A More Equitable World: The Social and Economic Benefits of Investing in Girls’ Education

Education is a human right, although many children are not afforded this opportunity. Across the world, there are millions of children who are not in school and may not ever be able to complete their education. Specifically in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa, innumerable children are unable to go to school due to many barriers that prevent educational access; girls are especially impacted by these barriers, some of which include poverty, menstruation, and conflict. The rate of children who are displaced from school increases with age, encountering more challenges to educational attainment as they move through the levels in school. The cultural expectations for gender alone is one of the significant challenges contributing to displacement of girls from school. However, there are several benefits to educational attainment, for individuals, families, and society. The benefits are particularly true for girls and investing in their education is crucial to advancing gender equity as well. Social and economic prosperity, linked to the educational achievement of women and girls, can only be realized through policies that address significant barriers to girls’ educational access

Mid-term evaluation of the support to strengthened bilateral relations under the EEA and Norway Grants

Through the EEA Grants and Norway Grants, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein aim to reduce economic and social disparities and strengthen cooperation with 16 countries in Central and Southern Europe. A mid-term evaluation of the current EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14 was conducted by COWI during the second half of 2015 and early 2016 at the request of the Financial Mechanism Office, EEA and Norway Grants. The aim of the mid-term evaluation is to assess to what extent and in which way the EEA and Norway Grants contribute towards strengthening bilateral relations between donor and beneficiary states. The evaluation covers four out of the ten priority sectors of the EEA and Norway Grants and five of the 16 beneficiary countries (Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia), representing 19.4% of the allocated total of EUR 1.8 billion

Comparative Study of Photosynthesis Rates between Native Red Maple and Invasive Norway Maple in the Eastern Deciduous Forest

Invasive species, such as the Norway Maple, are often able to outcompete native species, such as the Red Maple by performing more efficiently in the environment compared to the native species. In this study, we examined if the Norway maple was able to outcompete the Red Maple in the Eastern Deciduous Forest because the Norway Maple had a higher rate of photosynthesis. The study found that the Norway Maple leaves had a slightly higher rate of carbon dioxide consumption than Red Maple leaves and that the Red Maple leaves had a higher rate of oxygen production compared to the Norway Maples. Since these differences were not statistically significant, the data suggested that the differences in the rate of photosynthesis between the two tree species is most likely very small. This suggests that the rate of photosynthesis is most likely not the advantage Norway Maples have over Red Maples that allows this invader to better compete for space in a forest

Navigating the Stars: Norway, the European Economic Area and the European Union. CEPS Paperback. February 2002

This study expertly assesses the evolving relationship between Norway and the European Union, the centrepiece of which is the European Economic Area (EEA). Faced with an increasingly outdated network of relationships with the EU, Norway finds itself marginalised from policy-making and subject instead to policy-taking. This report evaluates Norway’s position in relation to the ‘future of Europe’ debate as well as a range of hypothetical options that Norway may contemplate, focusing on several key policy areas including the single market, the macroeconomic agenda, justice and home affairs, and foreign security and defence policies

Climate, Conflict and Capital: Critical Issues for the MDGs and Beyond 2015

As 2015 approaches we need to take stock of how we have delivered on the MDGs. This article argues critical issues for accelerating progress on the MDGs and thinking beyond 2015, on climate, conflict and capital. Each is discussed in turn as to why it matters and what needs to be done