Statement on behalf of Inter Academy Panel on Ethics in Science

Statement on behalf of Inter Academy Panel on Ethics in Science 

(This panel is constituted jointly by three science academies, namely, Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Sciences, India)

When we became an independent republic, our founding fathers adopted the Constitution of India which demands that its citizens abide by and uphold reason and scientific temper. Scientific temper encompasses rationality, rights and responsibility in equal measure.

It crystallizes what Tagore wanted India to be, namely, a nation

Where knowledge is free;

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;

Where words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action,

Into that heaven of freedom;

let my country awake.

Yet, we note with sadness and growing anxiety several of statements and actions which run counter to this constitutional requirement of every citizen of India. It is important that exemplary punishment be given to such trespassers of reason and rights. We also appeal to all sections of Indian society to raise their voices against such violated acts, so that they are nipped in the bud.

Source: INSA Website [http://www.insaindia.res.in/scroll_news_pdf/Statement.pdf]

Call for Applications: 5th IndiaLICS Training Programme on Innovation Systems and Sustainable Development

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply" – Leonardo da Vinci

5th IndiaLICS Training Programme on Innovation Systems and Sustainable Development

14-19 September 2018 |  Mohali (near Chandigarh), Punjab

Call for Applications

Applications from research scholars and early career faculty members are invited for the 5th IndiaLICS training program on Innovation Systems and Sustainable Development to be held in LM Thapar School of Management, Mohali (near Chandigarh), Punjab. The programme intends to expose the participants to various issues and methods in the sphere of research on innovation systems and sustainable development.

IndiaLICS is the India chapter of Globelics, an international network of scholars who apply the concept of Learning, Innovation and Competence-building System (LICS) as a framework for promoting inclusive and sustainable development in developing countries, emerging economies and societies in transition (www.globelics.org). IndiaLICS pro-actively promotes domestic/ national and global exchange of scholarship in innovation systems and the translation of innovation to development outcomes. 

The programme would admit 25 participants. Candidates from SC/ST, minority and women are especially encouraged to apply. The course is residential with full support for travel (2nd AC train fares) and local hospitality for outstation participants. 

The scholars may apply by sending (a) duly filled application form, downloadable from http://indialics.org (b) a detailed CV and (c) an extended abstract/ synopsis (1000 words) of their current research work by email to lakhwindergill@pbi.ac.in (Coordinator–IndiaLICS) or pverma@thapar.edu (Coordinator–CSIS).

The last date for receiving applications is 5th August 2018.

Organizers:

• Centre for Sustainability Innovations & Strategy (CSIS), LM Thapar School of Management, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Dera-Bassi Campus, Dera Bassi-140507, Mohali (SAS Nagar), Punjab, India; Mobile: +91-9478374656.
  
• Centre for Development Economics & Innovation Studies (CDEIS), Punjabi University, Patiala-147002, Punjab, India; Mobile: +91-9888755642.
  

Further Details

CfPs: International Conference "From Transmissive to Transformative Pedagogies: Digital Technologies for Fostering 21st Century Competencies" TECH2018 | 15-17 Nov, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

From Transmissive to Transformative Pedagogies: Digital Technologies for Fostering 21st Century Competencies (TECH2018)

15-17 November 2018 

Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

TECH 2018, UNESCO MGIEP's international conference, aims to showcase the role of games and digital learning in enabling a shift from "transmissive pedagogies" to "transformative pedagogies" to create peaceful and sustainable societies.

 

 

Concept Note

About the Conference: Building on the success of TECH 2017, UNESCO MGIEP will organise TECH 2018 to delve into the role of digital technologies in enabling a shift from "transmissive pedagogies" to "transformative pedagogies" to create more peaceful and sustainable societies. TECH 2018 aims at drawing a blueprint for harnessing pedagogical possibilities opened up by digital technologies, in order to contribute to enabling a revolutionary shift in education from individual content acquisition to collaborative intelligence.

