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51. Transforming the Institutional Landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa: Considerations for Leveraging Africa’s Research Capacity to Achieve Socioeconomic Development

Author:
Alex Ezeh and Jessie Lu
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Global Development (CGD)
Abstract:
In order to achieve sustainable development outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), African institutions must be the leading experts on and primary providers of research solutions to local problems. Despite years of investment in capacity building, SSA lags behind every other region in terms of research outputs and government investments, and new models for building institutional capacity are needed. Through interviews with African institutional leaders and development partners working in SSA, this study finds that funding inefficiencies lead to key challenges within institutions’ governance and management structures, financial systems, talent management processes, leadership and institutional vision capacities, and peer support networks, all of which obstruct the ability of African institutions to become impactful and sustainable drivers of development outcomes in the region. We present for consideration three possible innovative models that can facilitate the emergence of strong Africa-based, Africa-led institutions: a multi-stakeholder funding platform, an integrator organization model, and a scale model.
Topic:
Development, Research, Sustainability, and Socioeconomics
Political Geography:
Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa

52. Technological Capability of MSMEs and Implications for Innovation Policy: A Case Study of Vietnam

Author:
Mikyung Yun
Publication Date:
11-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
Abstract:
Promoting MSME innovation has been one of the priority work pro-grams of APEC. MSME innovation policy in the APEC and member econ-omies such as Vietnam, has focused on promoting venture capital and startup firms in the ICT industry. This study critically examines such a policy approach, and argues that deepening industrial production capability of MSMEs through the accumulation of technological capability is paramount. To do so, the study undertakes an empirical analysis of determinants of technological change among MSMEs in Vietnam based on the technological capability approach. The study finds that: sales revenue is the most powerful explanatory factor in a firm’s decision to innovate, investment in machines and equipment has a more significant impact on innovative activities than formal R&D, and size of the firm may matter for both quantity and quality of innovation. Further, different types of technological capability maybe more important for different types of innovative activity. Therefore, it is im-portant to 1) upscale private enterprises to bolster their technological capabil-ity; 2) to direct resources to medium enterprises that play an important role in coordinating smaller firms and diffusing technology transferred from larger firms or FDI firms; and 3) to provide tailor made technological consulting for MSMEs depending on their technological trajectory and S&T strategy, rather than focusing simply on subsidizing formal R&D.
Topic:
Science and Technology, Research, Business, and Innovation
Political Geography:
Vietnam and Southeast Asia

53. Self-Determination and the Struggle for Success: Generalizing the Findings

Author:
Will Todman
Publication Date:
01-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Abstract:
The cases in this volume, like most histories, often seemed to hinge on specific individuals and events. While we could draw some conclusions, we did not see a large number of clear and obvious patterns. Part of the challenge was the specificities of the cases themselves. Confoundingly, factors that loomed large over one case were either marginal or absent in others. For example, Kosovo would not likely have gained independence and achieved its current level of stability if not for the vast amount of international support it received, and yet, Eritreans managed to win independence and then function as a stable independent state (at least for a time) with remarkably little international involvement. In other instances, factors that had strongly positive effects in one circumstance sometimes seemed negative in another. Natural resource revenues were key to Timor-Leste’s post-independence success, for example, but in South Sudan profits from oil fueled the very corruption and violence that ripped the country apart. Part of the challenge, as well, was sample size. The CSIS project design contained a limited number of case studies to allow their exploration in depth. But with fewer than ten countries under study, we could be confusing unusual outcomes for normal occurrences and have missed strong patterns that would have emerged had our project examined a much larger number of case studies. In order to explore whether a broader approach would tell us things that a case-study approach would miss, CSIS constructed a database of all the countries that gained independence since 1960 and then analyzed the database to measure statistical correlations between certain variables and new states’ relative levels of success.
Topic:
Research, State Building, Academia, Survey, and Database
Political Geography:
Global Focus

