Third level institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs): connections and relationships

In a world where the amount of aid from developed countries is falling as a percentage of Gross National Product (GNP), development agencies that wish to maintain or increase their aid effort face the problem of bringing public opinion along with them. Development education, with its dual aim of informing and encouraging action, has an important role to play in winning this public support. It can explain the need for development assistance, provide information on development activities and persuade individuals to actively support the development project. To date the development education funds granted by Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI) have been directed mainly at primary or secondary level students and teacher training colleges. A recent exception has been funding for Suas (http://www.suas.ie/), an organisation which aims to raise awareness of development issues and encourage short term volunteering among third level students. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the role of development education by exploring the present and potential contribution of NGO/third level linkages. It will do this by examining the connections and relationships between NGOs and third level institutions in Ireland and by using the UK and US as a comparative international backdrop. This should help to highlight possible ways forward in enhancing the effectiveness of development education at third level

How Labor-Management Partnerships Improve Patient Care, Cost Control, and Labor Relations: Case Studies of Fletcher Allen Health Care, Kaiser Permanente, and Montefiore Medical Center’s Care Management Corporation

[Excerpt] This paper explores the ways in which healthcare unions and their members are strategically engaging with management through partnership to control costs and improve the patient experience, clinical outcomes, workplace environment, and labor relations. These initiatives depend on making use of the knowledge of front-line healthcare workers, improving communication between all staff members, and increasing transparency. In turn, these initiatives can also lead to more robust and dynamic local unions. Through participating in joint work activities, many union members note feeling more respected in their workplace and more connected to their union. Unions can benefit from these activities by offering their members the ability to inform decisions about how work gets done

Guidelines for fish production in long term refugee situations in Africa

These guidelines provide general advice on potential benefits and implications of promoting aquaculture in refugee settlements and local host communities, specifically in Africa. In particular, they seek to highlight issues critical for translating aquaculture support in refugee situations into sustainable benefits for target populations. Aquaculture can help improve food and nutrition security and contribute to household incomes among refugees and neighbouring communities in sites with viable supplies of inputs (seed and feed) and service provisioning (training and technical extension).

Shares of the Great War Effort: Brazil’s Returns from the Second World War

The first half of the twentieth century was a period so fraught with politi-cal, military, and economic tumult that it is easy to see why several of the world’s most powerful (and some not so powerful) nations turned to totalitarian forms of governance. Indeed, nations like the United Kingdom, the United States, and (temporarily) the Republic of France, where democratic rule of law had been maintained after the 1929 Stock Market Crash, were usually the exception and not the rule. Regimes such as Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and the Estado Novo in Brazil were often established in reaction to the perceived instabilities and often deemed necessary for progress and peace. In the period leading up to the Second World War, however, the dichotomy between the ideologies of governance cre-ated two bases of international power, which provided the original basis for the Axis and Allied powers. This bipolar distribution was not written in stone (with the Soviet Union changing sides and the United States abandoning its official neutrality), but this view by and large provides a description for international political developments throughout this time period

Single Point of Entry Long-Term Living Resource System Team Report

Pursuant to House File 451 the Single Point of Entry Long-Term Living Resources System Team, involving several state agencies as well as interested associations, submitted a report to the legislature on recommendations to establish a single point of entry system

Knowledge, Technology Transfer and the Third Mission of Universities : A mixed method approach investigating innovation ecosystems, collaboration projects and technology transfer offices

