Social science perspectives on managing agricultural technology

Experiences of 15 social science research fellows who recount their roles in particular research projects at the International Agricultural Research Centers they were appointed. In addition to highlighting the contributions social scientists can make in the field of agricultural research, their papers offer a candid look at the kinds of work in which the Centers currently are engaged.Technology, Agricultural research, Resource management, Farmer participation, Evaluation, Farm Management, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Pragmatism and the Primary School : The Case of a Non-Rural Village

The aim of this paper is to analyze the educational needs of one small community in Kenya in terms of its changing socio-economic patterns, and to show how attitudes towards the school system have their roots within this setting.Center for Research on Economic Development, University of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/100886/1/ECON338.pd

Network innovations: Building the next generation of agricultural scientists in Africa

This chapter identifies five models of strategic networks making progress toward the stated goals of bolstering university-based training and research, and enhancing the productivity of the agricultural sector. These models, while different in their composition, offer key principles and approaches of networks that are scalable and have the potential to be sustained.2 Each model has a base secretariat or management group within a host institution that provides coordination and technical assistance, and promotes the use of low-cost (and in some cases, more advanced) information technologies. Each network is primarily based on one or more disciplinary fields, but offers an array of subject matter that encourages systems thinking; provides professional career structures necessary to develop a stable cadre of African research leaders; and creates network services that build economies of scale. These networks are fortified by linkages to local stakeholders, such as the private sector, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and government bodies; to continental alliances, such as the African Union (AU), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) under the auspices of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); and to global agricultural entities, such as the CGIAR Consortium, world-class universities outside the region, and international markets.PRIFPRI1; CRP2; ASTIEPTD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM

Network innovations: Building the next generation of agricultural scientists in Africa

This chapter identifies five models of strategic networks making progress toward the stated goals of bolstering university-based training and research, and enhancing the productivity of the agricultural sector. These models, while different in their composition, offer key principles and approaches of networks that are scalable and have the potential to be sustained.2 Each model has a base secretariat or management group within a host institution that provides coordination and technical assistance, and promotes the use of low-cost (and in some cases, more advanced) information technologies. Each network is primarily based on one or more disciplinary fields, but offers an array of subject matter that encourages systems thinking; provides professional career structures necessary to develop a stable cadre of African research leaders; and creates network services that build economies of scale. These networks are fortified by linkages to local stakeholders, such as the private sector, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and government bodies; to continental alliances, such as the African Union (AU), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) under the auspices of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); and to global agricultural entities, such as the CGIAR Consortium, world-class universities outside the region, and international markets.PRIFPRI1; CRP2; ASTIEPTD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM