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This article reviews the recent literature on Dynamic and Stochastic General Equilibrium Models for Sub-Saharan Africa business cycles. This literature has two objectives (i) to identify the factors specific to these countries that explain their high volatility and (ii) to assess the relevant monetary and fiscal policies given these factors. We present the progress made by this literature and underscore its limits. ; Cet article propose une revue de la littérature sur les modèles d'équilibre général dynamique et stochastique appliqués aux pays d'Afrique Sub-saharienne. Cette littérature a pour double objectif (i) d'identifier les facteurs spécifiques à ces économies susceptibles d'expliquer leur très forte instabilité et (ii) d'évaluer les politiques monétaires et fiscales adéquates face à ces facteurs. Nous présentons les avancées de cette littérature à l'aune de ces deux objectifs et en soulignons les limites.

This article reviews the recent literature on Dynamic and Stochastic General Equilibrium Models for Sub-Saharan Africa business cycles. This literature has two objectives (i) to identify the factors specific to these countries that explain their high volatility and (ii) to assess the relevant monetary and fiscal policies given these factors. We present the progress made by this literature and underscore its limits. ; Cet article propose une revue de la littérature sur les modèles d'équilibre général dynamique et stochastique appliqués aux pays d'Afrique Sub-saharienne. Cette littérature a pour double objectif (i) d'identifier les facteurs spécifiques à ces économies susceptibles d'expliquer leur très forte instabilité et (ii) d'évaluer les politiques monétaires et fiscales adéquates face à ces facteurs. Nous présentons les avancées de cette littérature à l'aune de ces deux objectifs et en soulignons les limites.

This article reviews the recent literature on Dynamic and Stochastic General Equilibrium Models for Sub-Saharan Africa business cycles. This literature has two objectives (i) to identify the factors specific to these countries that explain their high volatility and (ii) to assess the relevant monetary and fiscal policies given these factors. We present the progress made by this literature and underscore its limits. ; Cet article propose une revue de la littérature sur les modèles d'équilibre général dynamique et stochastique appliqués aux pays d'Afrique Sub-saharienne. Cette littérature a pour double objectif (i) d'identifier les facteurs spécifiques à ces économies susceptibles d'expliquer leur très forte instabilité et (ii) d'évaluer les politiques monétaires et fiscales adéquates face à ces facteurs. Nous présentons les avancées de cette littérature à l'aune de ces deux objectifs et en soulignons les limites.

This article reviews the recent literature on Dynamic and Stochastic General Equilibrium Models for Sub-Saharan Africa business cycles. This literature has two objectives (i) to identify the factors specific to these countries that explain their high volatility and (ii) to assess the relevant monetary and fiscal policies given these factors. We present the progress made by this literature and underscore its limits. ; Cet article propose une revue de la littérature sur les modèles d'équilibre général dynamique et stochastique appliqués aux pays d'Afrique Sub-saharienne. Cette littérature a pour double objectif (i) d'identifier les facteurs spécifiques à ces économies susceptibles d'expliquer leur très forte instabilité et (ii) d'évaluer les politiques monétaires et fiscales adéquates face à ces facteurs. Nous présentons les avancées de cette littérature à l'aune de ces deux objectifs et en soulignons les limites.

Im Rahmen eines philosophischen Beitrags wird versucht, das menschliche Handeln als ein sinnhaftes Tun zu würdigen und es in dieser Sinnhaftigkeit zugleich als einen Gegenstand der empirischen Forschung zugänglich zu machen. Den Weg zu diesem Ziel liefert das Gestaltungskonzept des Handelns, in dem Handeln als ein mehrdimensionaler Prozess von empirisch konstatierbaren Formbildungen im Bereich der Körperlichkeit, der Innerweltlichkeit, der Bewusstheit, der Geistigkeit und des technischen Charakters des Handelns aufgefasst wird. In Anlehnung an A. N. Whiteheads Theorie der Symbolisierung wird die Integration dieser verschiedenen Formbildungsprozesse zur Einheit einer Handlung dargestellt. Prozesse der Formangleichung durch kausale Wirksamkeit und der Interpretation durch imaginative Präsentation greifen hier ineinander. Auf der Ebene der Repräsentationen führt dieses Ineinandergreifen zu einer symbolischen Homogenisierung, die menschliches Handeln in die Einheit bestimmter Handlungen gliedert.

Es wird der Versuch unternommen, zentrale Bedeutungen des Begriffs Rassismus zu klären. Die Begriffe "Ausländerfeindlichkeit", "Ethnozentrismus" und "Fremdenfeindlichkeit" werden als unspezifisch für die Beschreibung und Erklärung einer Reihe von Problemzusammenhängen thematisiert. Als allgemeiner und damit übergeordneter Begriff wird der des Rassismus besprochen. Das Verhältnis von Rasse und Rassismus, die Rede von einem "Rassismus ohne Rassen", soziale und pseudowissenschaftliche Konstruktionen als Erklärungs- und Rechtfertigungsideologien auf dem Hintergrund der europäischen Kolonisation und Eroberung als Entstehungskontext des Rassismus werden diskutiert. Im Mittelpunkt steht der Versuch einer adäquaten Definition des Begriffs Rassismus, die brauchbar für das Erkennen von Differenzen ist und zugleich Selbstreflexionen möglich macht. Ausgehend von einer Standarddefinition werden der klassische, der reaktive, der Neo- und der diffuse Rassismusbegriff vorgestellt. Implikationen für die Psychologie werden abschließend diskutiert.

Introduction. Recent trends in the sphere of internationalisation of higher education expand theoretical insights into the dialectical nature of correlation between pedagogical science and educational practice, as well as the relationship between the general direc tions of the development of higher education, its national and regional specifics. An analysis of the experience of internationalisation of universities is required for the development of various models to modernise higher education, including legal education, and to substantiate practical recommendations for reforming the Russian higher education system. To date, an understanding has been reached of the need to internationalise higher education in the context of globalization to increase the competitiveness of the Russian higher education system, as evidenced by the Federal project to maximise the competitive position of Russian universities among the world's leading scientific and educational centres (The Russian Academic Excellence Project 5-100). Internationalisation, being the key to optimising the export potential of Russian higher education, is essential for the modernisation of legal education. Aim. The research aimed to evaluate the productivity of actual instruments of international cooperation between universities and to outline optimal approaches to the usage of successful practices of international and Russian educational space to enhance the attractiveness of Russian legal education, and, as a consequence, the creation of a sustainable competitive advantage of a higher education institution. Methodology and research methods. Complex, interdisciplinary goals and tasks of the present research predetermined the application of gnoseological and synergetic approaches to the selection of research tools. The gnoseological approach facilitated a more profound analysis of the nature of internationalisation and integration of education in the current international processes. The synergetic approach resulted in the integration of pedagogical and legal research methods to define an optimal internationalisation strategy for the training of multiskilled legal professionals. Results. The authors assessed the effectiveness of the existing ways of internationalization of Russian legal education according to foreign student demand. A comprehensive analysis of the legal, political and social aspects of the current state of attractiveness of the Russian market of educational services and the need to identify the specifics of the internationalization of higher legal education was carried out. The experience monitoring of inter-university international cooperation allowed the authors to determine the conditions for the effectiveness of joint legal programmes (creation of an innovative educational environment, project activities and a flexible management system); to analyse modern pedagogical technologies applicable to legal disciplines; to determine the best schemes used by Russian and European universities for external mobility of students and teachers; to develop the proposals for the introduction of disciplines (for Russian students) provided in foreign languages by Russian and foreign teachers; to propose measures to improve the state policy in the field of interest, aimed at stimulating Russian universities to develop international joint educational programmes. Scientific novelty. The article presented the analysis of positive and negative experiences of Russian universities in application of internationalisation key tools in legal higher education. The acknowledged internationalisation methods of higher education were systematised in general. The additional ways for the integration of Russian legal education, in particular, to the international educational space, were identified. Practical significance consists in the approbation of new methods based on competency and