When the oral history of a medicinal plant as a genetic resource is used to develop a blockbuster drug, how is the contribution of indigenous peoples recognized in research and commercialization? What other ethical, legal, and policy issues come into play? Is it accurate for countries to self-identify as users or providers of genetic resources? This edited collection, which focuses on Canada, i…
Oral Democracy studies citizens' voices in civic and political deliberations in India's gram sabhas (village assemblies), the largest deliberative institution in human history. It analyses nearly three hundred transcripts of gram sabhas, sampled within the framework of a natural experiment, allowing the authors to study how state policy affects the quality of discourse, citizens' discursive per…
Globalization, the information age, and the rise of the knowledge-based economy are significantly transforming the way we acquire, disseminate, and transform knowledge. And, as a result, knowledge production is becoming closer and more directly linked to economic competitiveness. This evolution is also putting new and urgent demands on academic institutions to adjust to the changing needs of so…
Information and communication technologies have long promised to provide quality education, improve health care, allow open government, and solve environmental issues. To realize this potential and influence policy-making and program design, the Singapore Internet Research Centre, supported by IDRC, created an innovative research capacity-building program, SIRCA. The program supports interdisci…
This book documents the regulatory framework covering quality assurance in distance education in several Asian countries. It draws on the experience of 16 distance education and e-learning institutions to reveal their main challenges in developing quality assurance systems. While offering solutions to these challenges, the book demonstrates that staff engagement is the key to creating a culture…
South African universities are mandated to promote scholarship that is socially and economically responsive to local contexts. The contribution of universities to innovation is a key driver of economic and social development, but should be more effectively harnessed to address poverty and inequality. Linking Universities and Marginalised Communities examines how South African universities en…