1. Prayag
A Centre
of
Knowledge Informatics
for
Sustainable Development
(Dedicated to the spirit of Creativity and Innovation)
By
Sanjay Goel, JIIT, 2011

2. Creativity
• Creativity is the ability to see relationships where none exist."-- Thomas Disch,
Sc. fiction author and poet
• The creative process is a matter of continually separating and bringing together,
bringing together and separating, in many dimensions.
Albert Rothenberg , Creativity researcher
• Problems cannot be solved by thinking within the framework in which the
problems were created.
-- Albert Einstein.
• Synergy between thinkers from seemingly different disciplines has helped in
giving major turns to civilization. -- Heisenberg
• If at first, the idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it.
-- Albert Einstein
• If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where
they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
-- Henry David Thoreau, author, philosopher

3. Informatics
• Mathematics and Logic
• Electronics and Communication
• Systems Design/Engineering
• Application Domains [Science, Engg., Business, Govt.]
• Many specialized subfields have emerged at the edges of informatics
and other disciplines.
– Management information systems, engineering informatics (e.g.,
mechatronics, construction informatics), bio-informatics, computational
finance, computational linguistics, computational psychology, health-
informatics/medical informatics, geo-informatics, chem-informatics,
museum-informatics, digital archives and library, computational
archaeology, digital media, computer games, cognitive sciences,
computational physics, computational maths, computational sociology,
social informatics, computational economics, learning technology/education
technology, etc.
Evolution of Informatics

4. Informatics
• Mathematics and Logic
• Electronics and Communication
• Systems Design/Engineering
• Application Domains [Science, Engg., Business, Govt.]
• Old Computing was about what Computers can do,
New computing is about what people can do. - Shneiderman
Evolution of Informatics

5. Informatics
• Mathematics and Logic
• Electronics and Communication
• Systems Design/Engineering
• Application Domains [Science, Engg., Business, Govt.]
• Old Computing was about what Computers can do,
New computing is about what people can do. - Shneiderman
• People in different professions and disciplines deal with ‘information’
differently.
• The basic conceptions, form, and nature of ‘information’ also differs
across disciplines
Evolution of Informatics

6. Sustainable Development
• Development which meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs. - World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987
 Intra- and Inter-generational Equity
 Environmental, Economic, Social, and Cultural Dimensions

7. Sustainable Development
• Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. - World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987
 Intra- and Inter-generational Equity
 Environmental, Economic, Social, and Cultural Dimensions
• Sustainability problems are complex, hence they are beyond the realm of
any single discipline.
• Sustainable solutions requires systems thinking - inter-disciplinary and
trans-disciplinary approach, multi-perspective integration, and innovation.
– Enrichment of Physical Environment and Cultural Heritage
– Improvement of the accessibility and quality of Basic Facilities
• Nutrition, water supply, housing, sanitation, health care, energy, transport, and
safety
– Improvement of the support system for enhancing Human’s Happiness by focusing on
higher level human needs – social, cognitive, aesthetics, and self actualization.
• Competence - Quality of Education system
• Autonomy
– Empowerment
• Relatedness, equity, cooperation, and collaboration
• Creativity

8. Sustainable Development
• Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. - World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987
 Intra- and Inter-generational Equity
 Environmental, Economic, Social, and Cultural Dimensions
• Sustainability problems are beyond the realm of any single discipline
• Sustainable solutions requires systems thinking - inter-disciplinary and
trans-disciplinary approach, multi-perspective integration, and flexibility
• Interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches are really very difficult to
develop because the involved disciplines normally differ not just in terms of
objectives, content, and practices but also, perspectives, thinking patterns,
and also epistemological and pedagogical culture.
--- Two Cultures (Snow, 1959), Biglan’s Classification of Disciplines (1973)
 Complex software projects are inherently interdisciplinary and hence face
challenges in identifying the real needs.

9. Biglan’s classification of disciplinesBIGLAN Hard: Single paradigm Soft: Lack a single common paradigm
Pure
Nonlife/
Life
Concerned with universals & simplification
Quantitative, Atomistic structure
Knowledge is Cumulative,
Linear, Hierarchical (closely connected
concepts and principles, fixed content)
community is competitive but gregarious
Abstract-Reflective leaning
Logical reasoning, linear argument, reliance on
facts, and concepts
Focused and instructive teaching-learning
Maths/Natural Sciences/Phy/Chem/Astronomy/
Geology/Oceanography/
Botany/Zoology/
Genetics/Physiology/Biochemistry
Concerned with particulars
Qualitative, Holistic
Reiterative, knowledge is not superseded
Nonlinear, Spiral, Open
Individualistic
Concrete-Reflective
Broad command of intellectual ideas, creativity
and expression
Constructive and interpretive teaching- learning
Language/Linguistics/Literature/Phil./
Comm./Religion/Creative writing/ Intl, Relations/
Eco./History/ Geography/ Archaeology
Sociology/ Anthropology/ Area studies/ Political
Science/ Psychology
Applied
Nonlife/
Life
Concern: mastery of the physical environment
Focus on problem solving, practical skill, &
Integration and application of knowledge
Aim: products and techniques
Knowledge community is gregarious
Content is linear, factual understanding,
Abstract-Active
Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/ECE/Chemical/
Ceramic/Computer Engg./Health technologies/
Computer Sc./
Pharmacy/Agriculture/ Horticulture/
Medicine/Psychiatry//Dentistry/
Concern: enhancement of professional practice
Focus on personal growth, intellectual breadth,
reflective practice, and life-long learning skills
Aim: protocols and procedures
Knowledge community is gregarious
Reiterative acquisition of knowledge
Concrete-Active
Accounting/Banking/Finance/ Business Admn./
Agricultural Economics/Managerial Eco/Marketing/
Law/Advertising/ Journalism/Library & Archival
Sciences/ Architecture/City planning/Interior
design/Crafts/ Arts/Dance/Music
Recreation/Education/Nursing/Agribusiness/
Conservation/Fishing/Forestry/ Counseling/
HR/Organizational behavior

