Trendspotting: Why Things Matter, a collaboration between the India Habitat Centre and Hearth Advisors, presents discussions about an evolving future. The series will connect the frontiers of academia, research, societal concerns, technology and evolving thought with issues that matter to people’s lives. Discover insights and predictions to be prepared for a thriving tomorrow by breaking down silos between education, employability, research, technology, and sustainability.

You can join the Trendspotting discussions at the Habitat Centre in New Delhi with exciting Indian and international panellists, business leaders, academics, policymakers, practitioners and civil society, fostering an environment where ideas flourish. In the week before each discussion, an annotated bibliography will be circulated, reflecting some perspectives on the themes that may emerge. Following the discussions, a reflective note will be available as a summary.

Please email us at [email protected] to be on the mailing list for these discussions.

Women have been systematically excluded from scientific inquiry for centuries, often encountering research that predominantly caters to men. Prof Anna Philpott will trace the journey of her work on paediatric cancers, women and children’s health and look at the challenges of women in leadership roles in academia. She will join the panellists in exploring the motivations for the work they do, whether that be aspiring women scientists in India or focusing on fertility science in a broader manner than the treatment of women. The discussion is expected to range from bringing together great scientific teams and the need for women to be part of scientific endeavours to unpacking reports of injuries to women in professional sports using equipment meant for men.

Keynote:

Prof Anna Philpott (Head of the School of Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge)

Panellists:

Dr Gitanjali Yadav (Staff Scientist, National Institute of Plant Genomic Research)

Nandan Kamath (Sports Lawyer, Managing Trustee of the GoSports Foundation)

Dr Surveen Ghumman Sindhu (Director & HOD, Infertility and IVF, Max Healthcare)

Moderator:

Dr Vibhuti Patel (University of Cambridge)

More information and readings for the event

Ignoring the growing number of ed-tech start-ups that have faltered is nearly impossible. India is ed-tech’s second-largest market globally, and the middle class is drawn in by the allure of a new, technologically-driven education that replaces an ‘obsolete’ traditional education system. However, the critical question arises: Is ed-tech a thoroughly evaluated and impactful method of learning, or is it merely a well-oiled marketing machine that perpetually defers the dreams of ambitious parents to the next big invention? The panellists embark on a journey to explore and dissect the enduring promise that ed-tech is on a mission to replace traditional education as we know it.

Panellists:

Shikhar Malhotra (Trustee, Shiv Nadar Foundation, Director, HCL Tech, Chairman, Shiv Nadar Schools & Chancellor Shiv Nadar University IOE)

Sabina Dewan (President, JustJobs Network)

Dr Anupama Mallik (CEO and Managing Director, Vizara Technologies, an IIT Delhi startup)

Dr Jagjit Kaur (Postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Digitisation, AI and Society, Ashoka University)

Moderator:

Shashank Vira (Managing Director, Hearth Advisors Group, & Global Advisor to Cambridge University’s Digital Education Futures Initiative)