UN University Rector David M. Malone signed the Host Country Agreement for a new UNU Institute on 4 March 2014 with Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye. This is a further step in a long-term process between UNU-MERIT in Maastricht and CRES in Dakar. Set to become a key UNU hub in Francophone Africa, the centre will work on sustainable growth and development with a particular focus on innovation and structural transformation. The signing ceremony was attended by CRES Executive Director Pro...

Our press review features the latest publications by UNU-MERIT and its School of Governance, as well as mentions in the media. Output for February includes nine working papers, a policy brief and a journal paper, covering among others things nanotech cancer therapies, semiconductor life cycles, and R&D constraints and patent quality. Our research spans the globe, covering more than 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and several more across Central and East Asia. ‘Political versus Economic In...

Will African nations choose their own development paths, moving away from former colonial powers? How should we interpret China’s efforts to increase its presence in Africa? Does it pose a threat to African populations or is it an opportunity for change? These are among the questions of a “debate café” held in Maastricht on 25 February 2014. The debate features panel members from UNU-MERIT, including Profs. Adam Szirmai and Wim Naudé, as well as PhD Fellow Tobias Broich. Background A...

How can we nurture eco-innovation in developing countries? How can we support the market for renewable energy technology? How can we assist energy efficiency initiatives, particularly in agriculture and industry? At a conference in Berlin hosted by the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Prof. René Kemp spoke about the strategies needed to support eco-innovation in emerging economies. During his keynote speech, 27 January 20...

The conference ‘Sustainable Growth and Development in Africa’, Dakar, 25-26 November 2013, aimed to create a bridge between research, policy and practice and to promote evidence based policy making. It was attended by researchers from various countries, mostly African, as well as policy makers and other development agents. The event was opened by Senegal’s Minister of Higher Education and Research, Prof. Mary Tew Niane, who stressed the need for evidence based policy making to promote sust...

The year ends with two more lectures in our joint seminar series. On Monday 16 December, Prof. Manuel Mira Godinho presents “The Impact of African Science: A Bibliometric Analysis”. He argues that African research output has grown faster than the world average since 2004, while doubling in number and having higher impact than similar publications from Russia, India or Brazil. However, the continent’s production remains highly concentrated in South Africa and Egypt, both in terms of p...