450 research outputs found

    Higher education systems and institutions, Mozambique

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    The Republic of Mozambique is a country located in southeast Africa. It is bordered by South Africa and Swaziland to the southwest, Zimbabwe to the west, Zambia and Malawi to the northwest, and Tanzania to the north. With a surface area of roughly 800,000 square km and a rapidly expanding population roughly at 29.5 million, it is the second largest Portuguese-speaking country in Africa. Although Portuguese is the official language, most Mozambicans speak Bantu languages. As other Lusophone countries in Africa, Mozambique became independent in 1975 after a prolonged war with Portugal. After that, it had to endure an even longer civil war between former independentist movements which ended only in 1992. At the same time, between independence and the mid-1980s, the government of Mozambique experimented with socialism as a political and economic model of development and social construction. All of these factors have led the country to a desperate socioeconomic situation until...info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

    Valdymas ir administravimas aukštajame moksle: Pietų Afrikos universitetų apgultis

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    The recent spate of changes in university management worldwide should be carefully considered, interrogated and assessed against its impact on the capacity of the university fulfilling its unique role in society. For various justifiable reasons, South African higher education has been finding itself under the spotlight of the international community since 1994. The article surveys the South African academic profession vis à vis the changes that have been taking place regarding university governance and management. It is concluded that the South African academic profession, as far as (de jure and de facto) governance and management are concerned, find themselves sandwiched between two forces: from national and institutional governance on top, and the student corps from the bottom. This threatens the very survival of the university. A new exercise surveying the South African academic profession, as provided for by the Academic Profession in Knowledge Society (APIKS) international survey of the academic profession currently taking place, appears both timous and promising.Neseniai įvykę universitetų valdymo pokyčiai visame pasaulyje turėtų būti kruopščiai apsvarstyti, išnagrinėti ir įvertinti pagal tai, kiek jie padeda universitetams atlikti unikalų vaidmenį visuomenėje. Dėl svarių priežasčių Pietų Afrikos aukštasis mokslas nuo 1994 m. atsidūrė tarptautinės bendruomenės dėmesio centre. Straipsnyje apžvelgiama Pietų Afrikos akademinė profesija pokyčių universitetų valdymo ir administravimo srityse kontekste. Daroma išvada, kad Pietų Afrikos dėstytojai ir mokslininkai de jure ir de facto valdydami ir administruodami universitetus atsiduria tarp dviejų jėgų: nacionalinio ir institucinio valdymo bei studentijos. Tai kelia universitetų išlikimo grėsmę. Todėl labai laiku ir daug žadanti nauja iniciatyva yra tarptautinė Akademinės profesijos žinių visuomenėje (angl. APIKS) apklausa, kurioje dalyvavo Pietų Afrikos akademinės profesijos atstovai

    Success Factors for Creating Spin-Out Companies by South African Publicly Financed Research and Development Institutions: A Resource-Based View Perspective

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    Technology commercialisation using spin-out companies has shown to be a viable option by publicly financed research and development (R&D) institutions internationally. In South Africa (SA) this trend of spin-out company creation for technology commercialisation is anticipated to be on the rise since the inception of the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act number 51 of 2008 (IPR-PFRD Act). This study aimed at trying to understand the factors that influence the successful creation of spin-out companies by SA publicly financed R&D institutions, utilising the RBV as the main theoretical framework. A survey questionnaire was distributed using a purposive sample approach to 49 key individuals (technology transfer professionals) who have been involved in spin-out creation in the past and the response was received from 17 respondents. A mixed methods research methodology was utilised and the data was presented using descriptive statistics and narration. The results of the data indicate a similar pattern to international trends and in some instances unique resource combinations that are relevant to SA

    Higher education systems and institutions, Guinea Bissau

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    The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a small country (approximately 36,125 square kilometers) on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Senegal to the north and the Republic of Guinea-Conakry to the southeast. With a population estimated at around 1.9 million inhabitants, it is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 178th of the 189 countries listed in the Human Development Index of 2019. The population’s life expectancy is 57 years, the adult literacy rate is 46%, and the most recent figures on expenditure on education reveal that, in 2013, only 2.13% of its GDP was allocated to the different levels of the education system. Even though Portuguese is the official language, the majority of the population speaks Creole. Constant political instability contributes to the country’s economic difficulties. Guinea-Bissau gained its independence from Portugal in 1974 after a destructive war and PAIGC, the political party resulting from the main independence...info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

    Maternal near miss and maternal death in the Pretoria Academic Complex, South Africa: A population-based study