Sammendrag Målet med med denne avhandlingen er å kunne gi mer og bedre innsikt i den kunnskap- og teknologioverføring som skjer i universiteter og andre offentlige forskningsinstitusjoner innenfor innovasjonsøkosystemer. Bakgrunnen for dette er at offentlig finansiering i forskning i stor grad er politisert, og at universitetene forventes i økende grad å tilbakeføre verdi fra forskning til samfunnet. Dette blir omtalt som det tredje samfunnsoppdraget i tillegg til de to andre, forskning og undervisning. Universiteter over hele verden har tilgang til et kunnskapsoverføringskontor (KTO) eller til et mer spesialisert teknologioverføringskontor (TTO) for å hjelpe dem med å utføre det tredje samfunnsoppdraget. Disse kontorene kan organiseres enten internt eller eksternt. Tradisjonelt har innovasjon og kommersialisering basert på forskning blitt sett på som en lineær prosess drevet av økonomisk vekst i samfunnet eller av økonomiske motivasjoner hos de enkelte forskere. Disse lineære prosessene gjenspeiles også i statlige finansieringsordninger samt i universitetenes strategier og støttefunksjoner. I det siste er det imidlertid påpekt i forskningslitteraturen at universitetenes tredje samfunnsoppdrag synes å være i en overgang fra en mer økonomisk begrunnet aktivitet til en aktivitet nærmere fundert i bærekraft og generelle forbedringer i samfunnet. Denne overgangen er delvis begrunnet med de mange globale utfordringene vi opplever i dag, som klimaendringer, en aldrende befolkning, epidemier og miljøtrusler. I avhandlingen er forholdet mellom kunnskap og teknologioverføring fra universiteter, industrifinansierte forskningsprosjekter, etablering av innovasjons- og kommersialiseringsprosjekter og involvering av TTO-aktører undersøkt. Videre er dette forholdet sett i lys av aktørenes rolle i innovasjonsøkosystemet. Forskningen har vært tverrfaglig og spenner over fagområdene innovasjonsstudier og økonomisk geografi. PhD kandidaten arbeider selv i en TTO og med oppgaver innenfor kunnskap og teknologioverføring. Et underkapittel i avhandlingen er derfor viet refleksjoner over hvordan dette kan påvirke forskningen i både positiv og kanskje også i mer negativ retning. Hovedfunnene i avhandlingen kan kort oppsummeres som følger: Universiteter, TTOer og eksterne samarbeidspartnere tilhører naturlig ulike typer økosystemer, henholdsvis innenfor innovasjon, kunnskap og ulike næringer eller verdikjeder. Disse økoystemene har ulike sett av verdier og logikker. Når aktører fra flere økosystemer samarbeider i prosjekter, må de krysse grensene til andre økosystemer enn sitt eget. Dette skaper både konflikt og læring. Med et søkelys på prosjekter innenfor det tredje samfunnsoppdraget til universiteter gir denne avhandlingen derfor en innsikt i både mekanismer for samarbeid, om hvordan kunnskap og teknologioverføring faktisk foregår mellom aktørene, samt at dynamikk mellom de ulike økosystemene utforskes i både tid og rom. Motivasjonen for å gå i gang med et innovasjons og kommersialisering prosjekt ser ut til å å være mer basert på et sosialt engasjement enn økonomiske motiver. Dette gjelder ikke bare for forskere, men er også uttrykt fra andre involverte aktører, som instituttledere, TTO ansatte samt eksterne samarbeidspartnere i prosjektene. Det er antatt at disse funnene på mange måter gjenspeiler den endringen man i dag generelt ser for det tredje samfunnsoppdraget, mot mer sosiale og bærekraftig aktiviteter, og dermed også en del av en tredje generasjons innovasjonspolitikk. Universiteter, sammen med andre forskningsorganisasjoner og statlige finansieringsinstitusjoner, synes imidlertid fortsatt å agere etter prinsippene i andre generasjons innovasjonspolitikk og muligens til og med fra første generasjon. Med andre ord, de vurderer fortsatt innovasjon og kommersialisering som lineære prosesser (første generasjons innovasjonspolitikk) og favoriserer økonomiske belønninger (andre generasjons innovasjonspolitikk). Dette medfører også at TTOene sine oppgaver ofte begrenses til det kommersielle med et motiv om mest mulig økonomisk gevinst. Spørsmålet reises om universitetets overgang mot en tredje generasjons innovasjonspolitikk ikke også bør gjenspeiles i en endring i roller og oppgaver til de tilhørende TTOene Oppgaven avsluttes med noen råd til beslutningstakere og de som arbeider innenfor feltet kunnskap og teknologioverføring. Råd gis først til dem som arbeider med policy om å påse at den prosessen som i dag pågår rundt organiseringen av kunnskaps- og teknologioverføringsprosesser i Norge, bedre reflekterer den tredje generasjonspolitikken. Som en følge av dette bør kunnskaps- og teknologioverføring betraktes mer som et samfunnsoppdrag enn som en ren økonomisk aktivitet og dermed også reflekteres i finansieringsordningene til TTOene. Det må også da vurderes å utrede om ikke rollen og oppgavene til TTOene bør være mer i tråd med de bredere definerte KTOene. Den spesielle kompetansen TTOer har på immaterielle rettigheter og forretningsmodellering for innovative forskningsideer, må imidlertid opprettholdes og videreutvikles. Til slutt i avhandlingen uttrykkes et håp om at (norske) TTOer både kan omfavne og utnytte de endringer og muligheter som nå synes å komme og ikke holde seg til "business as usual".Abstract The overall research objective of this thesis is to provide insights into the field of knowledge and technology transfer in relation to public research organisations in innovation ecosystems Public funding and investments in research impact have become highly politicised, and universities are increasingly expected to provide value from their research activities to society through a third mission in addition to research and education. Universities worldwide have set up or have access to a knowledge transfer office (KTO) or to a more specialised technology transfer office (TTO) to help them to execute their third mission activities. These offices can be organised either internally or externally. Traditionally, innovation and commercialisation based on research has been viewed as a linear process that is driven by economic growth in society, as well as by the monetary-related motivations of individual researchers. This is also reflected in governmental funding instruments and university supportive structures for third mission activities. However, recent, the literature has revealed that the third mission of universities is now in transition from a monetary-driven policy structure towards a more socially engaged and sustainability-driven mission. This transition is partly driven by the many global challenges we are facing today, such as climate change, an aging population, and diseases and environmental threats. In this thesis the relationship between knowledge and technology transfer from universities, industry-funded research projects, the establishment of innovation and commercialisation projects, and the involvement of TTO actors have been at the core of the research. The research has been interdisciplinary, spanning the fields of innovation studies and economic geography. One section is devoted to describing the authors position as a professional within the field of knowledge and technology transfer including reflections upon how this might have influenced the research. The main findings from the research for this thesis can be briefly summarised as follows: Universities, TTOs, and external collaborative partners are embedded in different types of ecosystems with different logics of actions, like innovation, knowledge, and business ecosystems. When collaborating through third mission activities, the actors span the boundaries of these ecosystems. This crossing creates both conflict and learning. Through the focus on third mission links, this thesis gives valuable insights into the mechanisms for collaboration, knowledge and technology transfer as well as dynamics among the various ecosystems in both time and space. The nature of and motivations for third mission activities seem to reflect social engagement more than economic rewards. This is the case not only for researchers but also for other involved actors, such as department leaders and TTO executives, as well as external collaborative partners. It is argued that these findings in many ways reflect the transition of third mission activities from more monetary-driven and commercial-oriented second-generation innovation policy actions towards more diverse and mission-oriented third-generation innovation policy actions. When supporting innovation and commercialisation activities based on research, universities seem, along with other research organisations and government funding institutions, still left behind in the second generation of innovation policy and possibly even in the first generation. In other words, they are still considering innovation and commercialisation as linear processes and are favouring economic rewards. They are also considering the role of TTOs as taking part of commercial activities alone. The third mission of universities are, however, in a transition towards the third generation of innovation policy. The question remains as to whether this should correspondingly be reflected in a change in the roles and missions of TTOs. The thesis ends with some offers of advice to policymakers and practitioners within the field of knowledge and technology transfer. Some advice towards Norwegian policymakers is given to push the process of transitioning research-based knowledge and technology transfer processes to reflect the third innovation generation policy in a better way. Following this, knowledge and technology transfer should be considered more as a social mission than as an economic activity and consequently, the mission should be reflected in the funding schemes of TTOs. Finally, consideration should be given to initiating a shift in the perception of the roles and tasks for the TTOs in Norway towards the more broadly defined KTOs. The special competencies TTOs have on intellectual property rights and business model development for innovative research ideas, must however be maintained and further developed. Finally, a hope is expressed that (Norwegian) TTOs can embrace and exploit the coming opportunities and will not stick to ‘business as usual’.Doktorgradsavhandlin

