Thursday, March 29, 2018

INSEE-TERI SAS Lecture by Joan Martinez-Alier | 4th April

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to announce a lecture by Joan Martinez-Alier titled 'Ecological Distribution Conflicts as Forces for Sustainability', coorganised with and at TERI School of Advanced Studies, on 4th April, 2018 at 1:45 pm.

This has been uploaded on the INSEE Facebook page.  

sincerely
Nandan  | nnletter@gmail.com


-

Nandan Nawn
Contact: +91-9013495212/+91-9711514813 (Cell); +91-11-71800222 (University)

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

CSSTIP CUG organized a Two-Day Workshop on Scientometric Analysis | March 27-28, 2018 | Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Centre for Studies in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (CSSTIP),
Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar organized a 

Two-Day Workshop on Scientometric Analysis
on March 27-28, 2018
at CUG Campus, Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Resource Persons: Prof. Bhaskar MukherjeeDr. Bidyarthi Dutta and Dr. Anup Kumar Das








Participants with the Resource Persons, and Faculty Members. 

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Call for Consultancy -- Developing subject-specific quality standards in Asia and the Pacific

Dear Colleagues,

 

Greetings from UNESCO Bangkok! We are pleased to announce that a new call for an individual consultant is now online.  

 

The timeline to apply is tight as we are eager to begin work as soon as possible. Please feel free to share the news with contacts, or apply for this opportunity to support UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Wesley Teter (wr.teter@unesco.org). Application details are online (due 10 April 2018). 

Call for Consultancy --- Consultancy on developing subject-specific quality standards in Asia and the Pacific

Mar 28, 2018

Application date

Mar 28, 2018 - Apr 10, 2018

 

Type of contract

Contract for Individual Consultant

Organizational Unit

Section for Educational Innovation and Skills Development (EISD), UNESCO Bangkok

Duration

As soon as possible – 28 December 2018

Closing date

10 April 2018

File attachment

call-consultancy-kfit.PDF179.32 KB



With best regards to all, and we look forward to following your work!

 

Section for Educational Innovation and Skills Development (EISD)

Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education

 

Mom Luang Pin Malakul Centenary Building

920 Sukhumvit Rd.,
Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Tel.: +66 23 91 05 77 Ext 371

www.unesco.org/bangkok


Friday, March 23, 2018

CfP: 3ie Delhi Evidence Week conference, 19-20 April 2018




3ie Delhi Evidence Week 2018 
19-20 April

Pushing the frontiers of evaluation effectiveness and excellence: 3ie's first decade
Venue: Sheraton Hotel, District Centre, Saket, New Delhi

3ie is turning 10 in May. We have learned a lot about what it takes to produce high-quality evidence that is useful for decision-making. For us, there is no better way to celebrate our milestone anniversary than to host a conference that highlights how evidence makes a real difference in people's lives.

We are pleased to invite you to a special anniversary conference on 19-20 April 2018 in New Delhi. The sessions will challenge us to remain on the frontiers of excellence in evaluation, as you can see in the agenda below. 

Join us for these interesting conversations and celebrate our anniversary with us. We value your support and know that you will make important contributions to this dialogue.
Conference agenda

19 April, 9:00am – 6:30pm

 
9:00 – 9:30 Registration
 
9:30 – 9:45 Keynote address
Varun Gauri, senior economist, development economics vice presidency, World Bank

Varun Gauri is the co-lead of the Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit (eMBeD), which integrates behavioural science into the design of anti-poverty policies worldwide. His research has appeared in journals spanning the fields of economics, philosophy, political science and law.
9:45 – 10:00 3ie Executive Director's address
10:00 – 11:30 Nudging and beyond: informing policy through behavioural science
11:30 – 11:45 Break
11:45 – 13:15 Using evidence gap maps to inform policy and research  
13:15 – 14:15 Lunch
14:15 – 15:45 Technology in impact evaluations: making them bigger, better and faster
15:45 – 16:00 Break
16:00 – 17:30 Forging partnerships with government for evidence-informed decision-making
17:30 – 18:30 Reception and launch of 3ie's evidence synthesis study, Community-driven development: does it build social cohesion or infrastructure?
 
