay and food)

STAY AND FOOD

Simple stay will be arranged in a neat hotel in Nilambur town and food will be Kerala traditional home food.

ROUTE

Nilambur is 70 km from Calicut, 100 km from Palghat and Trichur railway stations. 45 km from Calicut airport. Passenger trains run between Nilambur railway station and Shornur. Contact for more details.

CONTACT DETAILS.

Email: jinankb@gmail.com, mobile 09447121544 or 09995495325.

http://www.rediscoveringchildhood.org

http://my.opera.com/jinankb/blog/sensing-nature

http://awakeningtheaestheticawareness.blogspot.com/

Postal address: Surabhi, S.N.Park, Thrissur, Kerala - 680004, India

Just Published "Liberalizing Research in Science and Technology: Studies in Science Policy"

Liberalizing Research in Science and Technology: Studies in Science Policy
Edited by Nadia Asheulova, Binay Kumar Pattnaik, Eduard Kolchinsky and Gregory Sandstrom. Saint-Petersburg: Politechnika, 2010. ISBN 978-5-904031-76-3.

The present book is based on papers contributed at the international conference held at IIT Kanpur February 4-6, 2009. It was co-organized by Dr. Binay K. Pattnaik (Convener, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur) and Dr. Nadia Asheulova (Centre for Sociology of Science and Science Studies, Institute for the History of Science and Technology, St Petersburg Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences). Fifty two papers were presented over three days by scholars from six countries: India, Russia, Mexico, China, USA and Canada.
The book is published under the scientific guidance of Dr. Jaime Jiménez, President of the Research Committee 23: Sociology of Science and Technology of the International Sociological Association.
Authors representing different viewpoints and approaches share a common interest in examining the various important aspects of science, research, technology and liberalizing S&T research. In the course of the event, the term 'liberalization’ also acquired a broader meaning, as breaking the national boundaries S&T researchers need to reach out to international scientific communities through collaborations and also to be part of international networks/collegial bodies, both formal and informal.
This book is most relevant for those concerned with sociological research in general, and particularly for those in the area of sociology of science and technology.

Papers from CSSP researchers:

• Nimesh Chandra. Knowledge Transfer Strategies at Indian Institutes of Technology.
• Sujit Bhattacharya and Kashmiri Lal. Innovation Activity in the Indian Software Industry.

Download Full-text PDF

The science of research: Why India cannot afford a 'chalta hai' attitude

The science of research: Why India cannot afford a 'chalta hai' attitude
By Dhananjaya Dendukuri

For a country which is so proud that it gave the world the Bhagavad Gita, it is ironic how often its core message is ignored. Take for instance, the world of science and technology. Just like the quadrennial Olympics or Asian Games produce a momentary, albeit passionate, interest in sports, our interest in science is fleetingly elevated during the times when Nobel Prizes are given out. As the often heard message from the Gita tells you, it is the labour of science itself and not rewards like the Nobel Prize that one must strive for.
The most recent laureate of Indian origin, Venky Ramakrishnan, stressed this point during a recent interaction with students in Delhi. There are several reasons why I think this is important. From a purely statistical point of view, the odds of a scientist winning a Nobel Prize are comparable to the odds of winning a lottery. No rational scientist would set out to win a Nobel Prize at the beginning of her career. More importantly, it's the pleasure of doing science rather than winning prizes that drives successful scientists like Ramakrishnan. The rewards of pursuing basic science are often unexpected and realised over the long term. Not even Ramanujan could have predicted that the esoteric mathematical problems he was pursuing would have implications in the very practical problem of security encryption today. The elucidation of the structure of the atom was key to advances ranging from nuclear energy to semiconductor research and the ubiquitous computer. The list is endless. None of these advances would have been possible if a short-sighted view of basic research had been taken.
From the nation's point of view, history has shown that scientifically advanced nations have not only been able to protect themselves better during times of war but also feed, clothe and care for the health of their citizens. An often heard debate is that regarding the allocation of resources to the pursuit of science vis-à-vis immediate priorities and needs. There is no easy answer to this question but a model that has worked well in America is to build an eco-system that represents different interests. Researchers who pursue basic science, technologists who seek to translate viable ideas into applications, entrepreneurs who are able to create a market for new products and ideas and finally a population that has the risk appetite to try things new and untested. This is easier said than done but the recognition that it takes many different kinds of people to build the ecosystem is essential. The ivory tower academic and the cynic who seeks only immediate solutions are both undesirable extremes.
So what can India do to encourage younger people to pursue science? The easy and lazy answer is to say that things will just improve as the economy grows and the nation has more resources to spend on science. However, the trouble with this approach is that science and technology are influencing our lives to an ever greater extent. Our chalta-hai attitude could lead us to fall far behind nations that are pro-actively pursuing basic research. Given the demographic dividend that we are assured is our path to prosperity, we need to use this base of young people to also further scientific research in this country. Parents need to inculcate a greater curiosity in children and encourage them to question things around them. Young adults moving out of college and into careers have to acquire the maturity to look beyond the best-paying job they can lay their hands on and try to find what it is that really interests them. Role models play a huge role in this process and people like Ramakrishnan or Amartya Sen can exercise a huge influence on students by speaking about these issues.
One practical step that the government could take is to hugely increase the number of science graduates from our premier technological institutes like the IITs. Given that they already possess the basic infrastructure to do so and given that they attract a large number of students who have done well in science at the school level, it would make definite sense to increase the number of pure science graduates from these institutions. The boundary between science and technology is only blurring as the years go by and having these institutes generate more science graduates would help both the IITs and the pursuit of science in India. Last but not least, research carries with it the pure pleasure of discovering nature's laws — something which is without comparison.

