Development and Social Justice: Education, Training and Health in Sudan

This paper discusses the importance of sound policies for achieving social development and social justice in provision of education, training and health services in Sudan. Different from Sudanese literature, we provide new contributions by explaining the low commitment to the standardized international equity criterion related to the supply-demand sides and provision of education, training and health services in Sudan. We fill an important gap in Sudanese literature by explaining that regional inequality in the demand for education (share in enrolment in education) is most probably due to economic reasons (per capita income and poverty rate), demographic reasons (share in total population) and other reasons (degree of urbanization) in Sudan. We find that the increase in the incidence of high poverty rates and low per capita incomes seem to be the most important factor limiting the demand for education, notably, demand for primary education, especially for females in Sudan. The major policy implication from our findings is that poverty eradication is key for the achievement of universal access to primary education, gender equality, equity, social justice and therefore, fulfilment of the second and third UN-MDGs in Sudan by 2015. We recommend further efforts to be made to improve equitable provision of education, training and health services to enhance social justice and social development in Sudan

OPTIMIZATION OF FPGA-BASED PROCESSOR ARCHITECTURE FOR SOBEL EDGE DETECTION OPERATOR

This dissertation introduces an optimized processor architecture for Sobel edge detection operator on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The processor is optimized by the use of several optimization techniques that aim to increase the processor throughput and reduce the processor logic utilization and memory usage. FPGAs offer high levels of parallelism which is exploited by the processor to implement the parallel process of edge detection in order to increase the processor throughput and reduce the logic utilization. To achieve this, the proposed processor consists of several Sobel instances that are able to produce multiple output pixels in parallel. This parallelism enables data reuse within the processor block. Moreover, the processor gains performance with a factor equal to the number of instances contained in the processor block. The processor that consists of one row of Sobel instances exploits data reuse within one image line in the calculations of the horizontal gradient. Data reuse within one and multiple image lines is enabled by using a processor with multiple rows of Sobel instances which allow the reuse of both the horizontal and vertical gradients. By the application of the optimization techniques, the proposed Sobel processor is able to meet real-time performance constraints due to its high throughput even with a considerably low clock frequency. In addition, logic utilization of the processor is low compared to other Sobel processors when implemented on ALTERA Cyclone II DE2-70

The EU Economic Partnership Agreements with Southern Africa: a computable general equilibrium analysis

This thesis examines the potential impacts of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It provides a quantitative assessment of the prospective implications for welfare, output and trade structures, resource allocation, prices and fiscal revenue. The thesis undertakes country- and sector-specific analyses using the multi-region, multi-sector computable general equilibrium (CGE) GLOBE model. The model is calibrated to the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) Database- version 7 for 2004. Different scenarios are implemented in order to simulate the alternative EU-SADC EPA scenarios in addition to their WTO-compatible alternatives. The thesis aims to contribute novel insights to the ongoing debate on the EU-SADC EPAs. It provides detailed country- and sector-specific impact projections within an internally consistent modelling framework. Furthermore, it contemplates the other WTO-compatible arrangements for SADC-EU trade in the case of not signing final EPAs. The simulation results inform answers for several research questions, as follows. Who gains and who loses from the EU-SADC EPAs? Do the agreements help SADC to effectively integrate into the world economy? What type of structural change might SADC experience under the EU-SADC EPA scenarios? How significant are potential adjustment costs for the SADC members likely to be? Are the WTO-compatible alternatives preferable for SADC members compared to the EU-SADC EPAs scenario? The simulation results suggest that a comprehensive EPA scenario is welfare-improving for many SADC members. The agreements, however, do not serve as a stumbling block towards more integration for SADC members into the world markets. Overall, SADC production structures become more concentrated in export-oriented sectors. These structural changes are accompanied by a high degree of adjustment in factor markets and substantial fiscal losses. A comprehensive EPA scenario is the best option vis-à-vis the WTO-compatible alternatives for SADC non-LDCs, whereas the results for SADC LDCs are mixed

Conflict with Others at a Bleeding Frontier: The Case of Tagoi in the Northeastern Nuba Mountains – Sudan

This article looks at the escalating conflict between the Tagoi and Hawazma and their allies over natural resources and political authority in the north-eastern Nuba Mountains, from the Tagoi’s perspective. It explains why and how the Tagoi Area has become a free zone for settlement by the Hawazma and their allies, who have succeeded in developing an independent native administration in the area and have begun to contest the Tagoi’s rights to political authority and land. It illustrates how security concerns associated with the Second Civil War between the government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) first and the Sudan/South Sudan international border after the secession of South Sudan in 2011 have contributed to the escalation of this conflict. It also shows how this conflict has recently become entangled with the armed conflict between the GoS and the SPLM/A-North, thus attaining a new dimension

Assessment of the impacts of oil: Opportunities and challenges for economic development in Sudan

This paper provides an assessment of the impacts of oil and discusses the opportunities and challenges for enhancing economic development in Sudan. One advantage of our analysis in this paper is that we provide a more comprehensive analysis using the most recent secondary data to discuss the positive and negative impacts of oil for enhancing economic development in Sudan. We explain that the various positive impacts of oil and the opportunities for enhancing development in Sudan's economy include the impacts of oil in satisfying domestic consumption and achievement of self sufficiency, increasing government and public revenues, rapid and impressive economic growth as measured by the growth in the GDP and its composition and structure, increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) and increasing the volume of foreign trade as measured by the volume and structure of exports. We find that while oil has recently contributed to the improvement of economic performance in the country, the recent heavy dependence on it, may lead to negative impacts and serious challenges for the Sudan since oil is an exhaustible resource and because of the instability of oil prices in the international market the revenue from oil is uncertain and volatile and may lead to instability of economic growth. Moreover, the increasing dependence on oil leads to increasing debate for and against the incidence of the Dutch Disease in Sudan economy, the lack of diversification and the challenges related to potential north-south conflict and division of the country.oil economy, oil impacts, economic development, Sudan

