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71. Swaziland Research and Development Statistics: Findings from the 2015/16 Swaziland National Research and Development Survey

Author:
Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre
Publication Date:
06-2019
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPARC)
Abstract:
For many years, data on Science, Technology, and Research and Development (R&D) indicators in Swaziland have been missing. Not surprisingly, the country has been unable to monitor its progress and performance on scientific and technological development. This is notwithstanding that the Kingdom of Swaziland’s revised National Development Strategy (NDS) (2016) commits the country to drive social and economic development by intensifying efforts and investment into research, innovation, science, and technology. The ultimate goal is to use R&D to inspire large gains in productivity, especially in the agricultural and manufacturing sector (GoS, 2016). The importance attached to R&D in Swaziland is demonstrated in the country’s investment into a science and technology park, which houses both a biotechnology and an innovation park. Around the world, science, technology, and innovation (STI) is acknowledged as a driver of social and economic development and more recently, as a means to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs). STI indicators are important as a starting point for monitoring progress on scientific and technological development and for formulating responsive STI policies.
Topic:
Civil Society, Development, Research, and Social Order
Political Geography:
Africa and Swaziland

72. Innovation in Eswatini: past, present, and future prospects

Author:
Tengetile G. Hlophe and Thula Dlamini
Publication Date:
01-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESEPARC)
Abstract:
Innovation is a catalyst for social and economic development and as such a precondition for progress. Given the need to increase economic activity and expand GDP in Eswatini, this study documents the history of innovation in Eswatini and assesses the potential for the traditional sector as a source of new growth. The study purposively sampled and interviewed 129 producers in the Manzini, Mbabane, and Ezulwini market places and complemented the surveys with an extensive analysis of the innovation and industrial development literature in Eswatini. The study finds that whereas Emaswati are innovative, innovation has been incremental and driven by global technological developments, government policy, new market opportunities, and changes in lifestyle and society. The study confirms that the traditional sector is a viable source of new growth. However, to realise its true potential there is a need to address the demand and supply side factors that inhibit production and innovation in traditional industries. Therefore combining modern technology with traditional knowledge and skills presents opportunities for value creation, product development or improvement, differentiation, and improving the competitiveness of Eswatini’s indigenous products in global markets. However, for this to happen requires investments in research and experimental development, innovative marketing strategies, innovation, and setting of progressive standards and quality assurance systems.
Topic:
Development, Global Markets, Research, and Innovation
Political Geography:
Africa and Eswatini

73. Israeli Innovation Policy: an Important Instrument of Perusing Political Interest at the Global Stage

Author:
Joanna Dyduch and Karolina Olszewska
Publication Date:
01-2018
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
Israel is perceived in the international environment as a one of the top leaders in innovation. This is proven by the progressively high position of this country in international rankings and the participation of Israeli scientists and technologists in prestigious inter- national programs. In this article we claim that the aims of Israeli innovation policy, which has the biggest impact on the shape and content of the innovation ecosystem, are highly politicized. The status quo driven by the key assumption of the state strategy, according to which obtaining a competitive predominance in the political international environment will be achieved through economic instruments, primarily technological innovation. Therefore the aim of this article is to critically analyze Israeli innovation policy and the innovation ecosystem, paying special attention to the state interest and the government activities in this realm. For the purpose of this analysis some basic assumptions of the neoliberal economy redefined by Arie Krampf will be utilized. Furthermore to better describe and explain the link between politics and economy in the Israeli innovation ecosystem we will refer to the K.N. Waltz considerations on mechanisms of the political and economic system in a global- izing world.
Topic:
Science and Technology, Research, and Innovation
Political Geography:
Middle East and Israel

74. Q&A with Journalist Ada Mullol (MAAS ’18)

Author:
Ada Mullol and Vicki Valosik
Publication Date:
04-2018
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS)
Abstract:
Ada Mullol was well on her way to a career in journalism when she decided to pursue her Masters in Arab Studies at Georgetown. She first honed her reporting skills as an undergraduate at Autonomous University in Barcelona, where she studied journalism, wrote for the university magazine, and received an investigative reporting award for her work on the Syrian regime’s suppression and surveillance of Syrians in Spain. Mullol went on to pursue training at the London School of Journalism and a master’s degree in International Relations from the Barcelona Institute of International Studies, and to publish articles in national and international magazines. She had long been interested in the Arab world, though, and knew that developing regional expertise and improving her Arabic skills would enable her to better tell the stories she cared about. In 2016, she joined MAAS, where she is writing her thesis on the intersection of media, public opinion, and foreign policy. This March, Mullol participated in a competitive journalism fellowship program called “The World in 2030,” which was sponsored by the International Center for Journalists and the United Nations Foundation and included three days of intensive career training.
Topic:
Media, Research, Journalism, and Higher Education
Political Geography:
Middle East, Spain, Syria, and United States of America