54. Awareness and Availability of Institutional Repository: Perceptions of Pakistani Research Scholars

Author:
Saqib Ur Rehman, Muhammad Aamir Hashmi, and Abdul Jabbar
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
South Asian Studies
Institution:
Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
Abstract:
Information has become a valued commodity in this age of globalization. Information centers all over the world are now better equipped to manage information due to advancement in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). In this context, Institutional Repositories (IRs) provide a unique platform for information management through new ways of Information Storage and Retrieval (ISR) and digitization. The awareness regarding Open Access Publishing (OAP) and attitudes of IR users are very important contributing factors in success of any institutional repository. The paper is an attempt to highlight the necessary role of IR in building the academic capabilities of research scholars in South Asian region. This paper focuses on perception evaluation of research scholars regarding IR in terms of awareness, and availability of IR. A questionnaire based survey method has been employed to collect data from research scholars. It has been found that most of the participants are aware of the existence of the IR. They showed that they are capable to use IR. The study will be helpful in providing practical implications for other institutions to initiate IR.
Topic:
Education, Science and Technology, and Research
Political Geography:
Pakistan, South Asia, and Global Focus

55. Work Culture towards Professions in South Asia: A Multidimensional Study on University Teachers of Pakistan

Author:
Muhammad Hussain Chishti, Iftikhar Ahmad Baig, and Abdul Majid Khan Rana
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
South Asian Studies
Institution:
Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
Abstract:
South Asia means one-fourth population of the world, comprises 7 countries, and the most backward region of the world, educationally, economically and in human development index. On the other hand, it is historically was a rich region with most ancient and educated civilization of the world before colonial rule. The aim of the study was to examine professional attitude of teachers and their psychological satisfaction level towards work culture after adopting teaching profession at university level in the region of South Asia. The researchers explored three major components of attitude called ABC model, A for Affective, B for Behavior and C for Cognitive to explore teaching attitude. The researchers investigate psychological satisfaction level in teachers specify with three factors called intrinsic, extrinsic and altruistic. The study was nonexperimental in its nature with descriptive study design. All teachers of public universities of the South Asian region were the population of the study. Out of three hundred sample teachers, 233 teachers participated in the research from 8 universities. After reviewing the literature two questionnaires were constructed by the researchers for discovering attitude towards teaching ten statements and satisfaction level of teachers towards teaching after adopting teaching profession eight statements at point Likert scale. Pilot testing of the instruments was also conducted. Overall reliability of instruments on Cronbach's Alpha is (α = .91), while attitude (α = .77) and satisfaction was (α = .80) accordingly. Each questionnaire was on five point Likert scale. On the basis of the information it was decided to apply a parametric test One Sample T Test and to check relationship a Pearson Correlation Test were applied. Results of the study show that teachers have positive attitude towards teaching and teachers were low satisfied after adopting teaching profession. According to findings many suitable suggestions were provided by researchers. Key Words; Profession, Attitude, Work Culture, Psychometric Satisfaction, South Asia
Topic:
Development, Education, Research, and Work Culture
Political Geography:
Pakistan, South Asia, and Punjab

56. Arrests in Poland Contribute to the International Controversies Surrounding Huawei

Author:
John Dotson
Publication Date:
02-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
China Brief
Institution:
The Jamestown Foundation
Abstract:
The December 1, 2018, arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, and the arrest of another Huawei employee in Poland, come on the heels of a series of escalating measures—or measures under consideration—by governments in North America and the Pacific Region to restrict the use of Chinese-manufactured telecommunications equipment. Such measures are now increasingly under consideration in Europe, as well, with major implications not only for the international profile of companies such as Huawei, but also for the construction of advanced communications infrastructure throughout much of the world.
Topic:
Science and Technology, Cybersecurity, Economy, and Research
Political Geography:
China, Europe, Asia, Poland, North America, and United States of America

57. A Bibliometric Analysis of the Journal of Bhutan Studies, 1999-2017

Author:
Lingchen Dorji
Publication Date:
12-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Bhutan Studies
Institution:
Centre for Bhutan & GNH Studies (CBS)
Abstract:
This paper describes a 19-year bibliometric dimensions and characteristics of the Journal of Bhutan Studies (JBS), from the earliest available data in 1999, to 2017. The result of the bibliometric analysis is based on two methodologies, namely descriptive statistics for quantifiable bibliometric characteristics, and impact analysis using both Garfield’s formula and Harzing’s Publish or Perish (PoP) software citation analysis program. Longitudinal trends were examined regarding the number of articles published, the number of citations received, the immediacy index, and the journal’s impact factor. A list of most prolific authors and highly cited articles were also established, including geographic distribution and subject matter of the articles.
Topic:
Research, Citation, and Bibliometric Analysis
Political Geography:
South Asia and Bhutan

