|
Background and Objectives
In an increasingly globalized world, we cannot ignore the stark humanitarian challenges of our time as well the as the opportunities afforded by globalization to meet these challenges. The media brings us images of countless impoverished families suffering from extreme hunger, and communities struggling to cope with the devastating effects of another natural disaster. The vast disproportion of access to education and technology also exists, creating a socio-economic divide
However, the internet, satellite communications and the electronic media have influenced funding to be contributed towards aid relief like never before, and international partnerships, community organizations and providers of education and technology are eagerly striving towards a better world, and the ultimate goal of eradicating poverty.
Recognizing these global challenges, the progress that is currently happening and the potential for a more equitable world for all, the theme for the Education Without Borders 2009 conference is:
Innovative Solutions to Global Challenges
As committed, educated and socially-conscious members of our generation, we have enormous potential to positively impact our global community through sharing our research, innovations and ideas for viable projects.
Nonetheless, important questions need to be considered: Who is responsible for implementing change in the affected areas? What are the roles of governments, organizations, universities, the media and individuals? How can we bring about change that is sustainable in the long-term?
Under the broad theme of Innovative Solutions to Global Challenges, several sub-themes have been identified, and submissions will be accepted for any one of them. These sub-themes are not to limit creativity, but rather to provide direction. Contact us at ewb2009@hct.ac.ae and we will be happy to answer your questions.
Sub-themes
1. e-World: Harnessing Technology for a Better World
The world is constantly changing and new technologies are emerging continually. These new technologies can provide solutions to many of the world’s challenges, through connections, communications and collaboration enabled by electronic medium.
Papers/project proposals/multi-media or audio-visual presentations for this sub-theme should cover one or more of the following:
- Explain the impact of e-nabled technologies on both developing and developed countries, and how this impact can be directed to a positive solution
- Explore e-solutions to the challenges facing the world today
- Define the changing technology opportunities and identify how they can be used to provide solutions to the changing and emerging issues of our times.
2. e-nvironment: A Sustainable Future for our Planet
The importance of developing a sustainable lifestyle for our planet is apparent, however the implementation and detail of sustainability is more challenging. Addressing issues such as climate change, global food crises, water and resource management, and maintaining biodiversity is vital to ensuring the future of the earth.
Papers/project proposals/multi-media or audio-visual presentations for this sub-theme should cover one or more of the following:
- Explain the reality of a sustainable future and define the factors that need to be addressed to approach this outcome.
- Explore the debate over the scientific issues involved in a major environmental issue and the way that myths and realities are analyzed.
- Define the educational and cultural issues which contribute to the lack of sustainability and how these can be addressed.
- Describe a proposal which addresses an important aspect of building a sustainable future and explore the basis upon which this proposal is developed
3. e-nergy: The Future of Energy on Earth
Energy is the basis for the way of life of almost all of the world’s population today. The alternatives to fossil fuel energies have been explored now for many years, however the developed world still has a heavy reliance on fossil fuels. For many, the future of the delivery of energy will be required to change.
Papers/project proposals/multi-media or audio-visual presentations for this sub-theme should cover one or more of the following:
- Explore the reasons for the rate of uptake of alternative energy sources and solutions for lowering the globe’s dependency on fossil fuels.
- Define the challenges raised by fossil fuel dependency and explore how a global response can be elicited.
- Describe technological solutions to challenges raised in the development of alternative energies.
- Describe a proposal for using current technology to provide a sustainable solution to specific energy needs.
4. e-ducation: The Role of Education in Meeting Global Challenges
Education is a specific tool that can be used in to overcome many of the challenges the world faces: poverty, health promotion, peace and tolerance, sustainable consumption…. The education of a society can impact the whole development of a nation; the use and evaluation of education is of crucial importance.
Papers/project proposals/multi-media or audio-visual presentations for this sub-theme should cover one or more of the following:
- Explore how education may continue to contribute specifically to impending global changes.
- Provide case studies/analysis of how education emancipated people from succumbing to negative outcomes of globalization such as global terrorism, cultural backlashes, spread of communicable diseases, anti-cultural and anti-social information flow and the like.
- Describe innovative learning solutions that can lead to sustainable positive outcomes.
- Examine the tools required to evaluate the outcomes of changes in educational methodology to better align with globalized education and business environment.
- Explain how action research can be used to evaluate educational solutions.
5. e-xchange: Cultural Exchange for Tolerance, Understanding and Peace
Globalization has led to an increase in cultural exchange around the world. Has this increasing cultural exchange led to positive outcomes for the world? Tolerance, understanding and peace are vital for the world’s survival, but how can we ensure that these values are promoted and make a difference?
Papers/project proposals/multi-media or audio-visual presentations for this sub-theme should cover one or more of the following:
- Explore the role of creativity in society and how it impacts on society’s values and achievements.
- Explore the recent impact of globalization on cultural exchange and the specific consequences of this.
- Describe a proposal for cultural exchange with specific long term objectives and explain how this proposal will help meet the challenges of the world.
- Explain how cultural traditions are lost, maintained or spread in the modern world and explore the impact of cultural changes in developing solutions to global challenges.