20 April, 9:00am – 2:30pm
9:00 – 10:15 A match made in evidence: pairing the right designs with the right questions
10:15 – 11:45 What are we learning from high-quality systematic reviews about the effectiveness of programmes to empower women?
11:45 – 12:00 Break
12:00 – 13:30 The role of researchers in promoting evidence use: what have we learned?
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch with closing keynote remarks by Ruth Levine, chair, 3ie Board of Commissioners
Register here
Click here to view a more detailed agenda, with a complete list of speakers.
About 3ie Delhi Evidence Week

3ie Delhi Evidence Week is a five-day event dedicated to promoting conversations on increasing the production and use of high-quality evidence for informing policies and programmes to improve lives. Activities from April 16-18 will feature closed-door events with 3ie members and board members. The conference on 19-20 April is open to all.
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New Delhi 110017
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Sunday, March 18, 2018

Audio Recording of CSSP Talk "Donguibogam: The Exemplar of Medicine by Eastern Doctor" is now available

Listen to CSSP Special Lecture on 


Donguibogam: The Exemplar of Medicine by Eastern Doctor

by

Prof Dongwon Shin, Republic of Korea

Delivered on Monday, 19th February 2018.

 

Abstract: Donguibogam is the most famous medical book during pre-modern Korea, and East Asian Medicine. This talk is followed by a short introduction about "Science and Civilization in Korea" series during 2010-2020 (30 volumes in Korean, 7 volumes in English).   

About the Speaker: Dr. Dongwon Shin is a Professor at Chonbuk National University, Republic of Korea.

 

Listen to Audio Recording of the Lecture.

Audio Recording of CSSP Talk "Altmetrics: Price's Legacy Meeting Garfield's Dream" is now available

Listen to CSSP Special Lecture


 Altmetrics: Price's Legacy Meeting Garfield's Dream

by

Dr Bidyarthi Dutta

Delivered on Wednesday, 14th March 2018.

 Abstract: In his classic masterpiece, Little Science, Big Science and Beyond, De Solla Price foresaw the hitherto future paradigm shift in the world of science. He observed a logistic growth pattern in basic sciences. This pattern was undergone through several transitions with the introduction of some empirical laws of Bradford, Lotka et al. Meanwhile, a new signal brought the new resonance over the world of scientometrics, i.e. Garfield's discovery of Citation Indexing Systems. Merton's contributions on Sociology of Science unveiled another canvas to make the then scientometrics picturesquely rational. The introduction of open access movement since mid-eighties, Google, Wiki, Social networking et al brought paradigm shift on traditional or classical scientometric scenario. Today's Scientometrics needs a comprehensive interpretation in terms of all its basic components, i.e., today scientometric study is mostly used on determining academic evaluation metrics. Now, no evaluation metrics could be static in terms of its basic components, hence the scientometric study should be more dynamic. Its components should be changed over different time in different contexts. Its thus the high time to begin new and new experiments on this area.     

About the Speaker: Dr Bidyarthi Dutta is an Assistant Professor at Vidysagar University, West Bengal. He has special interests in scientometrics and history of science.

Listen to Audio Recording of the Lecture.

Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) seeks Post-Doctoral Fellows




The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is seeking Post-Doctoral Fellows to join its vibrant intellectual environment within the Academics and Research programme at IIHS.
While Fellows are hired institutionally at IIHS, each is hired into a specific and on-going research-based project. These projects are the Fellow's first home within the institution. They are thus expected to account for up to half of the Fellow's time, though this can vary for different projects. The remaining time is equally split between the Fellow's own research and writing as well as their participation in IIHS institutional roles. These roles include: teaching in on-going academic or capacity building programmes, participating in the internal conference and seminar series, and supporting institutional processes.
IIHS has created an internationally-recognised programme that allows Post-Doctoral Fellows to grow and be mentored for their future careers. All Fellows are thus paired with specific mentors within IIHS (within or outside their core research project). A Fellow's mentorship and progress is tracked through quarterly performance reviews that help Fellows attain their individual and institutional goals during their time at IIHS.
A select set of Fellows have been drawn into the IIHS faculty over the last few years. Others have gone on to take up positions in leading international universities.
Post-Doctoral fellowships typically have one or two-year terms, and some may be extendable.

