SusC
N 2015
4th Annual International Conference on Sustainabilty
People, Policy and Practices
March 11-13, 2015
The Mission
The concept of sustainability has been evolving over the past couple of decades. Its scope has
been enlarged beyond environmental sustainability to incorporate important economic and
social dimensions, with the aim to make life better and more meaningful for ourselves and for
the posterity. Despite contextual alterations, the underlying theme behind the concept of
sustainability remains intact: the quest for perpetuity. Sustainability indicates perpetuity for
business, for our natural resources, and foremost, for life replete with happiness and optimism.
Sustainability aims to guide the way we live, we work and interact with various elements of the
society and nature. Sustainability has several implications for inclusive development of nations
around the world for a prospective future.
Sustainability: Issues before Us and the Way Forward
The world has witnessed an unprecedented degradation of natural resources in the recent past.
Majority of human population is still deprived of basic necessities like access to clean drinking
water, good healthcare and proper sanitation and we struggle with problems of
unemployment, poverty, inflation, regional imbalance and ethnic intolerance. Most of these
glaring issues can be addressed through implementation of sustainable policies and practices
that has inclusion, conservation and nurturance at its core. Conservation and scientific
management of natural wealth, development of renewable energy sources and emergence of
socially responsible and ecologically viable business model are need of the hour.
Fortunately, we have achieved considerable success in sensitizing humanity about
the importance of sustainability by joining hands together at various international fora such as
Millennium Development Goals, Kyoto Protocol on climate change, Agenda 21, UNCED and
Rio+20, etc. Besides, initiatives like United Nation’s principles of Global Compact and World
Business Council for Sustainable Development ushered the corporate world into sustainable
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practices with concern for human rights, labour welfare, environment and transparency.
Likewise, the idea behind Sustainable Stock Exchanges, a peer-to-peer learning platform and
UNCTAD initiative, is quite ingenious in promoting business sustainability through egovernance. Inspite of significant initiatives and advocacy, Sustainability, in practice, has not
been receiving the priority to the extent desirable in our day to day life. In this context, IIM
Shillong constantly endeavors to understand the tenets of Sustainability and practices beyond
its immediate mandates.
The Sustainability Conference
IIM Shillong, since its inception, has been pursuing a mission to encourage sustainable practices
in business, environment and society. Sustainability Conference (SUSCON) is one of the several
initiatives taken in this direction by the institute. To promote the mission of sustainability
further, IIM Shillong announces the fourth Annual International Conference-SUSCON with the
theme Sustainability: People, Policies and Practices.
Conference Theme
The theme of the year cogently captures the mandate of joint action in the realm of
sustainability.
People indicate collective responsibility of ALL the stakeholders of the society in achieving
sustainability. The idea of collective responsibility has been widely acknowledged the world
over. Recently, the United Nations has taken an initiative aimed at promoting renewable energy
and aptly named it as Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (2014-2024).
Policy reflects fair and mutually agreeable framework that guides formulation and
implementation of sustainable practices without compromising national or regional interests.
Starting from Earth Summit (Rio 1992), we have marched ahead in the right direction and the
global leaders have expressed willpower and unanimity as far as achieving a common and nondiscriminatory policy framework is concerned.
Nothing can be achieved if the words, howsoever well meaning they may be, are not put into
practice. Practice is the ultimate differentiator and rightfully finds place in this year’s theme.
Various national governments, NGOs and other constituents of civil societies, and ultimately
each and every individual have their tasks cut out to preserve and nurture sustainability in all
walks of life.
The conference will provide a right platform for multidisciplinary interactions among business
leaders, academics, government officials, civil society groups, researchers, and other
stakeholders by showcasing ideas, initiatives, experiences, and research work. The conference
will include keynote address, panel discussion by experts, and technical sessions for sharing
ideas on issues of global, national, and regional importance.
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Call for Papers
Academic papers, focused on the main theme but not limited to, are invited for the SUSCON IV.
