From Technology Transfer to Intercultural Development


Book Description

The idea for this book has been born in a dialogue between the authors of In Search of an Integrative Vision for Technology (2006) and a group of scholars and practitioners from South Africa whose research and development activities focuses on problems of traditional African society and culture. Although there existed awareness in the writing of the earlier book that the search for normativity for our technological society should encompass the different cultural spheres of the world, no attention has been paid to the problem of interculturality. Focussing on the development of technology in the ?developed societies? the emphasis was laid on finding a basis for ?interdisciplinarity?, bridging the gaps between the sciences and humanities as well as between theory and practice. According to the vision that has been elaborated on in the above book, not the autonomous dynamics of technology as a free-flying projectile should determine the future of our global world, but guidance has to be provided by a normative perspective on technology for the ?common good? of all people and cultures. Following further this line of research the current book aims to address explicitly the ?intercultural? dimension of technology in our globalising world.







Foreign Consultants And Counterparts


Book Description

Even though concern about and interest in technology transfer have existed since the 1950s, it has become of increasing importance to lesser-developed and developing countries since the 1970s. The transfer of technology in general, and in particular the transfer of technical knowledge, lies at the heart of the North-South debate. There is an abundance of literature on technology transfer in almost every field of interest--policy, practice, applied case studies, and general recommendations--but little, if any, of the information is integrated. It remains widely distributed throughout the fields of economics, business, rural sociology, and anthropology. The same may be said for various studies of consultants as change agents. On the other hand, studies of counterparts--host country professionals--have been almost entirely neglected, with the exception of their implied roles as innovators or acceptors. There have been few attempts to tie practice to theory, theory to research, or research to practice. This volume attempts to provide the link between theory, research, and practice. Based upon research conducted at two large-scale water resource development projects in Indonesia, it focuses upon the problems and solutions encountered by two primary sets of people involved in the transfer of technical knowledge--foreign consultants and host country counterparts. Dr. Scott-Stevens presents a unified and applied approach to many of the cross-cultural theories, issues, and problems common to the transfer of technical knowledge across cultures.




We Cannot Continue Like This


Book Description

We Cannot Continue Like This: Facing Modernity in Africa and the West is a scholarly book strongly focused on the context of Africa, with two chapters that are written by authors from the Netherlands for the purpose of a North-South dialogue. The main thesis of the book is based on the insight that the trajectory of modern development ought not to continue as it is. It is ecologically unsustainable and continues to enlarge the gap between rich and poor. The book centers on an academic analysis of current development practices, mostly in Africa. It addresses four topics that are often neglected in studies on development and sustainability: listening to voices from Africa to counter the hegemony of the Global North; recognizing the importance of spiritual issues in the secular affairs of society; deriving theory from data that was obtained and analyzed in a systematic way, and was compared with existing theories; and illustrating the importance of households rather than just governments, businesses or academic institutions. The manuscript seeks to integrate academic reflection and insights gained from practical involvement with sustainability issues in local communities and low-income households, with contributions from natural and social sciences and theology. The authors respond to the question: How can modern science and technology help to solve dilemmas such as unsustainable development?




Development Through Technology Transfer


Book Description

This study in technology transfer uses company-specific examples to enrich an exploration of the complex and dynamic issues involved. Focusing on the experience of companies in Algeria, it describes technology transfer as more than the hand-over of new technology hardware.




The Future of Creation Order


Book Description

This book investigates humanities, social sciences and politics from the perspective of the concept of creation order. It is the second volume in a series that provides a unique and topical overview of attempts to assess the current health of the concept of creation order within Reformational philosophy when it is compared with other perspectives. Divided into a section on fundamental reflections and a section on normative practices, it discusses issues such as redemption, beauty, nature, love, justice, morality, and ethics. It concludes with discussions on a practice-based theory to explain religion in international relations and a normative model for the practice of cooperation in development. This series reflects the role that the branch of Christian philosophy called ‘Reformational’ philosophy plays in the discussion on the status of laws of nature. Ever since its inception, almost a century ago, the concepts of order and law (principle, structure) have been at the heart of this philosophy. One way to characterise this tradition is as a philosophy of creation order. Firmly rejecting both scholastic metaphysics and Deism, Reformational philosophers have maintained the notion of law as ‘holding’ for reality. Questions have arisen about the nature of such law: is it a religious or philosophical concept; does law just mean ‘orderliness’? How does it relate to laws of nature? Have they always existed or do they ‘emerge’ during the process of evolution?




Human Interaction, Emerging Technologies and Future Applications II


Book Description

This book reports on research and developments in human-technology interaction. A special emphasis is given to human-computer interaction, and its implementation for a wide range of purposes such as healthcare, aerospace, telecommunication, and education, among others. The human aspects are analyzed in detail. Timely studies on human-centered design, wearable technologies, social and affective computing, augmented, virtual and mixed reality simulation, human rehabilitation and biomechanics represent the core of the book. Emerging technology applications in business, security, and infrastructure are also critically examined, thus offering a timely, scientifically-grounded, but also professionally-oriented snapshot of the current state of the field. The book is based on contributions presented at the 2nd International Conference on Human Interaction and Emerging Technologies: Future Applications, IHIET-AI 2020, held on April 23-25, in Lausanne, Switzerland. It offers a timely survey and a practice-oriented reference guide to researchers and professionals dealing with design and/or management of the new generation of service systems.




Knowledge Communication: Transparency, Democracy, Global Governance


Book Description

Knowledge communication is a subject intensely discussed nowadaysas there is much buzz in the academia about the crisis of scientific authority. Fundamental research but also popular culture, special magazines, traditional books, find increasingly rarer common terms with new audiences like web 2.0 practitioners and various multi-media consumers. There are even pedigree cultured people that seem to accept no more traditional communicating supports and act conflictually towards them. Some voices claim that general audiences are superficial and consumerist; but on the other hand many speak about lack of openness for the general audience from scientists themselves. The audience of science is therefore fundamental and all the papers in this volume touch it in many ways. Another direction that will be consistent with all these papers along the book is the knowledge as a resource for cultural and regional policies, tourism industry and so forth. Transparency, globalization, regionalization, have no meaning without distinctive specters of regions and local cultures that assert themselves besides traditional European countries.




The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity


Book Description

Interdisciplinarity has become as important outside academia as within. Academics, policy makers, and the general public seek insights to help organize the vast amounts of knowledge being produced, both within research and at all levels of education. The second edition of The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity offers a thorough update of this major reference work, summarizing the latest advances within the field of inter- and transdisciplinarity. The collection is distinguished by its breadth of coverage, with chapters written by leading experts from multiple networks and organizations. The volume is edited by respected interdisciplinary scholars and supported by a prestigious advisory board to ensure the highest quality and breadth of coverage. The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity provides a synoptic overview of the current state of interdisciplinary research, education, administration and management, and of problem solving-knowledge that spans the disciplines and interdisciplinary fields. The volume negotiates the space between the academic community and society at large. Offering the most broad-based account of inter- and transdisciplinarity to date, its 47 chapters provide a snapshot of the state of knowledge integration as interdisciplinarity approaches its century mark. This second edition expands its coverage to discuss the emergence of new fields, the increase of interdisciplinary approaches within traditional disciplines and professions, new integrative approaches to education and training, the widening international presence of interdisciplinarity, its increased support in funding agencies and science-policy bodies, and the formation of several new international associations associated with interdisciplinarity. This reference book will be a valuable addition to academic libraries worldwide, important reading for members of the sciences, social sciences, and humanities engaged in interdisciplinary research and education, and helpful for administrators and policy makers seeking to improve the use of knowledge in society.