The writer is CEO and co-founder, Achira Labs, express@expressindia.com
Source: Indian Express, 25 December 2010

International Conference on Preparing Agriculture for Climate Change

International Conference on Preparing Agriculture for Climate Change

6-8 February 2011

Organized by
Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
in association with Crop Improvement Society of India, PAU

According to Wulf Killmann, who wrote 'Foreword' of a recent FAO publication entitled 'Climate Change and Food Security: A framework document', climate change will affect all four dimensions of food security: food availability, food accessibility, food utilization, and food systems stability. All this will have an impact on human health and purchasing power and market flows. Because, from the standpoint of food, the world is regarded as one civilization, both developed and developing countries will be affected. In developing countries, such as India, climate change could adversely affect the already stressed ecological and socioeconomic systems because of rapid urbanization, industrialization, and economic development.

The world, especially the southern hemisphere, could see a significant drop in agricultural productivity as a consequence of climate change. Agricultural losses related to climate change are expected to hit developing countries hard, as agriculture employs a substantial number of people and contributes greatly to economic growth. Further, poverty in developing world is largely rural with a significant proportion of the population still dependent on agriculture. The Green Revolution of 1970s and 1980s substantially increased food grain productivity and increased rural wages. However, recent agricultural growth rates in countries like India are far below the growth rates of other economic sectors. Thus unlike in developed countries, the adverse impact of climate change on agriculture will disproportionately affect the poor. A key question for agricultural scientists, therefore, is: "Will climate-resilient agriculture technologies mitigate the effects of climate change?"

To develop a consensus global view on this, we are organizing a 3-day international conference of eminent agricultural scientists and climatologists at Punjab Agricultural University at Ludhiana, India, during February6-8, 2011 on the following themes:

1) Agriculture: abettor and sufferer
2) Mitigation strategies – Policy and Management interventions
3) Adaptation strategies: Genetic options/interventions
4) Climate change and biodiversity: Extinction and new emergence

The conference is being organized under the auspices of the Crop Improvement Society of India, whose headquarters are located at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The conference will comprise invited plenary and symposium presentations and conclude with a panel discussion on "Directed adaptation to climate change and role of long-term forecasting models." There will be symposium lectures in the evenings of the first two days. One session will be devoted to selected contributory posters from bright young scientists and students.

• Abstract Submission Deadline: 31st December 2010.
• Abstract Submission Form
  

Further Details

Conference on Publishing in India: Challenges and Opportunities

Conference on Publishing in India: Challenges and Opportunities
17-18 January 2011
Organized by Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi

Theme

Publishing lies at the heart of literacy, knowledge, and enlightenment for any society. With its mandate for promoting social enrichment Bharat Ratna Dr B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi naturally has a keen interest in contributing towards publishing in India. To begin with it would like to initiate an academic programme on publishing at the University. The challenge lies in making sense out of the turbulence in the publishing industry worldwide, and searching for new answers. It also lies in harnessing technology to produce essential books – whether on paper or on the computer screen – at a cost that is within the reach of the poorest in our society, who continue to number in millions. There is also the challenge of making publishing in India's various languages strong and sustainable. These are industry-wide challenges, not just for AUD. The collective challenge is to raise publishing in the country to a threshold where India becomes an attractive destination not just because of its low labor costs, but because of the innovative ideas born in creative minds here. It is with the goal of nurturing such creative minds that AUD seeks to enter the field of publishing studies. The University plans to begin this journey by hosting a conference titled 'Publishing in India: Challenges and Opportunities' on 17-18 January, 2011.

Focal Areas

This conference would be the first initiative of AUD in this field and will address critical issues like:

• New Age of Publishing: evolving structures, demands, and opportunities
• Scholarly publishing: best practices in acquisitions, evaluations, enhancement, and marketing
• The Designer as author: the role of book design in communication
• Editing in the current and future publishing industry in India
• 'Publishing' activities in the periphery
• New technology and publishing: The worlds of Amazon's 'Kindle', Apple's 'iPad' and Google
• University-based Publishing Studies program: challenges, models
• Design and staffing of short-term programs for publishing professionals

The Conference would consist of presentations on these issues by leading practitioners from the publishing industry as well as academicians. Each of these presentations would be followed by discussions.

Participants

The Conference seeks to touch upon a wide variety of areas related to publishing and therefore would be of interest to diverse group of people like

• Practitioners in the field of publishing in English and in regional languages.
• Academics in the Humanities and Social Sciences interested in understanding how their respective fields interact with the world of publishing.
• Information Technology specialists already involved in publishing-related activities, or are interested in possible areas of interface.
• The conference is likely to bring together around 40 people.

Partners

As of now one of the partners for the Conference is the Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing, at Simon Fraser Universtiy, Vancouver, Canada. Their representation will include Dr. Rowland Lorimer, Director, Master of Publishing Program and Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing, Simon Fraser University, and Editor, Scholarly and Research Communication.

