A partnership with academia

Vi videoconference on TDR for South Africa proposes strategies for economic growth

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Friday, 02 December 2016 11:42

Eveliina Kauppinen

The Vi videoconference on the Trade and Development Report (TDR) 2016 for Vi affiliate South African member, North West University, gathered eight students and lecturers for a discussion on structural transformation November 25.

Igor Paunovic, of UNCTAD's Division on Globalization and Development Strategies, presented an overview of global economic trends in 2016 and UNCTAD’s recommendations for inclusive and sustained economic growth.

According to the report, global growth is likely to drop below 2.5 percent, and developed countries have been facing even slower growth.

TDR16 theme of Vi videoconference for Bulgaria

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Wednesday, 23 November 2016 17:41

Eveliina Kauppinen

A group of 25 students and lecturers from Bulgarian Vi core member, University of National and World Economy, joined UNCTAD’s Alfredo Calcagno for a videoconference presentation of the 2016 Trade and Development Report (TDR) November 16.

According to the report, growth in the volume of global trade remains low, mainly due to lack of global demand and is expected to decrease below 2.5 per cent. The current investment rates in most developing regions are not high enough to support rapid structural transformation.
 

Innovation policies topic of Vi videoconference for Russian member university

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Wednesday, 23 November 2016 14:25

Eveliina Kauppinen

Twenty-nine students and lecturers from Vi affiliate Russian university member,Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), joined a videoconference on the Technology and Innovation Report 2015 November 18.

Padmashree Gehl Sampath, of UNCTAD's Division on Globalization and Development Strategies, began her presentation by discussing the importance of science, technology and innovation (STI) for national economies.

“African countries only account for 0.3% of world’s high-tech exports,” Gehl Sampath began, “this low share of technology intensive activities has led to a renewed emphasis on industrial and innovation policies in developing countries.”

Vi videoconference for Bosnia and Herzegovina on TDR16: Structural transformation essential for sustained growth

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Friday, 18 November 2016 11:24

Hilary Enos Edu

An audience of 22 students and lecturers from Vi Bosnia and Herzegovina core member, the University of Sarajevo, joined UNCTAD for a videoconference presentation on the 2016 Trade and Development Report (TDR) November 11.

Igor Paunovic, of the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies, reported that "the current trends in trade and development have severe repercussions on developing economies and their growth prospects." He said "there is nothing normal about the slow economic growth," which is resulting in "suffering in developing countries."

Vi teaching material on trade policy analysis spawns second UNCTAD/WTO book

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Friday, 18 November 2016 11:08

Susana Olivares

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) launched the second volume in their book series on trade policy analysis on November 15.  The book is yet another outcome of the cooperation between the UNCTAD Virtual Institute (Vi) and the WTO for the benefit of academics and policymakers in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

“The partnership with the WTO began at the inception of the Virtual Institute in 2004,” said Richard Kozul-Wright, Director of UNCTAD’s Division on Globalization and Development Strategies. “The cooperation was further strengthened in 2010, when the WTO launched its WTO Chairs Programme, whose network of 19 universities includes 13 of the Vi’s 131 institutional members.”

The idea for the book began to take shape in 2005, when the Vi, the International Trade Centre and the WTO held an international workshop on trade policy analysis for 20 academics from 15 developing countries. The Vi then developed a teaching material on the topic in 2008, which served as the basis of the first volume in the series, “A Practical Guide to Trade Policy Analysis.”