Grow first, clean up later?

‘In Vietnam, people are more focused on economic development and do not take care about environment very much’, says Ngo Tho Hung, environmental scientist and Head of Environment Development Section (EDS) at Asian Institute of Technology in Vietnam (AITCV) in Hanoi, Vietnam. Ngo Tho Hung, who holds a PhD degree from Roskilde University in Denmark, is disappointed with the limited budgets allocated for scientific activities in Vietnam.

In Nairobi, they speak English

On 20 December 2016, Ms. Masheti B. Wanoyi defended her PhD dissertation ‘In Nairobi, they speak English’ ending a more than four years’ research process divided between thirteen months of field work in Kakamega, Kenya, and three years of analysis. In the process, she was being supervised by Professor Lisa Ann Richey and Associate Professor Bodil Folke Frederiksen at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, Denmark. The defence was successful. Masheti B. Waynoi was confererred the PhD degree in Social Service.

Sour grapes

DANIDA’s grants for development research were re-opened in 2017. The shortlisting of applicants invited to submit a full application was communicated early June 2017. For Window 1 applications, the expected success rate reached an all-time low, as only 4 % of a total of 205 concept notes submitted will receive a grant, i.e. 7-8 projects.

Welcome to our readers!

In June 2016, DDRN received a grant by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science to implement a research communication project ‘South researchers in Denmark – new knowledge for sustainable development’. After one year of web design and content development, DDRN is now ready to launch its new website supporting this project.

SciDev.Net

A major inspiration for DDRN is the SciDev.Net website ‘Science and Technology for Development’, which was launched in 2001. Marianne Hedegaard Forti, DDRN, had the opportunity to interact with a few of the people driving SciDev.Net. at the Eldis 20th Anniversary event ‘FROM DIAL-UP TO THE DATA REVOLUTION: LEARNING FROM 20 YEARS OF DIGITAL KNOWLEDGE SHARING FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT’ held 13-15 September at the Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, United Kingdom This post quotes the vision, the objectives, the editorial values, the history, and the people involved. In a video interview by Financial Times journalist, Andrew Jack, SciDev.Net director Nick Ishmael Perkins explains the specialist media role that SciDev.Net plays in bringing the worlds of science and development together through news and analysis from across the globe. Andrew Jack is a trustee of SciDev.Net.

Editorial

Danish Development Research Network (DDRN) now launches an on-line forum for research on sustainable development. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development defines 17 Goals to be achieved by all nations, including Denmark. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are universal sign posts for national policy and global agreements connecting local and global action. The SDGs call upon social groups, public and private organisations to strive for a world in balance and without poverty. To support holistic and coherent solutions, knowledge and research communities must engage across sectors and disciplines.