Chhatrapati Shahu Institute of Business Education and Research (CSIBER) and University of Technology, Mauritius (UTM) in a joint effort under their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) partnership for academic activities achieved a great milestone with the 4th International Conference Society 5.0, organized by the UTM, in collaboration with the University of Pretoria from 26th to 28th June 2024. The event, held on campus at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel, attracted a very interesting and varied delegation from institutions around the globe, including Universidad EAFIT, Colombia; Università di Camerino, Italy; Shenzhen Technology University, China; and several others from Malaysia and Switzerland.
CSIBER Director, Prof. Dr S P Rath was invited as the Keynote speaker at the 4th International conference organized by UTM, a leading University in Mauritius and Southern Africa.
The conference theme was "Society 5.0: Innovation for Sustainable and Inclusive Social Good," which is categorized from the theme of the G20 Conference, "We are One Earth, One Family, and We Share One Future." Workshops offered were based on a continuous three-day stretch, along with a doctoral symposium, and multiple research and practice tracks. The event provided an opportunity to deliberate on Society 5.0, which is a concept that fronts an initiative where AI and other emerging technologies are to be harnessed in an anthropocentric way for societal advancement and sustainability.
The keynote speeches were delivered by the distinguished invitees on various aspects of Society 5.0. Prof. (Dr.) Siba Prasad Rath, CSIBER, Kolhapur, delivered his speech on "Kinship Marketing," which focused on elucidating trade linkages between countries that share similar cultures and their socio-economic impacts. Prof. Satish Kumar of the Indian Institute of Management, Nagpur, spoke on "Society 5.0: Transformative Technologies, Inclusive Futures," while Christophe Makni of Migros Bank from Zurich presented on "AI and generative AI for Small and Medium Companies: Leadership and Organisational Behaviour for Successful AI Transformation." A presentation on "Sustainable and Inclusive Innovation 5.0: Crossing the i50/SDG Future Living Rubicon" was delivered by Chee-Peng Tan of Business Techno Vise International Pte Ltd, Singapore.
It further highlighted some of the notable guests and discussions. Prof. Hanlie Smuts emphasized Society 5.0 as a platform for research and integrated technologies' vision. According to Prof. (Dr.) Kesseven Padachi, the conference was the first of its kind in Mauritius to provide an interdisciplinarity forum to academia, industry, and government representatives to exchange ideas.
UTM's Director, Dr. Dinesh Kumar Hurreram, insisted that the Universities must keep abreast with the rapidly changing Landscape. He outlined some of the initiatives by UTM: the entrepreneurial culture instilled, Business incubator, Research in SDGs, and Oriented towards Industry needs. Another testament to impactful research at UTM is the involvement of the University in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, emphasizing the University's commitment to deliver positive impacts on society through collaboration with the public and private sectors.
While inaugurating the conference, Raj Makoond, President of the Board of Governors of UTM, emphasized the event as a continuum milestone between UTM and the University of Pretoria. The conference availed an opportunity for experts and researchers across the world to share their insights and move Society 5.0 into the future. In summary, the 4th International Society 5.0 Conference in UTM succeeded in threaded global collaboration, innovative research, and emphasized the leverage on technology to advance society. It put into relief the critical role that interdisciplinary dialogue plays in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future.
