The Innovation Asia-Pacific Symposium will be held on 4–7 May 2009 in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is being jointly organised by CIAT (International Centre for Tropical Agriculture)–Asia, ICIMOD (International Centre for integrated Mountain Development) and PROLINNOVA (PROmoting Local INNOVAtion in ecologically oriented agriculture and natural resource management) in collaboration with the PROLINNOVA-Nepal partners LI-BIRD (Local Initiatives for Biodiversity Research and Development) and Practical Action–Nepal. It is being funded by these organisations and Research Into Use (RIU)/UK Department for International Development.

The Innovation Asia–Pacific Symposium will bring together researchers and practitioners to share their latest experiences and insights in enhancing innovation processes in smallholder agriculture and natural resource management (NRM), and to draw lessons for policy, research, development and practice. The Symposium will include plenary keynotes, thematic mini-workshops and an interactive information market. It will open with a Nepalese fair on local innovation to celebrate the creativity of women and men farmers, farmer organisations and other local entrepreneurs and institutions.

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit abstracts for Symposium papers relating to one or more of the following themes:

a. Concepts and methods in innovation systems approaches.
b. Building and maintaining partnerships in innovation
c. Strengthening adaptive capacities through local innovation processes
d. Private-sector engagement for market-oriented innovation
e. Building capacity and mainstreaming innovation systems approaches
f. Policy dialogue and institutional change to support pro-poor innovation

The papers should draw on diverse fields and disciplines of the social, agricultural and natural resource sciences, and should present good practice in studying and enhancing innovation processes. Although the main focus of the Symposium will be on innovation in southern and eastern Asia, experiences from other parts of the world relevant for these areas will also be welcome.

Abstracts should be no longer than 600 words and contain a short description of the conceptual or methodological development, partnership, innovation experience or supportive processes and mechanisms; this should include an explanation of the type of innovation involved (technological, social, institutional, etc); the current stage in the innovation process; the actual or potential outcomes and impacts of the work; the gender issues involved; and conclusions and any recommendations. The abstract should also include the theme (referring to one of the above), title of paper, name/institutional affiliation and address of author(s) and e-mail address of the proposed presenter, and key words including country and region.

Abstracts should be submitted before 18 January 2009 to the Secretariat of the Innovation Asia Pacific Symposium on [email protected] with copy to Chesha Wettasinha at the PROLINNOVA International Secretariat on [email protected]

More information on the symposium can be found at www.innovation-asia-pacific.net