 

Conference Objectives: TECH 2018 aims to:

1. Provide a platform for dialogue and capacity building across gaming, digital pedagogy and education stakeholders, including students, teachers and young people;
   
2. Showcase and demonstrate pedagogical possibilities opened up by gaming and digital technologies in enabling learners to develop 21st century skills and competencies to shape peaceful and sustainable societies;
   
3. Critically reflect upon and articulate institutional and ethical implications of embracing digital solutions to education.
   

 

Conference Themes

Theme 1: Transformative Gaming and Digital Pedagogies for SEL

The need for individuals, resilient and adaptive to rapidly changing environments, is the order of the day. The need for building not only intellectual intelligence but also emotional intelligence has never been greater. Recent research increasingly demonstrates what supporters of SEL have long advocated that students need to be "socially aware" and "emotionally-connected" for them to learn and for societies to flourish. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that SEL skills such as empathy, mindfulness and compassion can be explicitly taught and learned. Indeed, research suggests that SEL skills impact positively both academic performance and behavioural outcomes. UNESCO MGIEP promotes the idea that building both emotional and intellectual intelligence is key to achieving peaceful and sustainable societies and this can be delivered to all learners through the use of innovative technologies. Participants are invited to: Present the research evidence for SEL delivered directly or indirectly through transformative gaming and digital pedagogies, which have implications for achieving SDG 4.7; Showcase good practices in curricula for building social and emotional skills through gaming and digital learning tools and methodologies; Provide hands-on training to educators and youth to develop and employ innovative gaming and digital technologies to directly or indirectly deliver SEL experiences that promote values of peace, global citizenship and sustainable development.

 

Theme 2: Beyond Four Walls of the Classroom

Rather than embracing everything digital, participants are invited to explore how digital technologies can overcome constraints imposed by highly institutionalised features of modern schooling, including assessment of learning as memory of textbook knowledge. Experts and practitioners of education for sustainable development (ESD), global citizenship education (GCED), global learning, peace education and education in general are invited to examine, together with ed-tech stakeholders, the role of digital technologies in whole-school approaches and other holistic efforts to build a culture of peace and sustainability at the school and community levels.

Participants are invited to: Explore the role of games and digital learning in teaching and assessment of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes associated with SDG 4.7; Highlight the role of digital technologies in problem-based/project-based learning for peace and sustainability; Present good practices on the use of crowdsourcing for promoting education for peace and sustainable development; Present pedagogical possibilities opened up by digital games, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), or Mixed Reality (MR) in formal or non-formal ESD and GCED, or in both.

 

Theme 3: Transformative Gaming and Digital Pedagogiesfor STEM+

Core subjects such as Mathematics, Science, and Languages often occupy a privileged place in the school curriculum in terms of time allocation and mandatory and examinable status. These subjects are usually taken seriously by students, parents, teachers and policymakers alike as they are assumed to enhance economic competitiveness—both at the individual and national levels. In fact, many digital learning management systems focus on delivering content on Mathematics, Science and English. Given the status of these subjects, it is important to understand: What do transformative digital pedagogies for STEM+ subjects look like? How can digital technologies contribute to building problem solving and creative, critical and systemic thinking skills? How can they facilitate issue-based or thematic approaches in the teaching of core subjects? How can they combine learning of the content prescribed by the curriculum with creative expressions? How can new, innovative and fun ways be used through games and digital learning for assessment of knowledge?

Participants are invited to: Present cases of Mathematics, Science or Language Education delivered through transformative digital pedagogies, which has particular implications for building problem solving and critical thinking skills; Showcase good practices in digitally mediated pedagogies for building literacy and numeracy along with curiosity, creativity and critical thinking skills; Provide hands-on training to educators and youth to develop and employ innovative technologies to deliver STEM+ education experiences that promote values of peace, global citizenship and sustainable development; Demonstrate the use of digital games for learning and assessment in the STEM+ field; Showcase digital pedagogical innovations for children with "Difference Learning" (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and dysgraphia).

