April–June 2011

Also in this edition... Aid Debate: Taking a long, hard look at the impact of development projects Filipino physicists make quantum improvements in basic Nanotechnology: Deploying micro machines to solve the world’s problems

A publication of the Asian Development Bank

MAKING THE GRADE? Analyzing the state of education across , from grade school to trade school

DA Cover.indd 1 7/11/11 11:52 AM Critical Thinking...

“Development Asia... comes across like Time or Newsweek in the good old days. Professional journalists research important subjects and report without being blinkered.

“The magazine is not a mouthpiece for official ADB policy....

“ADB is not trying to inspire the kind of optimism that is typical of PR publications, but hopes to trigger serious debate.”

Hugh Williamson Europe News Editor The Financial Times

www.development.asia A publication of the Asian Development Bank

ifc ad.indd 68 7/8/11 10:34 AM Publisher’s note

www.development.asia © 2011 asian development Bank issn 1998-7528 asian development BanK PUBLISHER ann Quon Teaching Prosperity MANAGING EDITOR eric Healy SENIOR EDITOR Floyd whaley EDITORIAL ADVISORS ducation attacks poverty at its roots, laying the groundwork for achieving Jouko sarvi shanti Jagannathan all development goals. Teaching children to read and write, for example, ASSOCIATE EDITOR maria liza solano not only improves their employment prospects, but also better attunes COPY EDITOR Caroline ahmad them to their country’s development goals—all of which depend on Art Director andy martin disseminating important information to be successful. As such, literacy is the Development Asia features development issues E foundational cornerstone for development. important to asia and the pacific. it is published four times a year by the asian development The setting of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 provided fresh Bank. the views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not reflect the views impetus to promoting equal access to education, particularly in Asia and the Pacific. and policies of the asian development Bank and Haymarket media ltd. Use of the term "country" The 2010 status report on the MDGs by the Economic and Social Commission does not imply any judgment by the authors or the asian development Bank and Haymarket for Asia and the Pacific, Asian Development Bank, and the media ltd. as to the legal or other status of any territorial entity. Development Programme shows that despite the economic crisis, the region is still advertising of any specific commercial product, on target to meet these goals. The region has reduced gender disparity in primary, process, service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, in this publication secondary, and enrollment. does not constitute or imply adB’s endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of any of the Increasing enrollment rates, however, is not enough. The dropout rate in the product or the entity thereof. region continues to be high, and the need to improve the quality of education as COMMENTS send your feedback to the editor at well as to provide better incentive and support mechanisms for poor families to [email protected] keep the children in school remain as strong as ever. ADVERTISING to advertise in Development Asia, contact In this edition of Development Asia, we take stock of the region’s successes and [email protected] remaining challenges in the education sector. We look at different approaches to SUBSCRIPTIONS Contact [email protected] reform the educational system to advance national interests, from building elite to strengthening vocational programs. Our story on the Republic of relates efforts of the state to wean students’ overdependence on private tutoring, which is jacking up the cost of education. In “Preparing for a Windfall,” we talk about how is consolidating its economic gains by investing in schools—even in the Gobi Desert. In other stories, we feature physicists Christopher and Maria Victoria Bernido, REPRINTS material published in Development Asia recipients of the 2010 Ramon Magsaysay Award who are credited with bringing and on www.development.asia, including articles, photos, graphics, and other content, is innovative science teaching techniques to one of the poorest communities in the copyrighted. material may not be reproduced, republished, or redistributed without written . We also look at how advances in nanotechnology could benefit or permission of Development Asia. For reprint permission, please contact editor@ impede development work. development.asia. photographs not owned by adB require permission from the copyright As with all editions, we hope to present stories that go beyond the textbook holder for reprinting. explanations and enliven the dialogue on educational issues. Education, in development asia department of external Relations particular, is at the very core of the region’s hopes for development and increased asian development Bank 6 adB avenue, mandaluyong City prosperity. 1550 metro manila, philippines [email protected] Please send us comments at [email protected]. www.adb.org Class dismissed! n Cover photo: students of sainshand school no. 2 in mongolia picture credit: Kevin Hamdorf

note: in this publication, "$" refers to Us dollars

Ann Quon a publication of the asian development Bank, Publisher designed and distributed by Haymarket media ltd.

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 1

p1 Publisher's note.indd 1 7/8/11 2:02 PM CONTENTS YEAR IV, NUMBER X, APRIL–JUNE 2011

06 Waiting for test results 19 investing in korea’s future 34 calling for aid reform

focus 24 wiNDFAll SChOOlS 48 prOFilES iN DEvElOpmENT EDuCATiON iN ASiA Mongolia enjoys high enrollment rates SOlviNg prOblEmS in lower schools and colleges, but Two physicists took on the challenges 06 ThE big rEAD major education challenges remain as of a small, impoverished high school in lEArNiNg by NumbErS this resource-rich nation prepares to the central Philippines and ended up Asia is the world’s poster child for become a bigger player in international addressing the educational issues of a increasing school enrollment, but the commodities. nation. region faces high hurdles in taking the By Floyd Whaley By Floyd Whaley next step toward creating a world-class ______educational system. 28 ThE big miSmATCh 50 rECONNAiSSANCE By Margot Pfeiff Asia needs to train workers for the jobs TrilliONS OF FrENEmiES ______of the future. Is Nanotechnology could revolutionize 12 ThE big piCTurE the solution? the fight against poverty… or just leave lEArNiNg CurvE By Bruce Heilbuth the developing world behind. Asia is close to achieving the goal of ______By Floyd Whaley universal by 2015. articles Increasing enrollment rates, however, Also, sidebar: PLENTY OF ROOM AT is only the first step toward addressing 34 AiD ON TriAl THE BOTTOM every child’s right to quality education In the past 5 decades, the developing ______and to building human capital to world has received some $2.3 trillion Departments support the region’s continued growth. in aid in today’s US dollar equivalent. By Mark Blackwell Has it helped, and without it, would 4 OFF ThE prESS ______the poor be even poorer? Or has it Selected editorial excerpts from the 14 wOrlD-ClASS ChAllENgE made things a whole lot worse? In a international press Asian nations struggle to create elite special two-part report, Development ______universities without leaving behind Asia presents the cases for and against 5 ON ThE wEb millions who just need a college more aid. Key resources for the development education. By Bruce Heilbuth community on the worldwide web By John Otis ______Also, sidebar: GOVERNANCE: KEY TO 32 OFF ThE ShElF 19 CrAmmiNg iN kOrEA DEVELOPMENT Must-read books on economic and After achieving great success at ______44 development issues promoting basic education, leaders in CANCEr’S lONg TAil ______the Republic of Korea are now trying Will cancer stall Asia’s development? 53 ON ThE rECOrD to become a world-class knowledge Health experts are warning that if a Noteworthy quotes on raging issues center. rising epidemic in Asia and the Pacific By William Branigin goes unchecked it will overwhelm the region’s ill-prepared health systems. By James Hutchison

2 Development Asia April–June 2011 www.development.asia

p2-3 Contents-contribs.indd 1 7/8/11 3:42 PM letters to the Editor Contributors

e-Subscribers Sound Off mark Blackwell has more than 20 years of John otis is the experience covering issues ranging from Colombia correspondent I was forwarded a copy of the most science and economics to politics and for Time magazine, recent issue and have thoroughly cross-border issues in Latin America for GlobalPost, and the BBC/ enjoyed it, both in readability and news organizations, including the Hearst Public Radio International content. Corporation and Capital Cities/ABC. He program The World. He specializes in informational graphics. wrote Law of the Jungle, Anthony D’Agostino, research Associate the story of three US military contractors Centre on Asia and Globalisation William Branigin served kidnapped by Colombian rebels and rescued as bureau in an elaborate sting operation, published in chief of The Washington February 2010 by HarperCollins Publishers. Post for 10 years, Very good. Focused and concise in reporting from more than margo pfeiff is a delivery. a dozen countries in the Canada-based journalist region. He was based in who worked as a special m. boominathan, principal Economist Bangkok from 1981 to 1986 and in Manila correspondent for Wilbur Smith Associates Inc. from 1990 to 1995. Reader’s Digest for 17 Chennai, Tamil Nadu years. She is currently Bruce Heilbuth researching a book on the has worked as a Arctic. journalist and foreign The publication is very good [at correspondent on four floyd Whaley, senior reporting on] the development in Asia. . He spent editor of Development nearly a decade as Asia, operates Asia made Antara, lecturer the editor-in-chief of Editorial Services. His of Udayana Reader’s Digest magazine’s Australasian work has appeared in Denpasar, Bali, and Asian–English editions. the International Herald Tribune, USA Today, James Hutchison Los Angeles Times, Discovery Channel Found it on the ADB website. Enjoy has worked as a writer Magazine, and many other media outlets. learning about changing topics related and photographer in to Asian development. Asia for more than 25 years. His work has Charlotte hollmatz appeared in more Baden, Germany than 30 international publications.