Areas: Urban Informality and Urban Economies, Metropolitan Development and Land Based Financing for Urban Infrastructure and Development, Urban Energy Systems, Geospatial Analysis, Urban Infrastructure and Governance, Urban Food Systems, Urban Health and Social Protection.

Last Date: 31 March 2018

CfPs: National Conference "India after a Quarter Century of Economic Reforms: The Benefits and Costs" | 18-19 May | Sikkim University, Gangtok

2-day National Conference on "India after a Quarter Century of Economic Reforms: The Benefits and Costs"
18-19 May, 2018
Venue: Department of Economics, Sikkim University, Gangtok

Theme: India after a Quarter Century of Economic Reforms -- The Benefits and Costs

Call for Papers
India launched its market-oriented reforms in 1991. The fundamental objective of these measures was to bring about rapid and sustained improvement in the quality of life of the people of India through sustained growth in income and productive employment. More than a quarter of a century has elapsed since the implementation of these ambitious reforms. Views on the impact of these structural reforms on various sectors of the Indian economy are divergent. While some economists and analysts highlight the significant gains to the economy in terms of acceleration of growth, trade and market expansion and industrial competitiveness, among other things, there are others who vehemently argue that economic success has not contributed expected outcomes in social indicators. Which is why these skeptics point to the surging inequality in income, low rate of employment creation and sluggishness in agriculture to question the much-touted success of these 1991 reforms. Critics aver that it is no secret that the country witnessed its slowest social improvement during this period, and that, specifically, educational and health indicators grew at a substantially slower rate. The recent slump in growth and greater tendency toward protection have further strengthened the arguments of these critics. In the wake of these conflicting views, a serious deliberation on the benefits and costs of reforms has remained elusive. The 1991 reforms is more than 25 years old now, and perhaps time is more ripe than ever to discuss and deliberate on their achievements, limits and limitations.
In this context, the Department of Economics, Sikkim University, proposes to organize a 2-day national conference on 'India after a Quarter Century of Economic Reforms -- The Benefits and Costs' during 18-19 May, 2018. The conference is expected to offer an opportunity for policy makers, academicians, researchers and leading social scientists to dwell on the transformation of the Indian economy in the past two-and-a-half decades of economic reforms. Along with reviewing the story of the reforms over the past 25 years, the participants will also get to deliberate on newer ideas for the next quarter of a century that can help India reduce poverty and inequality, and embark on the path of growth and sustainability. The conference expects to bring together policy makers, academicians, researchers and leading social scientists to discuss threadbare various issues that include Growth, Role of Institutions, Public Finance, Infrastructure, Urban Development, Health, Education, Energy, Environment, Poverty and Inequality, Industry, Land, and Labor, International Trade and Financial Liberalization, and Agriculture. The aforesaid topics are only indicative and certainly not exhaustive.
A special session will also be devoted for the papers based on various aspects of the economy of Sikkim.

Paper Submission: Full-length papers (not more than 10,000 words, including an abstract of around 150 words) along with full contact details of the author(s) must be submitted to the conference organizer at the following e-mail ID: suconref18@gmail.com on or before 26th April, 2018. All papers submitted for possible presentation at the Conference are subjected to a double-blind, peer review process. Decision on whether paper submissions have been accepted for the Conference will be communicated by May 1st, 2018. Selected papers from the conference will be considered for publication in a special issue of a reputed journal or in an edited book by a reputed international publisher.

Travel and Local Hospitality: Expenses toward travel and local hospitality (Boarding, lodging and local transport) of the paper presenters will be borne by the conference organizer (for the lead author/one presenter only, if the paper is jointly authored).

