The Sixth International Conference of the Humanities, Arts Science and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory kicks off Thursday at the National Museum in the Peruvian capital Lima, it has been announced.
This year’s edition has as a central theme “Hemispheric Pathways: Critical Thinkers in International Networks,” which aims to deepen collaboration to drive economic and social development in the region.
The Lima event is organized by the Peruvian government along with the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Humanities, Arts Science and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory (HASTAC).
The Executive Secretary for Integral Development of the OAS, Sherry Tross, highlighted that this is the first time HASTAC has held its annual conference outside the United States, and praised the fact that it chose a country from Latin America and the Caribbean for the meeting.
“The conference represents a great opportunity for cooperation between the academy and politicians to share knowledge and experiences, concerns and ideas on possible solutions to contribute to the development of innovative policies and strategies for development,” Tross said.
She added, “The intellectual firepower of the distinguished scholars and researchers from world class universities in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean; experts, artists and educators assembled here in this room is impressive”.
Executive Secretary Tross said the OAS, with its political understanding and HASTAC with its academic knowledge, could develop synergies in order to promote development in the region.
“We must take advantage of this unique opportunity to build bridges and close the gap between our two worlds,” said Tross. “We, at the OAS can bring to the attention of our hemispheric authorities the resources of creative and critical thinking, science, art and technology, available in spaces like HASTAC.”
For her part the Peruvian Culture Minister, Diana Alvarez, said this year’s event will contribute to promoting multidisciplinary research, creativity, and innovative thinking through the exchange of knowledge between the countries of the region.
Furthermore, Alvarez said “The challenge we face is how to articulate new technologies, the digital and interactive world, with the development of the different sectors that are of great interest to our country whose results can be strengthened and broadened.”
The Peruvian authority referred to the central theme of the meeting and highlighted the interdisciplinary focus it proposes. “I am sure that this issue will help us to rethink concepts of development and technology, and will help us to give better support to the new possibilities of innovation and learning offered by the digital age as a catalyst of cultural production,” she added.
HASTAC is a network made up of more than 15,000 humanists, artists, social science researchers, scientists, technicians and visionaries committed to the development of creativity and critical understanding of the new technologies in life, learning and society.
Other participants in the symposium include the Director of Education of the MacArthur Foundation, Constance Yowell; the Deputy Minister of Cultural Patrimony and Cultural Industries of Peru, Luis Jaime Castillo Butters; and the Founder of Alta Tecnologia Andina, José Carlos Mariátegui.
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Published: 4/25/2014