New Book | Space India 2.0: Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives | by ORF India, 2017

New Book

Space India 2.0: Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives

edited by Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan and Narayan Prasad. Observer Research Foundation, India, 2017, ISBN: 9788186818282.

About the Book

India's space programme has taken huge strides since its humble beginnings six decades ago. Today, India is recognised as a self-reliant spacefaring nation with capabilities not only in rudimentary missions, but in the most complex as well. This book addresses the prevalent policy issues in space and suggests measures to address them. In a world where space exploration and use carry a multitude of roles that range from peacekeeping to forewarning against disasters - Space India 2.0 seeks to serve as a guidebook for the country's policy makers.

Table of Contents

Foreword | K Kasturirangan, former Chairman, ISRO

Introduction | Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan and Narayan Prasad

Section I Space Commerce

1. Space 2.0 India: Leapfrogging Indian Space Commerce | Narayan Prasad

2. Traditional Space and NewSpace Industry in India: Current Outlook and Perspectives for the Future | Narayan Prasad

3. A Review of India's Commercial Space Efforts | K R Sridhara Murthi

4. Exploring the Potential of Satellite Connectivity for Digital India | Neha Satak, Madhukara Putty, Prasad H L Bhat

5. Unlocking the Potential of Geospatial Data | Arup Dasgupta

6. Developing a Space Start-up Incubator to Build a NewSpace Ecosystem in India | Narayan Prasad

7. Electronic Propulsion & Launch Vehicles: Today and Beyond – An Indian Perspective | Rohan M Ganapathy, Arun Radhakrishnan and Yashas Karanam

Section II Space Policy

8. Privatisation of Space in India and the Need for A Law | Kumar Abhijeet

9. SATCOM Policy: Bridging the Present and the Future | Ashok GV and Riddhi D'Souza

10. A Review of India's Geospatial Policy | Ranjana Kaul

11. Formation of PSLV Joint Venture: Legal Issues | Malay Adhikari

12. Exploring Space as an Instrument in India's Foreign Policy & Diplomacy | Vidya Sagar Reddy

Section III Space Security

13. India's Strategic Space Programme: From Apprehensive Beginner to Ardent Operator | Ajey Lele

14. Space Situational Awareness and Its Importance | Moriba Jah

15. Need for an Indian Military Space Policy | Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

Section IV International Cooperation

16. Cooperation in Space between India and France | Jacques Blamont

17. India-US: New Dynamism in Old Partnership | Victoria Samson

18. Evolution of India-Russia Partnership | Vladimir Korovkin

19. Cooperating with Israel: Strategic Convergence | Deganit Paikowsky and Daniel Barok

20. An Asian Space Partnership with Japan? | Kazuto Suzuki

21. India and Australia: Emerging Possibilities | Jason Held

Section V Space Sustainability and Global Governance

22. Space Debris Tracking: An Indian Perspective | MYS Prasad

23. Astro-propriation: Investment Protections for and from Space Mining Operations | Daniel A Porras

24. Sustainability, Security and Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty | Charles Stotler

25. Space Security, Sustainability, and Global Governance: India-Japan Collaboration in Outer Space | Yasushi Horikawa

26. India and Global Space Governance: Need for A Pro-active Approach | Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan

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Call for Papers: 15th Globelics Conference 2017 | 11-13 October | Athens, Greece