Email your comments to letters@devel- opment.asia or mail your letter to: Managing Editor, Development Asia Department of External Relations Asian Development Bank 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines

Please include your full name and con- tact information. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 3

p2-3 Contents-contribs.indd 2 7/8/11 3:42 PM off the press

Bread for Babies Bailout Syndrome

“Public money should be “The strains in Tokyo and Lisbon reflect a broader problem: As advanced- concentrated not on supplying cheap nation governments take on increasing responsibility for insulating their food but on providing for those who citizens, investors, banks and companies from the pain of disasters, they are do not control what they eat: babies pushing their financial resources closer to the limit. That, some economists say, and children. The most important could leave them without enough wherewithal to respond the next time a big period in anyone’s nutritional life is crisis happens.” the first 1,000 days. Improving infant —The Wall Street Journal, 28 March 2011 diets does a lifetime of good. But this depends on education and policy ‘nudges,’ not cheap rice.” —The Economist, 24 March 2011 Divine Intervention “At Diwali last year, a desktop computer and a laptop were the recipients of a puja (blessing ceremony) in the business district of New Delhi. Housewife Gauri Sharma told reporters: ‘Generally we see shopkeepers praying to their account A Foreign books on Diwali, but this is the first time I am seeing puja [blessings] being done to computers.’” Investment —The Jakarta Post, 23 January 2011

“When President Obama toasted Hu [Jintao], he wisely quoted a Chinese proverb that says if you want to Calling Big Brother build for a hundred years, invest in people. This is what the United States “The Uttar Pradesh government’s scheme, Supercaller, to monitor mid-day essentially has been doing since the meals served to school children through mobile phones is a novel idea and worth opening to [the People’s Republic of replicating by other states. . . . Mobile phones and their ubiquitously embedded ] in 1971.” cameras can be used to monitor all development programmes. It will ensure better —The Washington Post, 21 January 2011 outcomes and help curb corruption, rampant in many of these schemes.” —The Economic Times, India, 22 January 2011

The Global Factory Pressure “Today the concept of country of origin is obsolete. What we call ‘made in China’ Cookers is indeed assembled in [the People’s Republic of China], but its commercial value comes from those numerous countries that precede its assembly. It no longer “Perhaps as much as a lack of makes sense to think of trade in terms of ‘them’ and ‘us’. . . . Economists have long democracy and human rights, the lack abandoned the view that trade is a zero-sum game, but the day-to-day worlds of of food security played a major role politics and markets still seem to work on old mercantilist beliefs.” in the downfall of [former Tunisian — Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization, in an opinion piece for President] Ben Ali, and it is something the The Financial Times, 24 January 2011 that can spell trouble for governments everywhere if effective strategies aren’t put in place to avoid food shortages.” —The Bangkok Post, 23 January 2011

Compiled by Maria Liza Solano

4 Development Asia April–June 2011 www.development.asia

p4 Off the press.indd 1 7/8/11 10:14 AM on the web

Giving Wisely

GiveWell http://givewell.org/

haritable giving is complex. It is often spur of the moment, in reaction to a heart-wrenching news report. It is sometimes a tax shelter. Other times, Cgiving to charity is a religious or cultural mandate. But unlike an investment in a stock or a piece of property, charitable donations usually involve little research or scrutiny. Stringent due diligence is rarely associated with Get a Lawyer giving from the heart. That is where the organization GiveWell steps in. It bills itself as an “independent charity evaluator” that focuses on financials, assessing administrative or fundraising costs. “We focus on how well programs actually work TrustLaw Connect (and) their effects on the people they serve,” notes the http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/connect/ organization’s website. “We find outstanding charities and publish the full details of our analysis to help donors decide any nonprofit and nongovernment organizations where to give.” operate on a shoestring budget. Keeping a law The site ranks charities in the United States and firm on retainer, or hiring an attorney to address a worldwide according to the following categories: evidence M specific issue or problem is often beyond their means. of effectiveness; cost-effectiveness; funding; transparency; The Thomson Reuters Foundation, a charitable wing of and monitoring and evaluation. It includes a ranking of the the international news and information service, has devised top charities, according to its criteria (VillageReach, which a clever web-based solution to this dilemma with their distributes medical supplies in , tops their list) but it TrustLaw Connect site. also allows users to search for charities by name or area of The website is described as “a free international pro bono work. vehicle designed to make it easier for organisations with The site also has a button that allows users to donate via limited means to access free legal assistance and simpler for Google Checkout. This allows a user who has, for example, lawyers to engage in high-impact pro bono work.” a $500 donation budget to search through the site and give Organizations register with the site and then fill out an portions to different charities based on their rankings and online request form outlining their legal problem or need. areas of focus. n The website moderators clarify any missing information then send out the request as an alert to the member law firms. Law firms evaluate the requests and within a prescribed time frame accept on a pro bono basis those that fit their interests and expertise. Some of the legal issues they can handle include intellectual property matters; employment law and human resources issues, including employment contracts with staff or volunteers; structuring and drafting of funding or loan agreements; advice on partnership agreements or customer contracts; advice on construction, property, real estate, lease and tenancy, or utility contracts; and legal research on human rights, environment, equal rights, or land rights issues. n Researched and written by Floyd Whaley

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 5

p5 On the web.indd 5 7/8/11 10:16 AM picture credit:: AFp 7/8/11 10:22 AM www.development.asia Parents wait anxiously wait anxiously GAME Parents WAITING where their outside the high school are taking the entrance exam. children of Republic Students in the People’s China aspire to enter top-quality high a nationwide in preparation for schools as one regarded college entrance exam, in academic competitions of the fiercest the world. feiff p BY Margo Margo BY opulations with higher skill n today’s globalized work i environment, where competition comes where environment, as the next work as well abroad from must cater to a job station, classrooms market that in many countries demands technical and information increasingly experts technology-based know-how, p say. that translate into good jobs. While been made over the has much progress past 10 years, indicators still point to serious education and human-resource the shortfalls at all levels throughout Asia’s may dampen that a reality region, lofty economic aspirations.

April–June 2011 April–June Asia sia is a global success story when it comes to educating Numbers may children. country to vary from

Asia is the world’s poster child for increasing school enrollment, but the region faces region the but enrollment, school increasing for child poster world’s the is Asia

high hurdles in taking the next step toward creating a world-class educational system educational world-class a creating toward step next the taking in hurdles high Learning by Numbers by Learning

EDUCATION IN AsIA: ThE bIg rEAD IN AsIA: ThE EDUCATION he polish wears off the apple, he polish wears off t Development 6 however, once countries must however, go beyond the basics and try to accommodate students’ needs for skills country, but overall 9 out of 10 children but overall 9 out of 10 children country, in enrolled today are in the region primary school. For a that of world’s out- contained two-thirds in the 1970s, the of-school children nothing short of has been progress experts say. remarkable, A p6-11 Big Read.indd 8 levels will be essential for Asian CULTURAL CHALLENGES Arabic countries seeking to accelerate growth. language and Islamic “education and training are going to be is offered in selected public schools in at the heart of sustaining the economic the Philippines, where Muslims are the growth and resilience of the Asian minority. Among the challenges facing economy,” says Shanti Jagannathan, educators in the region is the wide an education specialist with the Asian diversity of students. development Bank (AdB). “A lot will depend on how the education and training systems are handled and how rapidly they can respond to changes.” are coming out of the school system. employment prospects draw this creates an economic and social multitudes to cities, where the bottleneck that restricts growth.” educational offerings are often not establishing centers for tertiary prepared to transform them into the education is often cited as a way of workforce of tomorrow. in the people’s improving a country’s competitiveness, republic of china (prc), for example, and the demand for the flow of unskilled workers from rural is expected to double in 5 years and to urban areas is at least 10 million a triple in many countries in less than a year. regions such as are decade. Still more emphasis is needed seeing a huge bubble of people under on other avenues of learning: basic 25 seeking education or facing a future , including literacy of unemployment. Human capital is and numeracy; vocational training, a vital part of economic development, “The goal is to have an including retraining workers in but in many countries access to quality inclusive education declining industries and upgrading the education—from primary through and inclusive human skills of those tackling new enterprises; secondary and tertiary—is not keeping and on-the-job training, providing for up with the pace of progress. thus, an development through continued learning in the workplace, education shortfall translates directly each level of education especially in high-tech fields because into a shortage of skilled workers. A instead of an elitist skills may quickly become obsolete. lack of skilled workers in turn cools “countries need to look at the businesses’ expansion plans, potentially system. That is the continuum of education and how they putting countries’ growth prospects in challenge” should implement holistic reforms that peril. meet the challenges that a particular —Jouko Sarvi, chair of the country is facing, whether it is economic MEETING DEMAND Education Sector Community of or issues of social inclusion. the in the push to get all children into Practice at Asian Development challenges facing are different Bank primary school over the past 20 years, from those in Viet Nam, for instance,” quantity has often trumped quality. Jagannathan says. even when children complete one level of schooling, their minimum needs that is widening more rapidly THE ABCS OF MDGS competency is too low to handle the than in other developing regions. primary school is the first building next level in many cases. the result “More resources and innovation are block of any educational system: has been a growing number of basic needed to improve the quality of success at higher levels depends on education graduates who leave school education at all levels to meet the the quality of that foundation. An without marketable skills—that is, skills demands of the workforce because international push for universal primary that translate into jobs. the labor markets are evolving,” school enrollment was kick-started picture credit: AF p While Asia is comprised of explains Jouko Sarvi, practice leader in 1990 at the World conference on increasingly dynamic economies with and chairman of the education Sector education for All in Jomtien, . strong demands for skilled labor, the committee at AdB. “there is often a representatives from 155 countries region also suffers from a gap between skills mismatch between labor market and 150 organizations agreed to education outputs and labor market needs and what kind of graduates “universalize primary education and

