Dr. Turki Faisal Al Rasheed will be a workshop director for the 5 th Annual Gulf Research Meeting (GRM) 2014 from 25-28 August 2014.
Gulf Research Meeting aims to bring together a community of scholars and practitioners working on the region to exchange views, present their research, exchange views and best practise as well as enhance their understanding of topical issues related to the Gulf region. Details of the workshop are below.
Participation in the workshop requires the submission of a paper proposal (of approx. 500 words in English) and the completion of the online form on the website by January 31, 2013.
The website link to our workshop is:
http://www.grm.grc.net/index.php?pgid=Njk=&wid=OTc=&yr=2014
Most participants will be eligible for a travel grant as outlined on the website: http://grm.grc.net/ which includes all information concerning the list of workshops, the individual workshop descriptions, the travel, registration process, and the rules and guidelines for participation.
We have already received some very interesting proposals and believe that it will be a really exciting workshop. Please feel free to submit a proposal for the workshop and/or circulate to any interested colleagues.
Title: Doctoral Symposium: Addressing the Sustainability Agenda in the Gulf Region
Abstract
The first-ever Gulf Research Meeting Doctoral Symposium is a two-day event providing social science students researching aspects of sustainability with a unique opportunity to interact with experienced academics and practitioners in the field, as well as fellow doctoral candidates, to discuss their ongoing research. One of the major issues facing developing countries such as the GCC countries is the ability to address and balance the often competing demands of People, Planet and Profit. The symposium will provide a multi-disciplinary forum for those engaged in seeking solutions and a deeper understanding of the complexities of this issue in order to develop a questioning, yet supportive worldwide community and network of scholars and practitioners in sustainability with a special interest in the Gulf region.
Workshop Description
The Doctoral Symposium will take place during the main conference. Each accepted paper will be presented to a panel of experts as well as an audience of fellow doctoral students. Each student will be expected to give a 20 minute verbal presentation followed by a 20 minute interactive session including question and answer, discussion and feedback. In this way, the panellists and audience will interact with the presenter, providing constructive advice and suggestions for moving the research forward to completion. Feedback will be focused on opportunities beyond the doctoral study including dissemination of the research and exploitation of possible opportunities that impact the development of the sustainability agenda in the Gulf.
Goals of the Doctoral Symposium:
Provide a supportive setting for feedback on students’ current research and future research directions
Provide individual comments and fresh insights on students’ work offering them with an opportunity to defend their research choices
Provide doctoral students with exposure to varying research methods and approaches used to address sustainability challenges in the Gulf
Contribute to the development of the field in general by greater interaction between the new generation of researchers and more experienced researchers and practitioners in the field.
Facilitate a bridge between research, academics, and practitioners concerned with sustainability from different disciplines.
Eligibility
Prospective participants should be enrolled on a Ph.D. or Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA)programmeand already have a clear research direction, and possibly have published some results. Priority will be given to students who have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy or are on their second year of a DBA programme.
Scope
The Doctoral Symposium invites contributions in the area of Social Science Research in Sustainability in the Gulf Region.
Potential topics include (but are not limited to):
Awareness & Education in Sustainability
Design/Construction/Facilities Management of Sustainable Buildings/Cities/Living
Planning for Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability
Sustainable Project Management
Managing Knowledge within a Sustainability Context
Organisational Behaviour towards Sustainability including Leadership
Methodological Issues in Researching Sustainability
Submission Guidelines
Students who wish to be considered for the Doctoral Symposium should submit the following as per the GRM guidelines for submission:
A short one page personal introduction providing background information including a brief summary of previous education, current institutional affiliation, motivation for the research etc.
A 500 word abstract summarising the research singly authored by the presenter
5 or 6 key words relevant to the research
develop their built environments – including commercial and non-commercial properties and their infrastructures; their industrial capacities – often through large-scale industrialization programs; and their agricultural capacities, there are sustainability issues to consider. Taking each of the Triple Bottom Line elements in turn; environmental-sustainability issues such as: waste, recycling, water usage, energy – including the use of renewables, and pollution – to name but a few; economic-sustainability issues including: employment opportunities for local people, education and training and engagement of business and individuals that make up the supply chains and finally, social-sustainability issues such as: safety at work, working hours, equality and diversity, noise dust and pollution, traffic congestion, stakeholder engagement and community involvement in decision-making.
Many of these issues are increasing in importance for the GCC. For example, in respect of environmental sustainability, some GCC countries are facing energy deficits and will be net importers of energy in the near future; and hence are considering the use of more sustainable sources of energy such as renewables. In relation to economic sustainability, the Middle East region has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world and there is a great challenge in developing a skilled workforce and providing them with jobs. And the fact that the GCC countries are the largest recipients of temporary migrants in the world has implications for social sustainability in terms of the coherence and fabric of societies. In general, within the Middle East and MENA regions, the failure of countries to engage in sustainable development, with particular consideration of the social and economic impacts, was arguably one of the main contributors to the Arab Spring. For example, from an economic perspective, the Middle East and MENA region suffered from an unequal distribution of wealth which is a direct result of a lack of clear sustainable development strategies. Similarly, from a social perspective, the failure to engage all parts of the community in the decision making process and provide equal opportunities for all, again through a lack of strategic sustainable development, fuelled a sense of alienation and isolation which ultimately led to the Arab Spring.