[Env seminars] CMI Lecture: Information Technology and S.D. - April 20

[Karen Gibson]

Greetings:

The Cambridge University M.Phil Programme in Environmental 
Engineering and Sustainable Development is sponsoring the 3rd Annual 
Distinguished Lecture Series on Sustainable Development. Under the 
auspices of CMI, the lectures are being broadcast simultaneously to 
MIT on selected Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 -2:30. The sixth and 
final lecture is Wednesday,  April 20;  the Spring 2005 Lecture 
Series schedule is at 
http://ceemeng.mit.edu/Distinguished%20Lecture%20%20leaflet%202005.pdf

Details include:

Time: Wednesday, April 20, 1:00-2:30

Location: MIT Room 9-151

Refreshments: cookies and juice provided

Abstract:

Information Technology for Sustainable Development

				       Nazli Choucri
			         Professor of Political Science
			Massachusetts Institute of Technology


The convergence of three distinct but interconnected trends - 
unrelenting globalization, growing worldwide electronic connectivity, 
and increasing knowledge intensity of economic activity - is 
transforming traditional knowledge practices, creating new research 
models and accelerating 'new knowledge'. While this convergence is 
creating powerful new opportunities for global politics and for 
transitions toward sustainable development, serious barriers remain 
and obstruct knowledge access provision, application and 
implementation.  These barriers call for new modes of harnessing the 
potentials of advances in information technology in order to help 
facilitate transitions toward sustainable development.

The key questions are: Why focus on information technology? What is 
the knowledge-connection? What are key barriers to e-Knowledge 
access? What are specific 'solutions'? How can these be implemented? 
We address  each of these questions,  highlight select features of  a 
solution-strategy implemented via the Global System for Sustainable 
Development - a distributed e-knowledge networking strategy and 
operating system devoted to the  complex domain of 'sustainable 
development'. 




E. Eric Adams
MIT Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Rm 48-216b
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-253-6595 (t)
617-258-8850 (f)
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