Scholars may choose from any of the sub-themes for expressing their viewpoints. The process
starts with the submission of extended abstract as per the given timeline.
Sub-Themes
1. Alternate Sources of Energy
2. Water Resources Management
3. Reverence for Nature
4. Natural Resources – Judicious Utilization
5. Towards Green Economy
6. Science and Humanism
7. Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
8. Disaster Management
9. Covering the Uncovered – Insurance
10. Technology of Measuring the Immeasurable
11. Social and Neural Marketing
12. Brick and Mortar to Click and Shop
13. Sustainable Supply Chain Management
14. GRI, Reporting Standards and Impact on Organizations
15. Rio+20 and the Way Forward
16. Integrating Sustainability into Management Education
17. Governance and Ethics
18. Sustainability: The Role of Social Media
19. Economic Growth, Equity and Grass-root Development
20. Self, Organization and Society: Towards Harmony
21. Preservation of Indigenous Cultures and Livelihood
22. CSR and Stakeholder Engagement
23. Leadership and the Spirit of Sustainability
24. Emerging Trends in Stakeholder Activism
25. Dimensions of Business Ecosystem
26. Sustainable Marketing Practices
27. Community Development – Role of NGOs and CBOs
28. Social Entrepreneurship
29. Sustainability Strategy: Competitive Advantage
30. Green manufacturing
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Conference Organizing Committee
Chairman
Prof. Sanjoy Mukherjee
Conference Scientific Committee
Chairman
Prof. Tapas Kr Giri
Members
Prof. P. Saravanan
Prof. Natalie West Kharkongor
Prof. Rohit Dwivedi
Prof. Sonia Nongmaithem
Prof. Maram Srikanth
Prof. Khanindra Ch. Das
Prof. Amit Shukla
Prof. Bidyut Jyoti Gogoi
Shri Arindum Mukhopadhyay
Ms. Sanjita Jaipuria
Important Dates
Abstract submission: November 30, 2014
Notification of Acceptance of Abstract: December 15, 2014
Last date of Final Paper Submission: January 15, 2015
Notification of Acceptance of Final Paper: January 31, 2015
Deadline for Online Registration: February 28, 2015
Guidelines for Submission
Length: Within 6000 words (including abstract, reference and appendix) in Times New Roman
font with size 12.
Title page: Article title, authors name with affiliation and email, corresponding author’s
address, contact number and email id should be included.
Second Page: The title and an abstract of 300 words, with a maximum of 4-5 key words. From
the second page onwards, the manuscript should be completely anonymous for blind peer
review.
Main Text: Should be readable, technical details should be provided in appendix, ideas
proposed should preferably be supported by examples from real life scenarios.
Footnotes: Should be used as sparingly as possible and must be identified in the text by
consecutive numbers placed as superscript.
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Tables and Figures: Should be numbered consecutively. Tables should be titled at top and
figures captioned below. No table and figure included in the paper should be left unreferenced
in the text. Referencing should be done as per the table number/figure number. Any
illustration/photos should be considered as figure and numbered accordingly.
Color code: The entire text and tables/figures should be in black colour
References: Within the text as the author’s name followed by a comma and year of publication,
all in round brackets. At the end of the paper, a reference list in alphabetical order must be
given as follows:
For books: Surname, initials, (year), title, publisher, place of publication.
For journals: Surname, initials, (year), title, journal, volume (number), pages.
For articles: surname, initials, (year), title, journal/proceedings name, pages
Submission
Both online and offline submissions will be accepted. However, online submission will be
preferred.
Offline submissions
Offline submissions will be accepted only in the form of neatly typed articles sent to the
following address in a sealed envelope. Details of the corresponding author should be written
on top of the envelope. Offline submissions should be addressed to:
The Chairman, SUSCON Organizing Committee,
IIM Shillong, Mayurbhanj Complex, Nongthymmai,
Shillong-793014, Meghalaya, India.
