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| Latest news |
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UNU-MERIT input in European Commission-project and OECD-seminar
Posted: 2009-03-02 | Updated: 2009-03-03
On 13 February Luc Soete attended the kick-off meeting of the DEvelopment of MEthods and Tools for Evaluation of Research (DEMETER) project in Paris. DEMETER is an initiative of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme that sets out the strategic priorities for research, technological development and demonstration activities for 2007-2013. Alongside Luc Soete, the researchers on the UNU-MERIT side involved in DEMETER will include: Bart Verspagen, Huub Meijers and Adriaan van Zon.
Three days later and also in Paris, Luc Soete took part in an OECD-seminar on the role of Innovation Policies in the Economic Crisis. The objective of the seminar was to generate a discussion on preliminary outcomes of an OECD paper: ‘facing the economic crisis by investing in the future’, with a focus on innovation, business dynamics, education and green investment. More than 25 delegations, mainly from OECD Member States and International Organisations, attended the fruitful discussions. A second OECD-seminar on Innovation Policies is scheduled on 1 April.
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UNU-initiative Ourworld 2.0 has best weblog design
Posted: 2009-03-02
Ourworld 2.0 is a United Nations University-initiative that addresses complicated and inter-related long-term problems that face our planet and has been awarded with the title of best weblog design 2008. Besides the lay-out, the content and contributions of information also make it well worth surfing the weblog. Climate change, oil depletion and food security are the central topics of debate and are approached in a line of thinking where innovation and technology are key elements. Dr. René Kemp contributes stories on behalf of UNU-MERIT.
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UNU-MERIT welcomes European Commissioner
Posted: 2009-04-03 | Updated: 2009-04-27
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| Dr. Janez Potočnik |
On Monday 20 April UNU-MERIT welcomes Dr. Janez Potočnik, the European Commissioner for Science and Research, who will deliver a lecture ‘Will Science and Research Survive in Times of Economic Crisis?’ The lecture will take place from 17:45 -18:30 in the Minderbroedersberg Aula of Maastricht University. Earlier in the day Dr. Potočnik will also pay a visit to UNU-MERIT.
The event is free, however if you wish to attend please register by emailing Huw Jones: jones@merit.unu.edu. The deadline for registration is April 18th.
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| Research & policy analysis |
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Stay up-to-date in the Hydrogen Fuel Cells & Alternatives debate
Posted: 2009-03-02
As part of its collaboration with South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology, UNU-MERIT is providing support to South Africa's Green Transport Technologies Programme to monitor developments in the emerging hydrogen economy. One of the outputs of the joint initiative is the publication of the monthly Hydrogen Fuel Cells & Alternatives (HFC&A) newsletter, which provides relevant updates in the field of technology, policy issues and capacity building opportunities in the energy and transport sectors. Two issues of the newsletter have been published to date. The inaugural (January 2009) issue provides a broad overview of the current HFC&A debate, arguing that developing countries cannot afford to be locked out of the transition to a hydrogen economy.
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| Training & capacity development |
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Successful DEIP in New Delhi
Posted: 2009-03-02 | Updated: 2009-03-03
From February 2-7, the National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS), New Delhi, the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum and UNU-MERIT jointly organized a successful Design and Evaluation of Innovation Policy (DEIP) – course in New Delhi, India. Around 50 researchers, civil servants and government officials participated in the daily presentations and discussions. Those who completed the course were awarded with a certificate. Relevant articles and presentation slides were provided digitally. In the aftermath of another successful DEIP-course, UNU-MERIT considers creating a digital policy community in order to consolidate the international network that the DEIP-training courses generate and to provide ex-participants with the latest information and publications in the field of innovation policy. The next DEIP training course will take place in Montevideo, Uruguay from 30 March until 3 April. Please contact Mrs. Eveline in de Braek from UNU-MERIT for further information
(indebraek@merit.unu.edu).
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Three UNU-MERIT students successfully defend dissertations
Posted: 2009-03-02
Former UNU-MERIT PhD-fellows, Dr. Abraham Garcia, Dr. Semih Akçomak and Dr. Saurabh Arora successfully defended their theses on 12 February. UNU-MERIT congratulates the new Doctors with this immense achievement and wishes them all the very best with their current positions and future plans. A new defence is scheduled on Thursday 12 March. Ms. Sandra Leitner will defend her dissertation on ‘Embodied Technological Change and Patterns of Investment in Austrian Manufacturing’.
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Daniel N. Dalohoun pays a visit to UNU-MERIT
Posted: 2009-03-02
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| Daniel Dalohoun |
Tuesday 17 February former UNU-MERIT PhD-fellow, Dr. Daniel N. Dalohoun (Benin), paid a short visit to Maastricht and presented his findings on the dissemination of a new rice variety in Guinea, Benin and Sierra Leone. After he obtained his PhD in 2005, Daniel taught at the University of Abomey-Calavi’s School of Applied Economics and Management in Cotonou, Benin. In 2006 he joined the UNU spin-off for Natural Resources in Ghana, Africa, UNU-INRA, where his research activities focused on the integration of technological and institutional innovations. UNU-MERIT wishes Daniel all the best with his future professional career.
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| Face of the month |
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Gabriela Dutrenit & Alexandre Vera Cruz
Posted: 2009-03-02 | Updated: 2009-03-03
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| Gabriele Dutrenit and Alexandre Vera Cruz |
On 6 February Prof. Gabriela Dutrenit and Prof. Alexandre Vera Cruz (both Mexico) started their one year-sabbatical at UNU-MERIT as Research-fellows. Prof. Dutrenit’s research is focused on firms’ strategic capabilities and university linkages and in how far innovation policy affects these linkages. Prof. Vera Cruz’s core research follows a more multi-disciplinary approach in which he analyzes the links between firm culture and learning in the context of developing countries. Since 1985, Prof. Dutrenit’s and Prof. Vera Cruz’s academic backgrounds have been forged on the Economic Department of the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico City where they do research and teach. They both hold a PhD in Science and Technology Research Studies from the Science and Technology Research Unit (SPRU) from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.
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| New publications |
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Europe, Globalization and the Lisbon Agenda
Posted: 2009-03-02
Edited by Maria João Rodrigues, Professor, IEE-ULB – Institute for European Studies. With contributions from Luc Soete, director of UNU-MERIT, and other top scholars: I. Begg, J. Berghman, R. Boyer, B. Coriat, W. Drechsler, J. Goetschy, M.J. Rodrigues, B.-Å. Lundvall, P.C. Padoan, M. Telò and Á. Török.
In short, the Lisbon Agenda aims to prepare Europe for globalization by updating European policies for research, innovation, competition, trade, employment, education, social protection, environment and energy at both European and national levels. Designed to inspire the new cycle of the Lisbon Agenda until 2010 and beyond, this timely and significant volume explores the intellectual elaboration of the agenda for the coming years.
This book analyses new developments in the European agenda for globalization, addressing four critical areas: European policies, their adaptation to national diversity in Europe, their implications for the external action of the European Union and finally, their implications for EU governance. This book presents the outcome of an organized dialogue between the political and research communities. Luc Soete has written chapter two of the book that focuses on innovation policy.
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