75. HOW TO GET RESEARCH TO IMPACT POLICY

Author:
Cyanne E. Loyle, Kathleen Cunningham, and Joe Young
Publication Date:
05-2018
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Political Violence @ A Glance
Abstract:
As insular academics, we often grumble that if only people in power listened to us, the world would be a better place. Maybe this is the case, maybe this is wishful thinking. Regardless, it is not controversial to say that increased interactions and understanding between different experts across society is probably a good thing. Given this, what is the best way to get academic research and researchers in conversation with members of the policy community? Related, how do we recommend policy to this often diverse group of people? In March we held a National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored academic workshop at the Center for International Development & Conflict Management (CIDCM) at the University of Maryland on Rebel Governance and Legitimacy. As part of our workshop, we organized a policy/practitioner working group sponsored by American University. This meeting included practitioners from a range of government agencies, research centers, and think tanks, such as the US State Department, ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, the Stimson Center, and the Holocaust Memorial Museum among others. In addition to a conversation about our research findings from the CIDCM workshop, we engaged in a broader conversation about the relationship between our academic research and the challenges currently faced by the policy community. A lot has been made about translating between these communities (here and here as examples).
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Research, Academia, and Knowledge Production
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

76. Rethinking Orientalism

Author:
Nadje al-Ali
Publication Date:
11-2018
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:
The lecture will address the relevance of Edward Said’s Orientalism for the contemporary study of women and gender in the Middle East. What are the main challenges of researching and talking about gender in the Middle East? What are the continuities in our engagement with Orientalism and where do we find ruptures and limitations? Based on empirical research as well as activism in relation to Egypt, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon, this lecture will discuss the centrality of a gendered analysis in understanding recent developments in the region. It will pay particular attention to the centrality of body politics in challenging authoritarianism.
Topic:
Politics, Authoritarianism, Women, Research, Orientalism, Activism, and Gender
Political Geography:
Iraq, Turkey, Middle East, Lebanon, and Egypt

77. The subjective dimension of Security Education

Author:
Krzysztof Drabik
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Security and Defence Quarterly
Institution:
War Studies University
Abstract:
Subjectivity in education is not a new issue. It defines the position and role of participants in educational processes (teacher, students). However, education combined with problems of security may raise some doubts in interpretation. It is about identifying the subjects of security. If you adopt the premise that a set of security subjects is not restricted to man and social groups, then security education should also consider other subjects. Moreover, the hazard society, as a product of the postmodern era involves the need for scientific research and public discussion about man as the subject in the process of education and social relations in general.
Topic:
Security, Education, Research, and Subjectivity
Political Geography:
Global Focus

78. Security Education in dangerous times

Author:
Andrzej Pieczywok
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Security and Defence Quarterly
Institution:
War Studies University
Abstract:
The article is concerned with the problems of Security Education in the context of threats to man`s existence. The aim of the article is to present the possibilities of Security Education from processual and technical (educational) aspects to prevent threats. The main research objective adopted by the author is: What are the main threats to mankind and how are they prevented by Security Education? The main focus is on the problems of education and threats to mankind. The article consists of an introduction outlining the significance of the subject. The most typical threats to man`s security and how Security Education could prevent them are described later.
Topic:
Security, Education, and Research
Political Geography:
Global Focus

79. The Role of Business Elites in Sustainable Development

Author:
Julián Cárdenas
Publication Date:
01-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Postgraduate Program on Sustainable Development and Social Inequalities in the Andean Region (trAndeS)
Abstract:
Research on the conjunction of business elites and sustainable development fascinates practitioners and international organizations but faces methodological and data collection challenges within academia. Firstly, studies on corporate sustainability have promptly increased but have been extremely focused on an organizational level of analysis, which inhibits figuring out whether business decisions have an impact at the macro or societal level. Secondly, major policy recommendations on sustainable development point to the creation of networks and partnerships among business elites, governments and civil organizations but it is largely ignored which specific type of network configuration goes along with sustainable development. Thirdly, the literature on sustainable development often considered business elites as homogenous and concentrated, even though conflicting views exist regarding aspects of sustainable development. Finally, the influence of business elites on environmental, social and economic policies has been more supposed than empirically demonstrated. Past research has been unable to overcome these challenges in part due to insufficient data clarifying the full breadth of business elite connections with political and civil organizations nationally and transnationally, and the lack of a combination of analytical tools for analyzing multilevel characteristics and actions. The present paper proposes a research agenda to comprehend the role of business elites in sustainable development. Future studies should use network analysis as leverage, uncover the networks among business and political elites, focus on Latin American economies and regions, bypass case studies and develop cross-national and transnational analysis, and turn to a combination of causal methods.
Topic:
Sustainable Development Goals, Research, Business, Elites, and Network Analysis
Political Geography:
Latin America

80. The Autocratic Trust Bias: Politically Sensitive Survey Items and Self-censorship

Author:
Marcus Tannenberg
Publication Date:
11-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Afrobarometer
Abstract:
Because of a perceived risk of repressive action, some survey questions are likely sensitive in more autocratic countries while less so in more democratic countries. Yet survey data on potentially sensitive topics are frequently used in comparative research despite concerns about comparability. In a novel approach to examining the comparability of politically sensitive questions, I employ a multilevel analysis with more than 140,000 respondents in 36 African countries to test for systematic bias when survey respondents believe (fear) that the government, rather than an independent research institute, has commissioned the survey. The findings indicate that fear of the government induces a substantial and significant bias on questions regarding the citizen-state relationship in more autocratic countries, but not in more democratic countries. Moreover, respondents who think the government commissioned the survey do not answer differently on innocuous, apolitical questions than respondents who believe the survey to be independent, regardless of regime type. This has practical implications for the comparative use of survey data.
Topic:
Authoritarianism, Democracy, Research, Domestic Politics, and Survey
Political Geography:
Africa