10. IT for Sustainable Development
– Enrichment of Physical Environment and Cultural Heritage
– Improvement of the accessibility and quality of Basic Facilities
• Nutrition, water supply, housing, sanitation, health care, energy, transport,
and safety
– Improvement of the support system for enhancing Human’s
Happiness by focusing on higher level human needs – social,
cognitive, aesthetics, and self actualization.
• Competence - Quality of Education system
• Autonomy
– Empowerment
• Relatedness, equity, cooperation, and collaboration
• Creativity
• Sustainability requires systems thinking, inter-disciplinary and
trans-disciplinary approach, multi-perspective integration, and
flexibility.

11. Levels of Inter-disciplinary Informatics
• First orbit integration: The integrating disciplines share the
same Biglan category along all the three bi-level axes,
• IT + other non-life, hard, and applied discipline (any engineering)
• Second orbit integration: The integrating disciplines share the
same Biglan category along any two of the three bilevel axes.
• 2.1- IT + non-life, hard, and pure discipline, e.g., mathematics, physics,
chemistry, etc.
• 2.2 - IT + life, hard, and applied discipline e.g., agriculture, psychiatry, medicine,
etc.,
• 2.3 - IT + non-life, soft, and applied discipline, e.g., architecture, journalism,
advertising, dance, music, art, management, finance, etc.,
• Third orbit integration: The integrating disciplines share the
same Biglan category along only one of the three bilevel axes.
• 3.1 - IT+ life, hard, and pure discipline, e.g., biology, biochemistry, genetics, etc.,
• 3.2 - IT + life, soft, and applied discipline, e.g., recreation, education, counseling,
etc.,
• 3.3 - IT + non-life, soft, and pure discipline, e.g., linguistics, literature, history,
communication, economics, archaeology, etc.
•Fourth orbit integration: The integrating disciplines do not share
the same Biglan category along any of the three bi-level axes.
• IT + life, soft, and pure discipline, e.g., psychology, sociology, area study,
anthropology, etc.
Our GoalsOur Goals

12. Prayag - A Centre of Knowledge Informatics for Sustainable Development
• To incubate IT centric interdisciplinary R&D in newer,
relatively unexplored, and divergent application domains
with a special focus on sustainability.
– Create prototypes
– Incubate startup business/social ventures
• To do the groundwork for creation of new paradigms
with a special focus on sustainability.
– To enrich IT culture, theory, and practice (professional, research,
and pedagogical) through infusion of selected appropriate elements in
the culture, theory, and practice of divergent disciplines and
professions.

13. Prayag - A Centre of Knowledge Informatics for Sustainable Development
• To incubate IT centric interdisciplinary R&D in newer,
relatively unexplored, and divergent application domains
with a special focus on sustainability.
– Create prototypes
– Incubate startup business/social ventures
• To do the groundwork for creation of new paradigms
with a special focus on sustainability.
– To enrich IT culture, theory, and practice (professional, research, and
pedagogical) through infusion of selected appropriate elements in the culture,
theory, and practice of divergent disciplines and professions.
• To identify, document, and analyze
– IT centric innovations and sustainable approaches in various domains.
– Interdisciplinary practices and approaches in IT industry and
academia.
– Inhibiting and facilitating factors for promoting innovation and inter-
disciplinary R&D work.

14. Prayag - A Centre of Knowledge Informatics for Sustainable Development
• To incubate IT centric interdisciplinary R&D in newer,
relatively unexplored, and divergent application domains
with a special focus on sustainability.
– Create prototypes
– Incubate startup business/social ventures
• To do the groundwork for creation of new paradigms
with a special focus on sustainability.
– To enrich IT culture, theory, and practice (professional, research, and
pedagogical) through infusion of selected appropriate elements in the culture,
theory, and practice of divergent disciplines and professions.
• To identify, document, and analyze
– IT centric innovations and sustainable approaches in various domains.
– Interdisciplinary practices and approaches in IT industry and academia.
– Inhibiting and facilitating factors for promoting innovation and inter-disciplinary
R&D work.
• To evolve models and methods for initiating and managing IT
centric inter-disciplinary work and education.
– To enrich existing courses through new interdisciplinary approaches
– To create IT centric interdisciplinary educational programs

15. Deliverables:
• Technical reports
• Research publications (Both Applied & Basic)
• Books and monographs
• Workshops, Seminars, Webinars, Conferences, Short courses,
Active online communities
• Working Prototypes
• Independently sustainable projects (in and outside JIIT)
• Infusion of Interdisciplinary approaches in existing courses
• New Elective courses
• New Degree programs
Prayag - A Centre of Knowledge Informatics for Sustainable Development

16. Deliverables:
• Technical reports
• Research publications (Both Applied & Basic)
• Books and monographs
• Workshops, Seminars, Webinars, Conferences, Short courses, Active online
communities
• Working Prototypes
• Independently sustainable projects (in and outside JIIT)
• Infusion of Interdisciplinary approaches in existing courses
• New Elective courses
• New Degree programs
Requirements:
• Funding for
– honorarium for guest experts, scholars, authors, and editors
– hiring research fellows
– offering visits and sabbaticals to experts of diverse disciplines and
professions
– scholarships
– study tours and visits
• Infrastructural support (including IT and Library)
Prayag - A Centre of Knowledge Informatics for Sustainable Development