Participation

If you are interested in attending the conference, please submit a short statement of interest (about 300 words) and a brief CV to conference.aud@gmail.com by 10 December 2010. The language of the Conference will be English.

Further Details

Compendium on Technology Exports: An Illustrative Compilation of Exported & Exportable Technologies from India

Compendium on Technology Exports: An Illustrative Compilation of Exported & Exportable Technologies from India

Published By
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi

Innovation and adoption of new technology are critical areas for sustaining high economic growth. With the advent of globalization, the world is increasingly becoming interdependent, not just in the supply of raw materials and machinery, but more so in terms of technology as well as knowledge sharing and transfer, including technology exports. In fact, science, technology and innovation are going to determine the economic and political power of the nations.
Exports have been key to economic growth in most countries. With India's technology prowess and the focus shifting to newer markets in the foreign trade policy recently announced by the Government of India, there is an excellent opportunity for our country to have a competitive advantage in technology led exports. While India has a large domestic market, it would be prudent to explore newer markets worldwide. It is wise to remember Peter Drucker's words that there is no distance in today's world economy and that everything is 'local'. We need to constantly innovate and improve technology so that India is on the global map.
Over the years, India has achieved a degree of competitiveness in knowledge and technology-intensive products. Our country has been making concerted efforts for building technology strengths and efficiency in sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, software and services, thereby improving its competitive strength and encouraging the attainment of globally accepted standards of quality. Many developing countries need technologies as well as plant & machinery relevant to their development levels. India could be one of the potential suppliers to such countries. However, these countries usually lack access to information on sourcing their requirements and thus there exists a need to disseminate the same.
The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India has taken the initiative of documenting the technologies exported from India. Partnering with Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), a 'Compendium on Technology Exports: An Illustrative Compilation of Exported & Exportable Technologies from India' is being brought out since 1996 with the main objective of disseminating detailed information on export of Indian technologies, technology-intensive exports, covering projects, equipments, products and services.
The publication serves as a ready source of reference to overseas customers who are looking for partnerships with India. It is also helpful to Indian exporters in taking their business beyond national boundaries. This Compendium on Technology Exports is widely disseminated to the organizations dealing with technology intensive trade, including policy-makers, export promotion bodies, R&D institutions, consultants, trade & industry and foreign missions. This project is sponsored and supported by the DSIR.
The previous editions of the Compendium were well received and earned considerable appreciation from various quarters. Encouraged by its overwhelming response, the Institute has brought out the present volume of the Compendium on Technology Exports (VOL .IX) which is the 9th edition. This volume includes data for the years 2002-03 to 2007-08. We are grateful to all those organizations who shared the export data and hope that they would continue to associate and cooperate with us in future also.
The present issue of the Compendium on Technology Exports has a larger coverage and deeper analysis of data compared to earlier volumes. The Compendium includes primary data collected by IIFT through well designed field studies for about 418 organizations and companies. The data has been analyzed based on sectors and technology intensity year-wise. The data on R&D expenditure, number of S&T personnel, foreign collaboration, etc., has also been collected and analyzed.

Download
Volume IX Compendium on Technology Exports, 2009
Volume VIII Compendium on Technology Exports, 2008
Volume VII Compendium on Technology Exports, 2007
Volume VI Compendium on Technology Exports, 2004

16th Technology Summit & Technology Platform

16th Technology Summit & Technology Platform

7-9 December 2010

Venue: Hotel Lalit, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi

Organized by German Embassy, Department of Science and Technology (DST) & Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

Germany will be the partner country at the 16th Technology Summit & Technology Platform being organised on the 7th and 8th of December in New Delhi by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Department of Science and Technology, Govt of India. The event will see a large Delegation from Germany showcase its state-of-the art technologies and capabilities in the field of Advanced Manufacturing, Energy and Environment and Life Sciences.

The Honorable Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Govt. of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Thomas Rachel and the Honorable Minister of Science and Technology, Govt. of India will inaugurate the event, which will comprise of key people from the Indian and German ministries, research institutions and industry.

The programme will include presentations by eminent researches and industry captains on innovative technology and programmes in the field of Advanced Manufacturing, Energy and Environment and Life Sciences. A highlight of the event is a partnering meet with the Indian institutions and Research organizations on the 8th December.

PARALLEL SESSION I - Lean & Green - Opportunities for Collaboration in the Manufacturing Sector

• Brief overview of the Manufacturing Sector (status research, market opportunities, Government policies,infrastructure, etc)
• Brief Presentation by German and Indian companies/research institutions on technology offer.

PARALLEL SESSION II - Solar Energy and Water Technologies - Opportunities for Collaboration in Energy and Environment

• Brief overview of the Solar and Water Technology Sector (status research, market opportunities, Government policies, infrastructure, etc)
• Brief Presentation by German and Indian Companies/research institutions on technology offer.

PARALLEL SESSION III - Bioeconomics - Bio resources for Sustainable Industrial and Energetic Applications

• Brief overview of the Life Science Sector (status research, market opportunities, Government policies, infrastructure, etc)
• Brief Presentation by German and Indian companies/research institutions on technology offer.

There will be an opportunity to participate in guided visits of Excellent Delhi research on 9 December 2010, at 10:00-15:00.