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    Background. In order to reduce maternal mortality in South Africa (SA), it is important to understand the process of obstetric care, identify weaknesses within the system, and implement interventions for improving care.Objective. To determine the spectrum of maternal morbidity and mortality in the Pretoria Academic Complex (PAC), SA.Methods. A descriptive population-based study that included all women delivering in the PAC. The World Health Organization definition, criteria and indicators of near miss and maternal death were used to identify women with severe complications in pregnancy.Results. Between 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2014, there were 26 614 deliveries in the PAC. The institutional maternal mortality ratio was 71.4/100 000 live births. The HIV infection rate was 19.9%, and 2.7% of women had unknown HIV status. Of the women, 1 120 (4.2%) developed potentially life-threatening conditions and 136 (0.5%) life-threatening conditions. The mortality index was 14.0% overall, 30.0% for non-pregnancy-related infections, 2.0% for obstetric haemorrhage and 13.6% for hypertension. Of the women with life-threatening conditions, 39.3% were referred from the primary level of care. Vascular, uterine and coagulation dysfunctions were the most frequent organ dysfunctions in women with life-threatening conditions. The perinatal mortality rate was 26.9/1 000 births overall, 23.1/1 000 for women with non-life-threatening conditions, and 198.0/1 000 for women with life-threatening conditions.Conclusion. About one in 20 pregnant women in the PAC had a potentially life-threatening condition; 39.3% of women presented to a primary level facility as an acute emergency and had to be transferred for tertiary care. All healthcare professionals involved in maternity care must have knowledge and skills that equip them to manage obstetric emergencies. Review of the basic antenatal care protocol may be necessary

    Overcoming undesirable knowledge redundancy in territorial clusters

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    This work analyzes the existence of redundant knowledge associated to geographic networks of firms. Specifically, our research focuses on how firms can avoid inefficient redundancy ties derived from territorial clusters. We propose that firms embedded in a dense and strong-tie network generate redundant knowledge flows. However, they may use structural dispersion to mediate and overcome this limitation. Our empirical study was conducted drawing on the Spanish ceramic tile industrial cluster to test the potential association between social capital and redundancy. Our findings support the idea that structural dispersion mediates the effects of strong ties and the generation of knowledge redundancy.Molina Morales, FX.; Expósito Langa, M. (2013). Overcoming undesirable knowledge redundancy in territorial clusters. Industry and Innovation. 20(8):739-758. doi:10.1080/13662716.2013.856622S739758208Adger, W. N. (2009). Social Capital, Collective Action, and Adaptation to Climate Change. 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    Effect of graphite addition on the tribological properties of pure titanium carbonitride prepared by spark plasma sintering

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    Abstract: Titanium carbonitride (TiCN) based cermet has received extensive attention as important components substantially utilized in cutting tools, milling operations and in sliding bearings. Recently, conventional WC-Co based hard alloys are being replaced with TiCN based cermets accompanied with the trend of high speed machining. These materials are considered potential candidate for a variety of tribological applications. In this study, the effects of graphite additions on titanium carbonitride (TiCN) based cermet were investigated. This involved consolidation of TiC0.7TiN0.3 composition of pure TiCN based cermet and/with 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 wt % graphite using spark plasma sintering (SPS). The comparative studies on the tribological behaviours of the TiCN based cermets with graphite additions were performed using ball on disc set up at ambient temperature. Results show that the presence of different composition of graphite influences the microstructures of TiCN. In addition, a change in wear response of the sintered compacts was observed

    Effect of CrC-Ni on the tribological behaviour of WC cemented carbide

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    Abstract. Tungsten carbide (WC) is extensively used in industrial processing as cutting tools, wear resistant components and drilling tools owing to the good combination of phenomenal properties. The binder phase of WC is usually cobalt (Co) as a result of good wetting behaviour and excellent solubility with regards to WC particles. However, degradation of WC-Co components when subjected to harsh environmental conditions often results in premature failures during application. In this study, the effect of CrC-Ni on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of WC based cermet produced by spark plasma sintering was investigated. Sintered samples were then analysed and characterized by SEM and EDS. Macro hardness of the sintered compacts were evaluated using Rockwell hardness machine at 150kg load. Subsequently, comparative studies on the tribological behaviour of the experimental samples were performed using a reciprocating wear set up at 200°C. The area of the wear track cross-section was measured using optical profiler and the wear rate in terms of volume loss was calculated. Results showed improved mechanical and tribological properties on WC-20CrC-7Ni sample as compared to WC-Co cemented carbide sample
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