Analysis of IVAT laboratory grounding system using CDEGS software

Practical tests on grounding systems has proved very costly and pose hazards on operating personnel. Therefore, numerical methods using computers provide the m ost appropriate tool to assess the earthing systems. The research has been conducted with the utilization o f CDEGS software as a tool to simulate all necessary phenomena on the built CDEGS model o f the grounding system in IV A T’s laboratory. In particular, the ground potential rise, touch voltages, and step voltages plots are the main outputs generated. Six lightning scenarious catergorized into low, medium and hight levels are applied on the proposed grounding system to assess for the IVAT’s earthing structure safety. The IEEE 80-2000 standard is used to calculate the maximum allowable limits for surface potentials and employed as set point. Obtained results were compared to the safety lim it of the standard and proved safe only for the low level when no protective layer is in use. However, the system was completely safe and m et the standard’s limits for low, medium and high levels of lightning strikes when a protective layer is in place

DETERMINATION OF THE AREA AFFECTED BY THE SPREAD OF BURNING FUEL DUE TO BOILOVER

Boilover is one of the most dangerous accidents that can happen in an atmospheric hydrocarbons storage tank, it happens when the water at the bottom of the storage tank is heated to a temperature where it is evaporate and push’s the hydrocarbons out of the tank causing a ground fire and flame enlargements. And the main objective of this study is determination of the area affected by the spread of ejected hydrocarbons from the storage tank due to boilover causing a ground fire which is extremely dangerous. And for achieving this objective a set of experiments have been performed on a hydrocarbons mixture consisting of 50 % Diesel oil and 50% Gasoline is used. This mixture has been chosen after running some experiments on three different types of mixtures. Tow set of experiments have been performed and from the result analysis we were able to find equation relating the volume of the mixture in the storage tank to the area affected. And from both set of experiments we found that the relation between the fuel volume and the area affected is best described as a polynomial relationship. Moreover a different set of experiments is also performed using crude oil which gave an unpromising result and we were unable to find an equation relating the area affected to the crude oil volume in the storage tank

The rise of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia : identity, ideology and religio-political mobilization

This thesis investigates the emergence and growth of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI; Party of Liberation). HTI is a branch of the international movement, Hizb ut-Tahrir. The party has been very successful at utilising political space to recruit and mobilize activists, build loyaI cadres with a deep grasp of its ideology, and most importantly, create a common identity among members. Its ability to forge a collective identity within the movement has led to a high rate of membership retention. Drawing on extensive interviews conducted in the field, the thesis describes the journey a person undergoes before becoming a member of HTI. The interviews will focus on the processes of 'culturing' and socialization to which prospective recruits are subject, which result in behavioural, cognitive and affective changes. It is this transformation that produces a distinctive Hizb ut-Tahrir identity. This study notes that while collective identity is the most important factor in HTI's growth, it is by no means the only one. Other factors have also contributed to its growth. The open political system that followed the collapse of the authoritarian New Order govemment enabled the party to emerge publicly after some two decades of underground activity, and begin overtly recruiting members and launching collective actions. I examine the party's resource mobilization strategies and examine how these strategies have resulted in its successful membership recruitment, raising of funds and expansion of its organizational structure. Consideration is also given to how the party's anti-systemic rationalistic ideology has led to potential members choosing HTI over other Islamist movements in Indonesia. This thesis employs a structural-cognitive approach to understanding the growth of HTI. The political opportunity structure and resource mobilization variant of the social movement theory will be utilized to understand the structural factors that impacted HTI. The cognitive factors will be explained by using the theories of ideology and identity. This theoretical approach allows for a more comprehensive understanding of HTI's growth

Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia: the Emergence of a New Transnational Islamist Movement in Malaysia

This paper looks at the Hizbut Tahrir of Malaysia and places it in the context of the wider and deeper development of Muslim politics and mass mobilisation across Asia and the world at large. While much has been written about the Hizbut Tahrir of Indonesia (HTI), little is known about the HTM. This paper traces the initial arrival of the HT to Malaysia, via the network of Malaysian students and activists who were educated abroad and who have managed to build their own inter-personal networks and relationships outside the parameters of mainstream political Islam and the state apparatus in the country. Furthermore it is interesting to note that HTM in Malaysia takes its own unique stand on Islamic issues with relation to the mainstream Islamic party PAS and the Malay-Muslim UMNO party. The paper therefore attempts to locate the ideological positioning of the HTM in the wider context of Islamist politics in contemporary Malaysia and to analyse its relationship to the wider currents of ethno-communal as well as religious politics in the country as a whole

Design and Simulation of a Low Frequency Electrostatic Comb-drive Energy Harvester Using 0.35μm CMOS Technology

This project is to design, model and simulate an electrostatic comb-drive energy harvester. The device harvests the vibration energy from outside source and converts it into electric energy to supply wireless node sensors. Simulation is conducted using the CoventorWare software to simulate and optimize the device. CoventorWare simulation result has obtained a resonant frequency of 5 KHz