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 7

p6-11 Big Read.indd 9 7/8/11 10:22 AM picture credit: AFp, keViN HAMdorF 7/8/11 10:22 AM overty eople’s p ften those left www.development.asia epublic (Lao pdr) n more than half of developing than n more Another key issue facing the region is Another key issue facing the region Food is also an incentive to help Many countries viewed attainingMany countries viewed emocratic r fforts have been made to keep them have fforts and Nepal, with food-for-education and Nepal, with food-for-education programs. of salaries in past years and an erosion the low status of teachers, which has d is the major driver for dropouts: in is the major driver for dropouts: must frequently children areas rural work to help the family survive. e in school by adjusting school vacation times to coincide with harvest seasons and arranging flexible school hours families Some working children. for are offered conditional cash transfers, to parents— money handed directly usually the mother—with the condition attend school. regularly their children see parents since stay in school children it as a way to help feed their school- Food-for-education age offspring. nutrition and provide programs stay alert calories to help children at school. Some and make progress also include take-home programs a child’s time rations to help offset in helping with the family. away from 2005, 74 countries in conjunction with and other Food programme the World 22 million children agencies reached worldwide, including the Lao p enrollments are below 60% while below 60% are enrollments less than 70%. Nepal’s are ’s and attendance And even 90% average millionAsia means 25 throughout still unable to access are children o primary education. vulnerable out belong to particularly immigrant minorities—ethnic groups, impoverished communities, refugees, children, street families, the disabled, and girls. universal basic education as simply getting youngsters behind desks, without planning how to keep them rates are dropout As a result, there. high. i Asian countries, only 7 out of 10 complete primary school and children only 4 finish secondary school. espite the he hit akistan’s net n reality, impressive statistics aside, impressive n reality, i the lowest levels: in over a 20-year only a period, Bhutan moved from to tiny population of schoolchildren 5 receiving almost half of all children years of education. t 90% attendance. South Asia not only 90% attendance. South from 90% enrollment—up reached 72% in 1991—but also had the region’s gains in gender parity with 95 greatest 77 per 100 boys, up from girls enrolled girls per 100 boys in 1991. d improvements, however, 18 million however, improvements, out Asia remain in South children than a quarter of the of school, more world’s total. much lower are figures enrollment significantly in and not improving pockets: some countries and rural and p Wearing gym Wearing THE MOVE GIRLS ON this young under her uniform, clothes Mongolia sprints resident of Ulanbataar, There is a global campaign off to class. to get girls into primary and secondary school. B, he nited t his was co). Basic evelopment n 2002 the nited Nations i uNeS ducation for All became ducation for April–June 2011 April–June Asia nitiative was launched to Gs): eight international Gs in conjunction with donor rganization ( rganization ducational, Scientific andducational, Scientific d ast and Southeast Asia scored the Asia scored ast and Southeast co, and the . co, and the World rack i EDUCATION IN AsIA: ThE bIg rEAD IN AsIA: ThE EDUCATION akar, Senegal, to assess progress. assess progress. Senegal, to akar, hat same year all 189 u Some of the biggest inroads were were Some of the biggest inroads A decade later in 2000, the decade later in 2000, the A t assistance to developing As a result, ultural o Development due in large part to the prc’s primary due in large from skyrocketing school enrollment 20% to 97% by 1990. made in countries that started with region went from having two-thirds of having two-thirds went from region in the the world’s out-of-school children By today. 1970s to less than one-third 2006, e world’s most dramatic success toward universal primary education. t massively reduce illiteracy by the end of illiteracy reduce massively e the decade.” by the u a global movement led Nations e c education was declared a fundamental education was declared human right. met againinternational community in d clear mixed, but it was Findings were that manyto the 1,100 participants the reaching far from countries were An updated set heady goals set in 1990. of six measurable targets—including compulsory primary education, and free and gender adult literacy, increasing set with the aim of equality—were meeting the learning needs of all youth, and adults, particularly children, females, by 2015. York New in summit a at states member the Millennium d on agreed Fast t of struggling accelerate the progress funds, teachers, countries by providing and tools to help achieve primary school M Ad countries and agencies, including uNeS Asia for basic education countries in $2.6 nearly doubled to $4.4 billion from billion between 2000 and 2004. Goals (Md development goals to be achieved by 2015. Goal 2 is to achieve universal primary education, and Goal 3 seeks to eliminate gender disparity in primary and . 8 p6-11 Big Read.indd 10 INDIA

n remote regions of India where no primary schools exist, alternative and innovative education (AIE) learning centers have been set up. There local teachers use primers in the regional tribal languages to help young children Itransition into regular schools. In far-flung locales, AIE’s method provides maximum flexibility, making a classroom out of whatever structure is at hand. For example, classes are held in huts to teach the children of brick kiln laborers. Other AIE teachers set up classrooms near temples where children of migratory workers beg. Mobile vehicles serve as schoolrooms to teach Delhi’s street children while tents provide cover to reach kids in Kashmir. And in the fishing communities of Andhra Pradesh, kids are taught on boats with the hope of eventually streaming them into traditional schools. These diverse options may seem like spotty accommodations, but in all an estimated 2.8 million children attended AIE centers in 2006. n

STREET SCIENCE An instructor gives students a demonstration from his mobile laboratory at a science exhibition in Hyderabad, India.

made the profession less attractive. In improving its economic competitiveness 5,100 students from the Shanghai , the Kyrgyz Republic, the and social inclusion, and has risen to area. To everyone’s astonishment, Lao PDR, and the Maldives, less than the top of international educational the PRC scored first by a significant 80% of teachers are formally trained. performance indicators. The same is margin in all three categories, ahead Against this challenging backdrop, true of Hong Kong, China; Singapore; of the Republic of Korea and Finland, many nations in the region are and, increasingly, . the highest-performing countries struggling to achieve gender parity, traditionally. with strong pushes to get girls into SHADOW SYSTEM Experts are quick to note that the primary school (64% of the world’s Every year the Organisation PRC’s impressive scores were likely adult illiterates are female). While girls for Economic Co-operation and due to the fact that only students in do have higher retention rates than Development (OECD) evaluates progressive, affluent Shanghai were boys in primary school, they are less the quality, equity, and efficiency of tested. If a random sample of all PRC present in secondary education. In school systems in 70 countries that students were taken, the result would some parts of the region, as many as make up 90% of the world economy. likely be much different. Still, the half the children who complete primary They administer the Programme for scores indicate that the PRC is trying to education fall back into functional International Student Assessment become a regional leader in education. illiteracy, cutting off avenues for further (PISA), a test for 15-year-old students Many argue these rankings may education and entry into the workforce. worldwide to provide an internationally not necessarily indicate a good basic Flexible curricula and alternative standardized assessment tool for education system, but rather may pathways should be available so that countries to upgrade their education point to an extensive “shadow” system secondary level dropouts can still learn systems. The Republic of Korea, comprised of intensive evening and skills to be productive in the economy. Singapore, and Hong Kong, China have weekend tutoring, which is a big While some countries such as for years reigned at the top of PISA industry in parts of Asia, including PICT uRE C Bangladesh, the Lao PDR, and Nepal scores, which measure math, science, Shanghai. In Western countries, such still struggle with primary school basics, and reading skills. as PISA powerhouse Finland, there is REDIT the Republic of Korea is at the other The PRC, whose primary school almost no tutoring. : AFP end of the spectrum. The country has retention rate is 96%, participated in “Ideally countries should have their invested heavily in education, vastly PISA for the first time in 2010 with own national testing system which

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 9

p6-11 Big Read.indd 11 7/11/11 3:33 PM PICTuRE CREDIT: AFP 7/11/11 3:33 PM An elementary www.development.asia “It’s been proven that simply that simply “It’s been proven to track can be hard Progress Just as educational models need to throughout the system to ensure the system to ensure throughout labor to the education’s relevance that good students markets’ needs—so can get good jobs. money at education issues throwing ADB’s Sarvi. doesn’t work,” says in education increases Despite large spending in many OECD countries, test not significantly increased have scores for decades. Some of the changes that successful and cost- have proven efficient in the past include improving teacher training, curriculum, and study recent A programs. in the Philippines showed that has had the greatest preschooling on school completion. impact there Incentives for students, teachers, and also key schools to perform well are in raising the bar of quality ingredients in education. because accurately measuring and reliable performance requires uniform assessment tools, such as national exams, which don’t exist in Education As a result, many countries. All and other international for have to make do monitoring groups with comparing physical indicators such as the number of qualified teachers, absenteeism and completion rates, average class size, and primary as a percentage education expenditures national product. of gross demands in be flexible to meet future the workplace, the delivery method needs to adapt as information and communication technology becomes changes accessible. Technology more not only the way students learn, but trained and also how teachers are the quality of teaching, especially ‘WE’RE NUMBER ONE” ‘WE’RE NUMBER in of Anhui in the province student school her of China raises Republic the People’s in the region out of 10 children Nine hand. in primary school. enrolled are now WIELDING ECONOMIC POWER to take the next leap in In order education and focus on quality and Asian countries will inclusiveness, to have to use their economic force finance high-quality education. The has spent mightily to construct region primary schools and rapidly increase Still, expanding school enrollment. better access inclusiveness, offering to quality education especially for the poor and disadvantaged, and students in higher more retaining levels of education will be much more expensive, complex, and challenging. needed are reforms Comprehensive April–June 2011 April–June Asia EDUCATION IN AsIA: ThE bIg rEAD IN AsIA: ThE EDUCATION Development 10 tracks student learning so it can be not reaching understood why they are competency levels, a system that tracks student performance over the course of the schooling cycle,” Jagannathan says. Rather than just examinations, there needs to be a system of continuous and extensive evaluation so that children not just tested for comprehension, are system of A learning, she says. rote student assessment also gives feedback to educators to adjust the curriculum. really issues that are “These are challenging policy makers. How do you have national level systems that can do all of these?” p6-11 Big Read.indd 12 in remote areas. Only recently have higher education remains public, a education. “The goal is to have an educators universally accepted that condition that increases access while inclusive education and inclusive computers can create a better learning capping quality because of budgetary human development through each environment. An ADB study found strictures; there are private higher level of education instead of an elitist encouraging results related to the use education systems, but the rules and system,” says Sarvi. “That is the of information and communication regulations governing private higher challenge.” technology in classrooms. Students education are not well developed Increasingly, the private sector is were more motivated and worked and heavily favor the wealthy. Alas, playing a role in education with money better in teams; absenteeism decreased; governments cannot expand higher and management, not only in tertiary test scores rose; and computer literacy education systems simply with public education, but also more recently in and communication skills improved. funds; they must find innovative secondary and primary education. Traditionally, governments have financing options, including public– Governments are acknowledging the financed primary education. It is far private partnerships, to make certain merits of public–private partnerships, and away the most economical level a country’s best talent is not locked in which private sector resources and of education, a bargain costing 14 outside the university gates. efficiencies complement the public times less per student than secondary The Republic of Korea offers an sector’s national educational priorities. education and 34 times less than example of what is possible when “Education is not all about the tertiary education on average in higher education is privately financed primary level anymore,” says ADB’s developing countries. The relative and administered with national Jagannathan. “It doesn’t pull children expense of higher education means priorities in mind. “Pro-poor” out of any poverty trap, give them a that the more developing countries institutions—private higher education sustainable livelihood, or put them on expand their higher education system, schools—provide slots to take in track for a more informed role in society. the more they run into problems with talented students who might otherwise What is needed is improving the quality financing. In most Asian countries, not be able to afford that level of of education, across the board.” n

STAY ON TRACK A boy follows the LATE FOR SCHOOL Street children sit PICT uRE C railroad track on his way home from in front of a banner that says “Your child, school in a Bangkok slum. Though My child: They both must go to school” in

REDIT enrollment in Asia has improved, the Phnom Penh, . :

AFP dropout rate continues to be high, mainly due to poverty.

