Thinking Beyond Credit

Credit is often seen as an indispensable vehicle for the poor to get out of poverty, or as the tool that allows farmers to get access to new technologies, to increase productivity and their incomes. But many existing credit programmes often undermine farmers’ independence, tie them into dependency relationships, and oblige them to take all the risk. There are better ways to help farmers build their own resource base and independenc

Digital Infrastructure: Overcoming the digital divide in China and the European Union. CEPS Research Report, November 2017

This study is the result of collaboration among a group of researchers from CEPS and Zhejiang University (ZJU), who decided to team up and analyse the experience of China and the EU in bridging the digital divide. While acknowledging that both China and Europe have undertaken major efforts to reduce socio-economic and geographical disparities by providing network access to ever more citizens, the authors found that investing in physical access alone is not sufficient to enhance inclusion in the information society. They argue that public authorities should also adopt corollary policies to spur social and economic cohesion through innovations that enable disadvantaged regions to catch up with more developed urban areas. In this context, the report calls upon governments to promote digital innovation and entrepreneurship, foster coordinated efforts and adapt their educational systems to the changing labour market

Business Leaders Marketing to Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Consumers in Nigeria

Business leaders often leave more than half of the world\u27s population the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), a $5-trillion market of potential consumers untapped for products and services on account of failing to see BOP markets as profitable for business, yet business leaders who have managed inclusive BOP marketing in Nigeria have experienced profit margins as high as 120%. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies of business leaders who market to BOP consumers in Nigeria and maintain a profit. The study population consisted of 3 business leaders in the Dallas and Fort Worth metropolitan area who marketed to BOP consumers in Nigeria and maintained a profit. The conceptual framework that grounded the study was BOP marketing theory. Data were collected through semistructured in-depth interviews and company documents, with member checking implemented to strengthen creditability and trustworthiness. Based on the methodological triangulation of the data sources collected, 3 emergent themes were identified following 5 stages of data analysis. The themes were (a) maintain low profit margins in marketing essential items to the BOP in Nigeria, (b) maintain high profit margins in marketing to the non-BOP in Nigeria, and (c) market scaled-down products to the BOP in Nigeria. The findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing insights and strategies for business leaders seeking to prepare for and sustain profitability. The data from this study may contribute to higher profit margins for business leaders as well as job placement and entrepreneurship opportunities for the communities of Nigeria

AECID's commitment to energy access in the context of combating climate change [direction and coordination, Maite Martín-Crespo]

Esta guía quiere poner de relieve el trabajo realizado por la AECID en un sector de amplia relevancia para avanzar en la implementación de la Agenda de Desarrollo 2030 a través del Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible número 7. Para ello y sin ánimo exhaustivo sino representativo, se recogen algunos ejemplos de proyectos y programas de energías renovables y eficiencia energética financiados por AECID desde 2011 hasta la actualidad, a través de diferentes procedimientos, instrumentos y modalidades de ayuda

From gimmick to game-changer : a study on the use smartphones to expand access to higher education in sub-Saharan Africa : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Technology at Massey University, New Zealand

Today, blended university courses are designed with an unspoken assumption that students will use desktop PCs and laptops for online learning. Recent studies regarding smartphone usage in educational settings explore ways to adapt desktop PC and laptop content for viewing on smartphones; however, the impact of these studies is limited. Smartphones are still subservient to conventional platforms. While this is not an issue in developed countries, it is problematic for developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Only 20% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa own desktop PCs and laptops compared to 80% smartphone ownership. The dearth of these conventional platforms means many learners in sub-Saharan Africa are excluded from the benefits of blended learning. This research took the first steps to explore whether a student who owns a smartphone and does not have access to a desktop PC or laptop can successfully participate in a blended university course. Shaped by the pragmatist philosophical perspective, the research utilised a mixed-methods case study design. The case examined was Tom Mboya University College (TMUC), a Kenyan public university that exclusively offers on-campus courses. The research progressed in four phases: a feasibility study; survey with students (n = 114); interviews with lecturers (n = 17); and beta-testing of a smartphone-supported blended course with students. Results indicate that smartphones could provide a viable learning platform. Key findings identify that TMUC students and lecturers value smartphone-supported learning due to its ability to enhance collaborative learning activities. Furthermore, the results led to the development of a novel framework entitled ‘Smartphone Only Learning Environment’ (SOLE), that provides guidelines on how teachers can deliver blended university courses solely to smartphones.The research implication is three-fold: First, it facilitates introduction of blended learning in extraordinarily resource-constrained public universities of sub-Saharan Africa. Second, it provides the foundations for critical discussions on smartphone-supported online learning policies; notably, discussions about supporting teachers by providing an institution LMS are necessary. Finally, underpinned by the collectivist culture of sub-Saharan Africa, this research showcases opportunities for educators around the world to uncover learning theories that focus on more collaborative forms of blended learning