 

Theme 4: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has caught the imagination of the world and has been gaining popularity in the business sector. To date, the use of AI in education has been limited and at times contested; most arguments against it centre on how it will make teachers redundant and learning more automated than it is currently. Rather than replacing teachers and making learning impersonal, AI could take learning to a completely new level. It could instantly generate an astounding amount of information, curate supplementary learning resources to meet individual student interests and needs, provide teachers with a virtual teaching assistant, and allow students to connect with peer learners as well as a virtual peer or tutor wherever and whenever needed. In the classroom, this could increase valuable time for more teacher-student and student-student interaction and more engaging and immersive learning experiences. The collective wisdom of teachers and students could be garnered to expand the realm of possibilities for education. What are the implications of AI for the future of education? UNESCO MGIEP embraces the need for education to prepare learners for the world profoundly changed by new frontiers in AI.

Participants are invited to: Critically reflect upon the profound impact AI could have on how education and training is organised, including the automation of not only low-skill or routine tasks but also high-skill and cognitive tasks; the redefinition of 21st century skills; and the reinvention of the meaning of human existence and well-being; Share ideas on if and how we can or should embed the principles and values of peace and sustainable development in AI; Present innovative ideas on the use of AI as part of Learning Management Systems(LMS); Present AI options for assessments and analytics to guide learning; Showcase the use of AI in harvesting data from existing data sources such as the UNESCO Institute of Statistics database among others.

 

Theme 5: The Institutional Framework for Application of Digital Technologies in Education: Towards Surveillance or Collaborative Intelligence?

Learning Analytics, enabled by increasingly sophisticated data collection and information retrieval techniques, holds a great promise for optimising learning. At the same time, it raises concerns about privacy and data protection that need to be addressed by normative frameworks and policy guidelines. A major challenge concerns the ethical implications of data surveillance. Digital technologies are making personalised learning more practical and opening up a myriad of pedagogical possibilities. They are, however, also enhancing the capacity of governments, companies and individuals to undertake surveillance, which may violate or abuse human rights, in particular the right to privacy. In addition to privacy, data protection and surveillance issues, the use of digital media to transform information to knowledge and then to intelligence also raises issues related to intellectual property rights and the ownership of intelligence. The question of what constitutes a private good and a public social good is critical in determining how education systems evolve in the future. Participants are invited to: Present efforts to improve national laws and practices with respect to surveillance issues in a digital age, including preventative measures, sanction and remedies; Present ideas to prevent the private sector from committing violations and abuses of the right to privacy; Discuss moral and policy issues surrounding student privacy raised by learning analytics.

 

Still can't find a match for your idea in any of the above topics..….It's not the end…go ahead and share your story and challenge us!

 

Conference Formats: The main formats of the conference are:

• Keynotes (Plenary, by invitation only)
  
• Catalytic Panels and Debates (by invitation only)
  
• Breakout Sessions (Panel Discussion, Workshop or Paper Presentation)
  
• E-Poster Exhibitions
  
• Learning Zone
  
• Maker Space
  
• Mock Classrooms
  

The discussions will be interactive in nature in order to provide participants with an opportunity to dialogue, exchange good practices and establish connections and contacts. A highlight of the conference will be extensive access to academic experts and innovative technologies for transformative pedagogies. Submissions are invited for all sessions listed above.

 

Application Form | Proposal Deadline: 1st August 2018

 

Conference Website: http://mgiep.tech

 

Further Details

 

UNESCO MGIEP Convened Annual Distinguished Lecture on “Learn to Play and Play to Learn: The Role of Gaming in Education”

UNESCO MGIEP Convened Annual Distinguished Lecture on "Learn to Play and Play to Learn: The Role of Gaming in Education"

28th June 2018, New Delhi, India

Can learning be made fun and experiential? In UNESCO MGIEP's Seventh Distinguished Lecture held at the UNESCO New Delhi, India on Thursday, June 28th, 2018, Zigor Hernandorena Juarros, Senior Project Manager - Fun Learning Department, Ubisoft (makers of Assassins Creed Franchise, The Division, For Cry, Watch Dog), discussed how digital pedagogies such as games can be used as an effective tool to impart learning. The lecture was attended by over a hundred participants including teachers, educators, curriculum designers, ed-tech experts, games designers and developers as well as students.