practice-oriented approaches. The authors developed the guidelines for the implementation of internationalisation to enhance university competitive advantage and to increase the demand for graduates in labour market. ; Введение. Изучение последних тенденций в области интернационализации высшего образования расширяет теоретические представления о диалектическом характере взаимосвязи педагогической науки и образовательной практики, а также о соотношении общих направлений развития высшего образования, его национальной и региональной специфик. Анализ опыта интернационализации университетов необходим для выработки различных моделей модернизации высшего образования, включая юридическое, и для обоснования практических рекомендаций по реформированию российской системы высшего образования. К настоящему моменту достигнуто понимание необходимости интернационализации высшего образования в условиях глобализации для повышения конкурентоспособности российской системы высшего образования, о чем свидетельствует, в частности, Федеральный проект повышения конкурентоспособности российских университетов среди ведущих мировых научно-образовательных центров (проект 5–100). Интернационализация, будучи залогом оптимизации экспортного потенциала российского высшего образования, крайне необходима для модернизации юридического образования. Целью исследования являлась оценка продуктивности существующих инструментов международного сотрудничества вузов и формулировка оптимальных подходов к использованию успешных практик мирового и отечественного образовательного пространства для повышения привлекательности российского юридического образования и, как следствие, конкурентоспособности вуза в целом. Методология, методы и методики. Комплексные, междисциплинарные цели и задачи настоящего обзора предопределили использование сочетания гносеологического и синергетического подходов к подбору его инструментария: первый способствовал углубленному анализу сущности интернационализации и интеграции образования в современные международные процессы, а синергетический подход позволил объединить методы педагогического и правового исследования ради определения оптимальной стратегии интернационализации в подготовке юридических кадров широкого профиля. Результаты. В статье проведена оценка эффективности имеющихся способов интернационализации российского юридического образования с точки зрения его востребованности среди иностранных студентов; осуществлен комплексный анализ правовых, политических и социальных аспектов актуального состояния привлекательности российского рынка образовательных услуг и необходимости выявления специфики интернационализации высшего юридического образования. Мониторинг опыта межуниверситетского международного сотрудничества позволил определить условия эффективности совместных программ по юриспруденции (создания инновационной образовательной среды, проектной деятельности и гибкой системы управления); проанализировать современные педагогические технологии, применимые к юридическим дисциплинам; определить наиболее оптимальные схемы, используемые российскими и европейскими университетами при осуществлении внешней мобильности студентов и преподавателей; выработать предложения по внедрению в образовательный процесс для российских студентов дисциплин, преподаваемых на иностранных языках как российскими, так и зарубежными преподавателями; предложить меры по совершенствованию государственной политики в искомой сфере, направленные на стимулирование российских университетов развивать международные совместные образовательные программы. Научная новизна. В статье проанализирован как положительный, так и отрицательный опыт российских университетов по внедрению ключевых инструментов интернационализации высшего юридического образования, систематизированы признанные способы интернационализации высшего образования в целом и сформулированы дополнительные инструменты интеграции, в частности, российского юридического образования в мировое образовательное пространство. Практическая значимость. Апробированы новые методики, основанные на компетентностном и практико-ориентированном подходах. Разработаны методические инструкции для реализации интернационализации высшего юридического образования с целью повышения конкурентоспособности учебного заведения и востребованности выпускников на рынке труда. ; Коллектив авторов выражает благодарность Российскому фонду фундаментальных исследований за финансовую поддержку грантового проекта «Основные способы интернационализации высшего юридического образования» (Заявка № 20-113-50186-Экспансия), а также анонимным рецензентам за внимание, уделенное настоящей статье. ; The team of authors expresses gratitude to the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) for financial support of the grant project "Primary Methods of Internationalisation of Higher Legal Education" (Application № 20-113-50186) and to the anonymous reviewers for their attention paid to the current research.

