Friday 30 November 2018

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was the pioneer in "Open Innovation" in India. He refused to patent most of his inventions, because he believed that knowledge should be available to everyone.




Tuesday 27 November 2018

New Report "Data Localisation in a Globalised World: An Indian Perspective"

Data Localisation in a Globalised World: An Indian Perspective
by The Dialogue, C/O Foundation for Progressive Narrative, November 2018.

Abstract: India is ushering into a crucial juncture, more than seventy years after independence. The country is taking important strides towards emerging as a middle-income economy, provide jobs to millions of people, take global leadership on issues of geopolitical importance and stake claim for a growing superpower. In all of this, data and technology will play a fundamental role for India going forward. If the 20th century brought the promise of the Internet as a decentralised and self-regulating space, the 21st century is marked by battles over the control of data. This study aims to study the impact of data localisation from various perspectives, analyse the government's objectives towards implementation of such policy, identifies alternate policy mechanisms that we believe are better suited to drive home the objectives as opposed to blanket data localisation. Some of the key highlights in this report include the Cross-Border Data Flow Fundamental, Huge Costs to Mandatory Data Localisation, Organic Data Storage through Progressive Policies, and Alternative Policy Mechanisms.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Cross-border Data Flows and Why They Matter
Chapter 2: Data Localization Driving Domestic Protectionism
Chapter 3: Sub-optimal Impact Of Forced Data Localisation
Chapter 4: Data Localization and the Indian Context
Chapter 5: Analysing the Motivation Behind Data Localization In India
Chapter 6: Alternative Policy Mechanisms
Chapter 7: Greater International Cooperation
Chapter 9: Towards Making India A Big Data Centre Hub
Chapter 10: Comparative Analysis With Other Nations
Chapter 11: Sectoral Analysis
Chapter 12: Content and Thematic Analysis

Tuesday 20 November 2018

Just Released: "2019 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report - Migration, Displacement and Education: Building Bridges not Walls"


The launch of the 2019 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report

2019 GEM Report out now

The 2019 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report on migration, displacement and education: Building bridges not walls, is now available.

It examines the education impact of all population movements: within and across borders, voluntary and forced, for employment and education. It also reviews progress on education in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In view of increasing diversity, the report analyses how education can build inclusive societies and help people move beyond tolerance and learn to live together. Education provided equally builds bridges; unequal provision raises walls between migrants and refugees and their host communities.

Two new global compacts on migrants and refugees recognize education's role and set objectives aligned with the global commitment to leave no one behind. This report is a vital toolkit for these compacts. It covers policy issues that address seasonal migrants, rural school consolidation, intercultural curricula, refugee inclusion in national education systems and elimination of segregation, qualifications recognition, targeting of school funding, more effective humanitarian education aid and teacher preparedness for diverse classrooms in emergency, protracted and "new normal" contexts. The report calls on countries to see education as a tool to manage migration and displacement and an opportunity for those needing one.

Download the Report and its supporting materials in multiple languages. Join us in sharing its findings and recommendations with your networks, and in online discussions via @GEMReport and #EducationOnTheMove

See where launch events for this Report are taking place around the world, which you might wish to attend
Watch an animation showing the key messages and recommendations from the Report
 
Watch a 3 minute video of people from around the world talking about migration, displacement and education 
Watch the global launch live from Berlin at 08.30 GMT or the Regional launch live from Nairobi at 5.30 GMT on 20 November
Share the social media pack. 
Watch the presentation outlining the key findings in the 2019 GEM Report
 
See the infographics, which illustrate some of the Report's key messages
 
See the 35 background papers commissioned to feed into the Report.
                          

Tuesday 9 October 2018

IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C is Released

Global Warming of 1.5°C: An IPCC Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5°C above Pre-Industrial Levels and Related Global Greenhouse Gas Emission Pathways, in the Context of Strengthening the Global Response to the Threat of Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Efforts to Eradicate Poverty
by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Geneva, October 2018. 