15th Globelics Conference 11-13 October 2017 National Technical University of Athens, Greece  The Globelics International Conference 2017 The 15th Globelics Conference will be held in Athens, Greece. It will be hosted by the Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics (LIEE) at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), the oldest (established in 1837) and most prestigious Greek academic institution in the field of Technology and Engineering. Athens will be the first European city to host the Globelics Annual Conference. This was considered as an opportunity to highlight the challenges for a country hit by the recent economic crisis. Innovation and competence building in the context of industrial and institutional change can be of great importance when envisaging a strategy out of the crisis. The conference will combine plenary sessions, presentations of research papers in parallel tracks, thematic panel sessions or special sessions, poster presentations, a book presentation session and debate,exhibition on industrial research in Greece, innovative start-ups presentations, sightseeing and cultural events, as well as artistic and culinary exhibitions. Background Globelics is a worldwide network of more than 2000 scholars engaged in research on how innovation and competence building contribute to economic and sustainable development. The network is open and diverse in terms of disciplines, perspectives and research tools. Globelics is a platform for cooperation and interactive learning. It was conceived at the very beginning of the new millennium. Inspired by the work of Christopher Freeman and Richard Nelson, the network was initially built on conversations among scholars in the South and in the North and developed by economists and experts on innovation systems. Over time the network has integrated expertise from a wider social science background and experts on broader aspects of development. One of its main activities is the Annual Globelics Conference, which brings together over 400 leading and young scholars from all over the world. The Conference also aims at building research capacity and orienting research toward the local challenges of the host country.  Conference Theme The main conference theme for Globlelics 2017 is Innovation and Capacity Building in the context of financialisation and uneven development of the global economy: new roles for the state, productive sector, and social actors. The conference invites papers addressing the role of different types of actors such as the State, local authorities, continental entities, knowledge institutions, productive political and social actors in shaping innovation and capacity building so as to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth. In particular, it aims to explore whether we need new approaches to study inequality in the age of globalization as there are widening disparities within countries, regions and social classes. The conference will also consider the need to tackle new challenges related to innovation and capacity building in addition to our systems of innovation approach. The conference also welcomes papers studying how systems of policies can be implemented at different levels and across different countries to innovate out of the crisis. Conference Tracks Accepted papers will be organized around parallel paper tracks encompassing: 1. University relationships with industry and society: the developmental university 2. Indigenous knowledge, informal sector, innovation and development 3. Gender, innovation and development 4. Science, technology, innovation policy and development 5. Intellectual property rights, open innovation and development 6. National, continental and regional innovation system 7. Technological infrastructure and technological capabilities 8. Sectoral innovation system, systemic industrial policy and development 9. Innovation systems, networks, global value chains and foreign direct investments 10. Entrepreneurship and innovation management in companies, organizations, government and local authorities 11. Agricultural innovation system 12. Science, technology, innovation and the sustainable development goals 13. Creative industries, smart cities and economic development 14. Innovation, financialization and the global crisis: what kind of policies and strategies are needed? 15. Innovation studies: Empirical methodologies, data requirements, indicators, different approaches and methodologies Paper submission: We encourage scholars at scientific institutions, universities, enterprises and public sector institutions to take this opportunity to present their work to leading scholars in the field of innovation and development. We especially encourage young researchers to submit papers. Papers for oral presentations and poster presentation must be written in English, and the selected ones must be presented at the conference in English. Submission of full paper (in PDF) not exceeding 12,000 words (including notes, tables, appendices, list of references, etc.) should be made from 1st until 30th April 2017 via the online submission form available at the Conference website: www.liee.ntua.gr/globelics2017. Papers must be submitted no later than April 30, 2017. The selection of papers is based on a peer review process that focuses on relevance, academic quality and originality. Globelics reserves the right to use available software to control for plagiarism and to take appropriate action in such cases. Travel support: Faculty members and PhD students from developing countries with accepted papers to the conference can apply for travel support. Application for travel support must be submitted at the same time as submission of paper. Further information on procedure for application of travel support will be available on the conference website. Contact Details: For further information on the conference organization please consult our website. If you have any questions that cannot be answered using the website, please send an e-mail to: athens.2017@globelics.org Further Details

Call for Papers: 4th INDIALICS Conference 2017: Innovation for Sustainable Development: Perspectives, Policies and Practices in South Asia | 2-4 November 2017 | JNU, New Delhi, India

The 4^th INDIALICS Conference 2017

Innovation for Sustainable Development: Perspectives, Policies and Practices in South Asia

 

Dates: 2^nd to 4^th November 2017

 

Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

 

Call for Papers & Research Proposals

In the last few decades, technological and organizational innovations have played a pivotal role in transforming the economies and societies of the South-Asian countries, setting them at the frontiers of science and technology advancement. Various policies and institutional arrangements have been restructured and created to achieve global competitiveness and faster economic growth. However, along with high economic growth, there is increasing inequality and exclusion as well as over-exploitation of natural resources. The emerging challenge, therefore, is to accomplish equilibrium between economic growth and social justice, through innovative and sustainable practices.

Drawing inspiration from the existing narratives and discourses, the 4^th Indialics conference is thematised as "Innovation for Sustainable Development: Perspectives, Policies and Practices in South Asia". This conference will explore the nature, determinants and direction of innovation and new pathways for meeting future challenges in the context of sustainable development with specific reference to South Asia. We posit that the challenges cannot be seen as isolated from each other but interconnected and require social, institutional and policy innovations, political processes and the interconnections between these. The conference will reflect on challenges and opportunities in fostering innovation for socio-economic development and sustainability.

Key Conference Themes will include:

• Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (Sub-Themes: Food Security, Farmers' Innovation, etc.)
• Global Value Chains and Innovation Systems
• Sanitation and Waste Management    
• Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation (Sub-Themes: Resilience, etc.)
• Gender, Technology and Innovation
• Innovation in the Informal Economy
• Indicators for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)
• R&D and Technology Transfer (Sub-Themes: University-Industry Linkages, etc.)
• Innovations in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
• IPR, Standards & Regulations in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)
• Foresights and Futures for Technology

 Important Dates:

·         Deadline for Extended Abstract: 20th April 2017

·         Notification of Acceptance of Extended Abstracts: 20th June 2017

·         Last Date for Submission of Full Papers: 20th September 2017 (for Selected Abstracts).              