Gender mainstreaming has been associated to the creation of an enabling environment for CSA. Indeed, gender mainstreaming is considered, at international level, as critical to achieving national development goals and addressing key global challenges such as climate change and food and nutrition insecurity in the agriculture sector. However, despite multiple international commitments on gender issues, having gender-labeled policy and governmental gender bodies, gender mainstreaming in the policy cycle is lagging. In this communication for the CSA workshop, we propose to identify and analyze the barriers leading to poor gender mainstreaming and potential solutions in policies for CSA in Guatemala and Honduras. Indeed, within the gender and development literature has been extensively researched and emphasized the importance of considering the nexus between gender, agriculture, food security and nutrition (FSN), and climate change (CC) not only to reduce gender inequalities, but also to address CC and FSN issues. However, few studies address the process of gender integration in the policy cycle related to the nexus of gender, agriculture, FSN, and CC, the critical policy nexus to create a CSA enabling environment. No specific methodology has been developed to assess gender integration in CC, FSN, and agricultural policies either. This study seeks to bridge this gap. We developed and conducted a methodology based on the three concepts of policy integration, policy mix and policy translation. We rely on the 'policy integration' concept to capture the level of integration of gender issues. Policy integration refers to the incorporation of an issue in policy making and policy evaluation and is often used interchangeably with mainstreaming. We consider integration at all stages of the policy cycle from elaboration, to implementation and evaluation. The concept of 'policy mix' captures the interactions between relevant policies affecting a boundary spanning challenges in a specific space and time. It also enables us to the analyze the coherence of the interaction of policy instruments (instruments mix) to achieve a specific goal. We considered gender equity as our boundary-spanning challenge, and the scope of our analyzed policy mix includes the policy domains of gender, CC, FSN, and agriculture. Analyzing policy interactions can furnish a more holistic understanding of how policies included in the policy mix affect gender equity. As the issue of gender integration has been promoted by international arena toward national or local arena, especially in less developed countries (Acosta et al., 2019a), we also movilize 'policy translation' concepts as it is one of the processes affecting policy integration. Considering two different countries, incorporating the policy translation concept enables us to better understanding of the potential barriers to gender integration in policies related to CC, agriculture, and FSN during this translation phase. Through policy document analysis and key informant interviews, we examine the barriers that result in poor gender mainstreaming in CC, FSN, and agricultural policies and explore possible solutions, using a case study approach applied to Guatemala and Honduras. Guatemala and Honduras were selected as very relevant cases to address gender mainstreaming issue. On the one hand, the two countries have made international commitments related to gender integration in policy, and their governments have elaborated gender policies at national and sectorial levels (e.g. agriculture) and created gender bodies in charge of coordinating gender mainstreaming/gender policy implementation. Results show that, despite having made multiple international commitments on gender issues and having gender-labeled policy and governmental gender bodies, gender mainstreaming in the policy cycle is lagging. There are multiple barriers of a different nature and at different levels that explain the lack of gender integration in the policy cycle, related and linked to: (1) policy translation from the international level; (2) structural policy barriers at national level; (3) behaviors and corruption; and (4) lack of knowledge and capacity. At policy translation level, although gender is integrated in sectorial and national policy, it is not sufficient to observe a change in bridging/closing the gender gaps. At structural policy level, there is a gap between the creation of policies and their implementation. The lack of gender integration also comes from the way governments operate, divided by sectors and not used to working on cross-cutting issues. Additionally, we establish a link between the country's structural poverty and the lack of gender integration in policies. Finally, the weakness of the gender institutional framework in terms of human resources staff capacity constitute an additional barrier. Behaviors and corruption barriers refer to state corruption, patriarchal culture, and the lack of interest by politicians that affect the effectiveness of gender mainstreaming. The lack of knowledge and capacity barriers correspond to the lack of gender awareness. This leads to the coexistence of different definitions of gender equality and gender mainstreaming in policies and, consequently, different conceptions of how to achieve it. Besides, the technical approach given to CC issue results in ignoring its social aspects and thus the lack of gender inclusion. Solutions to address these barriers have been identified. Some of the solutions mentioned by interviewees in both countries and in policy documents are consistent with literature findings such as the need to keep building capacity on gender, to produce scientific evidence on gender to inform policy, to push for more law enforcement, to foster women access to property, and to improve policy and project design. Additionally, our study shed light on the level of discouragement and feelings of powerlessness of key informants on the situation they shared, to which they saw no solution, as was particularly the case in Guatemala. Furthermore, there were no references to the need to strengthen sectorial gender units and civil society (both financially and in terms of capacity). We also highlight the importance of considering the nature of the relationship (purely technical and/or political) between governments and international cooperation actors to evaluate the level of gender integration in policy. Neither in this study (interviews and policy documents) nor in the literature were concrete solutions proposed to overcoming the barriers related to structural racism and machismo, religious extremism, power groups, and censorship of civil society. Based on these findings we find interesting to further discuss, the role of research for development organizations as well as the wider international cooperation in addressing those barriers. We find interesting to start discussing how to address complex barriers of structural racism and machismo, religious extremism, power groups, and censorship of civil society from science and/or other modes of action. We hope that these findings can help the reflection on how to build enabling policy environments to achieve CSA goals which is underpinned by gender inclusion in all policy cycle.