About this Report
Under the Paris Agreement, adopted in December 2015, 197 countries agreed to aim to hold the rise in global average temperature to "well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels" and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 °C. As part of the decision to adopt the agreement, the world's governments invited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to prepare a special report in 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. At a meeting in Nairobi in April 2016, member states of the IPCC decided to accept the UNFCCC's invitation. A few months later at the next meeting in Bangkok in October, the Panel agreed on the title, outline, and scope of the Special Report. 
The Special Report on 1.5 °C (SR15) is being developed under the joint scientific leadership of IPCC Working Groups I, II and III, with support from Working Group I Technical Support Unit. There are two other Special Reports underway as part of the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Cycle. These Special Reports on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL) and on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) will be published in August and September 2019, respectively.

What does it cover?
The Special Report on 1.5 °C consists of five chapters. The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) is based on the key findings from these chapters. A separate Technical Summary collates the Executive Summaries that appear at the start of each chapter into one document. A series of boxes contain case studies or themes that cut across the whole report, such as scenarios or cities. The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C feeds directly into the Talanoa Dialogue. Taking place in December 2018, the Talanoa Dialogue (Talanoadialogue.com) is the international process to take stock of collective efforts towards the long-term goal of the Paris Agreement and to inform countries' pledges to reduce their own emissions, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 
More information about what each chapter and section of the report covers is in the agreed outline. Alongside the main report, there is also be a glossary and a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The FAQs are intended to provide concise, accessible summaries of key topics in the report for non-specialist audiences.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Framing and Context
Chapter 2: Mitigation pathways compatible with 1.5°C in the context of sustainable development
Chapter 3: Impacts of 1.5°C global warming on natural and human systems
Chapter 4: Strengthening and implementing the global response to the threat of climate change
Chapter 5: Sustainable development, poverty eradication, and reducing inequalities

Friday 5 October 2018

New Report | "Future of Work in India: Inclusion, Growth and Transformation – An Enterprise Survey" | by T Chapman, S Saran, R Sinha, S Kedia & S Gutta; ORF & WEF

Future of Work in India:  Inclusion, Growth and Transformation – An Enterprise Survey
by Terri Chapman, Samir Saran, Rakesh Sinha, Suchi Kedia and Sriram Gutta; the Observer Research Foundation and the World Economic Forum, 2018, ISBN: 9789388262323.

About the Report: The future of work in India is uncertain, but full of opportunities. This report answers key questions around the present and future of transformative technology in India and its impact on job creation, workplaces, employment trends, and the nature of work itself. This report outlines findings from the Future of Work, Education and Skills Enterprise Survey. Data was collected from 774 companies in India, from micro-sized firms to those employing more than 25,000 workers. It presents findings on the pace of technological adoption and digitization among Indian companies, and its impact on job creation, displacement and the nature of work. In addition to the effects of the changing nature of jobs on wages, contracts, protections and security. Finally, the report includes recommendations for policies, programmes and action needed for India to leverage the possibilities of technological disruption, manage the associated risks, and enhance its preparedness for the future of work in the digital age.  

Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Vision
3 Methodology
4 Technology Adoption and Digitisation Among Indian Firms
5 Technology Driven Job Creation and Destruction
6 Enhancing Job Quality
7 Conclusion
Appendix / Industry Overviews: Textiles, Banking and Financial Services, Logistics, and Retail


Monday 1 October 2018

"Open Science India Report" is now online (draft version)

Open Science India Report
by CIIPC, National Law University Delhi Press, 2018. 
The digital version of the Open Science India Report was officially released on 28 September 2018 at the Global Congress on IP and Public Interest, Washington D.C. The current version of the report can be downloaded from this link - https://osf.io/aj9gw/. Please note that this is not the final version of the report. As a project on open science, the research team is also trying to practice open science principles in this project and so the team is taking feedback and suggestions on the report before finalising the report. Please download, read, and share your critical comments and suggestions on the report to arul.scaria@nludelhi.ac.in. 

