3rd International Conference on Technologies for Development: What is Essential?

The UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development hosted by the Cooperation and Development Center (CODEV) is pleased to announce that the third International Conference on Technologies for Development: What is Essential? will take place at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland on 4-6 June 2014. The conference – held in English – will offer a high-level platform to take part in cutting-edge discussions in the field of technologies for development, to share information and to network.

Conference Themes

1. What are the needs for essential technologies?

2. What are successful processes to develop and deploy essential technologies?

3. How can we evaluate the impact of technologies? How does impact measurement drive innovation?

Core Areas

Technologies for sustainable development of habitat and cities

Information and communication technologies for the environment

Science and technology for disaster risk reduction

Technologies for sustainable energy

Medical technologies

 CALL FOR SESSION LEADERS / Deadline 15 September 2013

Leading Southern and Northern researchers and practitioners are invited to submit a proposal to organize a breakout session, taking into account the strategic aims of the conference. These sessions will form the core of the conference and are an opportunity for participants to generate new knowledge. The selected Session Leaders will be part of the Scientific Committee of the UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development Conference. As a Member of the Scientific Committee the Session Leader will collaborate closely with the Conference Organizers regarding the review process to select the papers that will be presented as well as contribute to the overall organization of the conference.

Sessions can be proposed to explore one of the three guiding questions in one of the core areas. The conference organizers will cover the travel and accommodation costs of the Session Leaders.

Proposals for breakout sessions should be submitted online using the prescribed template no later than 15 September 2013. Further instructions can be found on the conference website: http://cooperation.epfl.ch/2014Tech4Dev.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS / Deadline 14 October 2013

The UNESCO Chair invites authors from research, industry, policy or civil society to submit their abstracts under one of the three guiding questions and in one of the core areas of the conference. The abstracts can either offer good examples and pilot experiences of concrete applications or provide reflections on these issues. Abstracts need to be based on North-South or South-South collaborations.

Abstracts in English of a maximum of 500 words should be submitted before 14 October 2013. Abstracts will be peer reviewed and a decision will be sent by 11 November 2013. The deadline for full paper submission is 13 January 2014. A selection of the best papers presented at the conference will be considered for publication in an edited volume by Springer-Verlag. Some level of financial assistance may be available for authors from developing or emerging countries. Instructions for the submission of abstracts and the application for financial assistance can be found on the conference website: http://cooperation.epfl.ch/2014Tech4Dev.

Source: Codev