Since the oil and gas (O&G) sector's take-off in the 1970s, this natural bounty has yielded myriad benefits to Malaysia. While not falling into the 'resource curse' of an unquestioned reliance on natural resources, the O&G sector is nonetheless a key enabler for many aspects of the country's economy and public finances. Malaysia's current account shows the significance of the sector, which has long accounted for a sizable proportion of merchandise exports and foreign exchange earnings. In 1990, for instance, the country's global exports of fuel and derived products totaled US$5.4 billion and made up 18.3 per cent of all merchandise exports. In 2019, just before the COVID crisis struck, the corresponding figures were US$34.5 billion and 14.5 per cent. Beyond those in the country's ledgers, indications of the O&G sector's skyrocketing success are everywhere – most visibly in the country's much-vaunted infrastructure. Examples include but are not limited to: the Petronas Towers, the erstwhile tallest buildings in the world and centrepiece of Kuala Lumpur's skyline; Putrajaya, the country's administrative capital; and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The sector has also underpinned many of Malaysia's economic nationalist aspirations. Today, the government-owned corporate giant, Petronas, is a source of pride and, in 2021, was the nation's sole Fortune Global 500 company. The government has also sought to foster an eco-system of local firms in the O&G sector to diversify the economy and foster more technologically-intensive tasks. And, when demand calls, it has used the country's national flagship firm to bail out capsizing corporate captains. However, there are growing signs that, going forward, the sector will no longer be able to play such an outsized role. One statistic suffices to illustrate this trend. In 2009, as much as 40 per cent of government revenue was derived from O&G-related sources; in 2021, however, the corresponding figure had plummeted to a mere 19.2 per cent. Despite the ...

In winter, Ulaanbaatar is the coldest and most-polluted capital city in the world. The main cause of air pollution is the burning of raw coal for heating and cooking in ger areas, which accounts for 80% of the city's PM2.5 (inhalable particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter). Rapid urbanization, driven by fewer economic opportunities in rural areas of Mongolia, will continue to put pressure on air pollution in Ulaanbaatar. The impacts of air pollution in Ulaanbaatar are severe and have enormous socioeconomic costs. These impacts are, unsurprisingly, hardest felt by the city's vulnerable—the poor, the young, and the elderly. High exposure to pollution results in chronic illnesses, increased medical costs, and shorter life expectancy, and these effects in turn translate into productivity losses for the country. Mongolia's challenge to reduce air pollution has unique aspects that require tailored solutions. However, there are important lessons from the successful experiences of other countries that can be adopted. These include improved data collection and monitoring, increased public awareness and government accountability, strengthened institutions, technology transfer, and financing mechanisms to support the transition to cleaner energy and technologies. Reducing pollution levels in Ulaanbaatar will be an extended process requiring a mix of short- and long-term actions. The Government of Mongolia has reinvigorated the country's commitment to the issue through a number of recent actions and policy announcements. This briefing note presents recommendations that can crystallize the existing policy momentum into a long-term, institutionalized framework for sustainable solutions to reduce air pollution in Ulaanbaatar. In the shorter term, policies should focus on improving institutional management, increasing information flows, and implementing preventive measures that can be enacted quickly and with visible results. In the longer term, it is recommended to adopt reforms to ensure the sustainability of efforts to reduce pollution, such as curbing rural-urban migration by creating livelihood opportunities in rural areas, and redeveloping urban areas in line with environmental targets.

Since 1995, French governments implemented a specific strategy aiming at lowering unemployment or inactivity of so called unskilled workers, in fact of low wage workers. This strategy used two tools: cuts in employers' social contributions reduce companies' costs for hiring low-wage workers; the Prime Pour l'Emploi, PPE, raises low-wage workers' incomes, and increases the gap between wage and assistance benefits in order to increase incentives for low-wage workers to take a job. The paper provides a description of the situation of unskilled workers in France. It describes the history of measures lowering employers' contributions on low wages, presents and discusses the studies that have tried to assess the impact of such measures on employment. These cuts cost approximately 18 billion euros in 2007. An average estimate of about 550,000 jobs created would have an ex post cost of 9 billion euro, i.e. 176,000 euros per created job. The history and the structure of the PPE are presented. According to existing studies, the PPE would not have a significant effect on labour supply. Should it be concluded from it that there is not inactivity trap? Or, on the contrary, that the trap is very deep? The current debate on the appropriateness to maintain employers' contribution and PPE or to reform them is addressed.