Call for Nomination: NIAS-DST Training Programme on "Science, Technology and Innovation Policy" | 19-30 November | NIAS Bangalore

NIAS-DST Training Programme on Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 
19-30 November 2018
at National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore, India



Invitation for Nomination
The National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) has been organizing with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India training programmes to provide the orientation and planning skills required for scientists/ technocrats of the country, and in particular, to offer views of the broader scientific, economic, social and cultural milieu in which the Indian scientific enterprise could develop in this country. The large pool of scientific and technical manpower in many Indian institutions has not had the benefit of either induction training or a system of regular in-service training that are available to other cadre-based services. In order to bridge this gap, this Programme for scientist-administrators and technologists at the Senior Level with 15 years and above experience, from various scientific organizations in the country will focus on the theme Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. The Course will be conducted during November 19-30, 2018. Consistent with the mission of NIAS, its courses emphasize the development of leadership qualities through the integration of multidisciplinary knowledge.

About the Programme
This program will impart training to participants on how science policies are important and are evolved and what is the government's role in the science and technology innovation system. Given the challenges that lie ahead in India's S&T programmes, this training capsule will aim to equip those planning careers in science and technology and related areas. Similarly, the course will dwell on how S&T policies are formulated when government and the society public look increasingly to experts to do more for the society than conduct research and produce knowledge. This training program will impart sufficient knowledge to participants so that they can contribute to decision making related to S&T issues in public, private and civic settings.

Course Outline: The training programme includes lectures by eminent speakers, presentations by the participants, group discussions, project work, week end technical visits, public lectures, cultural programme, 'Yoga' practice from health point of view and feedback. The defining feature of lecture pattern in our courses consists of interactive sessions with distinguished faculty drawn from different organizations and occupations. The general format is a presentation for 45 minutes followed by lively discussions for 45 minutes. The participants would be encouraged to interact as widely as possible with the speakers.
The Course will address broadly the following topics: Origin, evolution and history of science policy; Role of government in regulating, promoting and financing science; Science and Ethics; Science and IPR; S&T in advancement of national goals; Science and Diplomacy; Science and gender; Influence of social, cultural and political forces on the production of scientific knowledge; Science Policy and Security; Science Policy, Education and Culture; Advocacy, Special interest or Action Groups in influencing science policies; Science policy in global context; India's Nuclear Programme; India's Space Programme: Moon Mission, Mars programme, Antarctica Expeditions, S&T in Defence and Security; Science and Agriculture, etc. 
More information about the lectures will be provided to the nominated participants.

Infrastructure: NIAS has unique infrastructural facilities like accommodation, dining hail, library, auditorium, lecture hail, browsing centre, campus with good ambience. Since the programme is residential, NIAS will arrange boarding and lodging facilities. In view of this, it is necessary that all the participants stay in the campus.

Nominations: For the training programme the Institute seeks nominations from the Government Organisations only, such as DST, DRDO, DAE, ISRO, ICMR, ICAR, CSIR, DSIR and Central/State Universities. No participation fee is involved for attending this essentially residential programme. Only the travel expenses from Headquarters to Bangalore and back are to be met by the nominating organizations as stipulated by DST. Participation in this course is limited to 25 based on a review and selection process as per the guidelines given by DST. Last Date for receiving your nominations is 22 October, 2018 in the Nomination and Biodata Formats. Both Nomination and Bio-data forms duly signed should be sent to niasdst.stip[@]gmail.com

Thursday 27 September 2018

New Book | "The Conflicted Superpower: America's Collaboration with China and India in Global Innovation" | by Andrew B. Kennedy, CUP

The Conflicted Superpower: America's Collaboration with China and India in Global Innovation
by Andrew B. Kennedy, Columbia University Press, 2018, Hardback, ISBN: 9780231546201.

