India Conference 2018

Jointly Organised by LSME and Panjab University, Chandigarh (India)

LSME has jointly organised a second International Conference with the Panjab University in Chandigarh, India from the 4^th to the 6^th of April, 2018 The theme of the Conference was ‘Responsible Research and Innovation in Science, Management and Education’. This Conference was hosted yet again by the Panjab University, Chandigarh (India).

The three-day conference was aimed at presenting research which is designed to achieve impact within and outside the research community and to establish a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) community which involves Scientists and societal actors working together during the research process with the common goal of aligning research and its outcomes with the values, needs and expectations of the society and integrating citizens’ visions, needs and desires into science and innovation. The conference appealed to persons working in Science, Management and Education and was attended by over 200 delegates from various institutions from India and abroad.

The welcome address was followed by a brief address of Conference Chairman, Professor Stephen McKinney, Conference President, Professor O.P.Katare, Conference Convener, Dr. Ravi Kumar, Professor Ramanjit Kaur Johal, Director RPC, Panjab University, and Dr. Peter Gray from Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The Guest of Honor, Professor Rajan Welukar, Vice Chancellor of Raisoni University Nagpur, gave an informative and highly motivating address punctuated by relevant anecdotes that signified the importance of responsible research in enhancing meaningful interactions between communities. The Chief Guest of the function, Professor Meenakshi Malhotra, DUI, Panjab University, spoke about the role of academia in infusing the ethics of responsible research in various disciplines.

Professor Arun Kumar Grover, Vice Chancellor of Panjab University presided over the opening session on day two of the conference. Professor Amreek Sohal from Monash University, Australia, appraised the audience with the culture of highest level of ethics prevailing in Monash University, right from undergraduate level to the doctorate level, which ensures that the spirit of responsible research is enshrined in every activity.

The conference attracted excellent presentations on a wide variety of topics. Notably, presentations were on educational psychology, climate and environmental issues, education, medical sciences, and social media, technology in the classrooms including smart phones, mobile commerce and a huge range of science and health care related topics.

The highlights of the presentations were  the special address on United Nations Principles and workshop on RRI organised by Dr Peter Grey, Professor Stephen McKinney and Dr Ravi Kumar.  These themes, and the contributions from the presenters, provided a powerful and more meaningful framework for future a RRI initiatives for LSME, Panjab University and the Chandigarh Region Innovation & Knowledge Cluster (CRIKC).

Two renowned academics who presented the valedictory speeches on the closing day were  Professor Gurmail Singh, Vice Chancellor, Akal University, Punjab and Professor S. K. Chadha, Director, Central Placement Cell & Professor, University Business School, Panjab University. This session presented the opportunity to summarise the key themes and future follow-up actions for collaborations. The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Dr Sarita Parhi, the Principal of LSME. The conference proceedings and special research book will be published by a well-known international publication house.