Since 1995, French governments implemented a specific strategy aiming at lowering unemployment or inactivity of so called unskilled workers, in fact of low wage workers. This strategy used two tools: cuts in employers' social contributions reduce companies' costs for hiring low-wage workers; the Prime Pour l'Emploi, PPE, raises low-wage workers' incomes, and increases the gap between wage and assistance benefits in order to increase incentives for low-wage workers to take a job. The paper provides a description of the situation of unskilled workers in France. It describes the history of measures lowering employers' contributions on low wages, presents and discusses the studies that have tried to assess the impact of such measures on employment. These cuts cost approximately 18 billion euros in 2007. An average estimate of about 550,000 jobs created would have an ex post cost of 9 billion euro, i.e. 176,000 euros per created job. The history and the structure of the PPE are presented. According to existing studies, the PPE would not have a significant effect on labour supply. Should it be concluded from it that there is not inactivity trap? Or, on the contrary, that the trap is very deep? The current debate on the appropriateness to maintain employers' contribution and PPE or to reform them is addressed.

An Analysis of Six Case Studies in Developing and High-Income Countries ; This paper focuses on core aspects of the political economy of reform, drawing on case studies of three economies transitioning to stronger business environments (Hungary, the Republic of Korea, and Mexico) and three countries with well-developed business environments (Australia, Italy, and the United Kingdom). The purpose is threefold: first, to identify so-called drivers of reform among successfully reforming countries; second, to explore how a reform strategy can make optimal use of the opportunities provided by the drivers of change; and third; to suggest how these lessons can be proactively used by other reformers to design and guide reforms. The case study findings suggest that, regardless of the content of reform, success is influenced by an evolving mix of seven drivers of change: i) globalization or competitiveness; ii) crisis; iii) political leadership; iv) unfolding reform synergies; v) technocrats; vi) changes in civil society, and vii) external pressure. The case studies suggest that reformers can influence the direction and pace of change by mobilizing and exploiting drivers of it. Rather than a cause-and-effect scenario in which a single driver-such as a crisis-creates and defines the success of a body of reforms, what happens is an unfolding series of events in which various drivers become more and less important in defining phases of the reform process.

Includes bibliography (p. 439-461). ; Number of sources in the bibliography: 304 ; Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Cyprus, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture, 2016. ; The University of Cyprus Library holds the printed form of the thesis. ; Η έννοια της συλλογικής νοημοσύνης χαράσσει νέες κατευθύνσεις ως προς τον τρόπο προσέγγισης πολλών σύγχρονων θεμάτων πολιτικής, οικονομικής, κοινωνικής και ηθικής φύσης, αποδίδοντας μεγάλη έμφαση στις δυναμικές σχέσεις που αναπτύσσονται μεταξύ των συμβαλλόμενων μερών. Κατ' επέκταση, ο συλλογικός χώρος που προκύπτει ως αποτέλεσμα αυτής της 'ανοικτής' διαδικασίας, μπορεί να αποτελέσει το πεδίο όπου διάφορες αβεβαιότητες αποκαλύπτονται, αλλά και να λειτουργήσει ως το πεδίο όπου οι αντιθέσεις, συγκρούσεις και αντιπαραθέσεις συνιστούν τα κύρια στοιχεία που ορίζουν την αρχιτεκτονική δημιουργία. Εξετάζοντας οποιαδήποτε χωρική προβληματική, καλούμαστε να ανταπεξέλθουμε σε έναν τεράστιο αριθμό παραμέτρων που αναδεικνύουν την ανεπάρκεια των διαθέσιμων μεθόδων σχεδιασμού για την αντιμετώπιση πολύπλοκων αστικών προβλημάτων. Σε άλλους επιστημονικούς κλάδους, όπως αυτόν της πληροφορικής, η διαχείριση της πολυπλοκότητας φαίνεται να επιτυγχάνεται από τους ίδιους τους χρήστες, με την υιοθέτηση διαφόρων μοντέλων συλλογικών διαδικασιών, όπως είναι ο ανοικτός κώδικας (open source), η ομότιμη δυναμική (p2p), ο πληθοπορισμός (crowdsourcing), κ.