About Sikkim University: Sikkim University, established by an Act of Parliament of India, came into existence on 2 July 2007. Currently, the University has 32 full-fledged academic departments, organized under 6 schools of studies, offering Master, MPhil and PhD programme. The University is home to more than 165 faculty members, 115 non-teaching staff and 2060 students. Currently, it is functioning from the rented buildings, located at Gangtok -- the capital city of Sikkim. Its permanent campus is coming up at Yangang (South Sikkim), about 56 kilometers away from the Gangtok. The University has been accredited with grade 'B' by the NAAC. Although only 9 years old, Sikkim University has been listed among India's top 200 universities (out of 720 odd universities in the country) according to EW National University Rankings 2015. The nearest airport is at Bagdogra (8 km from Siliguri, West Bengal) and the distance between Bagdogra and Gangtok is about 124 km. A helicopter service is also operated daily between Bagdogra and Gangtok by the Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation. The nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri Station (NJP), which is 125 kms from Gangtok. All trains to and from Northeast India stop at this junction. Gangtok is well-connected by road with Siliguri by the NH 10. There are regular bus services between Gangtok and Siliguri. Regular taxis/ shared vehicles are also available from Bagdogra Airport/New Jalpaiguri (NJP) to Gangtok.

About Department of Economics: The department of Economics was set up in 2010 as an institution for advanced studies and research in economics. Since then, the department has been at the forefront of post-graduate teaching and research in economics. The department offers Post-Graduate (MA), MPhil and Doctoral (PhD) programmes in Economics, which draws a fair number of applicants from all over the country. At present, the department is managed by seven (7) faculty members and two support staff. The programmes offered by the department have a strong theoretical and quantitative focus with an emphasis on empirical application. Their hallmark is the dynamic curriculum offered, which is continuously reviewed and updated in line with the latest developments in the subject. The thrust areas of research of the faculty members include agricultural economics, development economics, informal sector, industrial economics, environmental economics, public finance and among others.

Important Dates:
Last date for submission of the full paper: 26th April 2018
Notification of acceptance of full paper: May 1st, 2018
Conference Date: 18-19 May, 2018


CfPs: 14th World Congress of Bioethics and 7th National Bioethics Conference | Bengaluru, 3–7 December

14th World Congress of Bioethics and 7th National Bioethics Conference
Satellite meetings: 3–4 December 2018 
Main Congress: 5–7 December 2018
Venue: St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru

Congress Organisers: Forum for Medical Ethics Society, Sama Resource Group for Women and Health, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, & SOCHARA

Theme: Health for All in an Unequal World: Obligations of Global Bioethics

Call for Papers/ Workshops, pre-Congress Symposia
Presentation of papers, posters, workshops, pre-Congress symposia and Congress will be organised around the Congress theme and sub-themes and will also include themes from within the broader discipline of bioethics. Abstracts that critically discuss cutting-edge themes and concepts in bioethics and those that describe research findings or project outcomes will be preferred for the Congress.

Last date for Abstract submissions: 8 April 2018

Send your submissions to 14thwcb.abstracts@gmail.com 

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Access to safe water: Is the green revolution around the corner?

EMBARGO UNTIL 19 MARCH 7:00 GMT

 

UNESCO/UN-WATER Press Release No.2018-21

 

Access to safe water: Is the green revolution around the corner?

19 March Launch of United Nations World Water Development Report

Paris/ Brasilia, 19 March—Nature-based solutions can play an important role in improving the supply and quality of water and reducing the impact of natural disasters, according to the 2018 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report. The study, which will be presented by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, Gilbert Houngbo, Chair of UN-Water, at the 8th World Water Forum in Brasilia (Brazil), argues that reservoirs, irrigation canals and water treatment plants are not the only water management instruments at our disposal.

In 1986, the State of Rajasthan (India) experienced one of the worst droughts in its history. Over the following years, an NGO worked alongside local communities to set up water harvesting structures and regenerate soils and forests in the region. This led to a 30% increase in forest cover, groundwater levels rose by several metres and cropland productivity improved.

These measures are good examples of the nature-based solutions (NBS) advocated by the latest edition of the report, Nature-based Solutions for Water. It recognizes water not as an isolated element, but as an integral part of a complex natural process that involves evaporation, precipitation and the absorption of water through the soil. The presence and extent of vegetation cover across grasslands, wetlands and forests influences the water cycle and can be the focus for actions to improve the quantity and quality of available water.

"We need new solutions in managing water resources so as to meet emerging challenges to water security caused by population growth and climate change. If we do nothing, some five billion people will be living in areas with poor access to water by 2050. This Report proposes solutions that are based on nature to manage water better. This is a major task all of us need to accomplish together responsibly so as to avoid water related conflicts," declared the Director-General of UNESCO.