In his lecture, titled 'Learn to play and play to learn, the role of gaming in education', Zigor explained how digital games can be designed to reward players, acknowledge practice and incremental progress, thus making learning more effective through peer-collaboration and a project-based approach. Zigor also underlined the need to develop suitable content for games to make them more relevant to 21st century learners. He expressed "Regular games (not meant for learning) very effectively teach the player everything they need in order to play the game. The same games can serve as effective tools for learning skills for the 21st century if used in the classroom as supplementary material."

Preceding Zigor's lecture, Dr. Anantha Duraiappah, Director, UNESCO MGIEP, highlighted that a key focus area for the Institute is to use digital pedagogies as an immersive, fun, interactive and experiential way of learning. He went on to express "Technology is disrupting our way of life at an unprecedented pace and education systems are no exception. There are bound to be major changes in the way teachers facilitate, deliver and assess learning. There are currently approximately over 2.5 billion people across the world who play digital games today across multiple platforms - and this number is increasing rapidly. The games for learning project at UNESCO MGIEP focuses on building tools and research on using games as a pedagogy to building 21st century skills and socioemotional skills." Further, he invited participants to "make learning addictive."

The lecture was followed by a highly engaging discussion between Zigor and the audience on the potential of games for education and learning and mainstreaming digital technologies in education systems.

The lecture was hosted by UNESCO MGIEP as part of 'The Distinguished Lecture Series', inviting speakers of global eminence to spark transformative ideas for a shared future. Previous lecturers include: Ms. Tawakkol Karman (Nobel Laureate 2011), Dr. Scilla Elworthy, Prof. Sugata Mitra, Prof. Martha Nussbaum, Madame Irina Bokova, Prof. KP Mohanan, and Sir Partha Dasgupta.

About the Speaker: Zigor Hernandorena Juarros is an expert on games for learning and Senior Project Manager of the Fun Learning department at Ubisoft. His role entails developing games that will provide the player with actionable knowledge and expertise. In his previous roles, Zigor has delved into technology, business and creative arts with equal ease. He has spent considerable time working with tech giants such Apple and Handspring and also spent a decade as Art Director at Jeune Afrique, a French publishing group.

About UNESCO MGIEP: The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is UNESCO's category 1 Research Institute that focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7 towards education for building peaceful and sustainable societies across the world. In line with its vision of 'Transforming Education for Humanity', the Institute employs the whole-brain approach to education, with programmes that are designed to mainstream Socio-Emotional Learning in education systems, innovate digital pedagogies and to put youth as global citizens at the centre of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

 

Photo Source: Twitter

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CfPs: 13th Annual Conference of Knowledge Forum on "Technology and Employment" | TISS, Mumbai | 16-18 November

13th Annual Conference of Knowledge Forum 

November 16-18, 2018

Organized by Forum for Global Knowledge Sharing (Knowledge Forum) (In partnership with Tata Trusts)

Hosted by: Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

Conference Theme: Technology and Employment

Concept Note and Call for Papers

Paradigm changes in technology have always triggered debate on employment prospects. As stated by Schumpeter (1942) creation of new products and processes tend to destroy old products resulting in massive unemployment in the sun-set industries. However, they also create huge opportunities in the new industries. Schumpeter termed this phenomenon as 'Creative Destruction'. He gave the examples of the introduction of the Railways resulting in the destruction of the Stage Coaches and the mass production of goods using new machinery harming artisans and craftsmen. However, loss of jobs for artisans and craftsmen did not result in an overall decline of employment. This was mainly because the market for the new goods grew rapidly to offset the unemployment in one or two sectors. However, in the initial years it did create turmoil. To Schumpeter development is 'turmoil' as it created beneficiaries and victims. Technological change cannot be stopped. Nevertheless policies could be formulated to identify the victims and reduce the turmoil.

