EAST AFRICA
November 15, 2007
"Africa Warms Up to Biotechnology"
Op-Ed, Business Daily, (Nairobi)
By Ismail Serageldin and Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa
"Much of the debate about biotechnology in Africa assumes that African countries are only being asked to accept products developed elsewhere. To the contrary, Freedom to Innovate: Biotechnology in Africa’s Development shows that extensive biotechnology research is under way in Africa...."
November 8, 2007
"Africa's 'Text Generation' is Here"
Op-Ed, Business Daily
By Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa
"Kenyans will elect a new president in December. But unlike in previous elections, the president will preside over a country dominated by the youth who have a new outlook on life....Performance standards will soon take centre stage and will start to directly challenge patronage as a management style....The "text generation" will be more interested in a functioning economy and less in ethnic politics that has dominated Kenya and most of post-colonial Africa."
October 18, 2007
"Protect Africa from Technological Vandalism"
Op-Ed, Business Daily, (Nairobi)
By Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa
"Predicting technological doom is not new. Early critics of the microelectronics revolution claimed that labour-saving technologies would create unemployment and lead to economic decline. African countries caved in to the scaremongering and imposed restriction on key fields such as industrial automation. Such decisions contributed to the so-called “digital divide” that separate Africa from the rest the world."
October 11, 2007
"Give African Universities Free Internet Access"
Op-Ed, Business Daily, (Nairobi)
By Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa
"Africa (other than South Africa) is currently linked to the developed world by a single fiber-optic cable down the West Africa coast. It is the most digitally-isolated region on the globe."
September 13, 2007
"Africa Needs Development Armies"
Op-Ed, Business Daily, (Africa)
By Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa
"Africa could learn from other countries. The US Army Corps of Engineers has been instrumental in the construction and maintenance of critical infrastructure since its creation in the 1930s. Similarly, the Corps of Royal Engineers has a long record spanning 900 years of contributing to civilian infrastructure ."
August 23, 2007
"Fuelling a Sustainable Economy"
Op-Ed, Business Daily, (Africa)
By Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa
"In response to long periods of neglect, African countries are starting to invest in new energy production facilities...."
August 13, 2007
"Attempts to Control News Futile"
Op-Ed, The Daily Nation, (Kenya)
By Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa
KENYA’S RECENTLY-ADOPTED Media Bill has been noted to contain some useful provisions. It is also being roundly condemned for demanding disclosures that would impede the press from acting freely.
July 13, 2007
"Does the UN Still Matter?"
Op-Ed, The Financial Express, (India)
By Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor
"The UN is more an instrument of its member states than an independent actor in world politics."
March 16, 2007
"Regional Trade Blocs Hold Key to Technology Gains"
Op-Ed, Business Daily, (Nairobi)
By Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa
The ongoing effort by the three East African countries to educate citizens on the benefits of an East African Federation represents an important step on the road to greater regional integration....
January 12, 2007
How a French-led Force Could Save Somalia
Op-Ed, Financial Times
By Robert Rotberg, Director, Program on Intrastate Conflict and Conflict Resolution
To prevent Somalia from reverting to insecurity and warlordism, immediate, concerted action by the powers of Europe and the United Nations is essential.
