How far do international climate change projects ‘trickle down’? A new journal article investigates how 30 internationally-funded adaptation projects affected — and included — vulnerable local communities. What are the drivers of new and quality jobs in the developing world? A new policy brief considers the role of structural transformation in the labour markets of various emerging economies. Student migrant, refugee or both? A new thesis investigates the departure timing...

What kind of scientific research improves the overall quality of technologies? According to a new study, high-quality academic research has contributed significantly to high-quality patents — albeit with strong regional variations between China and the USA, for example. How has refugee migration evolved, globally, since World War II? A new paper refutes claims of a substantial linear increase, citing historical underestimates and the recent inclusion of internally displaced persons and tho...

The exponential growth of data and artificial intelligence is creating a tug-of-war between data for profit and data for the common good. In this struggle, it is fundamental that we protect our basic human data rights. Artificial intelligence will someday know you better than you know yourself. That day may be sooner than we realise with the amount of data collected on all humans and their environments increasing exponentially. So where are the rules, and what are our rights?...

Which countries are leading the fourth industrial revolution and which are being left behind? A new paper uses patent data to identify technology leaders and trade data to identify producers and users of these technologies. It then relates the use of these technologies to industrial development indicators. What shapes the migration decisions of individuals within the EU? A new paper considers educational and career development opportunities, preferences for particular cultures, lifestyles, polit...

Marking International Migrants Day, 18 December 2019, our new Director of Executive Education and Capacity Building in Migration at UNU-MERIT, Nava Hinrichs, joined a conference on “Advancing Human Capital Development through Migration and Innovation” at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, based in Vienna. Contributing to a panel discussion on “Harnessing innovation to promote prosperous, diverse and inclusive societies”, Nava spoke on three key points, outlined below. Firs...

Governments consult various groups when preparing their eco-innovation policies – but can these consultations truly safeguard the public interest? A new manual sets the standard for data collection, interpretation and policymaking to ensure a greener global economy. Refugees in Uganda often look for jobs outside of camps and settlements – but what helps or hinders their search for work? What discrimination do they face and how much can they trust local employers? A new report considers the evide...

When it comes to progress in the science and technology sector, how wide is the gap between Istanbul and the rest of Turkey? A new report considers economic and social regional disparities and the concentration of economic activity. How do refugees affect social life in host communities? A new paper on Congolese refugees in Rwanda compares feelings of safety, social networks and trust at varying distances from a refugee camp. Could there be a silver lining to the weakening of social and welfare ...

What precipitates protests in Latin America? Is it failing institutions, low standards of living, high levels of corruption — or a combination of factors? A new journal article explores the desire for redistribution linked to participation in protests. Does it pay to be avant-garde and do “novel” science? A new study investigates selection patterns across Swiss research programmes — and finds that innovative scientists are more likely to apply for research funds but are l...

The idea that we are living in an entrepreneurial age, experiencing rapid disruptive technological innovation on a scale amounting to a new “industrial revolution” is a pervasive modern myth. Scholars have written academic papers extolling the coming of the “entrepreneurial economy”. Policymakers and investors have pumped massive amounts of funding into start-up ecosystems and innovation. Business schools, universities and schools have moved entrepreneurship into their core curricula....

Technology has been blamed for a lot recently. Automation and artificial intelligence have supposedly led to substantial job losses, reduced bargaining power for workers and increased discrimination. It is even blamed for growing income and wealth inequality and, as a result, the presidency of Donald Trump, Brexit, the rise of far-right populism in Europe and the spectre of climate change....