ISSUE 40: NOVEMBER
2005-FEBRUARY 2006
network of research and training centres/programmes
FRONT PAGE | ARCHIVE |
New from UNU Press
Medical Biotechnology: Achievements, Prospects and Perceptions
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By Albert Sasson
Biotechnology is not just genetically modified organisms, alien species, toxic weapons or hormone-treated beef. It is also a tool to control plant and animal pests, preserve species, use genetic resources for health and nutrition and protect the environment. Society's ability to manage, share and regulate advanced biotechnology offers many opportunities and raises many challenges and risks.
This book examines recent progress in advanced biotechnology and looks at what is driving medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology development in the U.S., the EU and Japan. It describes the biotechnology weapons against major global health concerns such as Ebola fever, HIV-AIDS, SARS and Avian flu as well as regulatory concerns and public perceptions.
Professor Sasson also analyses the progress of selected developing countries in fostering their own bio-industries. He examines some of the ethical issues raised by controversial areas of medical biotechnology such as including stem cell research and gene therapy.
"The findings of this book are a valuable contribution to the state of our knowledge about modern biotechnology, to our efforts to raise awareness among policy-makers and stakeholders, and to educating the public at large about the greater implications and prospects concerning the advances of this rapidly growing new technology," says A.H. Zakri, director of the UNU Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS).
- Albert Sasson, a senior visiting professor at UNU-IAS, was assistant Director-General of UNESCO from 1993 to 1996. He is an associate member of the Club of Rome and holds a number of honorary appointments and degrees.
Researching Conflict in Africa: Insights and Experiences
Edited by Elisabeth Porter, Gillian Robinson, Marie
Smyth, Albrecht Schnabel, and Eghosa Osaghae
Parts of Africa experience persistent violence and seemingly intractable conflicts, which have deep historical roots and have become more destructive since the Cold War.
Researchers seeking to explain why conflicts are prevalent, what makes them intensify, and how they can be resolved find that much of the literature on research methodology does not address the complexities of conducting research in the midst of violent conflict and massive ethno-political disputes.
This book directly addresses these issues. It examines the ethical and practical issues of researching within violent and divided societies with fascinating case studies from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa.
- Elisabeth Porter is INCORE research director at the University of Ulster.
- Gillian Robinson is INCORE director and ARK Director at the University of Ulster.
- Marie Smyth is the Head of Research and Communication for Criminal Justice Inspection, Northern Ireland.
- Albrecht Schnabel is a Senior Research Fellow at swisspeace, Bern, and a Lecturer at the Institute of Political Science, University of Bern, Switzerland.
- Eghosa Osaghae is a Professor of Political Science & Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Nigeria.
Sustainable Management of Headwater Resources:
Research from Africa and India
Edited by Libor Jansky, Martin J. Haigh, and Haushila Prasad
Headwaters are the source of freshwater resources, the margins of drainage basins and the first and zero order basins that surround every catchment. The challenge is to define appropriate, self-sustainable management strategies and structures for these lands which meet the needs of the headwater habitat, including its human inhabitants, and the needs of habitats downstream.
The contributors to this book strive to anticipate emerging and future problems; to discover integrated solutions to the problems already caused by land degradation, natural hazards and development processes; and to help develop better land management, environmental protection and landscape regeneration practices and policies. They also address the many challenges that remain: the concern for effective sharing of local experience in science and technology; community participation; the role of education; effectiveness and limits of current technology; the selection of appropriate policies and goals; modes of effective management; and the sustainability of current activities.
Sustainable Management of Headwater Resources provides an understanding of current and prior situations and provides scientific analyses of local and regional headwater issues in India and Africa. The authors analyse the current situation through field experiments that provide reliable information on the status of headwater resources in these regions.
- Libor Jansky is Senior Academic Programme Officer in the Environment and Sustainable Development Programme of the United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan.
- Martin J. Haigh is a Professor of Geography at Oxford Brookes University, England, and a founding director of the International Association for Headwater Control.
- Haushila Prasad is a senior lecturer in the Department of Geography, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
© 2006 United Nations University