• Topic A: Production Technologies "lean and green" Manufacturing [Hero Honda or Maruti Udhyog Limited or IIT Delhi]
• Topic B: Solar Energy and Water Technologies [TERI or Moser Baer]
• Topic C: Life Sciences - Bioeconomics [Dabur Research Foundation or AIMS]

Programme Schedule

Online Registration

Further Details

UNESCO Science Report 2010: The Current Status of Science around the World

Just Published

UNESCO Science Report 2010: The Current Status of Science around the World

Europe, Japan and the USA (the Triad) may still dominate research and development (R&D) but they are increasingly being challenged by the emerging economies and above all by China. This is just one of the findings of the UNESCO Science Report 2010 launched in Paris on 10 November 2010.

Written by a team of independent experts who are each covering the country or region from which they hail, the UNESCO Science Report 2010 analyses the trends and developments that have shaped scientific research, innovation and higher education over the past five years, including the impact of the current global economic recession, which has hit the Triad harder than either Brazil, China or India. The report depicts an increasingly competitive environment, one in which the flow of information, knowledge, personnel and investment has become a two-way traffic. Both China and India, for instance, are using their newfound economic might to invest in high-tech companies in Europe and elsewhere to acquire technological expertise overnight. Other large emerging economies are also spending more on research and development than before, among them Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.

If more countries are participating in science, we are also seeing a shift in global influence. China is a hair’s breadth away from counting more researchers than either the USA or the European Union, for instance, and now publishes more scientific articles than Japan.

Even countries with a lesser scientific capacity are finding that they can acquire, adopt and sometimes even transform existing technology and thereby 'leapfrog' over certain costly investments, such as infrastructure like land lines for telephones. Technological progress is allowing these countries to produce more knowledge and participate more actively than before in international networks and research partnerships with countries in both North and South. This trend is fostering a democratization of science worldwide. In turn, science diplomacy is becoming a key instrument of peace-building and sustainable development in international relations.

Taking up from where its predecessor left off in 2005, the UNESCO Science Report 2010 proposes a world tour of the status of science today that should enable 'science watchers' everywhere to decipher the trends that are shaping our rapidly changing world.

Read the press releases:

• Research and development: USA, Europe and Japan increasingly challenged by emerging countries, says a UNESCO report more...

• The USA and Europe still lead the global science research effort, but their future is uncertain says UNESCO report more...
  

• Asia leaping forward in science and technology, but Japan feels the global recession, shows UNESCO report more...

Download Executive Summary

Download India Chapter

Download FULL publication

Further Details

E-Course on Editing for Films & Television, offered by CEC, New Delhi

E-Course on Editing for Films & Television

Offered by Consortium for Educational Communication, New Delhi

Dates: 3rd January to 18th February 2011

The new information communication technology (ICT) has expanded its reach through a number of sectors. The vision, therefore, is to electronically reach out to a large number of participants, teachers and general public with quality educational material, so as to address the issues of accessing higher education with equity and quality. This in turn, we believe will contribute to overall vision of developing India as a knowledge super power by 2020.
To commemorate the completion of 25 years of Countrywide Classroom (CWCR) television programmes for higher education, Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) India, is launching a Worldwide e-Course on "Editing for Films and Television". The registration for the course starts on 15th November 2010. The course will commence on 3rd January, 2011 and will be completed by 18th February, 2011. About 72 hour of classroom teaching have been condensed into about 13 hours of video programmes in 25 episodes of half an hour duration each. There will be seven live interactive sessions with the subject expert to clarify queries of the participants.
Basically designed for film and video editors, this course aspired to give an insight into the art and craft of editing. It will familiarize the participants with a range of activities required for telling a story through visuals and sound. Along the way it touches upon several issues connected with editing, right from its basic concepts to the technical aspects of electronic editing on linear and non-linear platform. Any Queries? write to us at ecourse.cec@gmail.com.

• Course Registration: 15th November 2010 to 15th December 2010

Download Form

• Indian Nationals
• Foreign Nationals

Download Brochure

Further Details

Public Diplomacy in the Information Age: International Conference and Workshops

Public Diplomacy in the Information Age: International Conference and Workshops
10-11 December 2010
Venue: Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi
Organized by: Public Diplomacy Division of Ministry of External Affairs & CMS Academy of Communication and Convergence Studies

About

In today’s globalised world, people to people diplomacy is playing an important role in international relations. In the new media and communication regime, this form of diplomacy challenges general understanding and practice of foreign policy issues. In this scenario, the concept of "public diplomacy" can create new opportunities and avenues.
"Public Diplomacy" deals with the influence of public attitudes on the formation and execution of foreign policies. It encompasses dimensions of international relations beyond traditional diplomacy; the interaction of institutions, civil society groups and interests in one country with those of another; the reporting of foreign affairs and its impact on policy; communication between those whose job is communication, as between diplomats and foreign correspondents; and the processes of inter-cultural communications.
The concept and usage of public diplomacy is relatively new in our country. Public Diplomacy is guided process not just specific events or initiatives. It is conducted and expressed thru various means and channels – open ended and moderated. New communication tools and technologies are now being used to create a better dialogue in Public Diplomacy attempts to sensitize and influence think tanks, universities, media and experts to create a more nuanced understanding of the government’s stance on key foreign policy issues.
Many governments, including India (May of 2006, India's Ministry of External Affairs established a new Public Diplomacy Office), have now set up Public Diplomacy Office aimed to educate and influence global and domestic opinion on key policy issues and project a better image of the country. Both are process orientated and dynamic goals.
This Conference and Workshop is being organised to further understand the experience and trends in this sector and to understand the full potential and usage of public diplomacy within the overall international relations strategy of the government.
The purpose of this conference is to understand the role and relevance of public diplomacy in the changing communication and media scenario. The proliferation of media along with new media tools has changed the way diplomacy is practiced. The conference will highlight both the challenges and opportunities of this changing communication order for Public Diplomacy practitioners and scholars.

