THE ENVIRONMENT IN INDIA AND CHINA: HISTORIES AND INNOVATION
AN INDIA CHINA INSTITUTE CONFERENCE AT THE NEW SCHOOL

Leading Activists, Scholars, and Policymakers Explore Sustainability and Development
November 30 and December 1, 2012, in New York

The Mannes Opera presents works by Stravinsky and Rossini on December 19 (Photo: Genie Ames 2012)

NEW YORK, November 27, 2012- Though China and India are known for their explosive growth rates and impressive achievements in social and economic development, much of the world continues to watch with apprehension as growing industry in both nations degrades natural resources and ecosystems. The New School's India China Institute (ICI) will address issues of resource management and environmental sustainability at a conference entitled The Environment in India and China: Histories and Innovation. The conference will take place from November 30 from 3:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m. and December 1 from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. at The New School's Theresa Lang Community and Student Center on 55 West 13 Street, 2nd floor.

"We are proud to host such distinguished experts to contribute to our understanding of how to create a sustainable environment in the world’s fastest growing economies," said ICI Director Ashok Gurung. "This conference draws on the interdisciplinary nature of The New School, and gives opportunity for scholars and activists alike to combine theory and research with real-world situations."

The conference has three themes, Ecology, History and Innovation. For the first theme, the concept of ecology is analyzed through meaning, metaphors and models in order to better understand the interaction of markets with state policies and the ecosystem. The second theme, history, will focus on changing environmental views of each region and the local beliefs towards the natural world. Finally, in the innovation section, speakers will explore the ways individuals and groups engage with growing environmental problems by creating or refurbishing new technological and organizational systems.

Speakers include:

Kamaljit Bawa, Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston; Founder and President of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment
Jayanta Bandyopadhyay, Professor and Head of the Centre for Development and Environment Policy at the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta; current India China Institute Fellow
Ranjan Chakrabarti, Professor of History at the Jadavpur University; Executive Director of the Association of South Asian Environmental Historians
Sanjay Chaturvedi, Professor of Political Science at Panjab University, Chandigarh; Coordinator, Centre for the Study of Geopolitics, Department of Political Science and Honorary Director, Centre for the Study of MidWest and Central Asia; current India China Institute Fellow
Shikui Dong, Professor at the School of Environment, Beijing Normal University; current India China Institute Fellow
Mark Frazier, Academic Co-Director of the India China Institute; Professor of Politics at The New School for Social Research
Donald Hughes, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Denver
Michele Kahane, Professor of Professional Practice at The New School for Public Engagement
Bo Li, Director of Friends of Nature; former India China Institute Fellow
Zhi Lu, Professor of Conservation Biology at Peking University; Executive Director at Peking University’s Center for Nature and Society
David Ludden, Professor of Political Economy and Globalization; Chair of the Department of History at New York University
Victoria Marshall, Assistant Professor of Urban Design at Parsons the New School for Design; current India China Institute Fellow
Brian McGrath, Research Chair in Urban Design at the School of Constructed Environments, Parsons The New School for Design; Founder of Urban-Interface, LLC; former India China Institute Fellow
Timon McPhearson, Assistant Professor of Urban Ecology at the Tishman Environment and Design Center, The New School
Steward Pickett, Plant Ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York.
Sanjay Reddy, Academic Co-Director of the India China Institute; Associate Professor of Economics at The New School for Social Research
Judith Shapiro, Director of the Masters in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development for the School of International Service at American University
Nidhi Srinivas, Associate Professor of Nonprofit Management at Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy
Guobin Yang , Associate Professor of Communications and Sociology in the Annenberg School for Communication and Department of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania

This event is co-sponsored by The New School's programs in Environmental Studies and Global Studies, and the Julien J. Studley Graduate Program in International Affairs. It is generously supported by the Starr Foundation.

About India China Institute
Established in 2004, ICI is emerging as the hub of an international network of institutions and activities that nurture conversations and interactions about India, China, and the United States and deepen our understanding of global processes. Made possible in part by a grant from the Starr Foundation, ICI is committed to analyzing major issues and trends in India, China, and the United States and helping leaders, scholars, public intellectuals, and opinion builders in all three countries address key challenges through collaborative solutions. Currently, ICI's 15 distinguished fellows are collaborating on a broad range of projects to address the topic of "Prosperity and Inequality: Debates in India and China." For more information, visit www.indiachinainstitute.org.

About The New School

The New School, a leading progressive university in New York City, was founded in 1919 as a center of intellectual and artistic freedom. Today The New School is still in the vanguard of innovation and experimentation in higher education, with more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students in design and the social sciences, the humanities, management, and the performing arts and thousands of adult learners in continuing education courses. Committed to public engagement, The New School welcomes thousands of New Yorkers yearly to its celebrated public programs and maintains a global presence through its online learning programs, research institutes, and international partnerships. Learn more at www.newschool.edu.

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