Online submissions
Online submissions may be sent to the following email id with subject line as given:
Email: [email protected]
Subject line for abstract: “Abstract for SUSCON-4:” < article title>
Subject line for full-text: “Full-text for SUSCON-4:” < article title>
Review process
All manuscripts submitted to SUSCON IV will be subject to blind peer review. Reviewer’s
comments will be shared with the authors. However, final decision of acceptance of the papers
lies with the SUSCON committee.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism of any sort will not be accepted. Explicit acknowledgement should be made to any
existing work or IPR/patent used in the submitted paper. Self referencing without proper
mention of the referenced work will also be considered as plagiarism. Copyright of selected
and published articles in the conference proceedings will be jointly held by the author(s) and
IIM Shillong.
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Awards for the Best Papers
In consonance with its constant focus on Sustainability since inception, IIM Shillong is pleased
to announce awards for three best papers in the conference. Selection will be done by the jury
comprising external panel experts. The criteria for selection of the three best award winning
papers are:
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Originality of Ideas
Clarity of Thought
Depth of Research
Quality of Analysis
Relevance to the overall conference theme
The Awards
 First Prize INR 25,000 and certificate of appreciation
 Second Prize INR 15,000 and certificate of appreciation
 Third Prize INR 10,000 and certificate of appreciation
Publication
The selected papers will be published in the conference proceedings by a publisher of an
international repute.
Accommodation
Accommodation to the participants will be provided in the vicinity of IIM Shillong.
Contact Information
IIM Shillong, Mayurbhanj Complex, Nongthymmai
Shillong-793014 Meghalaya, India
Ph. No. 0364-2308000
Email id: [email protected]
Information to Participants
About IIM Shillong
IIM Shillong, the seventh IIM in India, has been set up with a vision to become an
internationally recognized Management Institute with a Global outlook grounded in Indian
values. From its inception it has been constantly working towards a lofty mission to generate
and disseminate knowledge in all aspects of management education with focus on
Sustainability and building innovative leadership.
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Travelling to Shillong
Surrounded by verdant hills, Shillong offers a beautiful panoramic view of the graceful scenic
countryside. Shillong can be reached by taxi from Guwahati airport/railway station which is
about 120 km away. Guwahati Airport is well connected to many major cities in India including
Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Direct flights are also available from Guwahati
to Bangkok too. Helicopter services are also available from Guwahati to Shillong. Besides, Air
India operates direct flight from Kolkata to Shillong Airport.
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4th Annual International Conference on Sustainabilty
People, Policy and Practices
March 11-13, 2015
Registration Form
Venue and Date: IIM Shillong, March 11-13, 2015
Registration Fee (In INR or equivalent):
Research Scholars:
Academic participants:
Corporate participants:
International participants:
INR 3000
INR 4000
INR 5000
USD 200
Enquiries:
Contact Information
IIM Shillong, Mayurbhanj Complex, Nongthymmai
Shillong -793014 (India)
Ph. No. 0364-2308000
Email id: [email protected]
Payment method:
•
Preferably by online remittance to Savings Bank Account of RGIIM Shillong being
maintained with SBI Account No.: 30276148008 and IFS Code: SBIN0002081.
•
Any transfer done must be intimated through the conference id:
[email protected]. The e-mail should contain details, such as Name of the
Participant, Amount paid and purpose.
•
Under unavoidable circumstances, payment can also be made via a crossed DD in
favour of RGIIM Shillong, payable at: Shillong.
Details of Participants:
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Name: 1._________________________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________________________
Designation: _____________________________________________________________
Email-ID: ________________________________________________________________
Organization/Institute: ______________________________________________________
Contact details: ____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Tel: ( ) ________________________Mobile No._________________________________
(Any transfer in the name of sponsorship, registration fee etc. needs to be accompanied by
an intimation email to [email protected] )
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