1.0 Call for Research Paper
9th SAESM announce call for papers on
following broad themes:
Theme 1: Green
Accounting and GDP
While the
traditional systems of national accounts (SNA) include the limited benefits we
are receiving from our nature and environments, there is growing consensus
among economists to include all the aspects of benefits and costs that our
activities are posing to environment. There is need to extend SNA to make it
inclusive of environmental assets, functions and cost to the environment. This
has led to green accounting and attempts to find out green GDP. In this
respect, the research paper can highlight the current approach toward green
accounting and GDP; country or region specific problems and issues in relation
to accounting and measurement; benefits of greening the GDP, alternatives to
current measurement of GDP, from GDP to wealth of Nations, green GDP and
welfare considerations etc. The research questions can be why green accounting?
How to make green accounting more inclusive? What are the measurement issues?
What problems are there on valuations of Green aspects of economy? etc.
Theme 2: Green
Technology and Production, Green Business and Green Jobs
In
an attempt to increase the production and productivity, our activities and
adoption of technology has seriously resulted into many environmental
unfriendly consequences. Considering the social cost arising out of negative
externalities on our attempt for production and use of technology, there is
need for greening the production process through green state of arts and
technology. This calls for use of technology to reduce the costs to our planet,
greening and cleaning our production techniques to minimize bi-products, wastages
and correcting negative externalities to society. This also asks for creating
green jobs and doing green business. Therefore, the research paper can include
the successful stories/practices of adopting green technology, innovative way
for creating green jobs, private sector approaches for green business. The
paper could also through prospective on use of environmental friendly
technology and production. The paper could also highlights business firm’s
roles and responsibility towards nature and our planet, government policies to
make these workable, regulations on the markets, regulatory framework and
approaches etc.
Theme 3: Green Trade
and Commerce
Trade
in environmental goods and services (EGS) is expected to contribute to the
sustainable development of the region vis-Ã -vis trade in traditional gods and
services that ignores accounting for the environmental impact. The trade today
has been rapidly emerging as the new arena for international trade which the
region can explore to build on its competitive edge by inducting/using cost
effective cleaner technology in their list of tradable items. The current
issues that have been hindering the warranted growth in the trade in the region
remain the limited lists of exportable EGS; liberalization or removal of
barriers in trade of EGS; provision of environmental technologies and products;
education/knowhow to utilize such technologies to abate pollution; market
access in developed and rapidly growing economies; regulatory frameworks;
institutional capacities among others. In general, students may focus on the
region specific or country specific problems that is constraining the ‘Green
trade’ to flourish with short term and long term remedies. Specifically, they
may explore on the market based initiatives/instruments that can create and
expand national and international markets for EGS and are largely compatible
with WTO requirements. What are the social costs and benefits from the adoption
of such initiatives? Some issues that may draw attention are: Does the growth
in EGS industries and trade promote or discourage income inequality? Whether the expected benefits from
environment, technology and exports market exceed the expected losses in
revenue? Does the new category of environmental goods and services assist the
country in strengthening the bargaining position in the international forum?
SWOT analysis of the trade liberalization in EGS may also be useful.
Theme 4: Green Ecology
and Environment
Its
common belief that ecological and environmental components penetrate
consumption s well as production behaviours intermingling with usual
consumption basket and classical inputs respectively. It demands the
interdisciplinary knowledge base and practical skills to craft robust economic
policies to guarantee the optimality of all economic agents. At the same time, anthropogenic environmental
problems such as global warming, climate change and biodiversity loss etc. are
the current pressing issues having enormous long-run impact on social welfare,
especially in South Asia. Therefore, developing scientific valuation method and
opting appropriate management regime is necessary to know
economy-environment-ecology interface. In this context, it’s urgent to explore
how economic science and institutions can facilitate maximum economic benefit
and biodiversity conservation subject to prevailing geo-socio-economic
heterogeneity and resource availability. We must know how alternative use of
available natural resources ensures biodiversity conservation and economic
benefit juxtapose. Meeting ever expanding human needs and conserving
biodiversity together is an important issue these days.
