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The seminar series for fall 2023 explores the future of African land, agriculture and food, digging into the contestations, conflicting and converging visions from a wide range of perspectives. How might land be used, valued and lived in, across cities, rural communities, forests, deserts and grasslands on the continent in the future? Who is proposing different visions of land futures in Africa, what are the histories, politics, socio-cultural, environmental and economic implications of these potential visions? In one of the regions with the most youthful populations, how are young people considering possible futures? What are ways that land, agriculture and food systems could be resilient, healthy, ecological, thriving and just?

Talk by Aditya Vashistha (Computing & Information Science, Cornell University)

AI technologies are becoming increasingly pervasive in our daily lives, impacting diverse areas such as healthcare diagnosis and online content moderation. However, these technologies often overlook the voices and viewpoints of historically marginalized communities in South Asian settings. Instead of promoting inclusivity, current AI systems unintentionally reinforce power imbalances, prioritize Western norms, and neglect minoritized expressions. Through concrete examples from our work across various domains, including content moderation, addressing ableism, countering misinformation, and advancing frontline healthcare, I will illustrate how current AI technologies fall short in representing the cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic diversity found in South Asia. Furthermore, I will propose essential steps that we must take to develop Culturally Aware AI so that its benefits are derived equitably by everyone in the world.

Aditya Vashistha is an Assistant Professor of Computing and Information Science at Cornell University. He also holds faculty fellow positions at Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, the Digital Life Initiative, Cornell Center for Health Equity, Cornell Center for Social Sciences, and the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. His research focuses on designing and evaluating technologies that contribute to the socioeconomic development of underserved communities in low-resource environments. His current work aims to (1) combat misinformation and hate speech in low-income communities and (2) design responsible AI systems for high-stakes settings. He has co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, including several best paper awards at premier venues. Vashistha's work has received numerous awards, including a USAID Seed Grant, Facebook Access Innovation Prize, Facebook Fellowship, UW College of Engineering Award, and Google and Microsoft Faculty Research Awards. He earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Washington, where his dissertation received recognition through the William Chan Memorial Dissertation Award and the WAGS/ProQuest Innovation in Technology Award.

Seminar in Critical Development Studies co-hosted by Cornell Global Development and the Graduate Field of Development Studies

Abstract:

Agricultural practices across rural India have changed markedly over the last two decades as smallholder farmers have variously embraced, resisted or simply been swept up in processes of commercialisation, financialisation and intensification. As the recent literature shows, such trends are interlaced with new forms of social polarisation, the recrafting of rural hierarchies, and patterns of environmental change. What has been less closely examined is how the experience of time has been reshaped within these settings. In this seminar, Marcus Taylor draws on fieldwork conducted across three villages in rural Maharashtra to elaborate how the diverse yet interlocking temporalities of agrarian life have grown in complexity and importance. Alongside the increasingly unreliable seasonal patterns of weather, farmers proactively seek to manage the changing cyclical rhythms of commodity markets; the pressing obligations of expansive credit and debt relations; the ebb and flow of labour availability and absence; the shifting cycles of pests and other agroecological processes; and the ever-present calendars of culturally vital festivals and social events. Success or failure as an agriculturalist increasingly depends on the strategies smallholder farmers employ to manage these temporalities and ensure that they do not fall out of synch. Yet the relative ability of farmers to ‘play with time’ is limited by the power relationships that shape key determinants of rural life such as access to land, labour, credit, water and knowledge. Pointedly, the failure of recent policy initiatives – including a major World Bank sponsored climate resilient agriculture initiative in the region – to acknowledge these temporal determinants of agrarian life has led to a range of unanticipated and profoundly troubling outcomes that policymakers are keen to silence.

About the speaker:

Marcus Taylor is a Professor and Head of the Department of Global Development Studies at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada. He researches and teaches on agriculture, rural development and livelihoods. His books include The Political Ecology of Climate Change Adaptation (Routledge 2015) and Global Labour Studies (Polity Press, 2018) and he is currently completing a volume on Climate Smart Agriculture: A Critical Perspective that includes case studies of new agricultural technologies and management practices across the Indian states of Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. He is a contributing author to a chapter of the IPCC AR6 Working Group 2 on climate-resilient development and his written policy briefs for organisations including the OECD and NORAD.

The Einaudi Dissertation Proposal Development Program (DPD) supports 12 PhD students annually by offering seminars, workshops, mentoring sessions, and up to $5,000 for summer research. Applicants’ research projects must focus on global issues, but the proposed research setting may be international or domestic.

In this session, you'll learn more about the details of the program and advice on the application process.

Register for event here.

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The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program supports U.S. citizens to study, conduct research in any field, or teach English in more than 150 countries. Students who wish to begin the program immediately after graduation are encouraged to start the process in their junior year. Recent graduates are welcome to apply through Cornell.

The Fulbright program at Cornell is administered by the Mario Einaudi Center for International studies. Applicants are supported through all stages of the application and are encouraged to start early by contacting fulbright@einaudi.cornell.edu.

Register for the info session.

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The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.

The East Asia Program (EAP) offers one-semester fellowships for doctoral students working on East Asia-related projects, travel grants for graduate students conducting field research in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, and a small number of East Asian language study grants.

At this info session, EAP staff and recent fellowship recipients will provide an overview of the application process and guidance on putting together a strong application.

Register for the info session here.

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The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.

This information session for undergraduate and graduate students will provide more information on funding opportunities from the Institute for European Studies, as well as the requirements for the European studies minor.

Register here for in-person attendance, or here for virtual registration.

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The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.

The Southeast Asia Program (SEAP) gives students multiple ways to engage with Southeast Asia. Undergraduates who minor in Southeast Asian Studies are advised by SEAP faculty advisors who collaborate with them to construct a course of study based upon their area of interest. SEAP also runs the CU in Cambodia program for students interested in international travel.

Affiliate with our program to be informed of all SEAP events and activities.

Register for the information session here!

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The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.

Learn about global summer interships from the Institute for African Development and Latin American and Caribbean Studies program, part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.

Annual internships from these programs send undergraduate students to Ghana, Zambia, or Ecuador for 6-8 weeks over the summer to engage in hands-on fieldwork. Attend this session to learn about applications for the coming year.

Register here.

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The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.

In this info session for graduate students, learn about Fulbright at Cornell.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides full funding for graduate and professional students conducting research in any field or teaching in more than 150 countries. Open to U.S. citizens only.

The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad program supports doctoral students conducting research in modern languages or area studies for six to 12 months. Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States. Travel to Western European countries is not eligible.

Register for the information session.

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The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.