www.ssees.ac.uk/knowledge/
Purpose of the conference:
After the transition-dominated 1990s, the issues of growth and development are back on the research and policy agenda for the Central and East European countries. Within this new old agenda, the restructuring of the CEECs towards knowledge based economy has become one of the key concerns of researchers and policy makers. At the time when the European Union has given itself the objective of becoming the most knowledge-based economy in the world, the issues of knowledge based growth in CEECs have become even important. Will the accession facilitate this shift or will CEECs become liability to this objective?

The conference aims to address three key issues:

• How the transformation of CEECs during the 1990s has affected knowledge-based activities, in particular software, electronics and other information and communication technology sectors
• How the economic integration of East and West has affected the knowledge-based sectors and whether it will shift CEECs towards or away from knowledge-based activities
• Will CEECs be able to transform their economies towards the knowledge-based economy given their inherited but obsolete and newly acquired technological and human assets?

We would like to bring together scholars dealing with knowledge-based economy and related fields to present their papers especially when based upon empirical research results to discuss these issues. A book published in London after the conference will be its final result.

Thematic scope:

1. The knowledge-based economy in CEE measurement issues (results and methodologies in the areas of innovation, patents, ICTs diffusion, R&D, knowledge management of enterprises, e-learning, e-economy).
2. ICT and restructuring of CEECs (empirical contributions, which analyse suppliers' and users' ICT sectors in CEE from the perspective of growth and restructuring, especially software, electronics, internet, telecommunication).
3. Social and economic determinants of digitalisation of CEE (contributions, which assess the diffusion of ICTs, their use and determinants, social and business absorption of ICTs).
4. Research & Development in CEE (empirical contributions, which consider the state of R&D systems and their capacity to meet requirements of knowledge based growth).
5. Policy issues arising from a knowledge-based growth agenda (an inventory of current policy practices in areas of competition, innovation, R&D, education, intellectual property rights, e-commerce policies and their assessment; opportunities and limits to the transfer of EU best practices) Time schedule of the conference:

• 20 January submission of abstracts (Word or PDF file, up to 500 words, with information about author and contacts)
• 10 February decision about acceptance of the papers
• 20 March submission of draft version of papers
• 10 April submission of complete papers (up to 8,000 words, in Word file, with abstract, key words, references) Organisers may cover costs of flights, accommodation, participation, in full or in part. In case of questions contact k.piech@ssees.ac.uk or see www.ssees.ac.uk/knowledge/

School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) was founded in 1915. It specialises in history, politics, economics and language of Central and Eastern Europe. In 1999 SSEES merged with University College London (UCL), third largest university in United Kingdom. Since 1994 SSEES has been organising colloquia related to transition issues, especially economics and politics. The forthcoming conference will bring together scholars working in the area of knowledge-based economy in the CEECs.

Organising Committee:

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