Measuring the maritime potential of nations. The CenPRIS ocean index, phase one (ASEAN)

This paper describes the methods used to construct an index to measure the maritime potential of nations. This prototype uses a limited number of variables to measure (a) the locational advantage of having a long coastline in comparison to the landmass (Maritime Potential Index MPI) , (b) the maritime economy (MEI) and (c) the degree a nation or region has utilized its maritime potential (OI). A timeseries of data from 2000 to 2005 for ASEAN states are used to develop the prototype. It is planned to develop the index further by adding variables and extending the regional coverage to all states of Malaysia

Eastward enlargement of the European Union and the identity of Europe

The constitution of a European demos with a collective identity is one of the preconditions for adjusting the legitimacy problem of the European Union (EU). The analysis attempts to clarify empirically whether there is sufficient commonality regarding Europeans' political value orientations to substantiate a collective identity. Particularly in view of the European Union's eastward enlargement, the question arises whether widespread cultural heterogeneity in Europe allows the formation of a European demos at all. In Europe we can identify a West-East axis of political value orientations. Democratic attitudes decrease the further to the East while at the same time there is an increase in etatist orientations. Thresholds can be observed which distinguish western European countries on the one hand and central and eastern European countries on the other. Within the group of central and eastern Europe a further distinction can be made between the three Slavic republics of the former Soviet Union and the rest of the countries. These findings support Huntington's theory of civilizations. -- Die Herausbildung eines europäischen Demos mit einer kollektiven Identität ist eine der Voraussetzungen zur Behebung des Legitimitätsproblems der Europäischen Union (EU). In der Analyse wird empirisch zu klären versucht, ob es hinreichende Gemeinsamkeiten in den politischen Wertorientierungen der Europäer gibt, die eine kollektive Identität begründen können. Vor allem angesichts der Osterweiterung der EU stellt sich die Frage, ob die kulturelle Heterogenität in Europa nicht zu groß ist, um einen Europäischen Demos zu ermöglichen. Hinsichtlich der politischen Wertorientierungen der Bürger in den europäischen Ländern lässt sich eine West-Ost-Achse identifizieren. Das Ausmaß demokratischer Einstellungen nimmt nach Osten hin ab, und zugleich nimmt das Ausmaß etatistischer Orientierungen zu. Relative Schwellenwerte innerhalb dieser Achse lassen sich zwischen Westeuropa einerseits und Mittel- und Osteuropa andererseits feststellen und innerhalb Mittel- und Osteuropas zu den slawischen Nachfolgestaaten der Sowjetunion. Diese Befunde entsprechen teilweise der Theorie der Zivilisationskreise von Huntington.

The determinants of apprenticeship training with particular reference tobusiness expectations

"Whilst in applied empirical research, training in general human capital is mainly explained by structural characteristics of firms, this paper introduces business expectations as an additional explanatory factor. Business expectations are strictly time-variate and firm-specific and reflect both a firm's development in competitive markets and in the business cycle. We assume that a firm's business expectations strongly modify the cost-utility concept for firms' decisions as regards providing apprenticeship places. When controlling for firms' structural characteristics, static econometric models support our assumption that a change in business expectations leads to an asymmetric adjustment process of firms' qualitative decisions regarding apprenticeship training. Concerning the quantitative decision as to how many apprenticeship places a firm provides we found a significant but not asymmetric response to a change in business expectations. A dynamic approach confirms the results obtained in the static models of a symmetric quantitative adjustment process in a short-term perspective. In a longer perspective the dynamic model supports the assumption of an asymmetric quantitative adjustment process. Further on an application shows that an increasing uncertainty regarding business expectations tends to reduce the apprenticeship training at firm level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en)) Additional Information Kurzfassung (deutsch) Executive summary (English)Ausbildungsverhalten - Determinanten, Betrieb, Ausbildungsbetrieb, Unternehmensentwicklung, Personalpolitik, Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse, Ausbildungskosten, betriebliche Berufsausbildung - Nutzen, betriebliche Berufsausbildung, Bildungsökonomie, Bildungsinvestitionen, wirtschaftliche Situation

Commodity finance: a commercial proposition? Micro- and Mesofinance for Agricultural Commodity Production, Processing and Trade

This Conference brings together the financial experience of rural and agricultural microfinance institutions and the experience of the Common Fund and other agencies with promoting commodities and small and microentrepreneurs producing, processing and marketing commodities. We expect that this will result in: – the further growth and development of sustainable financial services; and – the further growth and development of sustainable commodity-related enterprises. These two objectives – the growth of profitable local financial institutions and of profitable local enterprises – are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. There is one lesson to be learned from the now developed industrial countries: Focusing in an early stage of development on the poor, who largely depend on commodities, means focusing on a huge future market. We hope to get this message across to large numbers of financial institutions. --