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 11

p6-11 Big Read.indd 13 7/11/11 3:33 PM EDUCATION IN ASIA: THE BIG PICTURE

Learning Curve Asia is close to achieving the goal of universal primary education by 2015. Increasing enrollment Marginalized: Missing Out on Progress Asia has seen remarkable improvement in access to education, but hidden in the national averages are demographic groups with rates, however, are only the first step toward addressing every child’s right to quality education far less educational opportunities. The following groups tend to be less educated: girls; the poor; rural populations; ethnic and building the human capital to support the region’s continued growth. minorities; those who do not speak the prevalent or official languages; those in nomadic cultures; the disabled; children with HIV/AIDS; and children in areas of conflict. Children with more than one risk factor are exponentially less likely to go to school. For instance, compared to the total population in countries charted below, poor, rural females are even less likely to have at least A broader index Indicators: Taking the Pulse of Education in Asia 4 years of education. The Education For All Some of the many statistics analyzed to understand the state of education in Asia: People With Fewer Than 4 Years of Education Poor, rural females versus total population. Ages 17 to 22. Development Index (EDI) takes into account primary enrollment, Intake Rate, Primary Grades Secondary Education Enrollment TOTAL POPULATION Number of students entering each grade, as a percentage Number of students enrolled in secondary education, as a POOR, RURAL FEMALES 85% adult literacy, gender equity, and of the overall population at the age for that grade. Net intake percentage of the total population of secondary-education age. survival rate to grade 5. rate compares only those students of the age for that grade. 95% Gross intake rate compares all students entering a grade, 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 regardless of age, and thus includes repeaters and those 77% 67% South And West Asia 52% 63% entering school later than the normal age. 60% 0.992 56% Net Gross 78% Tertiary Education Enrollment 50% 0.976 Central Asia 102% 68% Number enrolled in tertiary education, as a percentage of the 43% Kyrgyz Republic East Asia 102% 0.974 total population of tertiary-education age. 35%

High EDI 76% South And West Asia 125% Central Asia 24% 30% 30% 0.970 27% 27% 25% East Asia 25% 24% 22% Fiji Islands South And West Asia 11% 16% 0.966 Dropout Rate, First Year of Primary 13% 14% 9% Percentage of students enrolled in the ˜rst year of primary 9% 4% 5% education who do not ˜nish the school year. First-Level Tertiary Enrolment 0.950 Tertiary students at the ˜rst of three possible levels, as a Bangladesh Cambodia India Indonesia Lao PDR* Mongolia Nepal Philippines Viet Nam Central Asia 0.2% percentage of tertiary students at all levels. 0.949 East Asia 2.2% Indonesia South And West Asia 13.2% Central Asia 99% 0.935 East Asia 75% Mongolia Across Asia and the Pacific, Progress and Challenges Vary 0.929 Grade Repeaters, All Primary Grades South And West Asia 85% Tonga Percentage of those enrolled in each grade who begin the Central and West Asia South Asia 0.926 next school year in that same grade. Technical Fields of Study Maldives Engineering, manufacturing, construction, and science ˜elds, Education suered greatly Quality has not grown with Progress towards universal Low quality of teaching, 0.910 Medium EDI Central Asia 0.2% as a percentage of all ˜elds of study at the tertiary level. during the transition to enrollment recovery. primary education and gender curriculum, facilities, and other Viet Nam East Asia 2.2 independence in many parity is far behind the other components of education leave 0.899 Central Asia 11.2% Issues include class size, South And West Asia 4.7% Philippines East Asia 22.9% countries in the early 1990s. teacher competence, time Asia . parents less inclined to send 0.893 South And West Asia 5.6% The late 1990s brought spent in class, and the budget About twice as many girls are their children to school. Myanmar 0.866 Survival Rate to Last Grade of Primary School recovery, and the is for education. out of school than boys. Low pay and status stymie Cambodia Percentage of students enrolled in the ˜rst year of primary Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio at the Primary Level exemplary in many indicators. teacher recruitment. 0.807 education who reach the highest grade of primary education. Southeast Asia Average number of students per teacher. East Asia Central Asia 99% Central Asia 18 t Primary education enrollment Low pay and status stymie India 0.797 East Asia 89% East Asia 19 Remarkably, primary Quality, relevance, and is exceptionally high. teacher recruitment. enrollment grew by nearly 500% Bangladesh South And West Asia 68% South And West Asia 39 controlling class size are a Dropout rates are a persistent Eorts to improve pre- and 0.759 in the latter decades of the 20th concern. problem. post-primary education are Lao PDR* century. 0.750 School Life Expectancy Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio at the Secondary Level The People’s Republic of increasing. Low EDI Nepal Years of education a country’s students receive, on average. Average number of students per teacher. Retention rates are China has to contend with a The Pacific 0.734 exceedingly high. fast-growing school-age Central Asia 12.2 Central Asia 11 More girls attend school than Quality and relevance of Pakistan population. 0.640 East Asia 11.8 East Asia 17 boys, who drop out at high rates. available education are in 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 South And West Asia 9.6 South And West Asia 33 Poor economic prospects make question. *Lao PDR = Lao People’s Democratic Republic going to school less attractive. *Lao PDR = Lao People’s Democratic Republic Subregions in Asia as de˜ned by the United Nations Educational, Scienti˜c and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)—Central Asia: Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia; Kazakhstan; ; Mongolia; Tajikistan; ; and . East Asia: Darussalam; Cambodia; People's Republic of China; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Indonesia; ; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Macao (China); Malaysia; Myanmar; Philippines; Republic of Korea; Singapore; Thailand; Timor-Leste; and Viet Subregions in Asia and the Paci˜c as de˜ned by the Asian Development Bank—Central and West Asia: Afghanistan; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia; Kazakhstan; the Kyrgyz Republic; Pakistan; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; and Uzbekistan. East Asia: People's Nam. Paci˜c: Australia; Cook Islands; Fiji; Kiribati; Marshall Islands; Micronesia (Federated States of); Nauru; New Zealand; Niue; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tokelau; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Vanuatu. South and West Asia: Afghanistan; Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Republic of Korea; Mongolia; and Taipei,China. Paci˜c: The Cook Islands; Republic of Fiji; Kiribati; the Marshall Islands; the Federated States of Micronesia; Nauru; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Bangladesh; Bhutan; India; Islamic Republic of ; Maldives; Nepal; Pakistan; and . Timor-Leste; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Vanuatu. South Asia: Bangladesh; Bhutan; India; the Maldives; Nepal; and Sri Lanka. Southeast Asia: Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; Indonesia; the Lao People's Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; the Philippines; Singapore; Thailand; and Viet Nam. Sources: Education by 2020: A Sector Operations Plan (Asian Development Bank); EFA Global Monitoring Report 2010: Reaching the Marginalized (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) RESEARCH AND DESIGN: MARK BLACKWELL

12 Development Asia April–June 2011 www.development.asia

p12_13 The Big Picture.indd 1 7/11/11 11:50 AM Learning Curve Asia is close to achieving the goal of universal primary education by 2015. Increasing enrollment Marginalized: Missing Out on Progress Asia has seen remarkable improvement in access to education, but hidden in the national averages are demographic groups with rates, however, are only the first step toward addressing every child’s right to quality education far less educational opportunities. The following groups tend to be less educated: girls; the poor; rural populations; ethnic and building the human capital to support the region’s continued growth. minorities; those who do not speak the prevalent or official languages; those in nomadic cultures; the disabled; children with HIV/AIDS; and children in areas of conflict. Children with more than one risk factor are exponentially less likely to go to school. For instance, compared to the total population in countries charted below, poor, rural females are even less likely to have at least A broader index Indicators: Taking the Pulse of Education in Asia 4 years of education. The Education For All Some of the many statistics analyzed to understand the state of education in Asia: People With Fewer Than 4 Years of Education Poor, rural females versus total population. Ages 17 to 22. Development Index (EDI) takes into account primary enrollment, Intake Rate, Primary Grades Secondary Education Enrollment TOTAL POPULATION Number of students entering each grade, as a percentage Number of students enrolled in secondary education, as a POOR, RURAL FEMALES 85% adult literacy, gender equity, and of the overall population at the age for that grade. Net intake percentage of the total population of secondary-education age. survival rate to grade 5. rate compares only those students of the age for that grade. Central Asia 95% Gross intake rate compares all students entering a grade, 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 regardless of age, and thus includes repeaters and those East Asia 77% 67% South And West Asia 52% 63% Kazakhstan entering school later than the normal age. 60% 0.992 56% Net Gross Georgia 78% Tertiary Education Enrollment 50% 0.976 Central Asia 102% 68% Number enrolled in tertiary education, as a percentage of the 43% Kyrgyz Republic East Asia 102% 0.974 total population of tertiary-education age. 35%

