Dear Colleagues and Friends of Globelics,
The 14th Globelics conference took place in Bandung, Indonesia October 12-14, 2016 under the heading Innovation, Creativity and Development: Strategies for Inclusiveness and Sustainability. It was organised by a group of scholars at Universitas Padjadjaran under the leadership of Miranda Risang Ayu and with support from the President of Indonesia and the Mayor of Bandung. Key note speakers were Prof. Helena Lastres, Dr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram and Prof. Tri Hanggono Achmad.
About 120 papers and 15 posters selected from more than 300 proposed papers were presented at the conference. Six thematic sessions covered important issues related to innovation and development. The general opinion among participants was that both the scientific quality and the relevance of presentations and discussions were high. Participants also appreciated very much the cultural events including the very creative traditional music and dancing performances.
In connection with the conference the Globelics Scientific Board had its Annual Meeting and in this connection the Board decided that the Globelics Secretariat at the end of 2016 will move from Aalborg, Denmark to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and that José Cassiolato will take over the function of Secretary General. Rio is a natural place to go for several reasons. The very first Globelics conference was held in Rio in 2003 and it was José Cassiolato who organised and coordinated the important BRICS-project.
In this connection the Board also unanimously agreed on a Globelics Constitution. You can find the constitution here
The decision to establish a constitution for Globelics has been prepared over the last three years. Since the very beginning in 2002 Globelics has been an informal network and the composition of the Globelics Scientific Board has reflected a process of self-renewal. In connection with the shift in the location of the Secretariat it was thought timely to give scholars who are active in the network the opportunity to become Members of Globelics and through voting procedure to influence the composition of the Globelics Scientific Board.
The constitution reflects an attempt to combine more democracy while retaining as much as possible the informal culture and avoiding bureaucracy and power struggles. It opens up for younger scholar and it goes very far in guaranteeing gender balance and regional balance
One implication is that Globelics will establish formal Membership in the beginning of 2017. Members who subscribe to the preamble in the constitution and who have taken active part in Globelics conferences will be offered to apply for membership. Members can be nominated as candidates to become members of the next Globelics Scientific Board and they can themselves nominate candidates and finally they can give their votes in the election.
Within a month you will receive information on how to become a Member of Globelics. This information will also be posted on Globelics web-site www.globelics.org. I hope that many of you will join Globelics as active members and also that many of you will propose a paper for the next conference to take place in Athens October 11-13, 2017.
Since this is my last mail to you in my current function as Secretary General I would like to add a few personal remarks. For me, it has been a great privilege to coordinate Globelics first as President and later as Secretary General since the very beginning of the network. I have been lucky in terms of having the pleasure to work with excellent and professional people in the Secretariat in Aalborg and Copenhagen. The colleagues who have served in the Globelics Scientific Board have done a great job in promoting the network and they have all become close friends. The different contact persons from Sida have all been professional, helpful and friendly.
Especially I have enjoyed meeting young scholars from all parts of the world who have in common a strong interest in doing high quality research and the ambition to change the world into something better (more sustainable and more inclusive). In the current climate where globalisation works mainly in favor of the super-rich, Globelics can be seen as a necessary anti-dote. We need much more Globelics and I expect all of you to contribute to that by ‘working hard and having fun’.
All the best
bal
Bengt-Åke Lundvall
Secretary General | Globelics Secretariat | Web www.globelics.org
Aalborg University | Department of Business and Management
