Civil wars disrupt many aspects of life and development, including the education of the next generation. Yet until now there has been very little research into the subject. We spoke with Dr. Silvia Consuelo Gómez Soler after her record-breaking defence on this topical issue — which is relevant worldwide. 1. Congratulations on your PhD defence! You focused on civil conflict and education, drawing lessons from Colombia. Why did you choose this topic? SG: Getting a better understanding of the...
Sometimes our fellows make the news — either for their research or for personal prestige. After a governmental promotion, our ‘Dual Career’ GPAC² fellow Camilo Carrillo Purin was interviewed on Peruvian national TV and radio. We caught up with Camilo and asked him about his work-life balance. You were recently promoted to Director General of Educational Infrastructure at the Ministry of Education in Peru. What does your daily job look like and what are your responsibilities? CC...
Most people know very little about public procurement — yet it shapes everything from education to health to transport, and represents up to 30% of developing countries’ GDP. To find out more about this important but overlooked subject, Dr. Mindel van de Laar spoke to PhD fellow Ana Cristina Calderon Ramirez, whose research looks at the structure and efficiency of public procurement in Latin America. Can you tell us about your current employer and what your daily job looks like? AC: ...
Nepal was struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on 25 April — a disaster that killed thousands of people. Many more were injured or displaced, including countless children. PhD fellow Vincenzo Vinci, who works for UNICEF Nepal, sent this update as part of a Q&A with GPAC² Director Dr. Mindel van de Laar. UNICEF’s first priority is to protect children. Has the recent disaster changed the needs of children in Nepal? How has UNICEF responded? VV: Obviously the recent earthquake has c...
On 1 March 2015, 15 mid-career professionals started the GPAC2 programme to obtain a PhD in Governance and Policy Analysis. This year’s group is made up of eight women and seven men, representing all continents: four European, two Asian, two African, three North American, three South American and one Australian. During the first week, the requirements of a PhD were explained, and the fellows participated in an intensive PhD research methodology class. The foundations for academic research ...
Fellows on our part-time PhD programme (GPAC²) work for governments and international bodies around the world. Their day jobs land them at the centre of events in geopolitical hotspots, meaning they are often better informed than even the best connected journalists. In this new series, we speak with alumni and fellows about historic events, hot topics and how their PhD research helped them in their careers. This time we asked PhD alumnus Joe Abah about his new role in the Nigerian Government. Se...