Rio de Janeiro hosted the eighth Globelics PhD Academy from 20 to 31 August 2012, bringing the International PhD School on Innovation and Economic Development to Latin America. Organized by Redesist at the Economics Institute of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IE/UFRJ), the Academy represented an important geographical expansion of a program previously hosted in Lisbon and Tampere. Professors José Eduardo Cassiolato and Marina Szapiro were responsible for local coordination.
The 2012 edition gave particular prominence to sustainable and inclusive development. This orientation reflected a growing research agenda concerned not only with the capacity of economies to generate technological change, but also with the distribution of its benefits. Doctoral researchers were therefore encouraged to investigate innovation in relation to social inclusion, sustainability and broader development objectives. Participants whose doctoral work directly addressed these issues received particular consideration during the selection process.
The academic structure combined several forms of learning. Lectures introduced recent developments in innovation studies; round-table discussions and group activities addressed innovation in developing countries; and doctoral candidates presented their ongoing research, including methodological challenges and contributions to knowledge. The program also incorporated a two-day seminar dealing with innovation systems and inclusive innovation, creating opportunities for dialogue between researchers and policymakers.
The faculty reflected the international character of Globelics. Confirmed lecturers included Bengt-Åke Lundvall, Franco Malerba, Judith Sutz, Gabriela Dutrénit, José Eduardo Cassiolato, Sunil Mani and Shulin Gu. Scholars including Judith Sutz, Joanna Chataway, Rasigan Maharajh and Mammo Muchie were expected to contribute particularly to discussions surrounding sustainability and inclusive development.
Participants were similarly diverse. Students represented universities and research environments in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America, with projects addressing subjects ranging from technological capabilities and innovation in Nigerian cassava processing to technological catching-up in Chinese manufacturing and semiconductor innovation capabilities. Brazilian doctoral researchers from institutions including UFRJ, the University of Brasília and other research environments also participated.
The Rio Academy consequently connected doctoral training with some of the most pressing questions confronting innovation research. By explicitly linking innovation systems to sustainability and social inclusion, the 2012 edition reinforced a central Globelics principle: technological and economic transformation should be examined in relation to the development challenges experienced by different societies.