To cite a more recent example the introduction of Information Technology (IT) in the banking and travel sectors created apprehensions for employment during the third quarter of the 20th century. Introduction of IT did decrease employment per customer or per account in the banking sector but it favourably influenced the overall employment in these sectors. In fact the overall employment in these sectors rapidly increased after the introduction of IT. At the same time the nature of employment and the skill requirements changed rapidly resulting in victims and beneficiaries. One of the objectives of the conference is to analyse the impact of IT in employment.

Similar fears and apprehensions are expressed regarding the on-going technological revolution that is affecting almost all the sectors and activities (Autor 2015, UNCTAD 2016 and Anthes 2017) .We now have about 20 years of experience with the on-going technological revolution and it is time to take stock of the employment consequences as revealed in the data and also to comment on future technological changes and their consequences.

The conference will concentrate on the following five sub-themes. The sub-themes are illustrative and papers are also welcome on other issues dealing with the main theme – Technology and Employment.

Internationalisation - FDI and trade: Foreign Direct Investments and trade are two important sources of technology transfer to the developing countries. Literature suggests that FDI contributes to growth. Even here several studies show that only FDI in manufacturing contributes to growth and FDI in non-financial services could harm growth and even result in deindustrialisation (Doytch and Uctum (2011). It is not clear whether FDI contributes positively to employment. Evidence in this area is mixed (Karlsson 2009, Liu 2012). There is also a view that FDI outflows to developing and other countries could harm employment in the home countries. However, empirical evidence does not support this view (Navaretti et al 2010, Federico 2008). We welcome papers on these issues.

Digitalisation: Digital technologies include artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing. These will transform nearly every sector – agriculture, medicine to manufacturing to sales, finance and transportation (Anthes 2017). As quoted by her in her Nature article: "Millions of jobs will be eliminated, millions of new jobs will be created and needed, and far more jobs will be transformed" – Erik Brynjolfsson. It is argued that professional jobs may not be affected as they involve face to face interaction and collaborations. Likewise, abstract jobs and professional services will also not be affected. In these cases digitalisation will not act as a substitute. Autor (2015) has shown that for almost all European countries the on-going technological revolution has resulted in a growth of both high paid and low paid jobs. But the middle level jobs have been badly affected and have been experiencing a negative growth. We welcome studies on other countries, in particular, India and other Asian countries analysing the characteristics of those whose employment increased and those whose job prospects decreased. We also welcome studies by scientists and technologists analysing the impact of future technologies like quantum computers, solar energy and quantum dots on employment prospects. In this context some of the papers presented in our earlier conferences show that when quantum computers come, most of the current hardware and software would become unusable (Baskaran 2008, Lal and Paul, 2017). This would give enormous opportunities for software professionals and hardware manufactures to step-in and create products and services. 

Robots: Robots could be considered as part of digitalisation. However, since there are several studies on its impact, it is listed as a separate sub-theme. The deployment of Robots could spread to several sectors including traditional ones like garments and textiles (UNCTAD 2016). It is already playing a significant role in automobiles, micro-electronics and consumer electronics. Some 

countries have already started combined robots with three dimensional printing. This could benefit the small and medium firms. It is also likely to play a role in surgery and other medical fields. To take advantage of this countries like China are already in the forefront in the production of Robots. Currently they are far ahead of other countries with more than 600 thousand stocks of Robots. UNCTAD (2016) recommends that developing countries should embrace digital revolution and redesign the education system. However, currently there is no study on the impact of robots on overall employment. 

