Knowledge Society Debates
Roundtable Conference: 5 January 2009
Public Discussion on “Knowledge Society and Uncertain Futures”: 6 January 2009
Venue: CESS, Hyderabad

The debates have been organised by
Esha Shah, STEPS centre, University of Sussex, UK.
in partnership with
E. Haribabu, Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
Shambu Prasad, Knowledge in Civil Society, Hyderabad
A. Kalamani, Centre for World Solidarity, Hyderabad



ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
·    Introduction: by Esha Shah
Session 1: Democracy or technocracy?
Chair: M. V. Sastri
·    Public Science for Public Ends: Rethinking Democracy in a Technological Age by Sheila Jasanoff.
·    Taking Democracy to the World of Knowledge by Sunil Sahasrabudhey - Vidya Ashram
·    Three epochs in one: An account of contemporary India by P.R.K. Rao
·    Politics of ethics: Do ethics committees represent the civil society? by Mariachiara Tallacchini
·    Global Integration and Local Exclusion in High-Tech Spaces by  C Ramachandraiah
·    Discussion led by Vinod Jairath

Session 2: Whose innovation counts?
Chair: M. V. Sastri
·    Innovation as commercial value: Imagining knowledge, for what social ends? by Briane Wynne
·    Knowledge, Democracy and Science policy: The missing dialogue in globalised India by Shambu Prasad
·    How do farmers drive innovation trajectories of crop biotechnology? By Esha Shah
·    Discussion led by Andy Hall?

Session 3: Risk and uncertainty
Chair: HariBabu
·    Science, Precaution and Participation in governance of technological risk: from tension to synergy? by Andy Stirling
·    Understanding the notions of Risk and Uncertainty: Critical Insights from the Indian Health Sector by Purendra Prasad
·    Anti-discrimination and appropriate use of new technologies: Speaking to edifices of International Trade Law by T. K. Naveen
·    Risks in dry land agriculture: A note from AP  by E Revathi
Concluding panel
·    Concluding Panel: Shiv Visvanathan,  V. Balaji.  Pakki Reddy ·    E. Haribabu


PUBLIC DISCUSSION
Knowledge Society and Uncertain Futures
·    Shiv Vishvanathan, Professor of Sociology of Science and Technology, DA-IICT, Gandhinagar
·    V. Balaji, Head of Knowledge Management and Sharing, ICRISAT, Hyderabad
·    Briane Wynne, Associate Director of the UK ESRC, Centre for Economics and Social Aspects of Genomics, Lancaster University
·    Sheila Jasanoff, Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Harvard University, USA
·    G. Haragopal, former Dean of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad
·    D. Balasubramanian, Director of Research, LV Prasad Eye Institute