Format for Extended Abstract/Research Proposal (around 1200 words): Paper proposal should preferably include following subsections (a) Purpose (b) Design/Methodology/Approach (c) Findings (d) Implications (e) Originality/Value (f) Keywords (maximum 5). The extended abstract should not have been published earlier in any form. Authors of the accepted abstract will be invited to present their work at the conference. Papers by young scholars are particularly encouraged. The author(s) are expected to follow above format for submission. All submissions should be submitted online.

Form for Submission of Extended Abstract:  http://bit.ly/2lmF9tO

Organizer:

This conference is being organized by the Centre for Studies in Science Policy (CSSP), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.

Convener of the Conference: Saradindu Bhaduri, Chairperson, CSSP.

Coordinators: Sujit Bhattacharya (CSIR-NISTADS) and Dinesh Abrol (ISID)

All communications regarding the INDIALICS2017 should be addressed to:

Email: indialics2017@gmail.com.

Dr Anup Kumar Das, CSSP, Room #228, SSS-I, JNU, New Delhi 110067. Tel. +91-11-26738906.

Hashtag for Social Media: #INDIALICS2017

Further Details

Call for Participation: Workshop on Role of ICT in Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge in North Eastern India | 15-17 March | NIT Silchar, Assam, India

Workshop on Role of ICT in Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge in North Eastern Region

(Capacity Building Programme for NER)

15-17 March, 2017

Venue: NIT Silchar, Assam, India

Jointly Organised by IGNCA, NIT Silchar, and TERI, North East

 

Background

Biodiversity, indigenous knowledge (IK), and sustainable development are very closely linked. Indigenous knowledge has been noted to make a significant contribution to sustainable development of local communities, as it is seen as a set of perceptions, information, and behaviour that guide local community members to use the land and natural resources. The goal of managing indigenous knowledge is to provide the right information to the right people at the right time. Application of traditional knowledge has and will continue to immensely benefit the society at large.

Hence, there is a need for preservation and conservation of traditional and indigenous knowledge culture resources for Sustainable Future. Simultaneously, it become equally significant that these cultural resources should get access to external world so that next generation come to know about the rich custom and traditions existed in India. It also focused the various methods of preservation of cultural resources, understating the copyrights, how to do basic research, writing skills and many more. For mapping & dissemination of Traditional and Indigenous knowledge, the ICT can play a major role. Thus the programme will highlight how ICT can be used in preservation and conservation of Traditional and Indigenous knowledge culture resources. In the said background, the three days' workshop will be conducted on March 15-17, 2017 at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Silchar.

 

Objectives

The workshop main objectives of the programme is to introduce, train, motivate and enrich the knowledge of the young scholars of North East India which helps them to understand, study, document and safeguard the rich cultures of the region.

The main aim of the workshop is to expose participants to the state-of-the art technology (ICT Tools) available to map, conserve & preserve the cultural resources of the North Eastern Region.  The select objectives of the workshop to:

1. understand the management and preservation of traditional cultural knowledge

2. means and ways to store the tacit and explicit knowledge

3. use appropriate  ICT Tools to map, document & preserve the cultural resources

4. share information used by indigenous people for national and cultural management

5. implement programs to collect, preserve and disseminate indigenous and local traditional knowledge resources.

6. communicate and increase the outreach and publicize the value, contribution, and importance of indigenous and local traditional knowledge to both non-indigenous and indigenous peoples.

 

Participation

The workshop is expected to draw professionals from a wide range of disciplines. Around 100 participants with mere knowledge and interest on cultural resource management will add value to them. This workshop will have great benefit for the following kind of audience:

• PhD and Masters Students from Arts, Sociology and Culture, Science disciplines
  
• ICT Implementers, Academicians, Practitioners and Policy makers
  

The selected participants from North Eastern Region will be given TA/DA (limited to Bus / Sumo / sleeper class train fare) with free accommodation in the NIT Guest House on first cum first serve basis based on the background & profile of the participants. Students, Researchers & Faculty members those who wants share their experience / case study in the workshop are requested to contact Dr. Kishor Satpathy of NIT Silchar.

 

Topics of the Workshop

The workshop will include lectures, presentations, best practices, case study demonstrations, and will cover following topics:

• Different Facets of Cultural Resource Management
  
• Technology Trends
  
• Role of ICT in Preservation of IK
  
• Preservation and Curation of Culture
  
• Preservation of Cultural Knowledge Resource: Documentation,  Archiving and Knowledge Management
  
• Academic Integrity - Copyright, Plagiarism, Digital Rights Management  of IK
  

 

Original practical papers, best practices & case studies are invited on the said topics only few selected papers will be allowed for presentation in the experience sharing session.