About the Book: Innovation is globalizing. Cross-border flows of brainpower have reached unprecedented heights, while multinationals invest more and more in high-tech facilities abroad. In this new world, the technological leadership of the United States increasingly involves collaboration with other countries. China and India have emerged as particularly prominent partners, unrivaled suppliers of intellectual talent to the United States, and U.S. companies are the largest foreign investors in research and development in both countries. In The Conflicted Superpower, Andrew Kennedy explores how the world's most powerful country navigates the policy of its collaboration with these two rising powers.
Whereas China and India have embraced global innovation, policy in the United States is conflicted. Kennedy explains why, through in-depth case studies of U.S. policies toward skilled immigration, foreign students, and offshoring. These make clear that U.S. policy is not strategic but rather the outcome of domestic battles between competing interests. Pressing for openness is the "high-tech community"--the technology firms and research universities that embody U.S. technological leadership. Yet these pro-globalization forces can face resistance from a range of other interests, including labor and anti-immigration groups, and the nature of this resistance powerfully shapes just how open national policy is. Kennedy concludes by asking whether U.S. policies are accelerating or slowing American decline, and considering the prospects for U.S. policymaking in years to come.  

Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Rise of Global Innovation
2. Innovation Leadership and Contested Openness
3. The Swinging Door: Skilled Workers
4. The Open Door: Foreign Students
5. The (Mostly) Open Door: Global R&D

Wednesday 26 September 2018

New Book | "Energy Law and Policy" | edited by Usha Tandon, OUP

Energy Law and Policy
Edited by Usha Tandon, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2018, Hardback, ISBN: 9780199482979.

About the Book: Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all is one of the goals of sustainable development. In order to meet the increasing demand for various forms of energy—whether derived from fossil fuel, nuclear substances, or renewable sources—conservation, equitable use, and efficient management of its usage have gained primacy. Energy Law and Policy provides a constructive understanding of energy law, a relatively new area in the discourse of environmental law. It argues the importance of looking into existing legal imperatives to frame a robust, and comprehensive legal framework on renewable energy at national and international levels. In this volume, leading energy law experts shed light on crucial aspects of energy law, such as the linkages between energy and sustainable development, energy trade, energy tax, and intellectual property rights in clean energy. Providing a comparative perspective, the volume discusses domestic laws of India, China, Mauritius, and Nigeria, and links the legal instruments developed by environmental law to an energy regime where economic motives dominate and differ across nations depending on the availability of their natural resources. 

About the Editor: Usha Tandon is professor of environmental law, population law, and gender justice at Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, India.

Table of Contents
Foreword by Richard L. Ottinger 
Introduction
Part I International Perspectives 
1. The Atmosphere as a Global Commons and Cleansing It with New Energy Options | Klaus Bosselmann and Pushpa Kumar Lakshmanan 
2. Making Sense of Energy and Natural Resource Law in the Anthropocene Epoch | Upendra Baxi 
3. Regulation of Nuclear Energy for Sustainable Development: A Critical Overview of International Regime with Special Reference to IAEA | Usha Tandon 
4. International Energy Law and WTO: Issues and Challenges | V. Chandralekha 
5. Intellectual Property in the Way of a Clean and Green Environment: Is Licensing the Solution? | Nikita Pattajoshi and Akash Kumar 
Part II National Perspectives 
6. Clean Energy in India: Supply and Prospects | Armin Rosencranz, Rajnish Wadehra, Neelakshi Bhadauria, and Pranay Chitale 
7. Renewable Energy Development in India: The Need for a Robust Legal Framework | Sanjay Upadhyay 
8. Examining the Legal Impediments in the Development of Renewable Energy in Nigeria | Erimma Gloria Orie 
9. Sustainable Energy for Sustainable Development: World View on Nuclear Energy with Special Reference to India | Abdul Haseeb Ansari 
10. The Indian Energy Conservation Law: A Critical Overview | C.M. Jariwala 
11. Information Disclosure: A Policy Tool for Managing Environmental and Energy Challenges | Shivananda Shetty and Surender Kumar 
12. Assessing the Legal Framework of Mauritius on Sustainable Energy: Is It Robust Enough to Achieve the Dream of 'Mauritius: A Sustainable Island'? | Amar Roopanand Mahadew 
13. Eco-Tax on Energy Resources: A Critical Appraisal with Special Reference to India | Neeraj Kumar Gupta and Pratibha Tandon 
14. Humanity, Energy and Law: Urgencies and Challenges | M. Afzal Wani 
15. Achieving Redistributive Energy Justice: A Critical Analysis of Energy Policies of India | Maansi Verma

