We invited more than 20 students and young researchers from different disciplines to Kathmandu, Nepal and took a deep dive into the methods and concepts of transdisciplinary research. Here, participants share their experinces.
WISIONS team participated in the Tech4Dev International Conference
The 3rd International Conference on Technologies for Development was organised by the UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development on 4-6 June 2014 at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The three-day conference brought together researchers, decision-makers, industry stakeholders and civic actors from around the world to discuss the role technologies can play in the effort to alleviate poverty in this world. Overall 125 papers related to the following research sectors were presented:
- Habitat and cities
- Information and communication technologies
- Disaster risk reduction
- Sustainable energy
- Medical technologies
During the sessions some of the key question addressed were: What is essential for a technology to succeed in its intended role to reduce poverty? Is it the invention and development of appropriate technologies or the creation of appropriate value chains? Or might it be local capacity building and partnerships between key stakeholders? Or is it most likely a combination of several of these factors?
The WISIONS team also had the opportunity to share and discuss insights from our recent research on the role of gender along the “Project Cycle of Small-Scale Sustainable Energy Projects in Developing Countries” during the session “Identifying Opportunities and Constraints for Women in the Renewable Energy Sector“.
Photo copyright: 2014 Tech4Dev International Conference – Cooperation and Development Center EPFL (original source on flickr.com)