 

Resource Persons

• IGNCA: Dr Sacchinanda Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA | Dr P R Goswami, Director, IGNCA
  
• TERI: Mr Prabir Sengupta, IAS (Retd), Distinguished Fellow and Director, Knowledge Management Division | Mr Dipankar Saharia, Associate Director, TERI North East Office | Dr P K Bhattacharya, Fellow and Area Convenor, KM Division | Dr Shantanu Ganguly, Fellow, KM Division | Ms Maning Thangal, Information Analyst, KM Division
  

Location: NIT Silchar is located on the Silchar - Hailakandi road at a distance of about 8 K.M. away from the railway station/bus stand. Silchar is linked to the rest of the country by road, rail and air. There are daily flights from Kolkata and Guwahati. Silchar is also well connected by road. Deluxe Buses run every day between Guwahati / Shillong / Aizwal / Agartala / Imphal and Silchar.

 

Important Dates

• Deadline for Registration: 25 Feb 2017
  
• Confirmation by Hosts: 28 Feb 2017
  
• Workshop Date:   15-17 March 2017
  

Contact Details:

Dr. Kishor Chandra Satpathy | Librarian & Workshop Coordinator | National Institute of Technology, Silchar-788010, Assam, India | Tel: +91-3842-240055, +91-9435175531 (M) | Email:  ksatpathy@gmail.com

​ Registration Form

Call for Applications: 7th Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences: Linking Theory and Empirical Research | 16-27 July 2017

7th Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences: Linking Theory and Empirical Research

July 16 – 27, 2017

Berlin, Germany 

We are delighted to announce the 7th Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences. The summer school aims at supporting young researchers by strengthening their ability in linking theory and empirical research. The two-week program creates an excellent basis for the development of their current research designs.

In the first week, we address the key methodological challenges of concept-building, causation/explanation, and micro-macro linkage that occur in almost all research efforts. We strive for a clarification of the epistemological foundations underlying methodological paradigms. In the second week, these methodological considerations are applied to central empirical fields of research in political science, sociology, and other related disciplines. In this second part of the program, participants are assigned to four thematic groups according to their own research topics. The thematic areas covered are: "External Governance, Inter-regionalism, and Domestic Change", "Citizenship, Migration, and Identities", "Social Struggle and Globalization", and "Democracy at the Crossroads".

The program is characterized by a varied format comprising lectures, workshops, seminars, and one-to-one consultations. During the summer school, participants will also have the opportunity to present and discuss their own work extensively. Participants will be provided with hands-on advice for their research designs.

The school brings together a faculty of renowned international and Berlin-based scholars. Among the confirmed international lecturers are Dorothee Bohle (Central European University), Donatella della Porta (Scuola Normale Superiore), Gary Goertz (University of Notre Dame), Macartan Humphreys (Columbia University), Sanjay Reddy (New School for Social Research), Saskia Sassen (Columbia University), and Hendrik Wagenaar (University of Sheffield).

The Berlin Summer School was co-funded by the Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences (BGSS) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. Moreover, we receive generous funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Details on travel grants and tuition fees can be found on our webpage.

The international summer school is open to 50 PhD candidates, advanced master students, and young postdocs. The call for applications is currently open. Applications can be submitted online via the application form on the summer school webpage until March 31, 2017. The decisions of the selection committee will be announced to the applicants in April. For more information, please visit our webpage at Berlinsummerschool.de. If you have any further questions, please contact the organizing team at summerschool.bgss@hu-berlin.de.

Further Details

CfPs: SIS Conference on Open Access: The Road to Freedom | 7-8 April | CSIR-IICB, Kolkata, India

SIS Conference on Open Access: The Road to Freedom

7-8 April 2017

Venue: CSIR-IICB, Kolkata, India

 

Organized by: Society for Information Science (SIS), India; and Knowledge Resource Centre (Library), CSIR-IICB (Indian Institute of Chemical Biology), Kolkata, India

 

Call for Papers 

Papers are invited on concepts, working models and case studies in the below mentioned areas.

The researchers and practitioners are encouraged to share their experiences, ideas and knowledge for the mutual benefit. 

Selected papers will be published in the post conference volume with ISBN. 

Abstract and full papers may be sent to 

Dr Narayan Chandra Ghosh,  Organizing Secretary, CSIR-IICB, 4 Raja S C Mullick Road, Kolkata – 700032, India | Tel.: +91-33-24995713, M: +91-9432248877 | Email: sis2017@iicb.res.in. 

Sub-Themes:

• Open Access and Scholarly Communications
  
• Open Access Infrastructure
  
• Open Data Initiatives
  
• Open Learning Initiatives
  
• Open Access Metrics
  
• Open Access Discovery
  
• Large-scale OA Management
  
• Open Innovation
  

Important Dates:

• Abstract Submission:  28th February, 2017
  
• Acceptance intimation: 15th March, 2017
  
• Full paper submission: 31st  March, 2017

Further Details

CfPs: 1st International Conference on Large-Scale Grid Integration of Renewable Energy in India | 6-8 September | New Delhi, India

1st International Conference on Large-Scale Grid Integration of Renewable Energy in India

6-8 September 2017 | New Delhi, India

Organized by: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany | United States Agency for International Development (USAID), USA | Energynautics GmbH, Germany

The 1st International Conference on Large-Scale Grid Integration of Renewable Energy in India is organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); United States Agency for International Development (USAID); and Energynautics, Germany.

