Thematic areas

This thematic area is concerned with the different alternatives to change human, social and environmental impacts of accelerated urbanization and global industrialization.
Sustainability has become a key word for government representatives and social leaders, due to its relevance in our present world context.

Sustainable practices are becoming increasingly vital for us to better assess and manage risk, thus avoiding devastating consequences for the planet and the seven billion people who live on it.

Additionally, effective governance mechanisms are also a matter of concern. After all, some institutions and social organizations have been leading sustainable development globally in various areas: collective security, public services, healthcare, education, culture, human rights, food, migration, energy supply, environment, water, finance, labor relations, among others.

These topics are fundamental to the efforts to generate a sustainable order, both at domestic and international level. Challenges to be faced in this theme refer mainly to the following projects:

• Borders and migrations;
• Climate change;
• Development, inclusion and exclusion;
• Energy;
• Natural resources with a focus on biodiversity and environment;
• Sustainability of cities and territories.

Institutions from 31 countries and regions are engaged in this thematic area: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

New technologies are characterized by innovative and fast-growing trends with the potential to exert considerable socio-economic impact at local, regional and global levels. Because of their very interdisciplinary nature, they provide a relevant bridge between academic research and society.

Research plays a fundamental role in the development of new technologies, paving the way for the emergence of methodologies, materials and creative solutions. This is essential within the globalizing context of today's world, where various challenges are posed to industrial leaders and public and academic policy managers.

Past and present social needs, yet unsolved, also demand creative solutions that can change existing practices and lead to new ways of living. New technologies thus emerge with a view to proposing innovative forms of industrial and technological practices, offering possible responses to contemporary challenges in the short, medium and long run. Challenges addressed in this theme are related to the following projects:

• Agribusiness and biobusiness;
• Basic sciences and their applications;
• Big data and artificial intelligence;
• Biotechnology; Cities and territories;
• Creative educational solutions;
• Industry 4.0;
• Languages in the digital context;
• Natural resources and state-of-the-art technology;
• New materials and nanotechnology.

Institutions from 31 countries and regions are engaged in this thematic area: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

This thematic area is aligned with the homonymous UN Sustainable Goal which seeks to ensure healthy lives and wellbeing for people at all ages. It is concerned with the quality of healthcare provided to individuals and populations as well as with actions geared to strengthening health systems and policies.

Brazil is a country of profound regional and social inequalities, currently undergoing a process of demographic transition. An increasingly aging population suffers from various chronic conditions, emerging and neglected infectious diseases, accidents and violence. Improving health and wellbeing in our country is a challenge that requires substantial and innovative solutions. Approximately 12 million people are admitted in hospitals through the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) every year, requiring hundreds of thousands of complex, high-cost procedures. Therefore, innovative projects have yet to integrate data from health information systems, allowing the monitoring and evaluation of the Health System performance and quality.

This thematic area addresses challenges related to the following projects:

• Aging;
• Big Data and artificial intelligence applied to health and biology;
• Chronic diseases;
• Emergent and neglected diseases: from public policies to new drugs.

Institutions from 29 countries and regions are engaged in this thematic area: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, China, Argentina, Spain, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, and Sweden.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, unanimously proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, secured international acknowledgement that all human beings are entitled to equal and inalienable dignity and rights.

However, human rights have always been threatened. These threats are exacerbated by increasing intolerance and authoritarianism, negative response to contemporary migration movements, inequality and discrimination, among other factors. As a result, efforts to preserve rights are becoming all the more urgent, especially due to the impact of new technology development.

There are ultimately multiple dimensions to human rights - legal, political and moral -, which makes it necessary to approach them from inter- and trans-disciplinary perspectives.
Issues addressed in this theme are related to the following projects:

• Big Data and Artificial Intelligence - societal implications;
• Cities, territories, and human rights;
• Education as a human right;
• Languages, gender and identities - Discourse analysis, languages and vulnerable groups;
• Public policies and political regimes;
• Traditions, cultures, and arts;
• Violence, conflicts, and regulation.

Institutions from 31 countries and regions are engaged in this thematic area: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.