Workshops

• Planning and Evaluating Public Diplomacy Strategies and Programs by Prof Eytan Gilbao, Director of the Center for International Communication, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
• The Al Jazeera Effect- How the New Global Media Are Reshaping World Politics by Dr. Philip Sieb, professor of journalism and public diplomacy at the University of Southern California
• The Concept of Nation Branding by Prof. Nicholas Cull, Professor of Public Diplomacy and Director of the Masters Program in Public Diplomacy at the ASC at USC.

Speakers

• Dr Nirupama Rao, Foreign Secretary, GOI
• Dr Shashi Tharoor, MP
• Prof Nick Cull, Professor of Public Diplomacy and Director of the Masters Program in Public Diplomacy at the ASC at USC
• Dr Philip Seib, Professor of Journalism and Public Diplomacy and Professor of International Relations at the USC
• Mr Nik Gowing, BBC Presenter
• Prof Eytan Gilboa, Director, Center for International Communication, Bar-Ilan University, Israel

Last Date for registration : November 25, 2010
Register Online
Further Details

Workshop On Research Oriented Advanced Statistical Techniques

Workshop On Research Oriented Advanced Statistical Techniques

23-28 December 2010

Venue: Poorvanchal Gramin Seva Samiti, Padri Bazar, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Organized by: Indian Society of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences (ISMAMS), Gorakhpur, India

Sponsored by CSIR and DST

About the Workshop

Young researchers are mostly unaware about their topics of researches. This workshop is intended to deepen their knowledge by using mixed research strategies for solving their own complexities and problems and on how to perform observational researches by giving introduction to the different study design options. Emphasis will be laid on qualitative research methods, systematic reviewing methodologies, quantitative data analyses, estimating sample size and performing power calculations, multivariable analysis, etc. The workshop will focus on recent trends and advancements of statistics for research in all disciplines of science and technology, which will serve the researchers in enriching their knowledge as well as achieving better inference in their respective disciplines/subjects.

Learning objectives of workshop

The workshop will be beneficial for young researchers and postgraduate students especially those who are interested in higher research studies by covering the following ideas:

• Understanding the Principles of different research topics in statistics.
• Critical assessment of research topics in evidence based practice.
• Techniques of adopting qualitative research methods and judgment of their validity.
• Knowledge about resources available to them which will help to critically appraise their research topics.
• Participants will explore different types of contexts and issues of different approaches which might be usefully applied by them in the areas of their own researches.

Who can apply for the workshop

• College Teachers / and registered research scholars
• Students (Postgraduate in Statistics and Mathematics / Engineering / undergraduate)
• Professionals

Course Contents

• Stochastic Processes and its Applications
• Data Analysis Methods and Techniques Using R
• Bayesian Methods
• Biostatistics
• Econometrics and Time Series Models
• Sampling
• Linear and Nonlinear Models
• Networks and Queues
• Survival Analysis
• Sequential Analysis
• Quality Control
• Use of Statistical Packages-Minitab, Mathlab etc

Local Hospitality: Accommodation and other hospitality will be provided by the Organizing Committee. Travel expenses of sleeper class will be supported by the ISMAMS to the outstation participants.

Last Date for Registration: 05 December 2010

Further Details & Registration Form

International Conference on "Changing Structure of International Trade and Investment: Implications for Growth and Development" at JMI

International Conference on "Changing Structure of International Trade and Investment: Implications for Growth and Development"

Dates: 2-3 March 2011

Venue: Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), New Delhi, INDIA

Organised by Department of Economics, JMI in collaboration with Centre for WTO Studies, JMI

Theme of the Conference
The purpose of this conference is to shed further light on the broader linkages between trade, investment and growth, that is of particular importance for the economy in many developing countries, and where development concerns have frequently been raised. The conference is structured around following broad themes:

1. Changing Structure of Trade, FDI and Growth
2. Impact of Trade and FDI on Growth and Development
3. Emergence of Value Chains in International Trade and Business
4. Welfare Implications of Changing Structure of Trade and Investment
5. Gender Dimension of Changing Structure of Trade, Investment and Growth
6. Role of Institutions and Governance
However, the conference is open to all related areas of trade, investment and growth.

Call for Papers
The International Conference aims at bringing together the researchers, academia, policy makers, civil society organizations, industry representatives and other scholars to an international forum for the dissemination of original research results, new ideas and practical experiences which concentrate on both theory and empirics.
The conference will solicit both theoretical and empirical research papers associated with conference themes. Authors are advised to submit their paper electronically in MS Word format to Dr. Shahid Ahmed, Email: ecojmiciti@gmail.com and Copy to: Email: shahec@gmail.com and mabaig76@gmail.com. Papers will be blind refereed and revised version of accepted papers will be published.