The Government of India has set the very ambitious goal to install 175 GW of renewable energy generation capacity by 2022. Grid integration thus becomes a very critical challenge to successfully accomplish this target. This international conference aims to connect international experts and Indian stakeholders to jointly discuss the latest technological, regulatory and conceptual developments in this field.

The Conference provides an International Forum to:

• Discuss technical and economic issues of the large-scale integration of solar and wind power including the recent advances in transmission technologies (AC and DC)
  
• Discuss worldwide project experiences
  
• Discuss innovative ideas and present results from ongoing research
  
• Stimulate interdisciplinary thinking between renewable energy and power transmission and distribution industries, as well as universities
  
• Identify subjects requiring more research efforts.
  

Call for Papers

To submit a paper, upload an abstract of maximum 3,000 characters (free style) between 17 January & 31 March 2017. Final papers must then be submitted online by 31 July 2017. As the conference language is English, all abstracts have to be written in English. All participants are responsible for paying their own travel and hotel expenses. Conference admission is free.

Proposed Preferential Topics

• Project experience related to wind/PV/CSP/storage grid connection
  
• Innovative Smart Grid solutions with wind/solar power and storage
  
• Experience with large-scale integration of wind/PV/CSP/storage power into power systems
  
• IT technology for the integration of wind/solar power and storage
  
• Wind/PV/CSP/storage power monitoring and prediction systems
  
• Wind/PV/CSP integration study experience
  
• Wind/PV/CSP/storage power plant performance for plant operation and interconnection with the grid
  
• Protection aspects of wind/PV/CSP/storage
  
• Wind/PV and storage in distribution grids (distributed generation)
  
• Wind/solar integration study methodologies and data requirements
  
• Modelling of inverters and wind/solar power plants for system inte-gration studies including methods of testing and verification of compliance with requirements, and technologies (on grid side and power plant side) to facilitate integration
  
• Wind/PV/CSP/storage system models for interconnection and planning studies
  
• Design and operation of hybrid systems with wind/PV/CSP/storage
  
• Modelling wind/PV/CSP/storage plants output variability and assessing the impacts
  
• Power balancing methods and solutions, e.g. balance markets, to manage wind/solar power variability in power systems
  
• Evaluation of rules and mechanisms for integrating of wind/PV/CSP/storage in electricity markets
  
• Demand forecast with distributed wind/PV and storage
  
• State-of-the-art wind/solar resources forecasting and opportunities for improvement
  
• Interconnection standards for wind turbines, wind power plants, solar systems, solar system models for system planning and interconnection studies
  
• Market design and regulatory issues related to Variable Renewable Energy (VRE)
  
• Power system balancing with high share of VRE
  
• Solar/wind power generation forecasting, scheduling and related applications
  
• Load/demand forecasting
  
• Power system balancing with high share of VRE
  
• Ancillary services from RE and Non-RE sources
  
• Flexibility of the conventional power plants
  
• Grid codes and interconnection guidelines related to wind and solar power plants
  
• Compliance testing for grid codes
  
• Demand response in smart grid context
  
• Virtual power plants
  
• Communication, control and coordination between control centres
  
• New and emerging features of power systems with high share of VRE
  

Partner Event of: Solar Integration Workshop | Wind Integration Workshop

Download Conference Flyer

Online Abstract Submission Platform

Further Details

Call for Applications | ACU Commonwealth Summer School 2017: Creating Greener Narratives through the Environmental Arts and Humanities

ACU Commonwealth Summer School 2017: Creating Greener Narratives through the Environmental Arts and Humanities

Saturday 5 - Sunday 13 August 2017

Bath Spa University, UK

​

Call for Applications:

The ACU Commonwealth Summer School – now in its seventh year – is an opportunity for talented university students from around the Commonwealth to come together for an exciting week of expert lectures, group work, field trips, skills development and social events. 

The Environmental Humanities

The 2017 Summer School will explore interrelationships between humans and other living beings, and between cultural practices and environmental problems – and will look at how these can be examined through different academic disciplines and creative arts. Bath Spa University is a world leader in research and teaching in these areas, and is therefore ideally placed to lead this discussion.

The Theme

The Environmental Arts and Humanities is a dynamic field of the human sciences which offers important perspectives on the environmental challenges facing global society today. Climate change, biodiversity loss, systemic pollution and the environmental and social cost they pose in both the developed and developing world are timely and relevant concerns for students of the Commonwealth. These issues underline the importance of cross-border cooperation at a time of significant geopolitical tensions, which are pushing environmental issues further down government and media agendas. Summer School participants will draw on the diversity of their experiences to explore an interconnecting set of global challenges, and will learn more about how arts and humanities approaches in interdisciplinary combinations, make studying these grave socio-ecological problems both engaging and empowering. Throughout the Summer School students will be introduced to key ideas and approaches within the Environmental Humanities through a series of workshops, field trips, and keynote talks on subjects including: 'New narratives for environmental change' in relation to history and geography, philosophy and anthropology, literature and the visual and performing arts, heritage and tourism. The programme will include practical activities exploring these issues, supplemented by visits to sites such as Avebury, the Avalon Marshes, and the heritage cities of Bath and Oxford. Students will engage in arts and humanities group projects supported by an international team of research experts and representatives from local heritage organisations.