"For too long, the world has turned first to human-built, or "grey", infrastructure to improve water management. In so doing, it has often brushed aside traditional and Indigenous knowledge that embraces greener approaches. Three years into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is time for us to re-examine nature-based solutions (NBS) to help achieve water management objectives", writes Gilbert Houngbo, Chair of UN-Water and President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development in the foreword of the report. 

Focusing on 'environmental engineering'

So-called 'green' infrastructure, as opposed to traditional 'grey' infrastructure, focuses on preserving the functions of ecosystems, both natural and built, and environmental engineering rather than civil engineering to improve the management of water resources. This has multiple applications in agriculture, the greatest consumer of water by far. Green infrastructure can help reduce pressures on land use while limiting pollution, soil erosion and water requirements by contributing to the development of more effective and economic irrigation systems, for example.

Thus, the System of Rice Intensification, originally introduced in Madagascar, helps restore the hydrological and ecological functioning of soils rather than using new crop varieties or chemical products. It enables savings of 25 to 50% in water requirements and 80 to 90% in seeds while raising paddy output by 25 to 50%, depending on the region in which it is implemented.

It is estimated that agricultural production could be increased by about 20% worldwide if greener water management practices were used. One study cited by the Report reviewed agricultural development projects in 57 low-income countries and found that using water more efficiently combined with reductions in the use of pesticides and improvements in soil cover, increased average crop yields by 79%.

Green solutions have also shown great potential in urban areas. While vegetated walls and roof gardens are perhaps the most recognizable examples, others include measures to recycle and harvest water, water retention hollows to recharge groundwater and the protection of watersheds that supply urban areas. New York City has been protecting its three largest watersheds since the late 1990s.  Disposing of the largest unfiltered water supply in the USA, the city now saves more than US$ 300 million yearly on water treatment and maintenance costs.

Faced with an ever-increasing demand for water, countries and municipalities are showing a growing interest in green solutions. China, for example, recently initiated a project entitled "Sponge City" to improve water availability in urban settlements. By 2020, it will build 16 pilot Sponge Cities across the country. Their goal is to recycle 70% of rainwater through greater soil permeation, retention and storage, water purification and the restoration of adjacent wetlands.

The importance of wetlands

Wetlands only cover about 2.6 % of the planet but play a disproportionately large role in hydrology. They directly impact water quality by filtering toxic substances from pesticides, industrial and mining discharges.

There is evidence that wetlands alone can remove 20 to 60% of metals in water and trap 80 to 90% of sediment from runoff. Some countries have even created wetlands to treat industrial wastewater, at least partially. Over recent years, Ukraine, for example, has been experimenting artificial wetlands to filter some pharmaceutical products from wastewater. 

However, ecosystems alone cannot perform to totality of water treatment functions. They cannot filter out all types toxic substances discharged into the water and their capacity has limits. There are tipping points beyond which the negative impacts of contaminant loading on an ecosystem becomes irreversible, hence the need to recognize thresholds and manage ecosystems accordingly.

Mitigating risks from natural disasters

Wetlands also act as natural barriers that soak up and capture rainwater limiting soil erosion and the impacts of certain natural disasters such as floods. With climate change, experts predict that there will be an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters.

Some countries have already started taking precautions. For example, Chile announced measures to protect its coastal wetlands after the  tsunami of 2010. The State of Louisiana (USA) created the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority following Hurricane Katrina (2005), whose devastating impact was magnified by the degradation of wetlands in the Mississippi Delta.

Nevertheless, the use of nature-based solutions remains marginal and almost all investments are still channelled to grey infrastructure projects. Yet, to satisfy the ever-growing demand for water, green infrastructure appears to be a promising solution complementing traditional approaches. The authors of the report therefore call for greater balance between the two, especially given that nature-based solutions are best aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015.  Coordinated by the UN World Water Assessment Programme of UNESCO, the United Nations World Water Development Report is is the fruit of collaboration between the 31 United Nations entities and 39 international partners that comprise UN-Water. Its publication coincides with World Water Day, celebrated every year on 22 March.

****

 

Media contact: Agnès Bardon, UNESCO Press Service: +33 (0) 1 45 68 17 64, a.bardon@unesco.org

Media corner: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/media-corner/

Password: SDG6nature-based



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