The Brazilian higher education evaluation model: “SINAES” sui generis?

"Available online 29 November 2017"A study applied to the context of Higher Education (HE) accreditation and evaluation in Brazil. It discusses recent reforms within the context of the Brazilian evaluation model. The changes brought by the new resolutions published in 2016 have been presented, and a conceptual mapping of the HE evaluation model has been drawn. The objectives were to explain, longitudinally, the ways used by monitoring agencies/bodies to assess performance, and to assure a quality HE. The research methodology used a combination of multiple qualitative methods to present results as conceptual maps. The study may contribute to improving quality, based on best practices in the evaluated model.The authors are grateful to the Research Center for Political Science (CICP-Portugal) of the University of Minho and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES-Brazil).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The impacts of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and E-commerce on bilateral trade flows

This study examines the impact of Internet and e-commerce adoption on bilateral trade flows using a panel of 21 developing- and least-developed countries and 30 OECD countries. Given the commitment of East African Community (EAC) to become the frontrunner in export-led economy across the African continent, special attention is dedicated to analyse the role of ICT and e-commerce on EAC’s export performance. The empirical results indicate that better access to the modern ICT and adoption of e-commerce applications stimulate bilateral trade flows at various levels. The study notes that the efficient use of ICT equipped with high speed internet and secured servers is a crucial milestone for unlocking the e-trade potentials for developing- and least-developed counties

Student politics, teaching politics, black politics: an interview with Ansel Wong

Ansel Wong is the quiet man of British black politics, rarely in the limelight and never seeking political office. And yet his ‘career’ here – from Black Power firebrand to managing a multimillion budget as head of the Greater London Council’s Ethnic Minority Unit in the 1980s – spells out some of the most important developments in black educational and cultural projects. In this interview, he discusses his identification with Pan-Africanism, his involvement in student politics, his role in the establishment of youth projects and supplementary schools in the late 1960s and 1970s, and his involvement in black radical politics in London in the same period, all of which took place against the background of revolutionary ferment in the Third World and the world of ideas, and were not without their own internal class and ethnic conflicts

Predictors for adolescent visits to practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine in a total population (the Young-HUNT Studies)

AimTo investigate the factors predicting adolescent visits to practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).MethodsA longitudinal cohort study conducted in an adolescent total population in Central Norway (The Nord-Trøndelag Health Studies (HUNT)). In Young-HUNT 1, all inhabitants aged 13 to 19 years (N = 8944, 89% response rate) were invited to participate, and the youngest group (13 to 15 year olds) was surveyed again 4 years later (Young-HUNT 2, N = 2429, 82% response rate). The participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire on health and life style which included a question regarding visits to a CAM practitioner in the last 12 months.ResultsOne in eleven (8.7%, 95%CI 7.6-9.8%) had visited a CAM practitioner, an increase of 26% in 4 years (1.8% points). The final multivariable analysis predicted increased odds of an adolescent becoming a CAM visitor four years later (p&lt;0.05) if she or he had previously visited a CAM practitioner (adjOR 3.4), had musculoskeletal pain (adjOR 1.5), had migraine (adjOR 2.3), used asthma medicines (adjOR 1.8) or suffered from another disease lasting more than three months (adjOR 2.1). Being male predicted reduced odds of visiting a CAM practitioner in the future (adjOR 0.6).ConclusionWe can conclude from this study that future visits to a CAM practitioner are predicted by both predisposing factors (being female, having visited a CAM practitioner previously) and medical need factors (having had musculoskeletal pain, migraine, used asthma medicines or experienced another disease lasting more than three months). None of the specific variables associated with CAM visits were predictive for CAM visits four years later.<br/

精神保健福祉法一部改正施行への対応に伴う市町村の機能強化と都道府県による支援の方策に関する研究

本研究では,平成14年4月に改正精神保健福祉法が全面施行されたことを契機として,精神保健福祉分野における市町村と都道府県による重層的効率的なサービス提供体制のあり方,市町村の機能充実方法などについて検討することを目的とした。中国5県の36ヶ所の県型保健所を対象として,県の市町村支援機能,県の専門性,県の広域的取り組みなどについて調査した。保健所が実施した市町村支援事業のうち頻度の高いものは,「研修会」34/34(100%),「市町村と家庭訪問を行う」30/34(88.2%),「事例検討会」26/34(76.5%)などであった。県型保健所が管内市町村に対し,情報提供・技術支援・研修を行っているもののうち,最も頻度の多かったのは,「対応困難ケースへの同行訪問・相談など」34/34(100%)であった。現在実施している2つ以上の市町村を対象とした広域的事業では,最も頻度の多かった項目は,「ひきこもり対策」18/34(52.9%)であった。特に人口規模の比較的小さい市町村を担当する保健所において,精神障害者の個別相談に関わる事業に対して保健所職員が出張して市町村を支援している保健所がやや多い傾向が認められ,また,調整機能に関する事項が市町村の課題としてあげられた。当面は都道府県が専門的事業を補完的に実施し,研修や都道府県と市町村との事業共同実施により市町村の機能強化を図ることが最優先課題である。都道府県に求められる役割として,関係専門機関との調整事務並びにネットワークを活用した広域的事業の展開などが求められることが明らかになった。We made investigations on measures concerning empowerment of municipalities, and wide area and technical support of municipalities by prefectures in community health services, with reference to an amendment to the Mental Health Welfare Law taking effect on April 2002. The survey was conducted by questionnaires that were mailed to 36 public health centers in the 5 prefectures in the Chugoku region of Japan. Survey specifics included the following: support of municipalities by prefectures, technical abilities, wide area commitments, leading projects of prefectures, etc. Projects run by public health centers for the shift of mental health and welfare service from prefectures to municipalities are in the following order of frequency: seminars 34/34 (100%), joint visits of municipalities and prefectures to subjects 30/34 (88.2%), study meetings 26/34 (76.5%), etc. Projects run by public health centers for municipalities are in the following order of frequency: visiting care of difficult cases by health workers in prefectures and municipalities 34/34 (100%) and seminars 28/34 (82.4%). Wide- area projects run by public health centers for municipalities include coping with "social withdrawals" 18/34 (52.9%). In particular, in public health centers serving municipalities of low populations, public health center staff support municipalities to counsel the mentally handicapped. Issues of municipalities are as follows: conjunction with medical institutions and developing plans for the handicapped. These are items concerning coordination facilities. It is a matter of highest priority that prefectures serve as a complement to municipalities for the present time and reinforce the ability to perform technical projects by means of seminars and joint projects of municipalities and prefectures. We concluded that the intrinsic roles of prefectures are conjunction with professional institutions, implementation of wide area network projects, research, and leading projects.原著Original Article国立情報学研究所で電子