58. Rapid Care Analysis as a Qualitative Research Tool to Explore Unpaid Care Work: Experience from Char Area in Bangladesh

Author:
Sahida Islam Khondaker
Publication Date:
06-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
Everyday unpaid care work is carried out all over the world and it is necessary for a society’s wellbeing. However, unpaid care work is largely ignored by economic and social public policy initiatives. Neither it is adequately valued in economic terms. In developing countries like Bangladesh, most research on unpaid care work is dominated by quantitative research methodologies that generally cannot capture how people actually experience unpaid work on a daily basis. Moreover, they neglect the arena of perceptions of unpaid work. Qualitative participatory approaches allow people to identify the extent to which unpaid work-related problems affect their communities, encourage people to assess the causes and consequences of inequitable distribution of care work and facilitate the identification of interventions from the perspectives of women and men, rather than policymakers or scholars. This paper attempts to describe and analyze the Rapid Care Analysis (RCA) as a qualitative method to study unpaid care work and establish that compared to quantitative methods, RCA as a qualitative method can capture the unequal distribution of care work in the community, measure time uses, create awareness and also find out available services, infrastructure and options to reduce and redistribute care work more comprehensively. From different RCA exercises, it is observed that both male and female participants have understood the notion of heavy and unequal care work. Through the exercise, participants recognized care work as work. Participants also came up with some solution to reduce care work. Quantitative methods cannot provide these insights. Therefore, RCA could be one of the best tools for conducting research on care work.
Topic:
Economy, Research, Public Policy, and Care
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

59. Combating destabilising forces in modern operations. Research report

Author:
Wojciech Robert Więcek
Publication Date:
09-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Security and Defence Quarterly
Institution:
War Studies University
Abstract:
Undertaking to determine scientifically substantiated conditions for the functioning of destabilising forces and methods for countering them in contemporary operations fits in the broad scope of security. This paper reports the results of the study that employed survey methodology to investigate the matter of destabilising forces in order to provide the contribution to the current body of literature in the field. Recently published scientific and non-scientific studies in Polish and English on destabilising forces, despite the semantic differences, refer to a large extent to the problem of acting and combating such groups. The paper puts forward a series of conclusions and proposals with the intention of inspiring the critical evaluation and to encourage substantive polemics in the pages of specialist scientific periodicals. This material may serve as the basis for further detailed research into destabilising forces – the subject that is not only a pressing current issue, but above all a prospective area for research as part of the security sciences.
Topic:
Security, Science and Technology, Research, Destabilization, and Military
Political Geography:
Global Focus

60. Preparing for future security challenges with practitioner research

Author:
David Last, Travis Morris, and Bernadette Dececchi
Publication Date:
06-2019
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Security and Defence Quarterly
Institution:
War Studies University
Abstract:
Mid-sized countries face a changing security environment, and cannot be certain that the knowledge and practices of the past will serve the future. The officers, professors, and researchers in defence universities are the custodians of military sciences that must adapt to these changing situations. Practitioner research should be modelled and encouraged in defence universities as a vehicle for advancing military sciences to meet new challenges. Previous practitioner research in higher and adult education has highlighted the need for experiential learning in other professions. The authors report on practitioner research by professors at pre-commission military academies to improve cadets’ understanding of peace and conflict. Military and police education is often experience-based, but there are few reports of practitioner research on its effectiveness, nor of combining peace and conflict education with out-of-classroom experiences. Legitimation Code Theory provides tools for understanding different teaching approaches. Comparing four cases of practitioner research on experiential learning the authors present models for practitioner research on teaching peace and conflict through out-of-classroom experiences, and conclude with means of evaluating learning experiences by pre-commission cadets, drawing on legitimation code theory. This is increasingly important for military academies striving to meet academic standards, but also to preserve professional values and young officer motivation to confront new challenges.
Topic:
Security, Education, Armed Forces, Research, Future, and Military
Political Geography:
Global Focus