New Books | Structural Reforms in India: Achievements of the Modi Government - New Initiatives for Rejuvenating the Indian Economy, Vol. I & II | edited by Shalini Sikka & Pawan Sikka

New Books
Structural Reforms in India: Achievements of the Modi Government - New Initiatives for Rejuvenating the Indian Economy
edited by Shalini Sikka & Pawan Sikka, Volume I, Synergy Books India, 2019, ISBN 9789382059783. 

About the Book
A select few national public policies are incorporated in this book, namely, Juvenile Justice, Skills Development, Aadhaar Card, Patents & IPR, SC/ST Act, eWaste Management, Healthcare, Motor Vehicles Act, etc.



Structural Reforms in India: Achievements of the Modi Government - New Initiatives for Rejuvenating the Indian Economy
edited by Shalini Sikka & Pawan Sikka, Volume II, Synergy Books India, 2019, ISBN 9789382059790. 

About the Book
A select few national public policies are incorporated in this book, namely, Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, Medical Devices Bill, the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, Consumer Protection Bill, etc.



Tuesday 25 September 2018

New Book | Development and Disaster Management: A study of the Northeastern States of India

Development and Disaster Management: A study of the Northeastern States of India
Edited by Amita Singh,  Milap Punia, Nivedita P. Haran & Thiyam Bharat Singh; Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, ISBN: 9789811084843.

About the Book
This book highlights the relationship between disasters and development through a socio-cultural study of human geography and governance institutions. It studies the cause, context and consequences of disasters in one of the most fragile Himalayan regions in India. The book establishes the fact that disaster management is built within the framework of good governance, without which it has no meaning. For lack of effective and responsive governance, development has lagged behind and even though the frequency of disasters has been increasing, little is being done to redesign developmental frameworks to prevent ensuing losses. Besides, the near absence of governmental support during recurrent disasters, communities have cumulatively become reservoirs of innovations to cope up with disasters. The resilience plans need not follow implanted models but may be cost effective only if they apply a bottom up approach. Just as the region is culturally diverse so are the challenges encountered by local communities in terms of generating resilience to every disaster. Despite more than a decade of the Disaster Management Act (DMA) of 2005, most of the states in this northeastern fringe of India continue to wait for its implementation beyond mere structures and offices. The book suggests that urgent action is required in accordance with the DMA 2005 towards inter-agency coordination, proactive participation of local governance, mobilization of Community based Organizations (CBOs) and curriculum based training in every academic and technical institution. Governments of these northeastern states of India should establish accountability of State Disaster Management Authorities and inspire them to participate proactively with communities for an effective resilience building in the region.

New Book | Disaster Risk Reduction: Community Resilience and Responses

Disaster Risk Reduction: Community Resilience and Responses
Edited by Bupinder Zutshi,  Akbaruddin Ahmad, & Ananda Babu Srungarapati; Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, ISBN: 9789811088445.

About the Book
This book discusses the interconnected, complex and emerging risks in today's societies and deliberates on the various aspects of disaster risk reduction strategies especially through community resilience and responses. It consists of selected papers presented at the World Congress on Disaster Management, which focused on community resilience and responses towards disaster risk reduction based on South Asian experiences, and closely examines the coordinated research activities involving all stakeholders, especially the communities at risk. Further, it narrates the experiences of disaster risk-reduction in different communities that have policy implications for mitigation of future disaster risks in the societies affected by these types of disasters. Written from the social science perspective to disasters rather than an engineering approach, the book helps development and governance institutions to prioritize disasters as a problem of development rather than being parallel to it.