λπ. Εν αντιθέσει, στον κλάδο του αστικού σχεδιασμού οι εκφάνσεις συλλογικών πρακτικών σχετίζονται με την έννοια του συμμετοχικού σχεδιασμού, ο οποίος συχνά περιορίζεται στην εμπλοκή διαφόρων ενδιαφερομένων στη διαδικασία σχεδιασμού και στην απόδοση ευθυνών σχεδιασμού προς αυτούς, για την παραγωγή χώρων που θα αφορούν τις ανάγκες των πραγματικών χρηστών. Παρότι ο σχεδιασμός συνήθως επικεντρώνεται στο τελικό προϊόν σχεδιασμού, στην πραγματικότητα τα στάδια της διαδικασίας σχεδιασμού, τα οποία ξεκινούν με τον προσδιορισμό ενός αστικού προβλήματος και με στόχο την ανάπτυξη ενός τελικού προϊόντος, συνήθως παραμένουν στην αφάνεια, παρόλο που αποτελούν ουσιώδες μέρος της αρχιτεκτονικής πρακτικής. Για τους λόγους αυτούς, η παρούσα μελέτη αποσκοπεί στη διερεύνηση της έννοιας της συλλογικής νοημοσύνης, εστιάζοντας στο σχεδιασμό ως μια διαδικασία η οποία εκτείνεται πέρα από τα όρια κάθε έργου και η οποία δύναται να συμβάλλει στη διάδοση της γνώσης. Το τελευταίο κατέστη δυνατό μέσα από την επιλογή της πλατφόρμας αρχιτεκτονικών διαγωνισμών Europan, ως περιπτωσιολογικής μελέτης. Για το σκοπό αυτό χρησιμοποιήθηκαν αναλυτικές μέθοδοι προσέγγισης συγκεκριμένων έργων από το αρχείο του Europan, σε συνδυασμό με ένα αριθμό συνεντεύξεων των εμπλεκόμενων μερών για τα επιλεγμένα έργα, καθώς επίσης πραγματοποιήθηκε διεξοδική μελέτη του 28-χρόνου αρχείου του Europan. Η διατριβή κατέδειξε ότι οι συλλογικές πρακτικές που διενεργούνται μεταξύ των παραγόντων ενός έργου (πόλεις, αρχιτέκτονες, εμπειρογνώμονες, φορείς ανάπτυξης) και οι οποίες διαμορφώνουν σταδιακά το σχεδιασμό ενός έργου, επωφελούνται και ενισχύονται από τις πλατφόρμες επικοινωνίας που προσφέρονται από το θεσμό του Europan (χώροι δημόσιας συζήτησης (forum, debates), εργαστήρια, εκθέσεις, κλπ.). Ως εκ τούτου, διαπιστώθηκε ότι ένα έργο αστικού σχεδιασμού μπορεί να αποκτήσει υβριδικά χαρακτηριστικά, επηρεαζόμενο τόσο από την ιδιαιτερότητα του χωρικού πλαισίου αναφοράς όσο και από τη δυναμική των δικτύων των παραγόντων τα οποία εκτείνονται σε όλες τις ευρωπαϊκές πόλεις που εμπλέκονται στο θεσμό. Κατά συνέπεια, διαπιστώθηκε ότι η πλατφόρμα του θεσμού Europan αποτελεί όντως ένα πρακτικό πολυεπίπεδο μέσο, μια κοινή πλατφόρμα επικοινωνίας των διαφόρων παραγόντων, ένα μέσο για την παραγωγή και διάδοση της γνώσης, ένα εν εξελίξει ερευνητικό πεδίο καθώς και ένα ενεργό μέσο στη διαμόρφωση πολιτικής. Η καινοτομία της εργασίας έγκειται στο γεγονός ότι ο συγγραφέας πρότεινε την ανάπτυξη μιας προσαρμοστικής μεθοδολογίας για τη χαρτογράφηση της πορείας εξέλιξης μιας αστικής κατάστασης, από το στάδιο προσδιορισμού της προβληματικής μέχρι και την υλοποίηση ενός έργου και η οποία αξιοποιεί πλήρως τη συσσωρευμένη γνώση που διαθέτει σήμερα ο θεσμός του Europan. Η επιστημονική αξία της εργασίας έγκειται στο ότι η γενίκευση της μεθοδολογίας αυτής θα μπορούσε να οδηγήσει στην εφαρμογή της πέρα από τα καθορισμένα όρια του θεσμού του Europan και να συμβάλει στην εμφάνιση ή την περαιτέρω ενίσχυση της συλλογικής νοημοσύνης. ; The concept of collective intelligence opens up new avenues in the potential approaches to many contemporary issues of a political, economic, social and moral nature, by laying great emphasis on the dynamic relations which are developed among the contributing parties. In turn, the collective space that emerges as the outcome of this 'open' process can function as the field where uncertainties are revealed as well as where the confrontation with differences, contrasts, conflicts and controversies that define architecture on the making, takes place. Coming across any problematic urban situation, we are faced with a vast number of parameters that highlight the inadequacy of our planning methods to respond to complex urban problems. In other disciplines, such as in Information Technology, the management of complexity appears likely to be resolved by the users themselves, by embracing several models of collective processes, such as open source, p2p, crowdsourcing, etc. That said, in urban design such manifestations of collective practices are usually related to the 'traditional' form of participatory design, that is often limited to engaging stakeholders in the design process and to attributing design responsibilities to them in order to produce environments for the actual users. Despite the perseverance of a design process being mainly focused on the end-product of the design, the process that starts from identifying the urban problem towards an end-product usually remains invisible but at the same time is a very challenging part of the architectural practice. On these grounds, this study explores the concept of collective intelligence by focusing on design as a process that stretches beyond the specific project and contributes to the spread of knowledge. The latter was made possible with