The
papers can be on how we can fight against poverty through sustainable use of
available biodiversity and ecological resources at regional, national and local
level; where local institutions could play pivotal role to manage the local
resources. It can be on how natural science and economics science put together
can better inform concern institutions, and how strong sustainability could be
achieved. We have sufficient evidence in hand that the human encroachment is
damaging natural habitat and land use which is ultimately leading towards
biodiversity loss, soil erosion and lake degradation in South Asia. It is
ultimately leading the region towards vicious circle of poverty trap. How can
it be checked could be another interesting issue. Livelihood of thousands of
people is dependent on natural resource in this region, how can it be better
managed that guaranteed their natural property right is another serious issue
in this region. Well-informed local institutions can manage local resources can
be another issue.
Theme 5: Green Energy
The
excessive use of fossil fuels and traditional source of energy by households
like fuel wood has resulted into release of tons of Green House Gases and has
hazardous health implications to the human beings. While there is fear for
short supply of those resources, time has come to think on an alternative and
innovative way to meet the energy requirements of today. The renewable energy
technologies (RETs) have been the most viable alternative to substitute the
traditional source of energy demand. The paper could highlight the benefits of
RETs occurring to environment, economy and individuals, cost effectiveness of
these technology, markets mechanism and role of government subsidy etc. The
paper could also highlight the costs (individual or social) of use of
traditional energy, the problems at policy or implementing framework to opt for
alternative energy. The benefits of use of RETs like hydro, solar and Wind
energy, their prospects and problems. South Asia being immense potential of
hydropower, the prospects of regional cooperation and trade on hydro electricity,
policy considerations and problems could also be interesting theme.
Theme 6: Green Climate
and Economy
As
Al Gore’s popular video “An inconvenient truth” recognize and highlight the
aspects of climate change and global warming, there is need for the correction
of human behaviour while consuming our planet and putting pressure on it. The
adaptation and mitigation strategies are recommended to cope with climate
change. The paper could highlight the various aspects of adaptation and
mitigation strategies, case study and documentation of best adaptation
strategies, government readiness to finance. Likewise, the paper could also
examine the impacts of climate change on various aspects of economic life.
Examining the effect on agriculture, assessing the vulnerability of poor and
marginalized communities could also be interesting topic of research.
Guidelines
for Research Paper
The
researcher should take one of the issues/ problems highlighted within any of
the themes called for paper submission. Few research questions and issues have
been highlighted above and these give brief guidelines to the researcher.
However, these do not limit the scope of including other important research
questions. Priority in selection will be given to the innovative and practical
papers rather than the papers/those with a mere focus on theoretical concepts
and methods. The paper should focus on regional or national prospective. An
evaluation team of academia from South Asian region will be formed for
evaluation; and Paper will go through blind review process.
Paper
Selection
All
the papers should be submitted to their respective country coordinator and the
country coordinator will recommend a best paper for the participation in the
conference.
Requirements
·
Authors should follow the
American Psychological Association (APA) style for the referencing and in-text
citation.
·
The font should be in Times New
Roman
·
The font size should be 12 with
1.15 spaces for the main write up.
·
1 inch margin on the each side
of the paper should be left.
·
The write up including all the
tables and figures should be in black and white
·
No chapter is recommended and
Tables/Figures starts from 1.
·
The page number should be
placed at bottom starting from the main write up.
·
The first page should be the title
page which should include the title of the paper, name of the theme, name of
the student and his/her institutional affiliation and the date.
·
The paper should include but
not limited to - Background/Problem Statement, Research Questions and
Objectives, Brief Review of Literature, Methodology, Results and Discussions,
Conclusions and Recommendations.
·
The word limit for the paper
should not exceed 5000 excluding the title and the abstract.
·
An abstract not exceeding 200
words should be provided in the paper.
2.0:
Budding Economist Competition
The
country coordinator shall select four students from respective country for the
budding economist competition. All the
students participating in the budding economist competition should write a
paper on a theme provided below.
“Agenda for Greening South Asian Economy”
Besides,
these students will also have/need to sit for oral and written examinations
during the conference in Kathmandu. These include:
·
Visual
Round: Each student competing in Budding Economist should/need to participate
in the visual round. Students are supposed to give the economic
meaning/understanding/ interpretation/ perception of photographs or any visual
items displayed during the competition.