Table of Contents (21 chapters)
Law Can Set a Stage for Disaster Risk Reduction: A Study on Nepal | Ahmad, Akbaruddin (et al.)
Coordination Does Matter for Disaster Management in Bangladesh | Marzina Begum, Mst. (et al.)
Integrating Disaster Management Content into Social Work Curriculum-Voices of Social Work Students | Baikady, Rajendra (et al.)
Indigenous Knowledge and Practices in Disaster Management: Experiences of the Coastal People of Bangladesh | Haque, Mahfuzul
Mapping Vulnerable Earthquake Disaster Class-I Cities for Disaster Risk-Reduction and Community Resilience in India | Zutshi, Bupinder (et al.)
Mainstreaming Nuclear Disaster Risk Reduction in India | Kumar, Rajesh
Bridging the Gap Between Academicians and Bureaucrats: The NYSAF Way | Haran, Nivedita
Sustainability of Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction Projects | Joseph, Neena
Innovative Use of Technology (GIS) for Disaster Risk Reduction: A Case Study | Agrawal, Namrata
A Sociological Perspective on "Institutional Coordination" for Disaster Risk Reduction in India | Nath, Sanghamitra
From Response to Responsibility: An Academe–Industry Partnership on Solid Waste Management in the Philippines | Era, Marlon de Luna
The Struggles of Women: An Experience from the Flood-Prone Area | Yadav, Shishir Kumar
Structural Inequality and Disaster Risk Reduction: An Indian Experience | Kumar, Binod
Linking Gender Vulnerability and Disasters | Sikandar, Rahila (et al.)
Women and the Gaps in Framework of Disaster Risk Reduction | Jha, Priyanka
Post-disaster Economic Vulnerability of Female-Headed Households | Sealza, Isaias S.
Child Centered Disaster Risk Reduction (CC DRR)/Resilience | Kancharla, Ray
Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Building Among the Coastal Zone Communities in Lakshwadeep and Kerala | Dutta, Mondira
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Among the Survivors of Nepal Earthquake: A Need Assessment Study | Zahir Ahmed, Md
Cyclone Aila: Immediate Challenges and Impact on Socio-economy | Banu, Nasim
Recovery After Disasters—Problems and Prospects: The Case of Koslanda-Meeriyabedda Landslide in Sri Lanka | Fernando, R. Lalitha S. (et al.)

Thursday 20 September 2018

New Book | Altmetrics for Research Outputs Measurement and Scholarly Information Management

Altmetrics for Research Outputs Measurement and Scholarly Information Management
Edited by Mojisola Erdt, Aravind Sesagiri Raamkumar, Edie Rasmussen, Yin-Leng Theng; Springer Nature, Singapore, ISBN: 9789811310522.

About the Book: This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Workshop on Altmetrics for Research Outputs Measurements and Scholarly Information Management, AROSIM 2018, held in Singapore, in January 2018. The book investigates how social media based metrics along with traditional and non-traditional metrics can advance the state-of-the-art in measuring research outputs.

