Monthly Archives: February 2011
Internet and Democracy
Does the internet impact democracy? Does is help foster democracy, or does it absolutely have no impact? This debate has been heating up in the last few years with the dramatic impact of Web 2.0 and social media. In this … Continue reading
The Mobile Money (M-PESA) Phenomenon in Kenya!
M-PESA, a mobile phone-based system for person-to-person payments and money transfers. M-PESA – M stands for mobile phone, and PESA is a Swahili word for money. We in the developed world take money transfer for granted, as is usually a … Continue reading
Tertiary (Higher) Education: Issues and Impact
In today’s globalized world, and in a knowledge-based economy, we have seen the emergence of knowledge as a major driver of growth in the context of the global economy, the information and communication revolution, the emergence of a worldwide labor … Continue reading
BRICs Series – 4: Russia – Impact of its History on its Economy
Historical facts: It’s centralized and militarized state has distinguished Russia for centuries. It’s deeply ingrained sense of territorial security created the need for a large and expensive state bureaucracy and military. After WWI, the Russian empire lagged economically and technologically … Continue reading
BRICs Series – 3 : Brazil and its Recent Rise
Some Historical Background: Brazil achieved independence from Portugal in 1822, but a constitutional monarchy was preserved until 1889. The old republic (1889–1930) was a highly decentralized state dominated by local political clans. Internal conflicts led to the collapse of the … Continue reading
BRICs Series – 2 : China and its Economy
History: Historically, China has been the most powerful state in East Asia. From the Han dynasty (206 BC to AD 220) through to the early modern period, it was one of the most advanced countries in the world technologically. But … Continue reading
The Role of Civil Society in Educational Development
Social Accountability and Governance – Role of Civil Society: There is a fundamental misunderstanding regarding the role of civic engagement in the development of a country – it is perceived as existing in the absence of a robust state. In … Continue reading
The Mobile Phone Revolution in the Developing World
Globally, there has been an explosion of wireless communication, especially of mobile phones. Wireless-phone subscription is growing faster than fixed-line subscription. The adoption of wireless communication technologies occurs for different reasons in different types of economies. For example in countries … Continue reading
BRICs Series – 1 : The Indian Economy – Issues, Impact & Potential
In 2001, Goldman Sachs famously came up with the term BRICs (representing Brazil, Russia, India & China), and estimated that by the year 2050, the combined economies of the BRIC countries could eclipse the combined economies of the current richest … Continue reading
Why Broadband Internet Matters….and the Building Blocks for Broadband
Globally, more than 1 billion broadband subscriptions exist. By 2013, the number of broadband subscriptions (both wireline and wireless) is expected to exceed 3 billion. Some countries, such as Singapore, already have a combined fixed and mobile broadband penetration rate … Continue reading
