World Bank group announces that it opens data to all April 28, 2010
Posted by Andrea in : International Relations, Liaison , add a commentThe following announcement has been made by the World Bank, and might be of interest. Click here to read the complete announcement on the World Bank website.
Development Indicators, and Global Economic Monitor are now free, open, and easy to access at data.worldbank.org.
Recognizing that transparency and accountability are essential to development, the World Bank Group now provides free, open, and easy access to its comprehensive set of data on living standards around the globe – some 2,000 indicators, including hundreds that go back 50 years. The data is available in Arabic, French, and Spanish in addition to English. (more…)
Securing the Humanities in an Age of Failing Economics April 7, 2010
Posted by Peter in : Humanities and Education Studies, Projects, Uncategorized , add a commentProf Peter Vale, Co-Chair, ASSAf Consensus Panel on the Humanities
From almost every corner of the Anglophone world, the complaint is the same: “The Humanities are under threat”. I use the qualifier because, sadly, my ability to access other language worlds – beyond the Dutch-Afrikaans link – is limited.*
The question is what is to be done to recover and revive the Humanities?
Research and deliberations into ASSAf’s own Consensus Report on the Humanities in South Africa is well under way and the hope is to issue a preliminary report in late October, 2010. My own view of this issue is framed by an understanding of political economy – the rise of neo-liberal economics has emphasized economic growth and efficiency and, in this particular universe, the Humanities have no place ( the State of Science in South Africa, pg 210). This is a fallacy, of course. Take the creation of jobs. In this country alone, right now, one of the strongest areas of economic growth is Afrikaans cultural production – most of this is both creates jobs and pushes economic growth. (more…)