Speakers: Confirmed speakers include the following: 

Dr Martha Akawa-Shikufa – Deputy Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, University of Namibia | Professor Irma Eloff – Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria, South Africa | Martin Palmer – Environmentalist and religious historian | Professor Kate Rigby – Research Centre for Environmental Humanities, Bath Spa University, UK | Professor Anita Taylor – Dean, Bath School of Art and Design, UK.

Who can attend?

The Summer School is open to participants who are current postgraduate (Masters and Doctoral) studying at any university in a Commonwealth country, plus students from ACU member institutions in Hong Kong and Zimbabwe. If you are an undergraduate student, you must have already started your final year of studies at the time of application. The Summer School is a small and friendly event, with delegate numbers capped at 45. It is an interdisciplinary event and students from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

Costs, bursaries and visa information: Registration fees are: £350 (GBP) for participants from ACU member universities. A number of bursaries are available for students from ACU member universities.

How to Apply: Application guidance and the link to the application form is available here. Applications close at 12am (midnight, GMT) on Wednesday 15 February 2017. If you have a query which is not answered on this page, please email summerschool@acu.ac.uk

Further Details

New Book | Environmental Sustainability from the Himalayas to the Oceans: Struggles and Innovations in China and India | ed by Dong, Bandyopadhyay, & Chaturvedi

Environmental Sustainability from the Himalayas to the Oceans: Struggles and Innovations in China and India

Edited by Shikui Dong, Jayanta Bandyopadhyay, and  Sanjay Chaturvedi, Springer International Publishing, 2017, 258 pages, ISBN 9783319440354.

About this Book

The book is written in the backdrop of the environmental impacts of and future requirements from the natural environment for rapid economic growth that has characterized recent economic history of China and India, especially over the past few decades. The environmental impacts of such rapid economic changes have been, more frequently than otherwise, degrading in character. Environmental impacts of economic activities create degraded natural ecosystems by over utilization of nature's provisioning ecosystem services (from Himalaya to the Ocean), as well, by the use of the natural environment as sink for dumping of unmarketable products or unused inputs of economic activities. Such processes affect wide range of ecosystem processes on which the natural environment including human population depend on. Critical perspectives cast by various chapters in this book draw attention to the various ways in which space and power interact to produce diverse geographies of sustainability in a globalizing world. They also address the questions such as who decides what kind of a spatial arrangement of political power is needed for sustaining the environment. Who stands to gain (or lose) what, when, where, and why from certain geographical areas being demarcated as ecologically unique, fragile and vulnerable environments? Whose needs and values are being catered to by a given ecosystem service? What is the scope for critical inquiry into the ways in which the environment is imagined, represented and resisted in both geopolitical struggles and everyday life? The book provides insights to both academics from diverse disciplines and policy makers, civil society actors interested in mutual exchange of knowledge between China and India.

About the authors

• Shikui Dong is a full professor at Beijing Normal University, China and an adjunct professor at Cornell University, USA. A Fellow with the India China Institute at The New School, New York(2010-2012) and a Fellow with Asia Scholarship Foundation (2006-2008; 2009-2010), his research focuses on highland ecosystem restoration, highland resource management and sustainable development, and coupled human-natural systems in environmental protection.
  
• Jayanta Bandyopadhyay is an author and expert on environmental policy. He is a former Professor at the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta and former Visiting Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He is an adviser to the Water Diplomacy Program at the Tufts University, Medford MA USA.
  
• Sanjay Chaturvedi is Professor of Political Science at Panjab University in Chandigarh, India. He was a Fellow of the India-China Institute (2010-2012) at the New School, New York (USA) and Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore, from 2010-2012. He is an Associate Fellow of Asia Society, New York and Associate of Indo-Pacific Governance Research Centre at The Adelaide University.
  

Table of Contents

Introduction | Sanjay Chaturvedi (et al.)

Environmental Struggles and Innovations in China: A Historical Perspective | Shikui Dong Download This Chapter

Environmental Struggles and Innovations in India: An Historical Perspective | Jayanta Bandyopadhyay

Restoration of Ecological Status of Himalayan Rivers in China and India: The Case of the Two Mother Rivers—The Yellow and the Ganges | Jayanta Bandyopadhyay

Himalayan Grasslands: Indigenous Knowledge and Institutions for Social Innovation | Shikui Dong

Himalayan Biodiversity: Trans-boundary Conservation Institution and Governance | Shikui Dong (et al.)