Environmental, social and governance disclosures in Europe

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the European Union’s (EU) latest regulatory principles for environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures. It explains how some of the EU’s member states are ratifying the EU Commission’s directives on ESG reporting by introducing intelligent, substantive and reflexive regulations. Design/methodology/approach – Following a review of EU publications and relevant theoretical underpinnings, this paper reports on the EU member states’ national policies for ESG reporting and disclosures. Findings – The EU has recently revised a number of tools and instruments for the reporting of financial and non-financial information, including the EU’s modernisation directive, the EU’s directive on the disclosure of non-financial and diversity information, the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, the European pollutant release and transfer register, the EU emission trading scheme, the integrated pollution prevention and control directive, among others. Practical implications – Although all member states are transposing these new EU directives, to date, there are no specific requirements in relation to the type of non-financial indicators that can be included in annual reports. Moreover, there is a need for further empirical evidence that analyse how these regulations may (or may not) affect government entities and big corporations. Social implications – Several EU countries are integrating reporting frameworks that require the engagement of relevant stakeholders (including shareholders) to foster a constructive environment that may lead to continuous improvements in ESG disclosures. Originality/value – EU countries are opting for a mix of voluntary and mandatory measures that improve ESG disclosures in their respective jurisdictions. This contribution indicates that there is scope for national governments to give further guidance to civil society and corporate business to comply with the latest EU developments in ESG reporting. When European entities respond to regulatory pressures, they are also addressing ESG and economic deficits for the benefit of all stakeholders.peer-reviewe

Collaborative research on V/STOL control system/cockpit display tradeoffs under the NASA/MOD joint aeronautical program

Summarized here are activities that have taken place from 1979 to the present in a collaborative program between NASA Ames Research Center and the Royal Aerospace Establishment (now Defence Research Agency), Bedford on flight control system and cockpit display tradeoffs for low-speed and hover operations of future V/STOL aircraft. This program was created as Task 8A of the Joint Aeronautical Program between NASA in the United States and the Ministry of Defence (Procurement Executive) in the United Kingdom. The program was initiated based on a recognition by both parties of the strengths of the efforts of their counterparts and a desire to participate jointly in future simulation and flight experiments. In the ensuing years, teams of NASA and RAE engineers and pilots have participated in each other's simulation experiments to evaluate control and display concepts and define design requirements for research aircraft. Both organizations possess Harrier airframes that have undergone extensive modification to provide in-flight research capabilities in the subject areas. Both NASA and RAE have profited by exchanges of control/display concepts, design criteria, fabrication techniques, software development and validation, installation details, and ground and flight clearance techniques for their respective aircraft. This collaboration has permitted the two organizations to achieve jointly substantially more during the period than if they had worked independently. The two organizations are now entering the phase of flight research for the collaborative program as currently defined