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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Ashoka University
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DTSTART:20240101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T133000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T150000
DTSTAMP:20250415T211124Z
CREATED:20250413T223901Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T211124Z
UID:76195-1744810200-1744815600@www.ashoka.edu.in
SUMMARY:HAPPENING TODAY | Economics Department | Weekly Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Dear All\, \nThe Department of Economics invites you to their weekly seminar on Wednesday\, April 16th\, 2025. \nTime: 1:40 PM to 2:50 PM \n Venue: AC 04 301 \n Speaker: Prof. Tom Raster \n Title: Breaking the ice: The persistent effects of pioneers on trade relationships \nAbstract : \nThis paper provides the first causal evidence of the effect of individual pioneers — first movers on trade links — on aggregate trade. I collect detailed data on all 1.4 million voyages between Baltic Sea ports and the rest of the world from 1500 until the 1850s\, including 47\,000 pioneering voyages that first connected two towns. I study the effect of pioneering on subsequent trade in a gravity model of yearly port-pair trade and instrument pioneering at the granular voyage level with (i) quasi-random en-route encounters with captains from new ports\, and (ii) rerouting due to the unpredictable obstruction of previous destinations by sea ice. I find that 10% of total trade value is due to recent pioneering. A single pioneering voyage increases town exports by 25–33% for the 12% links that persist. Survival is higher for pioneered ports that are more distant from the origin port or existing trade partners in terms of kilometers\, product mix\, religion\, or language. However\, pioneers tend to select less distant ports. Therefore\, returns are greatest when sea ice removes this selection and forces pioneers to experiment with exogenously determined ports. Pioneering spills over onto other traders\, reducing the private returns of pioneers. This raises concerns about insufficient ex-ante pioneering and underlines the importance of policies that foster pioneering\, particularly with distant destinations. \n 
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/happening-today-economics-department-weekly-seminars/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T133000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T150000
DTSTAMP:20250413T235218Z
CREATED:20250413T235218Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T235218Z
UID:76222-1744810200-1744815600@www.ashoka.edu.in
SUMMARY:[CS Colloquium] Meghna Agarwala | Using ML and AI in Environmental Science and Policy
DESCRIPTION:We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming colloquium featuring Meghna Agarwala\, Associate Professor in the Department of Associate Professor of Environmental Studies\, Ashoka University. This event marks the first in a series of interdisciplinary seminars where scholars from different fields engage in dialogue. Together\, they will explore how Computer Science informs and is informed by various areas of study. The session will be divided equally between a structured presentation and a moderated Q&A. \n  \nEvent Details: \nDate: April 16\, 2025 \nTime: 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM \nLocation: AC04-004 \nTitle: Using ML and AI in Environmental Science and Policy \nAbstract: Understanding earth and environmental systems requires large amounts of data on geological\, meteorological\, hydrological\, ecological\, and socio-economic processes. In this presentation\, I will talk about using tools from computer science for helping with data analysis in 3 use cases. In the first case\, I discuss how I use ML and AI in analysing satellite imagery to create meaningful geo-spatial data and use it to answer questions related with climate and land use policy (and economics of pollution!). I also discuss ongoing work using thermal drones on fires in the Himalayas\, among others. In the second case\, I discuss how we use ML and AI to analyse microscope imagery for climate forecasting that includes previously unknown interactions. Finally\, in the third case\, I talk about how we hope to use ML and AI to decode elephant language (a recent study found elephants had specific names for each other). There are so many environmental problems in the world today and not as many skilled people who can work on these issues. I hope the discussion will motivate students to skill up to address environmental problems. \nAbout the Speaker: Bio: Meghna Agarwala is an Associate Professor at Ashoka University. She has an MS from Yale and a PhD from Columbia University\, and has obtained research funding from CIFOR\, NASA\, NSF\, SERB\, EU\, among others. Her research optimises methods from remote sensing\, palaeosciences and ecology to address important environmental issues\, and she has opportunities for ML work in the forests and agricultural landscapes of Arunachal\, Assam\, Aravallis\, Himachal\, Nepal\, MP\, Odisha\, Tamil Nadu. Last year\, she hosted the NASA South Asia conference at Ashoka.
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/cs-colloquium-meghna-agarwala-using-ml-and-ai-in-environmental-science-and-policy/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T133000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T150000
DTSTAMP:20250415T003748Z
CREATED:20250414T002435Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T003748Z
UID:76197-1744810200-1744815600@www.ashoka.edu.in
SUMMARY:Physics Colloquium
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: When a wandering star comes close enough to a black hole\, it can be ripped apart by tidal forces\, resulting in partial or complete destruction. Such tidal disruption events not only provide fascinating pictures of the stellar interior\, but is also a theoretical laboratory to understand the physics of strong gravity. This is even richer in the presence of spins — both of the star and the black hole. In this talk we will explore aspects of black holes interactions with stars and argue why these are of fundamental importance in astrophysics. We identify various interesting phenomena via numerical experiments and discuss their physical explanations. \nAbout the Speaker: Dr.  Tapobrata Sarkar is a professor of physics at IIT Kanpur. He obtained his doctoral degree in theoretical high energy physics at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences\, Chennai. Subsequently he carried out postdoctoral research at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)\, Mumbai and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)\, Trieste\, Italy.  \nHe is a theoretical physicist whose research interests lie in the study of Information Geometry and Complexity\, Classical and Quantum Phase Transitions\, Classical and Quantum Gravity and astrophysical black holes. \nWe look forward to your active participation.
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/physics-colloquium/
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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T133000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T153000
DTSTAMP:20250409T013415Z
CREATED:20250409T013415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250409T013415Z
UID:76068-1744810200-1744817400@www.ashoka.edu.in
SUMMARY:Philosophy Department Job Talk: Justin Holder
DESCRIPTION:All are invited to this Philosophy Department Job Talk on Wednesday 16 April from 13:30 to 15:30 in AC01 LR206. Drinks will be served. \nTitle: Arguing with CandrakÄ«rti \nAbstract: Philosophers of the Madhyamaka school of Buddhist philosophy don’t think that anything ultimately exists\, nor that anything is ultimately non-existent. This radical perspective may have implications for what kinds of arguments they can rationally give in defence of their position. CandrakÄ«rti (7th c.) thought that a Madhyamaka philosopher could never autonomously argue for any thesis of their own without incurring serious logical faults. They are thus limited to demonstrating that their opponents’ positions are problematic on the opponents' own terms. I show that the notion of an ‘existential sentence’ in modern first-order logic can provide some vindication for CandrakÄ«rti’s view and clarity on the logical form of arguments which follow his advice. However\, I also argue that\, due to developments in metaphysics which CandrakÄ«rti could not have anticipated\, his fully-formed position on the place of rational argument in Madhyamaka is not tenable in the contemporary philosophical landscape. Nevertheless\, a more modest version of his perspective – limited to his core insights – may still work. \nBio: Justin P. Holder lectures at The University of the West Indies\, Cave Hill\, having recently completed his DPhil in Philosophy at The University of Oxford. His research focuses on metaphysical and epistemological issues in the dual contexts of Indian Buddhist philosophy (especially Madhyamaka) and the philosophy of science.
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/philosophy-department-job-talk-justin-holder/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T173000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T190000
DTSTAMP:20250415T041245Z
CREATED:20250415T041245Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T041245Z
UID:76232-1744824600-1744830000@www.ashoka.edu.in
SUMMARY:Navigating Strategy\, Policy\, Money: The Global Commerce | Learning Circle
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/navigating-strategy-policy-money-the-global-commerce-learning-circle/
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