Smart Societies

Internet in Brazil: Key Hard Facts You Must Know

What is the current status of Brazil’s Startup scene? Is it still booming, or has it lost its momentum? There are credible people with strong opinions on both sides of the spectrum. Most optimists, like Indian-American tech entrepreneur and academic Vivek Wadhwa, predict that some Zuckerbergs will emerge from the slums of Sao Paulo before the end of this…

Critical success factors for transnational partnerships

Commentary was recently published in the University World News. By Eugene Sebastian and Abid Khan 25 October 2013 – Issue No:293 Partnership between leading institutions will be absolutely crucial to innovation and success in tackling major issues in a changing world. A small number of critical factors affect the long-term success of collaborations: the depth…

Future of Asian cyberspace: Mobile, social, young

By Ayee Macaraig “Asia will become the largest market for some of the biggest social media campaigns in the world.” Business and technology industry leaders hailed the potential of Internet use in Asia, citing the uptake of social media in the continent. The recently concluded United Nations’ 8th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held here drew global focus…

No stampede of foreign universities despite new laws

Ria Nurdiani and Yojana Sharma – 25 October 2013 No foreign university has applied to operate in Indonesia despite laws passed last year that were designed to make it easier for foreign institutions to set up on a non-profit basis in collaboration with local universities. Higher Education Director General Djoko Santoso confirmed that to date…

Critical success factors for transnational partnerships

Eugene Sebastian and Abid Khan 25 October 2013 Partnership between leading institutions will be absolutely crucial to innovation and success in tackling major issues in a changing world. A small number of critical factors affect the long-term success of collaborations: the depth of the alliance; shared aspirations and strategies; unified governance; and the deployment of…

First ranking of universities in BRICS countries

Karen MacGregor25 October 2013 Issue No:293 The Russian government is behind the world’s first university ranking for the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. UK-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds will produce the pilot BRICS ranking in December.Last Wednesday QS announced that it had been appointed by the Interfax Group, a leading information provider…

Innovation: new engine for China’s development

By ZHOU TIANYONG AT a group study session of the central leadership in September, Party leader Xi Jinping stressed that the implementation of the strategy of innovation-driven development will decide the future of the Chinese nation. He urged the Party and society to grasp the trend of global science and technological innovation and seize the…

Editorial: Indonesia Needs to Invest in Research

By Jakarta Globe on 12:48 pm October 25, 2013. As Indonesia’s economy matures and moves higher up the value chain, it will no longer be able to rely on its rich natural resources and robust domestic consumption. If the country wants to realize its ambition of being a top 10 global economy by 2050, it will have…

Who’s afraid of China’s high tech challenge?

by Guy de Jonquières Senior Fellow, The European Centre for International Political Economy Over the last 30 years, the speed and scale of China’s economic rise have stunned the world. Now its government has mapped out bold plans for the next phase of the nation’s development: transforming it into an innovation powerhouse that occupies a leading, and…

Singapore’s science and technology sector to get a boost

Singapore’s science and technology sector is set to get a big boost — with three new programmes and funding of some S$330 million. SINGAPORE: Singapore’s science and technology sector is set to get a big boost — with three new programmes and funding of some S$330 million. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is also…

Why China is not an innovation powerhouse?

By Guy de Jonquières, Special to CNN Editor’s note: Guy de Jonquières is a senior fellow at the European Centre for International Political Economy. This article is based on his recently published paper, Who’s Afraid of China’s High-Tech Challenge? Some of the sheen may be wearing off China’s miracle growth story as it faces a growing array of economic…

Brazil: Investing in youth

Brazil’s strong economic growth has helped cut the youth unemployment rate over the past decade to levels below those of most OECD countries. Increased investment in education and vocational training is also helping young people get a foot in the jobs market, according to a new OECD report. “Investing in Youth: Brazil”, analyses the youth labour…

Lives in limbo: Migration experiences in Australia’s education–migration nexus

Like many OECD countries, Australia has, over the last 15 years, experimented with ‘the education–migration nexus’: policy frameworks that create pathways for international students to become skilled migrants. This article draws on student-migrant narratives to highlight some key aspects of migrant experience within the education–migration nexus, most notably extended periods of temporary status and the…

Monash’s new campus in China

Words: Eugene Sebastian New campus will leverage China’s R&D boom and its enormous talent. This week Australia’s Monash University and China’s Southeast University (SEU) will formally launch its new joint campus in the burgeoning Suzhou Industrial Park near Shanghai. Supported by Central and Provincial Governments and located in one of the major innovation precincts in…

Factories of the future

Words: Brad Collis The next industrial revolution is well underway at a new research precinct that draws together advanced manufacturing technologies with the potential to change our world. A three-dimensional rampart of titanium sand rises, mesmerisingly, like a grey beach sculpture on a rotating plinth. The fine grains of alloy are being placed and fused…