The Effect of Emotional Intelligence Training via Method Psychodrama on Marital Satisfaction of Patients with MS

MS is a progressive and chronic disease of the central nervous system with symptoms that can be debilitating. Appropriate interventions including Emotional Intelligence Training improve the quality of life MS patients. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of emotional intelligence training through Psycho-Drama methods on marital satisfaction of patients with MS. This study is a one-group, before-after, quasi-experimental study. A total of 22 patients were enrolled in this study. The samples were selected through non-random sampling based on the goal of study among visitors of MS Society, Kurdistan province, Iran. Data collection tool was questionnaires with two sections: 1) demographic information and 2) ENRICH-B marital satisfaction questionnaire including 47 items. Intervention was conducting 20 sessions of 2-hour training. Questionnaires were filled by patients before and after intervention. Methods for data analysis were descriptive statistics (tables of relative frequency distribution, the mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics of paired t test. Paired t test showed a significant difference in total scores of marital satisfaction before and after training sessions (P < 0.05). Finally, we concluded that, designing and applying emotional intelligence training programs via psychodrama method is effective on marital satisfaction in patients with multiple sclerosis. Keywords: Multiple sclerosis, emotional intelligence training, psychodrama, marital satisfactio

Housing Futures: our homes and communities. A report for the Federation of Master Builders

Forward by Ron Storer, President, Federation of Master Builders: The housing system is intrinsically linked to almost every major area of government policy from the economy and taxation to the environment and education. It is driven by a huge range of factors from the behaviour of individuals to global economic forces. It is also in most cases the greatest asset and debt held by a household. There is a wide variation in the amount of money people spend on their housing ranging from those who own their property outright to an estimated one million households who spend more than two thirds of their income on housing costs. And yet despite its importance economically, socially and environmentally the current housing system is in crisis; namely housing supply is failing to meet demand and the current stock is unsuitable without major adaption to meet future needs. There is now an urgent need to take action to make our existing homes greener and more energy efficient. Given that our homes contribute 27 per cent of the UK's total carbo emissions and that 85 per cent of our homes will be still be in use in 2050 it is imperative if the Government is to meet its legal requirement to cut carbon emissions that a more concerted effort is made to transform our existing housing stock. A large scale programme of retrofitting is required to transform our 26 million homes. Such a programme could have a significant role in helping to reduce fuel poverty, creating new jobs in the construction sector as well as tackling energy saving. housing futures and what this might mean in terms of developing a coherent joined up policy across government and the construction sector to tackle the issue. I'm delighted that Professor Anne Power accepted our challenge and has produced this first class, thought provoking report. The report sets some big challenges for construction and specifically the FMB which we need to address and act on if we are to turn the rhetoric into reality. I believe the FMB can rise to challenge and would like to extend an invitation to everyone else with an interest in our homes and communities to work with us to ensure that we turn these challenges into the opportunities that will deliver the housing that this country deserveshousing, environment, homes, housing stock

Internet of Nano-Things, Things and Everything: Future Growth Trends

The current statuses and future promises of the Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Everything (IoE) and Internet of Nano-Things (IoNT) are extensively reviewed and a summarized survey is presented. The analysis clearly distinguishes between IoT and IoE, which are wrongly considered to be the same by many commentators. After evaluating the current trends of advancement in the fields of IoT, IoE and IoNT, this paper identifies the 21 most significant current and future challenges as well as scenarios for the possible future expansion of their applications. Despite possible negative aspects of these developments, there are grounds for general optimism about the coming technologies. Certainly, many tedious tasks can be taken over by IoT devices. However, the dangers of criminal and other nefarious activities, plus those of hardware and software errors, pose major challenges that are a priority for further research. Major specific priority issues for research are identified

Learning cognitive maps: Finding useful structure in an uncertain world

In this chapter we will describe the central mechanisms that influence how people learn about large-scale space. We will focus particularly on how these mechanisms enable people to effectively cope with both the uncertainty inherent in a constantly changing world and also with the high information content of natural environments. The major lessons are that humans get by with a less is more approach to building structure, and that they are able to quickly adapt to environmental changes thanks to a range of general purpose mechanisms. By looking at abstract principles, instead of concrete implementation details, it is shown that the study of human learning can provide valuable lessons for robotics. Finally, these issues are discussed in the context of an implementation on a mobile robot. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg