| WELCOME to our second quarterly newsletter: rounding up the latest news and events from our twin institutes in Maastricht. We explore the push and pull of international development: innovation through science and entrepreneurship, and governance through public policy analysis. | ||
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LATEST NEWS NEW CHIEF: Professor Bart Verspagen was named on 18 June the next Director of UNU-MERIT and Dean of the School of Governance. A specialist in the economics of technological change, Verspagen previously worked at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences and Eindhoven University of Technology. OPEN EXPERTISE: In May, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) asked Dr Andreas Meiszner to review the open source chapters of its 'Information Economy Report 2012'. Meanwhile the plenary of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) featured a study on open source software by Rishab Ghosh. Among his recommendations: use open source licensing in technical training. NURTURING LEADERS: The International Leadership Training course on Social Security was held in Maastricht for the fifth time in April and May. Participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam followed two modules on Social Protection and Health Policy at the School of Governance. The next round is set for December. DEFENCE SUCCESS: Joe Abah successfully defended his PhD thesis on ‘Strong Organisations in Weak States’ on 20 June. He was the third fellow to complete our part-time PhD in Governance and Policy Analysis, GPAC². Additionally, Zina Nimeh, Kirsten Wiebe, Julio Miguel Rosa, and Jan Boels all successfully defended in Q2 2012. |
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BOOKS & PAPERS GLOBAL EXCHANGE: 'In developing countries, a 10% rise in internet use can boost trade by 5%, with knock-on effects for economic growth'. That was among the findings of a working paper based on World Bank data from more than 160 countries. Watch our interview with Dr Huub Meijers. BALANCING RENEWABLES: 'By 2050 anywhere from 80 to even 100% of our electricity will be generated from renewable energy sources'. That was the ambitious claim in a book co-authored by Dr Thomas Ziesemer. We asked him to justify this figure and to explain how to balance supply and demand of renewable electricity. DEVELOPING TRENDS: Our joint project with AFD on institutions and long-term economic growth is now bearing fruit. We released 10 working papers in May, ranging from experiences of growth and development, to institutions and credit, to elite competition in Kenya. Watch our interview with Professor Adam Szirmai. MAA BLOG: Written by fellows at both institutes, our blog explores a range of issues linked to human survival and welfare. Our latest posts look into return migration, neglected tropical diseases, sanitation in India, ‘playing god’ with sustainability, and environmental action in South America. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS STUDY ONLINE: Are you too busy to be a full-time student for 10 weeks, but still want to expand your horizons? Join our online courses on ‘Governance in Theory and Practice’ and ‘Introduction to Political Science’. Both offer advanced academic training to suit virtually any schedule. HONING RESEARCH: Starting 14 September, our course on Research Methods and Skills will help you to write and manage various kinds of research. Offered by the Maastricht Schools of Management and Governance, it's particularly relevant to junior researchers and decision-makers in developing countries. JOINT SEMINARS: On 7 September, we welcome three professors from Shimane University in Japan, who will give a joint lecture on the ‘Development Style of Open Source Software’. Watch all our lectures and interviews here in high definition. OPEN CREATION: Join us in Leuven, Belgium, on 27-28 September for the 7th Annual Conference of the European Policy for Intellectual Property Association. Entitled ‘IP in motion: Opening up IP’, the focus will be on the interaction between open innovation and proprietary IP mechanisms. Please register by 1 September. |
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EXTRA CURRICULAR DEATH TO JARGON! As promised, our jargon buster is now online and can be accessed via the left-hand column of the homepage. Covering everything from social innovation to economic remittances, the terms are drawn from recognized authorities including the IOM and OECD. We plan to build on this list with more keywords from science, technology and public policy. MEANTIME MEDIA: Until next time, in early October, please keep an eye on our media channels. We present brief interviews, full lectures and infographics on a range of issues linked to the push and pull of international development. Highlights include PhD fellow Carlos Cadena Gaitán on his environmental work with UN-HABITAT, plus UNU's wider efforts on climate change and in the field. We'll also refresh our podcast channel in the new academic year. YOUTUBE video channel PREZI visualizations channel Images: Andrew Hick, Wil Taylor, David Goehring, Large Minority, Aquila |
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