Knowledge Societies


Book Description

Revolutionary information and communication technologies are contributing to dramatic changes in the competitiveness of global and local markets and in the way people conduct their business and everyday lives. The potential benefits and risks these changes present for developing countries and the economies in transition are enormous. This comprehensive, authoritative reference book examines the ways in which these powerful technologies are being harnessed to development goals, helping to reduce the risk of exclusion and create new opportunities for developing countries. The report emphasizes the urgency of developing new social and technological infrastructures to help ensure that new technologies are used effectively. It also also offers guidelines and practical steps that can be taken by stakeholders to shape their future innovative knowledge societies.




Knowledge Brokerage for Sustainable Development


Book Description

The menace of a post-truth era challenges conventional policy-making and science. Instead of fighting an uphill battle against populist solutions, those involved in both policy-making and science have to find innovative ways to collaborate, and make use of the vast amounts of knowledge that are already available. Knowledge brokerage, in this context, is more than a simple question-and-answer game: it is a process of co-creating and re-framing knowledge. In addition, Knowledge Brokerage for Sustainable Development has to deal with trade-offs and ambiguities, as well as world-views, cultures and the preferences of stakeholder groups. This book is the first in-depth exploration of how knowledge brokerage has the potential to help manage the challenges of sustainable development across political and scientific systems. It presents a selection of innovative and practical tools to enhance the connectivity of research and policy-making on sustainable development issues. In doing so, this book will be an essential publication in research and policy-making. It supports networking among the developers and users of knowledge brokerage systems and will make their experience better known to the different communities involved.The book presents interviews with leading policymakers and researchers such as former EU Commissioner Franz Fischler, Robert-Jan Smits (Director-General of Research and Innovation at the EC), Uwe Schneidewind (President of the Wuppertal Institute), and Leida Rijnhout (European Environmental Bureau). It also provides insights into eleven EU funded projects dealing with different approaches of Knowledge Brokerage for Sustainable Development.




Knowledge Societies --in a Nutshell


Book Description

In summarizing the full-length report of the Working Group (entitled Knowledge Societies), this book focuses particularly on the dangers that will accompany a failure to develop information and communication technology (ICT) strategies tailored to the specific and changing needs of countries in the developing regions of the world. It will appeal to decision-makers and ICT producers and users, as well as to development professionals, academics, and citizens interested in development issues and the new and emerging information and communication technologies.




Sustainable Development


Book Description

This book examines education about standardization in the context of sustainable management. It shows the role of standardization education in the global economy, and in markets, industries and businesses. The book presents knowledge on standardization for sustainable management, describes measures that can be taken to stimulate it, and highlights strategies for teaching and disseminating the concept. Subsequently presenting a number of best practices and case studies, the book seeks to align theory and practice. For researchers, this is the first academic publication that interconnects the concepts of sustainability, standardization and education. For professionals in the area of sustainability it shows that standardization is an essential instrument for enhancing sustainability for which proper education is needed. For standardization professionals the book reveals the links to sustainability and it shows not only the importance of education about standardization but also how this can be organized, and finally, for universities, the book shows that standardization deserves to be included in the curriculum, and it provides guidance and best practice examples about how this can be done.




Indigenous Knowledges and the Sustainable Development Agenda


Book Description

This book discusses the vital importance of including indigenous knowledges in the sustainable development agenda. In the wake of colonialism and imperialism, dialogue between indigenous knowledges and Western epistemology has broken down time and again. However, in recent decades the broader indigenous struggle for rights and recognition has led to a better understanding of indigenous knowledges, and in 2015 the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined the importance of indigenous engagement in contributing to the implementation of the agenda. Drawing on experiences and field work from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, Indigenous Knowledges and the Sustainable Development Agenda brings together authors who explore social, educational, institutional and ecological sustainability in relation to indigenous knowledges. In doing so, this book provides a comprehensive understanding of the concept of "sustainability", at both national and international levels, from a range of diverse perspectives. As the decolonizing debate gathers pace within mainstream academic discourse, this book offers an important contribution to scholars across development studies, environmental studies, education, and political ecology.







Rural Sustainable Development in the Knowledge Society


Book Description

Based on the EU-funded CORASON research project, this volume brings together and compares studies into rural and sustainable development processes in 12 European countries. In doing so, it identifies key trends and reveals the changing nature of development processes on the way towards a knowledge society. The book examines the differences between the preconditions and contexts relevant to rural development strategies and those relevant to sustainable development strategies. It explores whether the concept, goals and nature of rural development is better understood and adopted by rural actors than those of sustainable development. Finally by focusing on the ideas and practices of sustainable resource management- a component in both rural and sustainable development objectives- it links with knowledge used by actors involved in rural development.










Inclusive Green Growth


Book Description

Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development makes the case that greening growth is necessary, efficient, and affordable. Yet spurring growth without ensuring equity will thwart efforts to reduce poverty and improve access to health, education, and infrastructure services.