the employment of Europan architectural competitions' platform as a case study. Analytical approach methods of selective Europan projects including interviews of key actors for the selected projects and the study of Europan's 28 year course archive were employed. The dissertation demonstrated that the collective practices between project actors (cities, architects, experts, developers) formulate gradually the design project, profiting from the platforms offered by the Europan institution (forums, workshops, debates). Therefore, it was found that the making of an urban design project can obtain hybrid characteristics, depending both on the specificity of the actual context and the dynamics of networks of actors that span all European cities involved. Consequently, it was found that the Europan platform is indeed a practical multi-level medium, a shared platform for the communication of diverse actors, a means of production and spread of knowledge, a domain of research in progress and an active argument in the formation of politics. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the author suggested the development of an adaptive methodology for mapping an urban situation's course of evolution into an implemented project that fully exploits Europan's accumulated knowledge. The significance attached to the latter is that the methodology's generalization could lead to its use over and above the Europan's context and contribute to the emergence or the enhancement of collective intelligence.

This book on the legacy of Albert Schweitzer contextualises this remarkable intellectualist, humanist, medicine-man, theologian and Nobel Prize winner. This collected work is aimed at specialists in the humanities, social sciences, education, and religious studies. The authors embrace philanthropic values to benefit Africa and the world at large. The publication engages with peers on the relevance of Schweitzer's work for humanitarian values in Africa. The essays in the book stimulate further research in the various fields in which Schweitzer excelled. Its academic contribution is its focus on the post-colonial discourse in contemporary discussions both in South Africa and Africa at large. The book emphasises Schweitzer's reverence for life philosophy and demonstrates how this impacts on moral values. However, the book also points to the possibility that Schweitzer's reverence for life philosophy is embedded in a typically European appreciation of 'mysticism' that is not commensurate with African indigenous religious values. From an African academic perspective, the book advocates the view that Schweitzer's concept of the reverence for life supports not only the Biblical notion of imago Dei but also the African humanist values of the preservation and protection of life, criticising the exploitation of the environment by warring factions and large companies, especially in oil-producing African countries. It also argues that Schweitzer's disposition on ethics was influenced by the Second World War, his sentiments against nuclear weapons and his resistance to the Enlightenment view of 'civilisation'. With regard to Jesus studies the book elucidates values promoted by Schweitzer by following in Jesus' steps and portraying Jesus' message within a modern world view. Taken over from Schweitzer, the book argues that Jesus' moral authority resides in his display of love and his interaction with the poor and marginalised. The book demonstrates Schweitzer's understanding of Jesus as the one who sacrifices his own life to bring the Kingdom of God to realisation in this world. The book commends Schweitzer's insight that we know Jesus through his toils on the one hand, and through our own experiences on the other. It is in a mixture between the two that the hermeneutical gap between then and now is bridged. It is precisely in bridging this gap that Schweitzer sees himself as an instrument of God's healing. It defines Schweitzer as the embodiment of being a healer, educationalist and herald of the greening of Christianity. His philosophy on the reverence for life prepares a foundation for Christians to think 'green' about human life within a greater environment. He advocates aspects of education such as lifelong learning, holistic education and a problem-based approach to education. Finally, the book analyses both critically and appreciatively Albert Schweitzer's contribution to the concepts of religious healing prevalent in African Christianity today.