Table of Contents
  • Introduction to the Workshop on Altmetrics for Research Outputs Measurement and Scholarly Information Management (AROSIM 2018) | Mojisola Erdt, Aravind Sesagiri Raamkumar, Edie Rasmussen, Yin-Leng Theng
  • Using Altmetrics to Support Research Evaluation | Mike Thelwall
  • Towards Greater Context for Altmetrics | Stacy Konkiel
  • Monitoring the Broader Impact of the Journal Publication Output on Country Level: A Case Study for Austria | Juan Gorraiz, Benedikt Blahous, Martin Wieland
  • New Dialog, New Services with Altmetrics: Lingnan University Library Experience | Sheila Cheung, Cindy Kot, Kammy Chan
  • How Do Scholars Evaluate and Promote Research Outputs? An NTU Case Study | Han Zheng, Mojisola Erdt, Yin-Leng Theng
  • Scientific vs. Public Attention: A Comparison of Top Cited Papers in WoS and Top Papers by Altmetric Score | Sumit Kumar Banshal, Aparna Basu, Vivek Kumar Singh, Pranab K. Muhuri
  • Field-Weighting Readership: How Does It Compare to Field-Weighting Citations? | Sarah Huggett, Chris James, Eleonora Palmaro
  • A Comparative Investigation on Citation Counts and Altmetrics Between Papers Authored by Top Universities and Companies in the Research Field of Artificial Intelligence | Feiheng Luo, Han Zheng, Mojisola Erdt, Aravind Sesagiri Raamkumar, Yin-Leng Theng
  • Scientometric Analysis of Research Performance of African Countries in Selected Subjects Within the Field of Science and Technology | Yusuff Utieyineshola

Saturday 15 September 2018

Blogger's Meet on Digital Games for Learning: A Brief Report

Blogger's Meet on Digital Games for Learning: A Brief Report


On 14th September 2018 at New Delhi, UNESCO MGIEP organized a Blogger's Meet on Digital Games for Learning where Chris Crowell, critically acclaimed game designer, shared his philosophy of creating enjoyable and immersive experiences for learners. Chris is a veteran of the video games industry, having over 20 years of experience working with globally known brands such as NASCAR, Tiger Woods, The Sims, and Kung Fu Panda.

This meet was an opportunity for young bloggers to come together for the discussion on how the digital learning space is enriched with the digital games. Games allow a learner to proceed at their own pace, thereby placing the student at the centre of the learning journey. Experts believe that games are an excellent pedagogical tool as they fundamentally encourage project-based learning and decision-making for young learners. With massive growth predicted in education technology, it is time that digital games be taken seriously for the interactive and immersive experience they provide a player.

In his insightful lecture, Chris Crowell argued that digital games always have to be fun. It is possible to make digital games for learning fun as well. He further discussed why Digital Games for Learning are important for the societies in the 21st Century. He also elaborated on how Digital Games for Learning are being developed and deployed globally.


Why

  • "Games help you develop critical thinking. It teaches you to get up, go at it and get better at it."
  • "Games help you take action, determine your success or failure. With this agency, you inculcate the life skill of responsibility".
  • "Gaming helps you apply the learnings of the virtual world in the real world."
  • "Gaming is a sure shot way of igniting your grey cells".
  • "These days our devices give us access to the digital world. In that sense, games have the power to impact education."


How

  • "My goal when designing a game is to understand how it will benefit educators in a practical way", while discussing his 'To Do' list while designing games.
  • "Games analyse the happenings of the real world and incorporate it in their mode. We designers often take inspirations from the real world."
  • "Games are not a joke. They can be implemented as a serious tool for learning but in a fun way."
  • "Bloggers have the potential to spread their ideas virally in this digital world."


The lecture attracted intriguing questions and comments from the learned audience. Some of the pertinent questions asked include: "What kind of thought processes are put in action when creating a game from scratch?", "How to wage the gap between virtual reality and the real world for games?", and "Can traffic violence be reduced through gaming?".

UNESCO MGIEP is organizing the TECH-2018 Conference on theme "From Transmissive to Transformative Pedagogies: Digital Technologies for Fostering 21st Century Competencies" in Visakhapatnam on 15–17 November 2018, where "Digital Games for Learning" will be discussed in great details. 




Inputs & Photos from UNESCO MGIEP Twitter hashtags #GamesforLearning #Tech2018

Thursday 13 September 2018

New Book "The Open Revolution: Rewriting the Rules of the Information Age"

The Open Revolution: Rewriting the Rules of the Information Age
by Rufus Pollock, A/E/T Press, June 2018, ISBN: 9781789263428.