High EDI 76% Tajikistan South And West Asia 125% Central Asia 24% 30% 30% 0.970 27% 27% 25% East Asia 25% 24% 22% Fiji Islands South And West Asia 11% 16% 0.966 Dropout Rate, First Year of Primary 13% 14% 9% Percentage of students enrolled in the ˜rst year of primary 9% 4% 5% Azerbaijan education who do not ˜nish the school year. First-Level Tertiary Enrolment 0.950 Tertiary students at the ˜rst of three possible levels, as a Bangladesh Cambodia India Indonesia Lao PDR* Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Philippines Viet Nam Armenia Central Asia 0.2% percentage of tertiary students at all levels. 0.949 East Asia 2.2% Indonesia South And West Asia 13.2% Central Asia 99% 0.935 East Asia 75% Mongolia Across Asia and the Pacific, Progress and Challenges Vary 0.929 Grade Repeaters, All Primary Grades South And West Asia 85% Tonga Percentage of those enrolled in each grade who begin the Central and West Asia South Asia 0.926 next school year in that same grade. Technical Fields of Study Maldives Engineering, manufacturing, construction, and science ˜elds, Education suered greatly Quality has not grown with Progress towards universal Low quality of teaching, 0.910 Medium EDI Central Asia 0.2% as a percentage of all ˜elds of study at the tertiary level. during the transition to enrollment recovery. primary education and gender curriculum, facilities, and other Viet Nam East Asia 2.2 independence in many parity is far behind the other components of education leave 0.899 Central Asia 11.2% Issues include class size, South And West Asia 4.7% Philippines East Asia 22.9% countries in the early 1990s. teacher competence, time Asia subregions. parents less inclined to send 0.893 South And West Asia 5.6% The late 1990s brought spent in class, and the budget About twice as many girls are their children to school. Myanmar 0.866 Survival Rate to Last Grade of Primary School recovery, and the subregion is for education. out of school than boys. Low pay and status stymie Cambodia Percentage of students enrolled in the ˜rst year of primary Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio at the Primary Level exemplary in many indicators. teacher recruitment. 0.807 education who reach the highest grade of primary education. Southeast Asia Average number of students per teacher. East Asia Central Asia 99% Central Asia 18 t Primary education enrollment Low pay and status stymie India 0.797 East Asia 89% East Asia 19 Remarkably, primary Quality, relevance, and is exceptionally high. teacher recruitment. enrollment grew by nearly 500% Bangladesh South And West Asia 68% South And West Asia 39 controlling class size are a Dropout rates are a persistent Eorts to improve pre- and 0.759 in the latter decades of the 20th concern. problem. post-primary education are Lao PDR* century. 0.750 School Life Expectancy Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio at the Secondary Level The People’s Republic of increasing. Low EDI Nepal Years of education a country’s students receive, on average. Average number of students per teacher. Retention rates are China has to contend with a The Pacific 0.734 exceedingly high. fast-growing school-age Central Asia 12.2 Central Asia 11 More girls attend school than Quality and relevance of Pakistan population. 0.640 East Asia 11.8 East Asia 17 boys, who drop out at high rates. available education are in 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 South And West Asia 9.6 South And West Asia 33 Poor economic prospects make question. *Lao PDR = Lao People’s Democratic Republic going to school less attractive. *Lao PDR = Lao People’s Democratic Republic Subregions in Asia as de˜ned by the United Nations Educational, Scienti˜c and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)—Central Asia: Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Mongolia; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; and Uzbekistan. East Asia: Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; People's Republic of China; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Indonesia; Japan; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Macao (China); Malaysia; Myanmar; Philippines; Republic of Korea; Singapore; Thailand; Timor-Leste; and Viet Subregions in Asia and the Paci˜c as de˜ned by the Asian Development Bank—Central and West Asia: Afghanistan; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia; Kazakhstan; the Kyrgyz Republic; Pakistan; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; and Uzbekistan. East Asia: People's Nam. Paci˜c: Australia; Cook Islands; Fiji; Kiribati; Marshall Islands; Micronesia (Federated States of); Nauru; New Zealand; Niue; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tokelau; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Vanuatu. South and West Asia: Afghanistan; Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Republic of Korea; Mongolia; and Taipei,China. Paci˜c: The Cook Islands; Republic of Fiji; Kiribati; the Marshall Islands; the Federated States of Micronesia; Nauru; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Bangladesh; Bhutan; India; Islamic Republic of Iran; Maldives; Nepal; Pakistan; and Sri Lanka. Timor-Leste; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Vanuatu. South Asia: Bangladesh; Bhutan; India; the Maldives; Nepal; and Sri Lanka. Southeast Asia: Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; Indonesia; the Lao People's Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; the Philippines; Singapore; Thailand; and Viet Nam. Sources: Education by 2020: A Sector Operations Plan (Asian Development Bank); EFA Global Monitoring Report 2010: Reaching the Marginalized (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) RESEARCH AND DESIGN: MARK BLACKWELL

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 13

p12_13 The Big Picture.indd 2 7/8/11 10:24 AM picture credit: AFp 7/8/11 3:32 PM www.development.asia universities, colleges, and technical institutions into elite centers of higher learning. the prc’s push for world- class universities coincides with its yet rise as a global economic power, are aspirations of academic greatness Asian countries of all sizes. by shared aging campuses the region, Across new being razed or refurbished, are rising, and university facilities are the globe for the scouring are recruiters best and brightest scholars. BY John Otis John BY ianjin. “But they bought him a 120- through an influx of money, top an influx of money, through niversity of Sydney who also teaches a professor of higher education at the a professor u at t seat jet.” talent, and the occasional airliner, located 120 university, tianjin kilometers southeast of , is being for academia’s big league. groomed is part of the Government of tianjin the people’s republic of china’s 211 which aims to turn about 100 project ianjin millions of their citizens who just need a college education college a need just who citizens their of millions hey offered hey offered t

Asian nations struggle to create elite universities without leaving behind the the behind leaving without universities elite create to struggle nations Asian

April–June 2011 April–June Asia hinese aeronautics hinese aeronautics

o recruit a prestigious a prestigious o recruit c working overseas, professor headhunters at t essna,” says Anthony Welch, Anthony Welch, essna,” says

Education in asia Education World-Class Challenge Development niversity went all out. 14

the candidate a competitive salary, top- the candidate a competitive salary, of-the-line facilities, and other perks. But what sealed the deal was a piece of insisted he lab equipment the professor an airplane. “i needed for his research: was thinking maybe they would buy him a c T u p14-18 World Challenge.indd 26 Highly regarded universities in the Altbach, a leading expert on higher cannot afford to wait that long because prc, Japan, the republic of Korea, and education, in a soon-to-be published their economies are growing so fast, Singapore are prompting some Asian book, The Road to Academic Excellence: says Gerard postiglione, who directs students to forego big-name degree The Making of World-Class Universities, the university of Hong Kong’s Wah programs abroad to study closer edited by philip G. Altbach and Jamil ching center of research on education to home. they are also convincing Salmi. in china. At the same time, improved expatriates to give up choice academic Still, Asia’s quest for quality has basic and secondary education in Asia posts abroad and join their faculties. been halting and uneven with poor has increased demand for university And by graduating high-level countries floundering and the bulk degrees. By some estimates, half of professionals, they are helping to of the progress registered in richer the enrollment growth at the world’s spread and develop new technologies nations. even when governments universities over the next 2 decades and make the region more competitive. set aside huge sums, creating elite will occur in india and the prc— “in order to fully participate in the universities “requires a lot more than which already has the world’s largest global knowledge economy and benefit money,” Altbach cautions. “You also enrollment of doctoral students. from science and scholarship, (nations) need academic freedom, a competitive For many scholars, becoming must have at least one research atmosphere for staff and students, and more connected to the region and university that is able to function at no corruption.” more familiar with its cultures and a world-class level,” writes philip the challenge is so daunting that languages by teaching, conducting some experts argue that low- and research, or earning degrees in Asia middle-income Asian countries would suddenly “makes a great deal of ACADEMIC ELITE Former vice-chancellor be better served by shoring up their sense,” postiglione says. indeed, some of Hong Kong’s Chinese University existing higher education facilities. Yet of the brightest lights that Asia lost Charles Kao receives the 2009 Nobel the dream of erecting the next Harvard to the West are now returning to staff Prize in Physics from King Carl XVI or cambridge remains vivid. Like the faculties of the most promising Gustaf of Sweden. Like Nobel laureates, world-class museums, Fortune 500 universities. elite universities are shining symbols companies, and Nobel laureates, elite Many chinese academics have been that nations have come of age. universities are signposts of modernity lured home for the chance to play a and shining symbols that nations have role in their country’s modernization. come of age. chia-Wei Woo, the first ethnic HIGH FLIER Tianjin University stopped at chinese to head a major united States nothing in luring a prestigious Chinese LURING ASIAN STUDENTS HOME university—San Francisco State—left aeronautics professor back to the Many ivy League universities built the post to become president of the mainland, sealing the deal with a pricey their sterling reputations over elite Hong Kong university of Science piece of lab equipment: a jet. centuries. But many Asian nations and technology (HKuSt). its second

Like world-class museums, Fortune 500 companies, and Nobel Laureates, elite universities are signposts of modernity and shining symbols that nations have come picture credit: AF p of age

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 15

p14-18 World Challenge.indd 27 7/8/11 3:32 PM picture credit: AFp 7/8/11 3:32 PM www.development.asia Altbach puts the cost of creating an Altbach puts the cost of creating LOPSIDED ASCENDANCY of both money and But for reasons Asia’s academic ascendency mindset, has been lopsided. in general, developing nations and countries heavily governments are where involved in all aspects of education affluent policy lag behind their more universities enjoy a neighbors where of autonomy. degree greater elite university at about $500 million, give or take. Science and technology high- forte, require Asia’s institutions, facilities tech laboratories and research the most expensive to build. and are Norman Larocque, a senior education development Asian specialist at the by the a proposal Bank (AdB), recalled publication of research articles in publication of research international journals—a key measure of academic excellence. in 2007, 22% of the world’s Asia produced total output of published research to about 28% for papers compared the uS, which has long dominated William K. to According the field. of international cummings, a professor education and international affairs university, Washington at George may be emerging Asian region “the of knowledge as a new powerhouse production.” Some of the same strategies were Some of the same strategies were research region´s the are then, there Times Times ranked 41st in the respected Higher Education survey of the world’s best universities. the adopted by , the National university of Singapore, pohang university republic of Korea’s and other of Science and technology, Asian institutions that have gained their campuses international stature. number of home to a growing are and students. Some staff foreign partnering with institutions are overseas universities, such as duke and Johns Hopkins, while the royal has Melbourne institute of technology Nam. set up branch campuses in Viet humming. laboratories, which are catching Asian scholars are in fact, up with their uS counterparts in the April–June 2011 April–June Asia Education in asia Education under their leadership, HKuSt Development 16 A student watches VIEwS A student watches CHANGING a telescope at a through a solar eclipse The rise of centers in Seoul. university region is in the of academic excellence Asian students to opt for encouraging to home. closer schools president was paul chu, who received was paul chu, who received president the 1988 National Medal of Science, the highest honor for a scientist in the president, uS. the university’s current the graduated from chan, F. tony california institute of technology and is a former assistant and Stanford of the uS National Science director Foundation. “they had talent, they had but in the end what brought ability, says. was their hearts,” Woo them here those at the salaries rivaling offered world’s best universities, put research on an equal footing with teaching, approach an entrepreneurial promoted to development, and appointed highly qualified deans rather than holding As a result, campus-wide elections. it took HKuSt just 10 years to reach world-class status: it is currently A researcher A researcher THE BAR RAISING at the Indian experiment conducts an In 2007, Science in Bangalore. Institute of total world’s 22% of the Asia produced papers research output of published the United 28% for compared with about in the field. a leader States, p14-18 World Challenge.indd 28 government of pakistan to create nine industries with much higher pay scales. world-class science and technology At the government’s behest, the universities. each one would have cost university of Malaysia imposed the equivalent of the recurrent budget admissions quotas for ethnic for higher education. indeed, the and indigenous people, replaced troubling paradox of elite universities english with the Malay language, and is that they can divert resources and curbed academic freedom for faculty water down the quality of a nation’s and students. these policies “have hurt polytechnic institutes and teaching the higher education system, sapping colleges, which may lack status but Malaysia’s economic competitiveness, fill vital roles, says Jouko Sarvi, the driving some (mainly chinese and practice leader in education at AdB. indians) to more meritocratic countries, true, existing universities can be such as Singapore,” according to The upgraded or merged. But as anyone Road to Academic Excellence. they have who has ever remodeled a house also stained the university’s reputation. knows, it can be easier to start from in 2005, it dropped almost 100 places scratch. For starters, the influx of huge in the Times Higher Education ranking, numbers of students has lowered which prompted calls for a royal standards at many universities; thus, commission of inquiry and led to the the task of remaking them in the resignation of the university’s vice- image of princeton university or the chancellor. Massachusetts institute of technology the rules and regulations can border in the uS has become even tougher. on the absurd. Writing about Asian Mediocre faculty members must be research universities, cummings says eased out and replaced with top-shelf some professors must sign in daily professors. the newcomers demand to indicate they are on the job and in hefty salaries in a region where low at least one system they are expected wages often force teachers to take to be at their desks from 9 a.m. to 5 second jobs. “it’s hard to bring back p.m. “the mindset is very much one folks who have earned their doctorates of government control, and it’s a huge abroad if you are going to pay them barrier when trying to build a world- one-tenth of what they might earn in a CRUCIAL TEST Asian students have class university,” Larocque says. “it’s foreign country,” Altbach explains. to pass through the eye of a needle, no use putting up a nice, big, flash Asia’s leading halls of learning have such as a “make-or-break” national campus if you’re not going to allow embraced university autonomy, merit- college entrance exam, to get into a universities to be autonomous.” based hiring and admissions, teaching top university. Nor will improved facilities make in english, and foreign-born professors. Still, many governments treat public universities as tools of their social and economic agendas with decisions on hiring, pay levels, curriculum, and work conditions strictly controlled by education ministries. india’s institutes of technology (iits) are more selective than ivy League schools, accepting just 4,000 students among the 250,000 annual applicants. picture credit: AF But political interference and ethnic- based admissions and hiring have seriously eroded the iits, which now face faculty shortages and are losing p promising academics to careers in