Important Deadlines

• Abstract Submission and Registration: 15 December 2010
• Paper Submission: 15 January 2011
• Notification for Accepted Papers: 31 January 2011

Further Details

TISS-EPW Workshop on Exploratory Data Analysis Using R Software and Internet Resources for Development Research

TISS-EPW Workshop on Exploratory Data Analysis Using R Software and Internet Resources for Development Research

Dates: 6-11 December 2010

Venue: Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India

Economic & Political Weekly and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences are jointly organising a week-long workshop on Exploratory Data Analysis for Development Research during the week 6 to 11 December 2010 at the TISS campus in Mumbai.
This workshop is part of a University Grants Commission project to promote the social sciences in India.
The objective of the workshop is to provide practical guidance to researchers on the basic techniques of data analysis, on how to use the open source statistical software, "R", for practising these techniques, and on how to utilise open resources available on the internet.
The workshop is a short and intensive training programme meant for economic and social researchers on the use of exploratory data analysis (EDA) as a research tool for the analysis of quantitative data using R and internet resources.
R is a powerful software that is specifically designed for data exploration and it is free (downloadable from the internet). It is being increasingly used by academicians as well as those in business/commerce.
The resource persons will be experienced faculty from the National Institute of Public Finance, New Delhi, and the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram.

Who May Benefit
Researchers who need to make sense of quantitative data and those who work with primary survey data or published secondary data.

Who Can Apply
The workshop will be open to teachers/researchers in universities and colleges under the age of 40 and any PhD scholar in a university/college working in the field of social sciences.

Requirements
Participants should have done a course in basic/introductory statistics during their undergraduate/postgraduate degrees. They are expected to be familiar with elementary mathematics and with the basic statistical theory and applications as normally covered in a first level course in statistics for social scientists/economists. In addition, the participants must be conversant with at least a spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel and the use of standard browsers for internet use.There will be a maximum of 20 participants in the workshop

Organization of the Workshop
The workshop will be six days of skill-intensive training. It will consist of short lectures, computer-based training in R, and, above all, extensive hands-on practice with data sets and internet resources. Lectures will aim to explain the basic philosophy, theory and techniques of EDA. The emphasis will be on underlying principles and applicability. The main aim is to acquaint participants with a new paradigm of data analysis through some of its most effective techniques. The computer training aims to familiarize participants with the use of R as well as use of the internet for research. Each computer session will begin with guided exercise, followed by a short assignment.

Travel and Accommodation
Travel costs of participants selected for the course will be covered as per UGC-TISS regulations. Participants will also be provided boarding and lodging on TISS campus during the duration of the course.

Application Process
Please send completed application forms preferably by email to: epw.tiss[at]gmail.com
Last Date for Submission of Forms: October 31
Selection of Participants: November 10
Postal Address: Saritha C.T, Assistant Professor, Room No.1, Director's Office, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai-88, (Phone: 022-25525193).
(If sending application by post, please write "Application for TISS-EPW Workshop on Exploratory Data Analysis" on the envelope.)
(Email and postal address are only for communication regarding the Workshop on Exploratory Data Analysis. Please do not send other correspondence to this address.)

Download application form

Indian Citation Index (IndianCitationIndex.com) Launched

Indian Citation Index (IndianCitationIndex.com) Launched

India is contributing good amount of knowledge contents to world literature but there is no tool for evaluation and measurement of its impact, quality and quantity. Accordingly, Indian researchers, scholars, policy makers, decision takers, funding agencies and others too have been facing a big problem to perform/assess the contribution/contributors objectively. At international level few tools/databases like WoS and SCOPUS are available but coverage of Indian knowledge contents in these databases are negligible. Therefore, these tools/databases are not adequate to evaluate/analyze India's knowledge contents.

As is known that to come over such limitation, few of the countries, like China, Korea, Japan etc. have already brought out their own citation indexes for proper evaluation and representation of their R&D contribution. With the same approach and bridge existing gap, I am happy to inform you that the "Indian Citation Index (ICI)" has come in existence for the benefit of R&D community including researchers, planers, decision makers, funding agencies etc. and it is ready/available for users w.e.f. 25th October 2010.

Indian Citation Index (ICI) is a home grown citation database, planned to have multidisciplinary information/knowledge contents from about 1000 top Indian scholarly journals. It provides powerful search engine to perform search and evaluate researchers, policy makers, decision makers, institutions, subjects, city, state etc. Presently, ICI have five years back files data depth of 400 plus journals which would go over to 1000 journals by March/April 2011. ICI is equipped with all major search features including analytics to serve the requirements of users. Also, by the end of December 2010, few more specific and elaborative search features will be in place to meet local needs more specifically.

Indian Citation Index (ICI) is developed by a society named "The Knowledge Foundation" which is fully supported by M/s Divan Enterprise. ICI as a product for sale, distribution, enter into agreements, receive revenue etc is exclusively owned by M/s Divan Enterprise. The ICI may be accessed by its URL: http://www.indiancitationindex.com/.

We are happy to announce that Indian Citation Index (ICI) is being launched on 25th October 2010 at New Delhi, India.

