The just published issue of North/South News (Spring 2005) presents activities that have taken place within the north/south research area at the University of Copenhagen during the winter/spring term 2005.
AFTER the Tsunami
Flemming Konradsen and Peter Kjær Jensen, both research workers from the Department of International Health, are involved in emergency work in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. They are working as consultants on health care and prevention of infectious diseases after the Tsunami in Southeast Asia.
Flemming Konradsen is currently stationed in a research position in Sri Lanka. Peter Kjær Jensen was for two weeks posted in Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of the Danida emergency aid to Asia. After his return to Denmark he has participated in the preparation of a summer school course “Water Supply and Sanitation in Emergencies” in August-September 2005, offered by The Centre for International Health and Development (CISU). For further information: www.pubhealth.ku.dk/ais
RURAL-URBAN Dynamics in a Globalizing World
This research program aims to study rural-urban dynamics within the context of a globalising world. The particular setting of “settlements in frontier regions”, where rural-urban dynamics are especially strong and directly linked to the global market, have been selected for this task.
By studying frontier regions in both Africa and Southeast Asia, the programme will adopt a comparative approach exploring the similarities and differences between changing livelihoods and settlement patterns in the selected cases.
The research programme consists of four country programmes, two in Africa (Ghana and Tanzania) and two in Asia (Vietnam and Thailand). The program runs from January 2005 to December 2007. It is funded by RUF (The Research Council for Development Research).
The program is based at the Department of Geography, and collaborating institutions include the Dept. of Geography, University of Ghana, Dept. of Geography, University of Durham, UK, the International Institute of Environment and Development (UK), Institute of Resource Assessment, Tanzania, and the Social Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Contact: Niels Fold [email protected]
ThE NEW DANISH-Egyptian Dialogue Institute in Cairo
Dr. Phil Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen, Associate Professor at the Carsten Niebuhr Institute, has been appointed director of the newly established Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Institute in Cairo.
The Dialogue Institute is founded as part of “The Arab Initiative” by the Danish Government with the purpose of promoting the political and cultural dialogue between Denmark and Egypt and other countries in the Arab World. Through communication, knowledge and political dialogue it is the aim to support human rights and reforming efforts.
The Dialogue Institute is located in the Al Ahram Building in Cairo and will work closely with the Al Ahram Centre for Political Studies. Contact: [email protected] / www.dedi.org.eg North/South Publications
ThE NORDIC Centre in Fudans 10 year Anniversary
From 8-15 May 2005 The Nordic Centre at Fudan University celebrates its 10 year anniversary with a week of celebration, seminars, and different activities at the Centre in Shanghai.
The Nordic Centre in Fudan is a joint project between Fudan University and 20 universities from four Nordic countries, among them University of Copenhagen, and the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) is an associate member. The vision of the Nordic Centre is to promote closer ties and understanding between the Nordic countries and China, by means of jointly undertaken research projects and educational activities for both Nordic and Chinese students.
Among these is the summer course “Introduction to Modern China” for Nordic students, which gives the students an opportunity to learn about Chinese history, politics and economy. In the fall the Centre offers a 7 week Masters course in Chinese Politics, held in English by Nordic and Chinese scholars. The course is open to Nordic as well as to Chinese students. For further information: www.lu.se/nc.
NEW Development Economic Initiatives
The Danida Board and the Danish Embassy in Mozambique have approved three different projects to support research on general economic reforms, business related economic research and public finance and tax studies in Vietnam and Mozambique.
The Development Economics Research Group (DERG) at the Institute of Economics is cooperation partner in these projects, and DERG will collaborate with local research institutions in the two countries. In Vietnam two 5 year research programmes will focus on:
1. Economic growth, poverty reduction, environment and international economic integration, and 2. The development of small and medium sized enterprises and household access to resources in a number of selected provinces.
In the first of these projects the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) is also a cooperation partner. In Mozambique the research programme runs for 20 months and the theme will be economic analysis and research in fiscal incidence and tax policies. Contact: Coordinator at DERG, Finn Tarp: [email protected]
MISTLETOE, new Ornamental Plants and Black Empowerment in South Africa
Ph.d. Bo I. Jørgensen and horticulturist Jørgen S. Damgaard Pedersen of the Botanical Garden, University of Copenhagen, have developed a method for mass propagation of plant parasites most notably mistletoes. This technology is being patented by the University.
As the method was developed using the South African mistletoe Viscum crassulae as model it was decided to commercialise it in South Africa as a black empowerment project. “Fair Plant Nursery Pty (Ltd)” was founded in May 2004 and is a black empowered export nursery located in George, South Africa. One of Fair Plant Nurserys objectives is to be one of the first nurseries to be able to trade under the Fair Trade Label worldwide.
Fair Plant Nursery is a joint venture between New Plant Nursery, George, South Africa, the Danish nursery Danverde a/s, Jørgen S. Damgaard Pedersen and Bo I. Jørgensen, both from the Botanical Garden. The joint venture is in part based on the patented production technology, but does also include development of other ornamental plants for export to the markets in Europe and USA.
Ornamental horticulture is a billion-dollar business and the perspectives for job-creation and generation of export income seem very promising. The joint venture has received funding in the form of a start-up grant from the Danish BtB programme in South Africa. Contact: Associate professor Bo Jørgensen [email protected] and visit the website www.botanicgarden.ku.dk/dk/forskning/FairPlantNursery.htm