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 17

p14-18 World Challenge.indd 29 7/11/11 2:45 PM Education in asia

much difference if rote learning the united Kingdom, and elsewhere for methods hold sway. Many universities world-class graduate schools. Asia’s Elite still emphasize memorization, test- Whatever strategy is taken, The region is home to 25 of the worldís higher education systems need to be Asia’s Elite taking, and individual problem top 200 universities, as ranked by the The region is home to 25 of the worldís solving. “this diligent form of developed in a holistic manner, says Times Higher Education. bookishness worked well for hundreds Sarvi, not just focused on centers of top 200 universities, as ranked by the TimeRANK/Us NHigheIVERSITr EY ducation. LOCATION of years,” postiglione says. “But with excellence. “too often countries focus University of RA21NK/UNIVERSITY LOCATION globalization, university learning has to on that only, and it requires much Hong Kong Hong Kong, China University of adapt to the changing environment.” resources and thus without proper 2126 HongUniversity Kon gof Tokyo Hong Kong, ChinaJapan He points out that elite universities planning can undermine other areas 2628 UnPohangiversity University of Tokyo of RepublicJapan now stress creativity, critical thinking, of higher education development,” he Science and Technology of Korea Pohang University of Republic notes. “poorer countries in the region 28 National University problem-based learning, and Science and Technology Singapore of Korea 34 of Singapore collaborative practices. “You have to may first seek to partner with existing National University 34 Singapore make students much more proactive regional centers of excellence, instead 37 ofPeking Singapor Universite y PRC* and involved in their own learning,” of aiming to establish their own as an 37 PekingHong Kong Universit University y Hong Kong, CPRC*hina 41 of Science and Technology postiglione says. immediate priority.” Hong Kong University Hong Kong, China 41 University of Science and Another key step, experts note, of Science and Technology PRC* 49 Technology of China USING PUBLIC MONEY WISELY is to increase the harmonization of University of Science and 4957 Kyoto University JapanPRC* the big question for many Asian educational credits and degrees in the Technology of China education experts is what is the best region, so degrees in one country are 5758 KyTsionghuato Universit University y JapanPRC* path forward? does it make sense to recognized in another. these networks 58 TsKoreainghua Advanced Universit Insty itute RepubliPRC*c 79 of Science and Technology of Korea devote so much time and energy to are still in their infancy. even within Korea Advanced Institute Republic 79 National Tsing of Science and Technology Taipei,China of Korea so few institutions? is the quest for countries, educational bridges need 107 Hua University National Tsing world-class universities the wisest use to be built. One often-cited model is Taipei,China 107 HuaSeoul Univers Nationaityl Republic of public education money, especially california, where promising students 109 University of Korea Seoul National Republic in developing nations? Low-income from community colleges can move 109 Hong Kong 111 University Hong Kong, China of Korea countries, still struggling to produce on to teaching colleges or even to the Baptist University Hong Kong 111 Tokyo Institute Hong Kong, China quality national universities for their state’s world-class universities. “Not Baptist University Japan 112 of Technology own people, should be careful about everyone needs to go to Berkeley, but Tokyo Institute 112 Japan entering the race to attract the world’s you still have that option if you start 115 ofNT TUechnology Taipei,China elite students, say experts. out at a smaller college in california 115120 NTNanjingU University Taipei,ChinaPRC* instead of overreaching, Asian because your credits transfer. that’s nations could aim to match the an enormous boost to the system,” 120130 NanjingOsaka Universit Universityy JapanPRC* quality of state colleges and the many says the World Bank’s Jimenez. “But 130132 OsakaTohoku Universit Universityy Japan excellent, if not world-class, private in many Asian countries, a technical Hong Kong 132 Tohoku University Hong Kong, ChinaJapan 149 Polytechnic University universities in the uS, says emmanuel college is considered the track for failed Hong Kong 149 National Sun Hong Kong, China Jimenez, the World Bank’s human people. it’s looked at like the booby Polytechnic University Taipei,China 163 Yat-Sen University development director for east Asia and prize.” National Sun 163 Taipei,China the pacific. even if more elite universities 171 Yat-SenSun Yat-sen Universit Universy ity PRC* Technological “it may be a stretch to duplicate emerge in Asia, experts caution that 171 Sun Yat-sen University SingaporePRC* 174 University the ivy League, but other institutions they will not put an end to the flow of Nanyang Technological 174 National Chiao Singapore University Taipei,China will be much easier to emulate,” academics leaving the region. “Let’s 181 Tung University National Chiao Jimenez says. “Such a goal is reachable imagine you did succeed in creating 181 Taipei,ChinaRepublic 190 TungYonsei Universit University y given the resources being spent. And a world-class university and trained of Korea Republic Yonsei University these institutions may provide more students to be world-class themselves,” 190197 Zhejiang University of KoreaPRC* appropriate training relative to the says rosenzweig, who has studied PR197C = PZhejiangeopleís Republic Universit of Chiny a PRC* local setting and the tasks at hand.” migration patterns of university Source: Times Higher Education World University Another intermediate step, says professors and students. “it’s not PRRanC =kings People2010-2ís R011. epublicwww of Chin.timeshighea reducation.co.uk/ Souworld-urce:niver Times Higsity-ranhekingsr Edu/20cation10-2 W01orld1/top- Un20ive0.rsityhtm . Mark rosenzweig, a professor of obvious that they will stay home. if Rankings 2010-2011. RESEAwwwRCH A.timeshigheND DESIGN:reducation MARK BLACKWELL.co.uk/ international economics at Yale, is a grad school is truly world-class, its world-university-rankings/2010-2011/top-200.htm. RESEARCH AND DESIGN: MARK BLACKWELL to create excellent undergraduate graduates will look to the world as programs in Asia then look to the uS, their labor market.” n

18 Development Asia April–June 2011 www.development.asia

p14-18 World Challenge.indd 30 7/8/11 3:32 PM education in asia

Cramming in Korea After achieving great success at promoting basic education, leaders in the Republic of Korea are now trying to become a world-class knowledge center

BY William Branigin

aced with the devastation education is a top priority for many HIGH INVESTMENT Children participate wrought by the Korean Korean families, and the percentage in a charity event in Seoul. It takes War and a dearth of natural of university graduates is among the roughly $231,000 to raise one child resources, the republic highest of any country in the world. from birth to college graduation in the Fof Korea long ago put its stock in But residents of the republic— Republic of Korea. education—part of a plan to make the including educators, parents, and most of its main resource: its people. students—tend to take a dimmer lowest, posing future problems for the it had a long way to go. the adult view of their education system than country. literacy rate at the end of World War ii many outsiders. High test scores have Over the years, hundreds of was estimated at 22%. come at a price, largely attributable thousands of Korean families have today, the Koreans have much to a massive system of private voted with their feet—or, more to be proud of. their literacy rate supplementary education that costs precisely, with plane tickets—by picture credit: has climbed to at least 98%, and the nation’s families billions of dollars sending their children to study their rankings in tests of reading, a year. this system has become so abroad in their high school or even mathematics, and science among expensive that many Koreans blame elementary school years. Much of this

A 15-year-olds are at or near the top it in part for a declining birth rate exodus is driven by parents’ desire fp of international surveys. Higher that now ranks among the world’s to have their children become fluent

