Document Library
With 2.1 billion people – mostly in rural areas – lacking safely managed drinking water and reported low rural water supply functionality rates, the Sustainable Development Goals pose a triple challenge: to reach unserved mostly rural population groups, to raise service levels, and to sustain existing and future services. This assessment uses a multi-country case… Read more
Although health interventions start with good intentions to develop services for disadvantaged populations, they often distort the health market, making the delivery or financing of services difficult once the intervention is over: a condition called the ‘Develop-Distort Dilemma’ (DDD). In this paper, the authors describe how to examine whether a proposed intervention may develop or… Read more
This report focuses on research studying China’s re-emergence as a major player in human resource cooperation with Africa. China has been widely analysed, as an investor in the developing world, including very substantially in infrastructure and extractive industries in Africa. However, there has been little examination of China’s key role in education and training cooperation, or… Read more
This paper studies the modalities which are used by China in its human resource cooperation with Africa in general, and where relevant with South Africa in particular. It covers the human resource dimensions of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), pledges, paying particular attention to the latest round of commitments from the November 2009… Read more
This study focuses on institutional autonomy and the role it plays in governance and management towards enhancing the overall effectiveness of higher education systems. It addresses in particular the effect of autonomy on academic programmes, staff appointments, student admissions, administration, and financing. The study is based on case studies taken from five countries in Asia:… Read more
Using data from the 2004 China College Student Survey, conducted by the author, this paper finds that long-term factors such as scholastic ability and parental education are significantly correlated with higher education attendance. By contrast, short-term financial constraints are also significantly associated with higher education access, but to a lesser degree. Furthermore, in recent years… Read more
This paper reviews the reforms in higher education in China in the context of globalization, pinpointing the conception changes, policy changes, governance changes and consequential changes in curriculum and methodology. What is presented here is grounded in documentation, and uses Northeast Normal University as a case study. The paper explores areas of change in education in… Read more
This book is based on part of a larger study on Universities and Economic Development in Africa, undertaken by the Higher Education Research and Advocacy Network in Africa (HERANA), and co-ordinated by the Centre for Higher Education Transformation in South Africa. The book draws together evidence on how the education systems of Finland, South Korea and the state… Read more
This research investigates both positive and negative effects on society of more people seeking and achieving a higher educational level. It recognises greater educational achievement as a route to higher social status for individuals. It also highlights the potential benefits to the economy, and the possibility of greater innovation. However, an increase in the number of… Read more
This paper reports a comparative analysis of education trends in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Collectively these countries have emerging economies and are known as BRICS. The analysis indicates that the BRICS have shared aspirations but different development trajectories. There are good opportunities for educational progression through knowledge exchange and joint activities. Following… Read more
Intensive handwashing promotion can reduce diarrheal and respiratory disease incidence. To determine whether less intensive, more scalable interventions can improve health, we evaluated a school-based handwashing program. We randomized 87 Chinese schools to usual practices: standard intervention (handwashing program) or expanded intervention (handwashing program, soap for school sinks, and peer hygiene monitors). We compared student… Read more