Contact

Prakash Chand
Head ICI Project
Email: prakash[at]indiancitationindex.com
www.indiancitationindex.com

Call for Indian management research proposals:: 2010 Emerald/IAM Indian Management Research Fund Award

2010 Emerald/IAM Indian Management Research Fund Award
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Supporting knowledge creation and dissemination for the social good in India

Call for Indian management research proposals

This year, Emerald and the IAM – Indian Academy of Management – are delighted to offer a research grant for an Indian project in the field of management research. There will be one award of £2,000 (approximately US$3,000 equivalent) for the winning research project, and two awards of £500 each for highly-commended runners up, to fund or part-fund these projects.

Applications should address the creation and dissemination of knowledge for the social good with a specific orientation toward benefit for India.

Eligibility
The main member of the research team must be based in India.

Judging criteria
Each application will be judged, by a panel of experts, on the criteria below. The research must:

• Be of significance, and in particular, illustrate how it will benefit the social good.
• Demonstrate originality and innovation.
• Make an outstanding contribution to theory and its application.
• Illustrate the appropriateness and application of the methodology.
• Demonstrate sound implications for theory and practice.

Application requirements
Each proposal must be submitted using the online application form at:
http://ww2.emeraldinsight.com/awards/indianmgmt.htm

The following documents will be required electronically:

• A summary stating specific goals, outcomes and benefits of the research. This should not exceed 2,000 words (note that tables, figures, appendices and reference lists, if provided do NOT count to the 2,000 word total).
• A covering letter containing full contact details (affiliation, full address, telephone number/s and e-mail address) for all researchers involved in the project. Please state clearly which researcher will be the main point of contact.

The 2,000-word summary must:

• Display clearly a statement of purpose and intent.
• State clearly the methodology(ies) applied and explicitly describe the research process.
• State expected research outcomes and expected impact and possible application.
• Specify the expected timescales of the research process.
• Outline projected costs and total research grant required.

Key dates

• The closing date for applications is 1 February 2011.
• Winners will be announced in April 2011.

Last year's winner

Last year Emerald was delighted to receive almost 50 research proposals of outstanding quality. The winning research proposal was "Understanding and addressing cataract-related eye care issues in rural Tamil Nadu" by Bharadhwaj Sivakumaran (Great Lakes Institute of Management), in conjunction with Arti D. Kalro (Indian Institute of Technology Madras) and Piyush Sharma (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University).

"My co-researchers and I thank Emerald for recognizing the potential in our work and giving us the award. It is indeed a great honour. In fact, it has always been a dream of mine to do management research with a strong social focus. However, it has been difficult to find funding for the same. It is indeed praiseworthy that Emerald is willing to fund such research and enable scholars like me to do research in this area. I hope that with the funding we get from Emerald, we can find something useful from our research that will not just advance the frontiers of knowledge, but do so in a way that will enhance societal welfare. Once again, thanks to Emerald."

For further information, please contact:
Anasua Mukherjee Das
Publishing Relationship Manager
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
502-503, Ring Road Mall
Sector-3, Mangalam Place, Rohini
New Delhi-110085, India
Tel: +91 11 43362200
E-mail: ADas[at]emeraldinsight.com

Further Details

24th Skoch Summit: Delivering Equality, Growth and Social Justice

24th Skoch Summit: Delivering Equality, Growth and Social Justice

10-11 November 2010

Venue: Hotel Shangri-La, Ashoka Road, New Delhi

Organized by Skoch Development Foundation, Gurgaon

In this 24th Summit we revisit the theme from the 4th Skoch Summit held in October 2010 at New Delhi.The 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) document has a subtitle of inclusive growth. This lists out divides and disparities and these can be spatial (geographic) or collective-category (gender, caste, community, ethnicity, religion) based. Reforms that trigger growth must be inclusive in the sense of broad-basing growth and mainstreaming deprived and backward segments. While growth throws up market-based opportunities, there must be equal access to markets. The main items on this inclusive growth agenda are the following:

• Education
• Health
• Infrastructure
• Governance
• Subsidies
• Spatial deprivations
• Financial Deepening
• Public goods and Public expenditure
• Land and natural resource markets
• Special Session: A Billion Connected People - Making of a Digital Nation

Download Brochure

Download Registration Form

Further Details

Open House Discussion on Consultation Paper on "National Broadband Plan"

Open House Discussion on Consultation Paper on "National Broadband Plan"

Date: 19.10.2010
Time: Registration: 09.30 A;Conference: 10:00 AM

Venue: Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India

Organized by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

Interested Stakeholders/industry representatives are invited to participate. The Consultation Paper on the subject is available on the TRAI Website www.trai.gov.in under the heading "Consultation Paper".

Further Details

RSVP

Shri S.K. Gupta, Advisor (CN&IT), TRAI, New Delhi, India;

Ph.: 91-11-23217914. Fax No. 91-11 -23211998.

Email: advcn[at]trai.gov.in, or cn[at]trai.gov.in.

International Consultation on DNA Barcoding

International Consultation on DNA Barcoding

6–7 November 2010

Venue: National Agricultural Science Complex, Pusa, New Delhi, India

The consultation aims to discuss the global barcoding activities including all groups of plants and animals. The focus will be on networking of Indian barcoding community, develop new project proposals, exploring funding opportunities and develop linkages with national and international groups leading to preparing a blue print of comprehensive plan at regional and national level. We expect participation of over 200 delegates including experts from different sectors, policy makers, users of barcoding technology and representatives from funding agencies, Senior Officials from CBOL, USA Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding and University of Guelph.

