Blockchain backing transparency?

Corruption represents a major obstacle in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. The activity hampers economic growth and increases poverty, depriving the most marginalised groups of equitable access to vital services such as healthcare, education and water and sanitation. Development practitioners should now start to modernise their approach to preventing petty corruption from hindering their agendas and look towards new technologies.

Hall of Shame?

Hijacked journals and predatory publishers are phenomena facing the aspiring researcher in the South and North alike. Which are the pitfalls? Is Open Access a cause or a remedy? You are invited to take a stand in the controversy about these ‘by-products’ of universities’ pressure on faculty staff for increasing scientific publication.

Driving Tanzanian ‘Sayansi’

The tall building, which accommodates the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), is popularly called ‘Sayansi’ – a simplified swahilification of the English word for science. COSTECH is a parastatal organisation with the responsibility of co-ordinating and promoting research and technology in Tanzania, including international cooperation. It is thus also the Tanzanian counterpart for the South-Driven Development Research Projects administered by the Danish Fellowship Centre (DFC) and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Research for advocacy

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) make use of research findings when advocating program interventions and policy reform. Anne Sørensen, who was the Chief Coordinator of DDRN 2007-2011, tells about a few examples from her present work as the Programme Manager for Education in Oxfam IBIS, Denmark. Anne Sørensen feels that a thorough mapping of research practises and research needs of development NGOs would help to set research agendas.

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.

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.