INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Flanders’ Future as a Knowledge Society (F2KS) in perspective November 28, 2014 Palace of the Academies, Brussels Auditorium Albert II Preliminary programme 08:30 Registration & coffee 09:00 Setting the scene Irina Veretennicoff - KVAB’s Coordinator of the F2KS Thinker in Residence Project 09:15 International perspectives on formal and informal science education Svein Sjoberg – Oslo University, Leader of the ROSE-project Creating a sustainable scientific culture among young people: The importance of interest, joy and motivation, and the curses of testing and ranking Q&A Paul Caro - Former Scientific Director Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, Paris Why is informal Science Education a key factor for the cohesion of knowledge-based societies? Q&A 10:30 Coffee break 11:00 Facts and Figures, Doubts and Thoughts about Flanders Koen Debackere - Professor Innovation Management and Policy KU Leuven Facts and Figures about Flanders as a Knowledge Society Q&A 11:20 STEM education in Flanders - A provocative round table discussion Flanders STEM deficit in perspective: are we lacking STEM students and graduates, either in general, in specific domains or not at all? What should we do about this? Should Flanders’ approach to formal and informal STEM education be reconsidered? 13:00 Lunch - Marble Room 14:15 Evidence, Doubts and Thoughts about Flanders on its way to a Knowledge Society Eric Corijn - City, Culture & Society, Founder COSMOPOLIS, VUB A philosopher’s and sociologist’s perspective Q&A Conny Aerts - Vice-Dean Communication & Outreach, Faculty of Science, KU Leuven A natural scientist to bear witness Q&A 14:50 International perspectives on knowledge-based societies and economies Andrew Wyckoff - Director OECD’s Directorate for Science, Technology & Industry, Paris (tbc) How are knowledge-based economies and societies emerging and evolving internationally? Q&A Joaquim Oliveira - Head OECD’s Regional Development Policy Division, Paris How are regional and national policies addressing the challenges of supporting knowledge-based economies? Q&A 15:50 Break 16:20 Flanders economic development in perspective Luc Soete - Former Director UNU-MERIT, Rector Magnificus Maastricht University Flanders economic development in perspective: how can society sustain a performing knowledge-based economy? Round table discussion followed by debate with the audience 17:20 Closing session Jose Mariano Gago - KVAB F2KS Thinker in Residence A knowledge-based society under catalysis: a personal summary, and some naïve proposals for action Official closing Representative(s) from the Flemish Government (tbc) Ludo Gelders - President of the Academy 18:00 Reception and room for further informal discussions - Marble Room 19:30 End Information & registration: www.kvab.be/denkersprogramma/projecten-vlaanderen-kennismaatschappij.aspx