Environmental Grassroots Partnerships and Potential for Social Innovation | Nidhi Srinivas

Coastal Mangrove Forests: Micro-Geopolitics of Resistance and Social Innovation for Environmental Sustainability | Sanjay Chaturvedi

Designing Mega Delta Interactions | Victoria Marshall

Conclusion | Jayanta Bandyopadhyay (et al.)

​Further Details

Call for Applications: Summer School "Democratic Innovations in Europe and in the European Union" | 21-25 August 2017 | Brussels, Belgium

Summer School "Democratic Innovations in Europe and in the European Union"

Monday 21 – Friday 25 August 2017

Brussels, Belgium

An initiative of the ECPR Standing Group on Democratic Innovations Organized by the Université Saint-Louis – Brussels & Université catholique de Louvain 

The weaknesses of representative democracy, the recurring problems in the process of political representation, and the partial failure of government accountability led to an increasing discontent of citizens towards political institutions and politicians. The latter have gradually abandoned the traditional modes of involvement (electoral turnout, party membership). One of the solutions to address this 'democratic malaise' has been the adoption of different democratic innovations (especially in the form of direct democracy and dialogue-oriented procedures) aiming to foster the effective inclusion of citizens in political decision-making. Over the last three decades democratic innovations gained momentum throughout the world both in terms of rules and use. In spite of these developments, there are very few university courses discussing the functioning and consequences of democratic innovations. 

The summer school on democratic innovations addresses this problem and seeks to provide students with a fuller understanding of democratic innovations. The courses will discuss in detail their effects on communities, structures, systems, policies and citizens' participation. The summer school aims to identify and assess the benefits, disadvantages, functioning and challenges of democratic innovations in contemporary representative democracies. To achieve these objectives, the summer school will combine a broad array of theoretical approaches (made available to students in the reading package of every course) with methodological and empirical perspectives in every course (i.e. a hands-on approach). The sessions are divided in five days of teaching that alternate between the three major types of innovations: direct democracy, dialogue- oriented, and mixed. Students will be encouraged to actively participate in a series of applied exercises that will reveal the complexities of democratic innovations. The lecturers are experienced researchers in the fields of political representation and democratic innovations and all course of the summer school follow a student-centred approach. 

Call for Applications:

We invite applications from advanced Master students and PhD students from all across Europe and the world. Applicants should send a letter of motivation and their CV to min.reuchamps@uclouvain.be no later than 1 April 2017 and ideally before as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Successful applicants will have to make their own travel arrangements. Thanks to the support of the ECPR and the Standing Group Democratic Innovations as well as the organizing universities and partners, the registration fee only amounts to 50 euros and covers accommodation, meals, coffee breaks, and all teaching activities in Brussels from Monday (21 August) till Friday (25 August). 

Participants will be given the opportunity to present their own project/research via a poster and to discuss lecturers' on-going research during the final workshop. The summer school intends to be a place of intense interactions and joyful discussions about democratic innovations.

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Call for applications: DEMAND Summer School on Energy in the City | 18-20 July 2017 | University of Leeds, UK

Energy in the City: A Summer School on Energy Demand and Mobility

18-20 July 2017, University of Leeds, UK

 

The call for applications for the DEMAND Centre Summer School is now open. Deadline for applications: 22 March 2017

The DEMAND Centre (Dynamics of Energy, Mobility and Demand) takes a distinctive approach to end use energy demand, recognizing that energy is not used for its own sake but as part of accomplishing social practices at home, at work and in moving around. In essence, the Centre focuses on what energy is for, how this changes, and how it might be steered (www.demand.ac.uk). 

The 2017 DEMAND Summer School will focus on Energy in the City. Cities are important sites of energy demand, distinctive in terms of density and diversity, and important places in which energy demand reduction policies are made and played out. But what does this mean for the infrastructures cities depend on and bring about? And what do we really understand about urban patterns of energy demand and mobility? How are they generated in relation to particular locations and activities, such as office work, retail, healthcare or higher education? And what insights can 'the city', as a scale and field of investigation, offer into how and why these patterns are changing?  

Speakers include:

• Professor John Barrett, Director of the Centre for Industrial Energy, Materials and Products (CIE-MAP), University of Leeds
  
• Professor Elizabeth Shove, Co-director of the DEMAND Centre, Lancaster University
  
• Tom Knowland, Head of Sustainable Development, Leeds City Council
  
• Dr Matt Watson, University of Sheffield (on infrastructures, urban space and everyday life)
  
• Dr Eleonora Morganti, University of Leeds (on food systems, energy and mobility in the city)
  
• Dr Noel Cass, Lancaster University (on office work, buildings and futures)
  

The three intensive days will be academically challenging and fun. Participants, along with researchers and academics from the DEMAND Centre, will explore a variety of concepts and approaches for studying energy and mobility demand in the city including working on real case studies in conjunction with Leeds City Council. We invite applications from PhD students and early career researchers from all disciplines, as well as practitioners dealing with issues of energy and mobility demand in their work. For more details on the event and how to apply, please visit: www.demand.ac.uk/events/event/summer-school-call-for-applications/

Dr Janine Morley

Senior Research Associate, DEMAND Centre & Sociology

D10, FASS Building, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YD

+44 (0)1524 594245

Email: j.morley@lancaster.ac.uk

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Further Details

Call for Applications: CIED Summer School on Accelerating Innovation to Reduce Energy Demand | 10-12 July 2017 | University of Sussex, UK

CIED Summer School on Accelerating Innovation to Reduce Energy Demand

10-12 July 2017, University of Sussex, Brighton, U.K.

