2020 Science Recap: Socially-Oriented Innovations Conference

12:27, January 11, 2021

A flashback to one of the most brilliant online UrFU conferences of 2020, see Rector's remarks in a video

During 4 days in November of 2020 experts from Cuba, Brazil, India, and Russia discussed joint efforts to enhance the cooperation within the societies, impact from innovations on sustainable development of developing countries and institutions.  

Link to the conference: soc-innovations.urfu.ru

The joint international conference was initiated and organized under the leadership of Rectors and Directors of six institutions: Ural Federal University – URFU – acting as the Hosting University (Russia), Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas - UCLV (Cuba), U.Experience (Brasilian Higher Education Institutions's Network), Academic International Network - ACINNET (Ibero-America), Centro Univeristário do Sul de Minas -UNIS (Brazil), and Chandigarh University (India). 

International cooperation always arises on the basis of preliminary joint projects in both academic and scientific fields. Individual scientists always serve as the locomotive of future university cooperstions. In this case it wa Eduard Patrakov, Associate professor of the Department of Innovation and Intellectual Property, Head of the Laboratory (e.v.patrakov@urfu.ru). Together with the consultant for international partnership of Russia, Europe and Latin America, prof. Lioudmila Batourina (baturina_l@yahoo.com), they actively collaborated with universities in Brazil and India for few years, conducted joint research, wrote several articles, participated in conferences and prepared a joint course.

The conference in November, was dedicated to the analysis of the impact of innovation on society, social relations, labor transformation, and the search for resources to assess the risks and social consequences of innovation. The organizers also believe that the conference would give the start of joint research of faculty and students, the implementation and development of innovative projects that are in demand by the society of the participating countries, and the exchange of experience in effective and socially responsible innovation implementation.

There were multiple topics for expert discussions:

• Methodological and conceptual aspects of innovation research (generalization and classification of approaches to understanding innovation and its content at the global level, the study of the phenomenon of "social innovation", "socially-oriented innovation" in global and regional perspectives, disclosure (and understanding) of innovation in sociological, psychological, and economic aspects.
• Analysis of resources and consequences of innovations, that are primarily affecting society, socio-psychological conditions of people.
• Cultural differences in understanding and application of social innovations. Economic, educational, cultural and political influences on the efficiency of socially oriented innovations.
• Issues of environmental friendliness and ethics of innovations for the society as a whole, individual social and ethnic groups.
• Working together and Competition in innovation. Global and local approaches. Communities, Networks and Partnerships: building new relationships to find the best practices and innovative solutions together.
• Role of technology in social projects: important directions in artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, distance learning.
• Case studies или Current Best Approaches (CBA)