Interested persons may kindly contact Dr W. S. Lakra, Convenor and Director, Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Off Yari Road, Panch Marg, Versova, Mumbai 400 061; Fax: 022-2636 1573; e-mail: lakraws[at]hotmail.com or director[at]cife.edu.in.

CfP:: 5th International Research Conference 2010

5th International Research Conference 2010

Date: Sunday, 26 December 2010

Organized by Yale-Great Lakes Center for Management Research

Venue: Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, India

Call for Papers
Yale-Great Lakes Center for Management Research aims to promote, facilitate and advance India-centric management-related research, which contributes to the development of basic and applied knowledge in the field of management. Papers are invited from academia and industry. Topic of the paper can be from any area of business and management.

Guidelines for Paper submission

• Submitted papers must NOT have been previously presented, scheduled for presentation, published, accepted for publication, and if under review, must NOT appear in print before the conference.
• The maximum length of the paper is 8000 words. The paper format should follow the style guide of Great Lakes Herald (http://www.greatlakes.edu.in/herald)
• The entire paper should be in a single Microsoft Word document and should be sent as an attachment via email to yc@greatlakes.edu.in
• Accommodation will be provided and AC train fare will be reimbursed to the authors of the selected papers.

Important Dates

• Last date for paper submission: October 31, 2010
• Acceptance/Rejection notification: November 20, 2010
  

Keynote Speakers

• Keynote speakers include faculty from various business school across the world such as Kellogg, Stanford, Yale and IIM-Ahmedabad.

Submission & Queries
Prof Venkat R. Krishnan
Great Lakes Institute of Management
East Coast Road, Manamai, Tamilnadu, Pincode - 603102.
Email: yc[at]greatlakes.edu.in, venkat.r.krishnan[at]gmail.com
Phone: +91 (44) 30809000
Fax : +91 (44) 30809001
www.greatlakes.edu.in

Call for Cases - Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, due for launch in 2011, is in need of teaching cases from and about the key emerging markets.

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies is being developed in response to increasing demands from business educators and practitioners for quality-controlled teaching cases focusing on global emerging markets. The collection will offer unique and accurate insight into the local situation across the primary emerging markets within Asia, Africa, South America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

The collection is progressing well and we have seen some excellent submissions to date, but we still need your support to ensure the success of this new and exciting collection. Emerald is committed to publishing quality, peer reviewed cases written by case-writers based within the emerging economies, and we hope to become the publisher of choice for authors in those regions.

Emerald is therefore currently seeking teaching cases with an emerging market/s focus from all management disciplines, but Emerald has particular interest in the following areas:

• Entrepreneurship
• International marketing
• Operations & logistics management
• Strategic management
• International business
• Tourism & hospitality
• The built environment, and
• Human resource management.

If you are interested in submitting your case, Author Guidelines can be found here.

Emerald will pay all published authors an annual royalty of 10%, as well as, providing complimentary access to the full Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies online collection.

If you have any questions then please contact Ms. Anasua Mukherjee Das, Publishing Relationship Manager on adas@emeraldinsight.com.

Further Details

Academic Writing & Publication Workshop for Research Students at CUG Gandhinagar

Academic Writing & Publication Workshop for Research Students

14-20 November 2010

Organized by Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar

In collaboration with ICSSR-Western Regional Centre, Mumbai

Applications are invited for the Academic Writing and Publication Workshop for Research Students that will be held at Central University of Gujarat from November 16 to 20, 2010. The workshop will be held in collaboration with ICSSR –Western Regional Centre and will offer research students in colleges and universities an opportunity to learn and discuss the techniques of research writing and publication. The workshop will (i) help participants understand how to structure research papers effectively, (ii) enhance their ability to critique, edit and review their own work, and (iii) familiarize them with the academic publication process. The themes that will be covered would include:

• Writing a proposal
• Review of literature
• Critiquing a manuscript- Different perspectives
• Information search
• Citation styles, using end notes and foot notes
• Analyzing data – qualitative and quantitative
• Preparing a manuscript for publication
• Organizing the argument
• Different styles of writing
• Making abstracts, synopsis
  

Resource Persons:

This workshop will be conducted by resource persons eminent in the field of social sciences who have experience in writing, editing and publishing research papers. The workshop will be structured as an intensive mix of lectures and discussions. The focus will be on interactive participation.

Who Is Eligible?

Students who have registered for M.Phil/Ph.D. in any university in the field of social sciences and who are preferably at the writing stage of their dissertation/thesis.

Applicants must submit one draft research paper or research proposal of about 2500 words to 4000 words (including footnotes/endnotes and references) that they have written along with their applications. Applications without the draft paper will not be considered.

Travel and Accommodation:

Outstation participants will be paid travel by III AC by train from their place to Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar and back.

Registration Fee:

Please submit a demand draft of Rs.150/- as processing fee (non-refundable) in favour of "Central University of Gujarat", payable at Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar, along with the application form. Selected candidates will have to pay an additional Rs. 500/- as registration fee after they are informed about their selection.

Important Dates:
Last date for Receipt of Applications: 15 October 2010
Date for informing applicants of selection: 1 November 2010.

Please send your application forms to : Prof. N.Rajaram, Coordinator, Academic Writing Workshop-2010, School of Social Sciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar 382030. Tel No: 079-23260208 Fax: 079-23260076. Email: aww2010[at]cug.ac.in.

Download Application Form

Further Details