6. E-conomy: Global Solutions for Recovery
The world had become much flatter in the last two decades of global economy. As a result, local economic setbacks now have far reaching global impact: a failed house mortgage in a small town in the USA impacts the life savings of a pensioner in Iceland, takes away the livelihood of a factory worker in a Chinese town, pulls down oil price and cools down economic boom in the Gulf countries and cuts down developmental aid to an impoverished village in sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, a highly inter-connected world economy could also provide innovative local solutions to find a way out of impending global recession towards a steady recovery for a better world tomorrow. Local solutions for economic recovery now have tremendous potential for global application: in tough economic conditions, jobs will move where innovations bring down the costs and add value. A world without borders provides more venues for faster spread of innovation and best practices to speed up global recovery from recession.
Papers/project proposals/multi-media or audio-visual presentations for this sub-theme should cover one or more of the following:
- Explain how a set of socio-political decisions in a local economy may have far reaching implications on unsuspecting distant regions.
- Expound the urgent need for nation states to come together to agree on a sound framework to better regulate globalized economy.
- Examine any local best practices in business that have better protected some national economies from this major recession and how these practices could be adapted by other nations. Explore
- Explore opportunities and strategies that would enhance confidence in the market place, liberate individuals from fear of taking entreprenurial risks and enhance productivity.
Make a case for increased compassion and developmental help to those in lowest strata of economy in such tough economic times.
Submissions
Submissions must be from full time students attending institutions of higher education, specifically undergraduate and graduate students. They must be original and unpublished work. Submissions cannot be co-authored. Plagiarism detecting software will be used for all submissions. Submissions should clearly address one, and only one, of the sub-themes listed above.
A selection of the best papers and proposals will be included in the proceedings of the conference.
The author of each of the top papers/proposals/multimedia presentations will be given the chance to present his or her work and compete for awards at the conference. Awards for papers or project proposals might include funding to actually implement it. Presentations can be in the form of multimedia, posters, workshops or plenary presentations. The authors selected to present at the conference will have their airfare (round trip) to the conference covered.
Papers can be in the form of:
- Project proposals for entrepreneurial ideas
- Multi-media presentations
Academic research papers should reflect a substantive amount of work on behalf of the submitter and should provide and clearly indicate a new contribution. This means that research papers are assumed to present original research. Graduate students are encouraged to consider this option.
Critical analysis papers should reflect a substantive amount of work on behalf of the submitter. Critical analysis, in this context, does not refer to critical theory. Rather, such papers should present an original synthesis of ideas, expressed in the author's words. It is not sufficient to simply summarize results described in one or more papers. Contributions should focus on one or more of the following: comparing, contrasting, examining, synthesizing, assessing, reflecting and exploring aspects of the sub-themes above. Undergraduate students are encouraged to consider this option.
Project proposals for entrepreneurial ideas should reflect a substantive amount of work on behalf of the submitter and provide a new, ideally innovative, solution to a problem that is realizable. The solution should be relevant to the sub-themes listed above. Proposals are expected to be of such a scope that one or a few entrepreneurs with reasonable funding could implement them.
Key dates:
Call for Papers - Open |
13th July, 2008 |
Call for Papers Closes (Abstract submission – 200 words) |
30th October, 2008
extended to 30 November 2008
|
Abstract acceptance (submitters notified) |
15th December, 2008 |
Paper/multimedia/project proposal submissions deadline |
2nd February 2009 |
Best submission winners notified
NB receive full scholarship to attend conference, including flights |
26th February 2009 |
Format
Papers / Proposals
For papers and project proposals use the templates provided on the conference website
(papertemp.doc , projecttemp.doc ). Do not change the formatting of the templates! The templates are designed for MS Word. If you do not have access to a licensed copy of MS Word use the freeware package OpenOffice. OpenOffice can be downloaded for free at http://www.openoffice.org/ .
Papers and proposals should be in English and follow this format:
- State the sub-theme addressed
- Use the following formatting for the filename: " lastname_name_typeofpapere.doc ". Use the following abbreviations for type of paper: ca for critical analysis, ar for academic research, pp for project proposal (e.g. Miller_Alex_ca.doc, Fisher_Melanie_ar.doc, gonzales_alfonso_pp.doc)
- Include an abstract of 200 words maximum
- 10 pages maximum , including tables, figures and references
- Have an introduction, body, conclusion and references.
- Your project proposal should contain all sections suggested in the template.
- Submissions will be rejected if they do not follow the specified formatting requirements.
Multimedia/audiovisual presentations
Multimedia presentations should be in English and should be original and unpublished work. A written abstract (200 word maximum) should be included prior to or with the presentation. State the subtheme addressed.
Submission Instructions
Papers or project proposals will be submitted via the EWB website: http://ewb2009.hct.ac.ae/Registration. (Log In and Submit Paper)
After submitting your abstract, please wait for a member of the Paper Review Team to contact you and notify you whether your abstract has been accepted.
Once accepted, you can submit your full paper by logging in and going to the “submit paper tab”.
All paper/proposal submissions should be in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), MS Word (.doc), OpenOffice (.odt) or Rich Text (.rtf) format.
Hard copies of papers or proposals will not be accepted. Receipt of submission will be confirmed via email.
Multimedia submissions can be submitted using the following methods:
- provide a website address under the “submit paper” tab in the registration module
- upload under the “submit paper” tab (for submissions less than 1GB with a broadband connection) in the registration module
- Send a disk by mail to:
- Education Without Borders
Higher Colleges of Technology
PO Box 25026
Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
In this case please inform us that you have sent it under the “submit paper” tab in the registration module.
|