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 19

p19-23 Cramming in Korea.indd 36 7/8/11 3:06 PM picture credit: Afp 7/8/11 3:06 PM ast ast hina e rbana- epublic epublic ultures at at ultures www.development.asia inland, Singapore, inland, Singapore, hina are included— hina are llinois at u nternational Student nternational Student o-operation and o-operation and c he results have been a he results t rofessor of Anthropology, Anthropology, of rofessor p niversity of i epublic of Korea drops a bit. drops epublic of Korea nglish mastery” that is highly nglish mastery” that is highly conomic he survey is based on 2-hour he survey is based on 2-hour But the government’s reform But the government’s reform evelopment ranked the r hampaign. reble reble rogramme for i rogramme n its latest global survey, the n its latest global survey, Asian Languages and c the u c far has shown no sign of so effort a vast network of private in reining academies known as after-school hagwons that impose heavy costs on accounting for nearly families, Korean domestic product. 3% of gross Asian American Studies, and Asian exodus, Korea is desperately making making is desperately exodus, Korea the to transform all kinds of efforts and provide education system” seeking, notably what families are by meeting “an enormous desire for e says valued in the corporate sector, Abelmann, who is Harry e. Nancy p source of pride for Koreans in recent in recent of pride for Koreans source HIGH TEST SCORES i p of the Organisation Assessment (piSA) for e d first among participating of Korea second in literacy, countries in reading and fourth math (behind Singapore), in science (behind f and Japan). When schools in Shanghai and Hong Kong, c Shanghai took part for the first time in the survey published in 2010— the r Shanghai took first place in all three categories, and Hong Kong, c in math and also topped the Koreans science. t than 70 in more tests of 15-year-olds economies. A student prays A student UNDER PRESSURE the College Scholastic prior to taking exam for a standardized Ability Test, Earningcollege entrance, in Seoul. a for the is a top priority college degree Republic of Korea. nglish- o combat a rize winners.” p n the face of a rather extreme n the face of a rather extreme “i flight of resources, relieve some of relieve some of resources, flight of on middle- and the financial burden low-income families, and avert a brain drain, it has sought to boost e at home, improve language instruction what universities, and nurture Korean Nobel it calls “future of Korea is well aware of its education of its education is well aware of Korea system’s shortcomings and has sought t to implement reforms. epublic epublic April–June 2011 April–June Asia hinese. education in asia education he Government of the r nglish, a highly prized ability in nglish, a highly prized ability in t Development 20 in e of its need to a country well aware compete in a globalized economy. their children But some seek to free of atmosphere of the pressure-cooker education system, with the Korean its overwhelming emphasis on acing multiple-choice tests. standardized, to And some now want their children learn c p19-23 Cramming in Korea.indd 37 years, and may have contributed to united States president Barack Obama’s using the republic of Korea as an example in several speeches about education. in his first address on the subject after taking office, for example, Obama in March 2009 advocated longer school days and school years, including an expansion of after-school programs. “Our children spend over a month less in school than children in [the republic of Korea]—every year,” he says. “that’s no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy. . . . the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom. if they can do that in [the republic of Korea], we can do it right here in the united States of America.” in february 2010, Obama warned, “if india and [the republic of Korea] are producing more scientists than we are, we will not succeed.” And in his State of the union address in January 2011, he noted that Korean teachers are known as ”nation builders.” His remarks, especially his call to emulate longer Korean school days, came as a surprise to many people in the republic of Korea, where the education system “has been under constant public criticism due to its lack of creativity and heavy dependence on private tutoring,” the Korea Times test scores and high-level praise could TOUGH COMPETITION An art professor newspaper reported. instill complacency and undercut inspects hundreds of drawings and foreign teachers in the country educational reform efforts. paintings presented by high school concurred. One wrote that Obama the public skepticism appears graduates as their parents look on during appears to have “an absurdly to be widely shared. in its Global a college entrance exam in Seoul. romanticized idea” of the education Competitiveness Report for 2010–2011, system in the republic of Korea. the World economic forum surveyed Another blogged that the Korean 139 economies worldwide and found china; and Malaysia) and three places model should be treated “with way that, even though the republic of ahead of the uS. more skepticism” than Obama has Korea ranks 22nd overall on a list of a When it comes to the quality of shown. dozen criteria, it drops down the list higher education—as evaluated by “even though he’s right in some in educational subcategories measured the local business community—the respects, he’s not seeing the whole by domestic opinion polling. in survey places the republic of Korea picture credit: Afp picture,” cautioned paul Z. Jambor, a “quality of primary education,” for 57th, just above rwanda. in Asia, canadian lecturer at Korea university example, the nation ranks 31st— eight economies rank higher, led by in Seoul who has written extensively behind six other Asian economies Singapore (first overall), even though on Korean education. (Singapore; taipei,china; Japan; the republic of Korea by an objective they and others worry that high Brunei darussalam; Hong Kong, measure has “the highest rate of

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tertiary education enrollment in the study by Abelmann and university world,” according to the report. of iowa Assistant professor Jiyeon “Relative to the size of Kang. it notes that the numbers of THE HAGWON SYSTEM the formal education pSA students may be higher when Much of the dissatisfaction with public “unreported, unsanctioned” students education in Korea is reflected in the system, the Korean are factored in. hagwon system, a sprawling network private tutoring system “it is not an exaggeration to say that of more than 70,000 private, for-profit is by far the largest in this pSA growth signaled a veritable academies that teach students of educational, economic, and national all ages. the hagwons specialize in the world” crisis with so many youth exiting with helping students boost their grade their skills, money, and even possibly —the Asia Pacific Education Review point averages in their regular public their futures,” Kang and Abelmann schools and pass national college say. entrance examinations so they Since 2009, the numbers are can get into the best universities. Education Review in a 2010 report. believed to have dipped because of Sometimes called “cram schools,” they the heavy cost of private education the global economic crisis, and new constitute what researchers describe is a major factor in the roughly destinations have taken root. “the as a supplementary or “shadow” $231,000 that it takes to raise one child pSA center of gravity has shifted education system similar to Japan’s from birth to college graduation in the very dramatically away from North juku (tutoring) schools. republic of Korea. that, in turn, has America toward Southeast Asia,” the Hagwon students typically contributed to the country’s declining study says. According to Abelmann, “study ahead” of the public school birth rate, which is among the world’s instead of going to Australia, New curriculum, learning the same lowest, Koreans say. Zealand, and the uS, more than half material in advance, says Abelmann. “Having to spend an excessive the Korean students doing pre-college this enables them to do well in public amount on education is one of the study abroad are now landing in school and puts pressure on other basic reasons we can’t overcome the Asian countries where english is families to enroll their children as well problem of low birth rate,” and this widely spoken, including Malaysia, so they can compete. leads to a higher proportion of elderly the philippines, and Singapore, in But a hagwon can cost up to $1,000 people in poverty, Kim Seung Kwan, addition to india. per child a month, and some students a researcher at the Korea institute for “Some people are saying, ‘forget end up spending a total of 15 hours Health and Social Affairs, recently english, the language of competition is a day preparing for their university told Singapore’s channel NewsAsia chinese,’” Abelmann says. the result entrance exams, sometimes getting television network. is an increase in Korean students home well after midnight. educators studying at pre-college and university say hagwons are largely responsible EDUCATIONAL EXODUS levels in the people’s republic of for Korean students’ high test scores, A complementary phenomenon in china, she says. Other families seek but they complain that the academies Korean education has been what the best of both worlds, sending their have also driven many families to educators have dubbed “early study children to Singapore, where they the brink of bankruptcy and fostered abroad,” also known as pre-college can study english and chinese—both inequalities that the public education study abroad (pSA), the practice official national languages. system was designed to prevent. of sending high school or even the practice has led to what Koreans in the republic of Korea, Jambor elementary school students overseas, call “geese families,” with the father notes that parents spend about 7% of largely to learn english. staying home to work while the their total income on their children’s Between 1998 and 2008, the number mother accompanies the children and private education. “therefore of Korean pSA students increased lives with them abroad. this imposes the success of students cannot be 17-fold, to more than 27,000 a year, social costs, as well as the hardship of attributed to the public school even though the overall number of having to spend large sums of money system,” he says. elementary and secondary school to maintain two residences. “relative to the size of the formal students declined, according to a despite the downsides, early education system, the Korean private study published June in the Journal study abroad is so prevalent that tutoring system is by far the largest of Korean Studies. Nearly half the it has become “an extension” of in the world,” said the Asia Pacific 2008 total went to the uS, says the the educational system and social

22 Development Asia April–June 2011 www.development.asia

p19-23 Cramming in Korea.indd 39 7/8/11 3:06 PM at improving Korean students’ Private Education english communication skills, which The number of pupils participating in private education is educators say are quite low despite shown as a percentage of all pupils in each grade level. The the large amount of time devoted to english classes in public schools. average for all levels is 75%. Nearly 9 out of 10 elementary But some Korean teachers, especially students participate as do 1 out of 2 high school students. older ones, have been resistant to such However, fewer than one in three vocational high school changes, forcing the government to students participate. scale back the plan, Jambor says. Another plan, called the “Brain Korea 88% 21” project, is going ahead, however, with the aim of “making South Korean 75% universities more competitive and 73% thus world-class universities,” Jambor says. 61% While it may be unrealistic to 53% directly target the hagwon system for swift reforms, given its signifi cant contribution to the country’s economy, the effort to raise the profi le of 30% Korean universities appears to be bearing fruit. in the 2010–2011 World University Rankings, published by the united Kingdom’s Times Higher Education, the pohang university of Science and technology vaulted to 28th place among nearly 200 schools, All Elementary Middle High General Vocational the highest ranking to date on a list High High long dominated by uS, British, and EDUCATION LEVEL other european universities. the top Korean university in 2009 was Seoul Source: Statistics Korea. The Survey of Private Education Expenditure. 2008 and 2009. National university, in 47th place. http://kostat.go.kr/portal/english/news/1/8/index.board?bmode=read&aSeq=67002 “We’re ahead of schedule,” pohang RESEARCH AND DESIGN: MARK BLACKWELL president Sunggi Baik told the Washington-based Chronicle of Higher stratifi cation in the republic of Korea, such as the university of North Education recently, noting that his Kang and Abelmann argue in their carolina and the State university of own timetable put the university in study. New York at Stony Brook are opening the top 50 by 2015. With a $2 billion branch campuses in the incheon free endowment fund, a relatively small REFORMS economic Zone. And there are plans enrollment of 2,700 of the country’s faced with the heavy burden of to establish branches of a dozen uS brightest students, and a policy of hagwons and the educational exodus, and British private high schools in attracting faculty from all over the the government of president Lee the government-funded Jeju Global world, pohang recently became only Myung-bak has sought to implement education city on Jeju island by 2015, the second Korean university to begin various reforms aimed at providing according to Kang and Abelmann. a transition to an all-english system, more opportunities in the republic in an effort to “create an educational the Chronicle reported. of Korea and reducing the cost of environment that doesn’t depend so Now Baik hopes to crack the top 20 shadow education. much on private education,” president on the Times Higher Education list by “english villages” have been set up Lee also wants Korean public school 2020. Meanwhile, pohang’s jump to to provide students with short-term, teachers to “teach english in english” 28th—from 134th the year before— live-in immersion environments to in middle school and high school, “gives us more visibility,” Baik said. learn english. foreign universities Jambor says. this is also aimed “it’s a phenomenal boost.” ■

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 23

p19-23 Cramming in Korea.indd 40 7/8/11 3:06 PM picture credit: kevin hamdorf 7/8/11 10:56 AM www.development.asia a publication by the mongolia has enjoyed fast economic is driven primarily economic growth from the country has used revenue early leaders are required reading reading required early leaders are but also for not only for people here, students worldwide. it is also a country dramatic changes that has undergone its society since the early throughout test in the 1990s and is facing a crucial decade to come. yet like many countries around growth; by the the world, it was also hit hard economic downturn. With global recent international donors, a support from domestic Gross is under way. rebound by 5.0% in the first half of grew product 2010, coming out of a 1.6% contraction to Asian Development in 2009, according Outlook 2010, asian development Bank (adB).” to the country’s economy is predicted expand by 6.5% in 2011. by mining, in particular the massive which is expected project, oyu tolgoi to be one of the world’s most prolific copper and gold mines when it starts in 2013. the country also production its location between the benefits from of the people’s economic powerhouses republic of china and the russian federation. in part to finance an rapid growth campaign to build schools. impressive Like many countries in the region, mongolia has enjoyed incredible success in boosting primary and than 90% more secondary enrollment.