About the Book: Will the digital revolution give us digital dictatorships or digital democracies? Forget everything you think you know about the digital age. It's not about privacy, surveillance, AI or blockchain -- it's about ownership. Because, in a digital age, who owns information controls the future. Today, information is everywhere. From your DNA to the latest blockbusters, from lifesaving drugs to the app on your phone, from big data to algorithms. Our entire global economy is built on it and the rules around information affect us all every day. As information continues to move into the digital domain, it can be copied and distributed with ease, making access and control even more important. But the rules we have made for it, derived from how we manage physical property, are hopelessly maladapted to the digital world. In this urgent and provocative book, Rufus Pollock shows that we must make a choice between making information Open, shared by all, or making it Closed, exclusively owned and controlled, and how today's Closed digital economy is the source of problems ranging from growing inequality, to unaffordable medicines, to the power of a handful of tech monopolies to control how we think and vote. Choosing Open is the path to a more equitable, innovative and profitable future for all.

About the Author: Dr Rufus Pollock is a researcher, technologist and entrepreneur. He has been a pioneer in the global Open Data movement, advising national governments, international organisations and industry on how to succeed in the digital world. He is the founder of Open Knowledge, a leading NGO with a presence in over 35 countries, empowering people and organizations with access to information so they can create insight and drive change. Formerly, he was the Mead Fellow in Economics at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge. He has been the recipient of a $1m Shuttleworth Fellowship and is currently an Ashoka Fellow and Fellow of the RSA. He holds a PhD in Economics and a double first in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge.

Table of Contents
1 Prologue: Monopolies of Attention
2 An Open World
3 Defining Information and Openness
4 Patents and Copyright as "Intellectual Property"
5 Face to Face with Power
6 Triumph over Closed Minds: The Internet
7 Music to our Ears
8 How the Secret of Life Almost Stayed Secret
9 Meet Jamie Love
10 Openness: The Best Medicine
11 Making an Open World
12 Help us Make it Happen
13 Coda: The Original Copyfight

Monday 10 September 2018

New Book "Journalism, 'Fake News' and Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training"

Journalism, 'Fake News' and Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training
edited by Cherilyn Ireton and Julie Posetti; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Paris, 2018, ISBN: 9789231002816.

About the Book: This new publication by UNESCO is a timely resource and highly topical subject for all those who practice or teach journalism in this Digital Age. UNESCO's new handbook is an essential addition to teaching syllabi for all journalism educators, as well as practising journalists and editors who are interested in information, how we share it and how we use it. It is mission critical that those who practice journalism understand and report on the new threats to trusted information. Political parties, health professionals, business people, scientists, election monitors and others will also find the handbook useful in navigating the information disorder. Written by experts in the fight against disinformation, this handbook explores the very nature of journalism - with modules on why trust matters; thinking critically about how digital technology and social platforms are conduits of the information disorder; fighting back against disinformation and misinformation through media and information literacy; fact-checking 101; social media verification and combating online abuse. The seven individual modules are available online to download that enables readers to develop their own course relevant to their media environment.

Table of Contents
Module One | Truth, Trust and Journalism: Why it Matters | Cherilyn Ireton
Module Two | Thinking about "Information Disorder": Formats of Misinformation, Disinformation and Mal-Information | Claire Wardle & Hossein Derakshan
Module Three | News Industry Transformation: Digital Technology, Social Platforms and the Spread of Misinformation and Disinformation | Julie Posetti
Module Four | Combatting Disinformation and Misinformation Through Media and Information Literacy (MIL) | Magda Abu-Fadil 
Module Five | Fact-Checking 101 | Alexios Mantzarlis
Module Six | Social Media Verification: Assessing Sources and Visual Content | Tom Trewinnard and Fergus Bell
Module Seven | Combatting Online Abuse: When Journalists and Their Sources are Targeted | Julie Posetti