2012 International Conference
TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A WAY TO REDUCE POVERTY?
May 29-31, 2012 | EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: DEADLINE DECEMBER 15, 2011
http://cooperation.epfl.ch/2012Tech4Dev

As a UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development, the Cooperation and Development Center (CODEV) will host an international conference concerning Technologies for Sustainable Development: A Way to Reduce Poverty? at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland on 29-31 May, 2012.  The UNESCO Chair intends this to be a key international event that will bring researchers and practitioners together to bridge the gap between the two communities, focusing on collaboration, methodologies, instruments and policies that will lead to integrated and sustainable development with developing and emerging countries.  The Chair encourages submission of abstracts which explore the following themes:

Theme 1:            “Appropriate Technology”? Needs and Participation
Theme 2:            Towards a Sustainable Integrated Development? Partnership and Systems
Theme3:            Technology: Transfer or Co-Creation? Knowledge Sharing and Empowerment

In principle, whilst abstracts should focus on the four main research sectors of the Chair, the list below is not exhaustive. Consequently, any contributions dealing with sustainable development related to the generic themes of the conference are also welcome.

•             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 production

Abstracts should be submitted before 15 December 2011. Abstracts will be peer reviewed and decision will be sent by 15 January 2012.  Deadline for full paper submission by 29 February, 2012. A selection of the best papers presented at the conference will be subject to a further peer-review for publication in an edited volume by Springer-Verlag.

The Chair also recognizes that financial/cost constraints prevent many researchers and practitioners from developing and/or emerging countries to be able to participate. To help alleviate this constraint, the Chair may award some financial assistance to support attendance and travel needs of candidates whose abstracts have been selected and who are scheduled to present their work at the conference. Conditions and application process can be found at http://cooperation.epfl.ch/2012Tech4Dev/Financial-Support

Abstracts can only be submitted online according to instructions, guidelines and template provided at http://cooperation.epfl.ch/2012Tech4Dev/Call-for-Abstracts. Authors are requested to abide to these guidelines.

Registration for the conference itself will open mid-November 2011.