Governance of Socio Technical Transformations Project (GoST) Workshop, Bangalore, India
ESG is collaborating in a three year research programme entitled “Governance of Socio-Technical Transformations” (GoST) in collaboration with African Centre for Technology Studies (Kenya); Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Germany); Kennedy School of Government – Harvard Univ. (USA); and Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) – University of Sussex (UK).
GoST focuses on historical and prospective transformations in three key areas:
- Energy transformation and the ‘nuclear age’
- Transformation of agriculture and the ‘green revolution’
- Transformation’ of the urban digital infrastructure and ‘smart cities.’
More details about this project may be accessed at: https://www.ufz.de/gost/index.php?en=46213
As part of this research effort, ESG organised the India – GoST workshop on 14th January 2019 (Tuesday – full day). Prof. Sheila Jasanoff of Harvard University, a pioneer in Science and Technology Studies (STS), participated along with her colleagues in the workshop, and set the tone for the day long conversations.
The Workshop focussed attention on the following themes:
- The diminishing place for democracy in decision making related to nuclear energy and nuclear weaponisation – The Challakere ’Science City’ project
- Socio-ecological and economic Implications of transitioning to Utility Scale Solar Power Projects – The Pavagada Solar Park
- How smart are ‘Smart Cities’: Steel Bridges, Elevated Corridors, Metro and other imaginaries of urban futures
- Farming and Farming Futures: Biopiracy, Zero Budget Natural Farming, GMOs, CRISPR, and Agroecology.
The workshop was held at Lilac Hotel, 7th Main, 5th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore. MAP: https://g.page/lilac-hotels?share (The hotel is 2 mins away from the R V Road Metro stop).