Summary

The Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand (CIED) are pleased to announce we are launching a summer school on Accelerating Innovation to Reduce Energy Demand. The Summer School will be held on 10-12 July 2017 at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. The Summer School will provide doctoral and postdoctoral researchers a unique opportunity to hear from leading thinkers in the fields of innovation and energy demand, to take part in collaborative learning and participatory activities, and to meet other research students and early career researchers from around the world. Applications are invited from highly-motivated doctoral and postdoctoral researchers working on energy demand from the perspective of innovation studies, sociotechnical transitions, science and technology studies, geography and related areas. Numbers are limited, so recruitment will be by refereed selection.

About CIED

CIED is a collaboration between researchers from the Sussex Energy Group at the Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex; the Transport Studies Unit at the University of Oxford; and the Sustainable Consumption Institute at the University of Manchester. CIED is one of six Research Centres on End Use Energy Demand funded by the Research Councils UK Energy Programme. CIED sits at the forefront of research on the transition to a low carbon economy. We investigate new technologies and new ways of doing things that have the potential to transform the way we use energy and achieve substantial reductions in energy demand. Our research explores how innovations are adopted by people and organisations, how they become more widespread within societies and how different factors shape their impact on energy demand. We seek to use this knowledge to develop practical policy recommendations. Our research programme is: 

• Interdisciplinary. We draw on ideas from economics, history, innovation studies, sociology and urban geography.
  
• Multi-method. We use qualitative and quantitative techniques ranging from historical and contemporary case studies, surveys, modelling and econometric analysis.
  
• Practical and relevant. We investigate low-energy innovations relevant to transport, industry, households and non-domestic buildings, and work with stakeholders to better understand their adoption of low-energy innovations.
  

Accelerating innovation to reduce energy demand 

Improving energy efficiency is widely considered to be the fastest, cheapest and safest means to mitigate climate change. While progress has been made through incremental change to existing heating, lighting, power and transport systems, more radical changes are needed if we are to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Meeting the climate objectives in the UK's Climate Change Act 2009 and the Paris Agreement will require the adoption of more radical innovations, either new 

technologies, new behavioural practices or transitions to new systems. In other words, further progress in demand reduction will depend upon low-energy innovation. Participants, along with researchers and academics from CIED, will explore a variety of concepts and approaches for studying innovation and energy demand from a socio-technical perspective. We will explore three main themes:

Emergence (the mechanisms and processes that provide the conditions for new innovations)

Diffusion (how innovations move from niche to mainstream and the role that economics, infrastructures, business models, social norms, values, expectations and public policies play in this process) 

Governance and policy (the role that governance plays in the innovation process and how policymakers can best promote radical low-carbon innovation).

Summer school goals

The Summer School is an opportunity to meet and collaborate with other research students and early career researchers in the social sciences with an interest in advanced discussions on innovation and energy demand. Leading thinkers will present their latest findings and insights, and you can also present and discuss your own research. Sessions will offer opportunities to discuss and apply different theoretical approaches and methods to specific issues and debates relating to innovation and energy demand. Participants will be encouraged to engage and develop their personal research topics and ideas in interaction with other students and with CIED members. 

Speakers

Speakers at the Summer School will include: Professor Johan Schot | Professor Frank Geels | Dr Karoline Rogge | Dr Paula Kivimaa | Professor Benjamin Sovacool 

Applications

We invite applications from PhD students, researchers and academics from across the social sciences, but with a particular focus on innovation studies and sociotechnical transitions. There are 25 places available. Fees for attendance are £75, which includes accommodation and catering. This is subsidised by the Research Councils UK through CIED. Participants must arrange and pay for their own travel. Participants will be required to do some reading and writing before the Summer School and will be expected to actively engage in workshops and activities when they are here. 

How to apply

Please send a short CV (two pages maximum) and a one page document explaining why you want to attend the Summer School, how it is relevant to your current research and how you hope to benefit from participating in the event. Please email your applications to CIED@sussex.ac.uk. Deadline for applications: 3 March 2017. Confirmation of place: 3 April 2017. Payment deadline: 17 April 2017. If you are successful then we will ask you to confirm your acceptance of your place, and pay the £75 fee online by 17 April 2017. If you do not meet the payment deadline, then your place will be offered to someone else. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at CIED@sussex.ac.uk.

Further Details