·
Written
Exam: Each student competing for Budding Economist should sit in the 3 written
exams a) General Theories- Microeconomics and Macroeconomics; b) Development
Issues and Problems; and c) Quantitative Methods. The reference books for
written examination will be provided later.
·
Final
Interview: Top 5 final competitors of Budding Economist will be invited for
final interview from a group of juries).
The interview will include the questions but not limited to the economic
theories and their applications as well as contemporary global and regional
economic issues.
3.0:
9th South Asian Economics Quiz Contest
Three
students from each country can participate on the 9th South Asian Economics
Quiz Contest. The content of the quiz will include a) General Economic
Theories; b) Contemporary Economic and Development Issues; and c) History of Economic
Ideas
4.0
World Bank Policy Competition
All
the participants in the Policy Competition should choose among the issues (as)
asked (provided) by the World Bank to decide on their topic for essay writing
purpose. The finalists so selected will have to attend the plenary session. The
details will be provided later.
5.0
Retreat
A
two day retreat program will be organized following the conference. This will
include a campfire and sightseeing of few historical places as well as of the
panoramic view of mountains in the outskirts of Kathmandu Valley.
6.0 Other
Information
Number
of Participants*
A
total 12 participants from each country (10 students and 2 faculties) will be
invited to participate in the conference.
Country
|
Paper
|
Budding
Economist
|
Quiz
Contest**
|
Faculty
|
Total
|
Bangladesh
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
12
|
Bhutan
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
12
|
India
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
12
|
Pakistan
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
12
|
Sri
Lanka
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
12
|
Note:
Nepal being a host country reserves the right to nominate and increase the
number of participants
**
The country coordinator for this purpose will nominate 3 students from the
participants of the paper presentation and Budding Economist Competition
Country Coordinators
All
the prospective participants should write to their respective country
coordinator for further details to participate on conference.
Country
|
Contact
|
Nepal
(Host country)
|
Dr. Bishwambhar Pyakuryal, Professor, Central Department of
Economics, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
|
Bangladesh
|
Dr. Selim Rehain, Associate Professor, Department of
Economics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
|
Bhutan
|
Dr. Sanjeev Mehata, Professor, Royal Thimpu College, Bhutan
|
India
|
Dr. Deb Kusum Das, Associate Professor, Ramjas College,
University of Delhi, India
|
Pakistan
|
Dr. Turab Hussian, Associate Professor, Department of
Economics, Lahor university of management sciences, Lahor, Pakistan
|
Sri Lanka
|
Dr. Sirimal Abayeratne, Professor, Department of Economics,
University of Colombo, Srilanka
|
Selection of the participants
All
country coordinators will have a right to select the participants from their
own country. The organizing team will accept the participants under the
recommendation of country coordinator. Please contact your respective country
coordinator for details of the selection process.
Travel and Accommodation
The
Organizer will provide the economic class and cheapest air route tickets to our
foreign participants. We will provide economic class travel fare from capital
city of respective country to Kathmandu.
All the meals and accommodations on twin sharing basis during the
conference will be provided by the organizer.
Registration Fee
All
the participants (students and faculties) should pay registration fee of 150
USD (One hundred and fifty USD only) to participate in the conference.
Important Dates
·
October 15, 2012- Submission of
final Name of the Students and Faculty from Each Country on prescribed format
with scan of passport.
·
November 15, Submission of
Final Papers (Research Papers and Budding Economist)
·
December 10, Submission of
Presentation on PPT
Visa Requirements
All countries
(Except India) participating on SAESM should obtain the visa to enter Nepal.
There is no visa requirement for Indian passport holder. The rest of foreign
participants should apply for 15/30 days tourist visa at the time of entry upon
arrival and no visa fee will be levied for the member states of South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Don’t forget to take few passport
size photo along with you.
Important
According to rule
of Government of Nepal, carrying Indian currency of denomination of 500 and
1000 is prohibited within Nepal.
Contact Person
Naveen Adhikari,
Assistant Professor ; and Member Secretary
South Asian Economics
Students Meet (SAESM) Secretariat
Central Department
of Economics
Tribhuvan
University
Kirtipur, Kathmandu
GPO 3821
Phone:
977-1-4330950 Fax: 977-1-4333539 Cell: 977-9851062222
Special Thanks
