[Sigifp-l] [Fwd: 2 Conferences in Africa and CFPs]

[Michel J. Menou]

Posted at the request of Sue Myburgh
Senior Lecturer
School of Communications, Information and New Media
University of South Australia



CALL FOR PAPERS:  KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A GATEWAY TO
EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION IN AFRICA



The Knowledge Management Research Team sponsored by the National
Research Foundation in collaboration with the Information Studies
Programme, School of Sociology and Social Studies at the University of
KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg) will host the abovementioned conference
from 22-24 February 2006. This conference is going to provide an
opportunity for knowledge sharing and collaboration among academics,
researchers, and information and knowledge practitioners.



Themes

Although knowledge management is gradually gaining acceptance in the
field of higher education, institutions of higher learning in the world
are still "on the very first steps of what appears to be a long ladder",
to use the words of von Krogh and Roos (1996). In fact, academic
institutions have not yet adequately addressed and evaluated the
advantages offered by knowledge management tools to enhance teaching,
learning, scholarship and research, and innovation. Research has shown
that knowledge management is a viable means in which higher education
institutions may build and exploit intellectual and social capital
effectively and gainfully. The application of knowledge management
principles may improve performance at institutions of higher learning
and foster a culture of excellence. In that regard, institutions of
higher learning in Africa should embrace knowledge management practices
and principles in order to address the challenges they are facing in a
society that is increasingly becoming knowledge-based.



Contributions are invited on a range of subjects relating to knowledge
management and its related processes. Themes that may be addressed are
wide and open, but an advanced academic level of discourse is required.

Inter alia the following broad themes will be addressed at the

conference:



Academic institutions as learning organizations Knowledge management as
a strategy for capacity building Knowledge sharing dynamics in higher
education Ethical issues that arise in managing knowledge at
institutions of higher learning Implementing knowledge management in
higher education: key processes and strategies Measurement of impact of
knowledge management programmes Organisational culture and knowledge
management Dynamics of collaboration among academics in higher education



Submission Procedure

Submissions should include the speaker's name(s), affiliation, address,
e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers, a short one-paragraph
biographical note, the title of the paper, and an abstract of 400 to 500
words. Each abstract will be double-blind reviewed. Papers accepted will
be published in the conference proceedings provided authors present
their work at the conference.



Important dates



Submission of abstracts deadline:                     30 August 2005

Notification of abstract acceptance:                   30 September 2005

Final copy of full paper:                                    30 November
2005

Notification of paper acceptance:                      05 January 2006

Final paper submission:                         30 January 2006





All abstracts should be submitted in MS Word as an e-mail attachment to
Dr Patrick Ngulube: ngulubep at ukzn.ac.za





*Commons-sense: Towards an African Digital Information Commons*

http://www.commons-sense.org <http://www.commons-sense.org/>

*/ /*

*25-27 May, 2005*

The LINK Centre, Graduate School of Public & Development Management (P&DM)

Wits University, Johannesburg, South Africa





For three days, participants from around Africa and the world will
gather to strategise towards the realisation of an African Digital
Information Commons.



This international event, carried out with a grant from the
International Development Research Centre (IDRC), will encourage
understanding of how alternative approaches to copyright and
content-sharing, enabled by digital technologies and electronic
networks, can be used in developing countries to enhance education and
innovation.



The conference begins the evening of 25 May with the launch of Creative
Commons South Africa (ccSA) -- an alternative copyright licencing system
-- by Creative Commons Chairperson Lawrence Lessig, Law Professor from
Stanford University. The next two days will feature keynote addresses,
case studies and demonstrations by "information commons" pioneers from
the US, Brazil, India and several African countries. Delegates will
share experiences and be equipped with the tools needed to implement
open content and other flexible copyright approaches to digital publishing.



Conference side events will include a weblogging forum, a Creative
Commons music- sharing workshop and, pre-conference, a mini "shodh
yatra" initiated by Indian innovation activist Professor Anil Gupta,
during which participants will visit ICT telecentres near Johannesburg.



This conference will be of interest to publishers, authors,
technologists, lawyers, educators and all others interested in how "new
copyright" is pushing the boundaries of international knowledge-sharing.



*Fees:*

Corporates and professionals: R1200 per person

Academics and non-profit organisations: R600 per person.

No charge for students, confirmed conference speakers/presenters and
full-time employees of Wits University or the IDRC.

Scholarships available to a limited number of applicants.



*More information *can be found on the conference website:

http://www.commons-sense.org <http://www.commons-sense.org/>



More information on* IDRC*: http://www.idrc.ca <http://www.idrc.ca/>