Poverty reduction and rural finance: From unsustainable programs to sustainable institutions with growing outreach to the poor

Only relief achieves short-term poverty reduction, but is ineffective in the long run. Sustainable poverty reduction can only be attained through well-designed long-term development measures. For example, Indonesia is considered one of the most successful countries with regard to poverty reduction. Between 1970 and 1996, it reduced poverty from 60% to 11.5% of its population, a time span of a quarter century during which local financial institutions expanded rapidly. The Asian financial crisis led to a set-back, but also became the departure point for a more sustainable institutional system. (Getubig, Remenyi and Quinones 1997:89; Seibel and Schmidt 1999:8-10) All our experience tells us: there is no short-cut to sustainable poverty reduction and development; and certainly none outside a solid, prudentially regulated institutional framework. --

Strategies for Developing Viable Microfinance Institutions with Sustainable Services: The Asian Experience

In most developing countries, access to financial services by all segments of the population, including low-income people, is a matter of growing concern. Many governments have responded positively to this concern by embarking on financial system reform. They have attempted to match people?s demand for adequate financial services with the government?s responsibility for macroeconomic stability and a sound financial infrastructure. This endeavor includes: – deregulating the interest rate (or profit-sharing) regime; – adjusting the legal environment and create appropriate legal forms for MFIs; – transforming financial institutions into profitable intermediaries between savers and investors; – providing opportunities for local people to establish their own local financial institutions; – encouraging sound banking practices. However, these noble objectives have not been always pursued with the necessary vigor. This, at least, is the chief lesson from the Asian financial crisis, which is rooted in: – hazardous, politically instigated lending; – inadequate internal resource mobilization and unhedged external debts; and, above all, – inadequate regulation and supervision of financial institutions. As a result of soaring inflation rates, many poor people have lost their savings and, due to the illiquidity of financial institutions, their access to credit has been curtailed. The devasting effects of the recent financial crisis in East and Southeast Asia have lent additional emphasis to the crucial question of how to promote and prudentially regulate viable financial institutions with sustainable financial services with an outreach to all segments of the population including low-income people , in order to prevent such a financial crisis in other countries. --

Knowledge cluster formation as a science policy: lessons learned

Regional science policy aims at the creation of productive knowledge clusters, which are central places within an epistemic landscape of knowledge production and dissemination, K-clusters are said to have the organisational capability to drive innovations and create new industries. The following paper will look at Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam and their path towards a Knowledge-based economy. All governments have used cluster formation as one of their development strategies. Some evidence on the current state of knowledge cluster formation is provided. If the formation of a knowledge cluster has been the government policy, what has been the result? Is there an epistemic landscape of knowledge clusters? Has the main knowledge cluster really materialised? Data collected from websites, directories, government publications and expert interviews have enabled us to construct the epistemic landscape of Peninsular Malaysia and the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Several knowledge clusters of a high density of knowledge producing institutions and their knowledge workers have been identified and described. An analysis of the knowledge output, measured in terms of scientific publications, patents and trademarks show that knowledge clusters have, indeed, been productive as predicted by cluster theory, though the internal working of clusters require further explanation.Science policy; knowledge and development; knowledge-based economy; knowledge clusters; knowledge corridors; Malaysia; Vietnam

Mainstreaming Informal Financial Institutions

Informal financial institutions (IFIs), among them the ubiquitous rotating savings and credit associations, are of ancient origin. Owned and self-managed by local people, poor and non-poor, they are self-help organizations which mobilize their own resources, cover their costs and finance their growth from their profits. With the expansion of the money economy, they have spread into new areas and grown in numbers, size and diversity; but ultimately, most have remained restricted in size, outreach and duration. Are they best left alone, or should they be helped to upgrade their operations and integrate into the wider financial market? Under conducive policy conditions, some have spontaneously taken the opportunity of evolving into semiformal or formal microfinance institutions (MFIs). This has usually yielded great benefits in terms of financial deepening, sustainability and outreach. Donors may build on these indigenous foundations and provide support for various options of institutional development, among them: incentives-driven mainstreaming through networking; encouraging the establishment of new IFIs in areas devoid of financial services; linking IFIs/MFIs to banks; strengthening NGOs as promoters of good practices; and, in a nonrepressive policy environment, promoting appropriate legal forms, prudential regulation and delegated supervision. --