Social and other dimensions including inequality: Several studies including the ones presented in our earlier conferences (Bhat and Siddharthan 2013) showed the skill bias of the current technological revolution. In the case of India the states that spent more on education and health attracted higher investments in manufacturing and financial services. It is worth analysing the relative importance of primary, secondary and higher education in attracting investment. There is already a significant inequality between states and between citizens with regard to access to health and education. UNCTAD study is in favour of redesigning the educational system. We need informed discussion on these issues. 

Technology, supply chain and production: The internet and the LAN system have enabled small and medium firms to participate in the global supply chain and globalise their operations. To fully participate in the system the country should invest in logistics and telecommunications infrastructure. Studies on these issues are also welcome.

Conference Format

• The conference will have an introductory session followed by Competitive Sessions.
  
• In the competitive sessions all the papers will be refereed before accepted for presentations.
  
• Last date for submission of title of papers and abstracts: June 30, 2018
  
• Last date for full paper submission: July 28, 2018
  
• Send the abstracts and paper to: fgksindia@gmail.com
  

Further Details

New White Paper "India as an Innovation Economy: Role of IP and ICT" | by EBTC & ICRIER

India as an Innovation Economy: Role of IP and ICT

by Arpita Mukherjee, Alka Chawla, Avantika Kapoor, Judith Weinberger-Singh, and Vernika Garg; European Business and Technology Centre (EBTC) and Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi, 2018.

About the White Paper

India has several advantages including one of the fastest growing markets, third largest group of scientists and technicians in the world, one of the lowest costs of telephone calls and Internet, and supporting government policies, that can facilitate its journey towards an Innovation Economy. The country's ranking in the Global Innovation Index of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) among 130 countries improved from 81 in 2015 to 60 in 2017. There has been an increase in patent filings in the last three years. The country has signed over 100 Memoranda of Understanding with a number of countries including many European Union (EU) Member States to strengthen research and development (R&D), innovation and startup ecosystems. All these factors will contribute in the journey towards an Innovation Economy.

Given this background, the White Paper focuses on the role of two key pillars of an Innovation Economy - information and communications technology (ICT) and intellectual property (IP), and discusses how they can help to enhance India's positioning as a global hub for innovation and technology development, bring in investment, and create high quality jobs. It compares India vis-à-vis other developed and developing countries in some key innovation indices, identifies the gaps, and suggests how the EU, its Member States and European institutions can contribute through mutually beneficial partnerships in India's journey towards becoming an Innovation Economy. The paper makes several recommendations to the Indian government which, if implemented, will help to fast track the journey towards an Innovation Economy. 

Table of Contents 

1. Introduction

2. Definition of Innovation Economy and the Role of IP and ICT

3. India's Global Position as an Innovation Economy

4. ICT as a Driver for Innovation

5. Role of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in an Innovation Economy

6. Challenges Leading to Scope for India-Europe Collaborations

7. Way Forward

Download Full-text White Paper

New Book | Regulation of Cross-Border Transfers of Personal Data in Asia | by

Regulation of Cross-Border Transfers of Personal Data in Asia
edited by Clarisse Girot, Asian Business Law Institute, Singapore, ISBN: 9789811173110. 

About the Compendium 

This compendium contains 14 country reports written by renowned practitioners and legal academics in the respective jurisdictions on the regulation of cross-border data transfers and data localisation in Asia. It covers Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau SAR, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This is from the first part of the ABLI's Data Privacy Project to promote the convergence of rules on cross-border transfers of personal data in Asia as rule-making on data transfers will continue to intensify in the region. It offers comprehensive coverage of legal and regulatory frameworks on data transfers, including scope, key notions, data transfer instruments, data Localisation rules, data-related clauses in free trade agreements. This becomes a useful compendium for governments, regulators and companies facing the contrasted and constantly shifting legal landscape in data privacy, with a significant impact on cross-border data flows in the wider Asia region. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to laying the fundamentals for a shared legal ecosystem for cross-border data transfers in the wider Asian region.

 

Download Full-text PDF (Open Access)