loyd Whaley loyd f BY the challenge today, say experts, the challenge today, for decades. While the country was associated with the former Soviet memorization in grim union, rote of the day. facilities was often the order the type of success that is spreading Sainshand School no. 2 has enjoyed. A STORIED PAST the accomplishments of mongolia’s AN OASIS OF LEARNING Sainshand School No. 2 in the eastern Gobi Desert serves as a model for Mongolia’s the quality of campaign to improve education.

become a bigger player in international commodities international in player bigger a become

pril–June 2011 pril–June Mongolia enjoys high enrollment rates in lower schools and colleges, but colleges, and schools lower in rates enrollment high enjoys Mongolia major education challenges remain as this resource-rich nation prepares to to prepares nation resource-rich this as remain challenges education major

Windfall Schools Windfall a Asia

n mongolia’s eastern Gobi the desert, tserenlkham, friendly and talkative director of Sainshand School no. 2, darts Education in asia Education “these are the most up-to-date “these are in another class, she shows off to “this is their first exposure in another part of the school, she What is taking place at this Development

24 I from room to room talking to teachers talking to room room from describing and students, and proudly the facility she oversees. anatomical models,” she says while students visiting a biology class where a model from the organs have removed writing in of the human body and are their notebooks. chairs for the latest ergonomic previously the children preschoolers. uncomfortable oversized using were chairs designed for older students. the is bright and well-decorated, classroom enhance to equipment audiovisual with the lessons. school,” she notes. “if they have a is a there positive experience here, chance that they will stay in greater school longer.” a new computer lab where shows off and doing research students are downloading materials to teachers are support their class work. not long ago, solely relying these same teachers were on outdated russian textbooks. windswept school in the Gobi desert the way is a dramatic change from students have been taught in mongolia p24-27 Windfall schools.indd 44 NEW DIRECTIONS Tserenlkham, director SMART FUN Unlike the grim classrooms ONLINE SUPPORT At the new computer of Sainshand School No. 2, says the of old, Sainshand School No. 2 provides lab of Sainshand School No. 2, teachers school seeks to give students a positive preschoolers with a bright and well- support their class work with research learning experience through modern decorated environment conducive to materials available online. teaching methods and facilities. learning.

of primary-aged students are enrolled and individual learning rather than Mining Mongolia’s vast mineral in school. Literacy is near universal. teamwork.” deposits will encourage new While nationwide enrollment rates Ironically, Mongolia’s greatest investment, create jobs, generate are high, many children in rural challenge—and a key issue for export income, and produce a surge areas still do not attend primary or the development of the country’s in government revenue that can be secondary school. In the countryside, education system—is the prospect of used to fund social and development 8% of children aged 7 to 15 have vast wealth. Sitting on some of the spending, including investing in never enrolled in school. Another 19% greatest mineral deposits in the world, upgrading the country’s education drop out before completing grade 8, Mongolia has confirmed deposits of system. according to a report by the United nearly every major valuable mineral On the downside, this windfall of Nations Country Team in Mongolia. resource: coal, copper, fluorite, gold, revenue and investment is likely to In addition to the challenges iron ore, lead, oil, phosphates, tin, increase demand for labor far beyond associated with the urban–rural divide, uranium, and others. The Oyu Tolgoi Mongolia’s capacity, and produce many schools in Mongolia do not offer mine project alone is expected to higher incomes and public spending the updated facilities and modern generate up to $50 billion in revenue that could send the country’s inflation teaching perspective of the school in over the next 50 years. skyrocketing into double digits. It Sainshand. also may keep the economy narrowly “The school curriculum and teaching focused on extractive industries and methods have not kept up with new leave it susceptible to “boom and demands in the labor market,” notes In the countryside, 8% bust” cycles related to swings in global an August 2009 report by ADB on commodity prices. the impact of the financial crisis on of children aged 7 to pI

CTU r Mongolia’s education system. “The 15 have never enrolled SKILLS SHORTAGES AND curriculum continues to be by rote, too MISMATCHES e

CreD in school. Another theoretical, and focused on traditional A key challenge for Mongolia’s

IT 19% drop out before :

kev IN hA academic subjects, while teaching education system, which the continues to be teacher-centered rather completing grade 8 government has recognized in its than interactive. Classroom instruction planning documents, will be to MDO rf encourages memorization rather —report by the United Nations produce graduates who can address than critical and creative thinking, Country Team in Mongolia the skills shortages and mismatches

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p24-27 Windfall schools.indd 45 7/11/11 11:48 AM Education in asia

“Mongolia has challenges in the education sector, but its government has been highly committed to improving this sector, by introducing various reforms and also providing subsidies such as free textbooks targeted at disadvantaged children, free school snacks, and free meals” TAPPING RESERVES Resource-rich research facilities, and weak networks Mongolia is banking on mining projects, and partnerships with regional and —Jazira Asanova, an education such as the Oyu Tolgoi project, to international universities, among other specialist at the Asian Development boost economic and social investment problems. Bank possibilities in the country. in addition, the report notes, “it is generally acknowledged among higher education institution administrators, that affect nearly all sectors of the institutions have been accredited, employers, and students themselves country’s economy. and their management and finance that the majority of graduates do not the country was successful at have not kept pace with growth. the have the knowledge and skills required dramatically boosting the number of government has responded with a plan by the labor market. as a result, many higher education institutions, such to consolidate public higher education graduates end up unemployed.” as colleges and technical schools, institutions from 42 to 16 with the aim mongolia’s higher education in part by allowing private schools, of concentrating its resources on fewer, institutes also suffer from a lack of which were banned under the socialist but higher-quality and better-managed equity and access. poor and rural system. at the start of transition to institutions. residents often end up excluded from democracy, there were only 14 state- “While student enrollment in degree college or technical school, a situation owned higher education institutions. programs has been steadily increasing, exacerbated by inadequate state grant By 2010 there were 146 higher there is no evidence that the quality and tuition loan programs. education institutions, including of the programs has improved,” says “mongolia has challenges in the 5 branches of foreign universities. the report. “rising demand for higher education sector, but its government over the same period, the number of education apparently is not driven has been highly committed to students increased to about 164,700 by quality considerations and neither improving this sector, by introducing from 20,000. does it serve as an incentive for higher various reforms and also providing the rapid increase in the number of education institutions to improve the subsidies such as free textbooks public and private higher education quality of their programs.” targeted at disadvantaged children, free institutions since 1991 was fueled by higher education institutions in school snacks, and free kindergarten demand and was largely uncontrolled, mongolia suffer from a proliferation meals,” says Jazira asanova, an adB picture credit: afp notes an analysis of the higher of small private campuses without education specialist who works in education sector by adB. quality control, a weak accreditation mongolia. “reforming the curriculum the report states that only about system, too few teachers, poor and improving teaching methods are half of private higher education research capability and inadequate ongoing efforts.”

26 Development Asia april–June 2011 www.development.asia

p24-27 Windfall schools.indd 46 7/8/11 10:56 AM BREAKING THE MOLD Standing out amid the nearly all-male class is Enkhbolor, a tiny 18-year-old who is the only woman in the class. She says she chose to study masonry because of the construction boom in Mongolia.

the reform effort is mapped out in a broad national strategy, but also with what the Government of mongolia calls the campus development plan, which establishes enclaves that would serve as “townships of intellect.” the plan, approved by the government on in June 2010, initially identifies six locations to be developed into world- class institutions of higher education. more campuses will be added as the plan is carried out from 2010 to 2021 with both public and private funding, notes the education sector analysis by adB. While these broader national strategies get underway, some educational institutions in the country that jobs in construction are in high properly, so they can work as all- are already responding to the demand demand in mongolia. the demand is around construction workers or as for certain skills. at a technical easily confirmed with a walk down contractors,” says naranchimeg. school in the Gobi desert town of any main street in any mongolian “construction is a booming industry in Sainshand, a group of students lay city. construction projects seem to dot mongolia right now and there are not bricks as naranchimeg, the teacher of nearly every block. enough mongolian contractors to fill the masonry class at the professional “We are teaching them how to the jobs. all of these students will have training and production center, notes build buildings, how to lay bricks good jobs when they graduate.” Standing out amid the nearly all- male class is enkhbolor, a tiny 18-year- old and the only woman in the class. She is taking the lead in her bricklaying group. She says she chose to study masonry because of the construction boom in mongolia. Like mongolia—a nation of approximately 3 million people situated among larger countries—she is confident that she has what it takes. picture credit: kevin hamdorf “i’m small but i’m strong.” she says. “i can do it.” n

SAVED BY THE BELL Students wait for their next class at a technical school in the Gobi Desert town of Sainshand.

www.development.asia april–June 2011 Development Asia 27

p24-27 Windfall schools.indd 47 7/8/11 10:56 AM picture credit: AFp 7/8/11 3:08 PM www.development.asia Some simple economic and Some simple economic and because he could earn over 11 times times over 11 because he could earn doing similar work. there more demographic factors drive this A woman sits next sits next A woman THE RUN MONEY ON advertising remittance to a billboard at an airport abroad services from The Philippines. terminal in Manila, of long-term economic and social effects exporting are debatable. labor anada hat’s what happened hat’s what happened BY Bruce Heilbuth Bruce BY his common difficulty in fitting his common difficulty in fitting t on some occasions he took on people on some occasions he with completely unsuitable curricula vitae—simply because they seemed bright and talented. Asian countries people to positions in is compounded by salaries that are often so low at home that many in stable graduates and people already jobs quit the country to work abroad, says. t Naromal in his case: he emigrated to c

hilippines, and hiring hilippines, and hiring April–June 2011 April–June Asia

or more than 10 years Stephen than 10 years Stephen or more estate and ran real Naromal companies in construction the p

The Big Mismatch Big The Asia needs to train workers for the jobs of the future. Is vocational education the solution? the education vocational Is future. the of jobs the for workers train to needs Asia Education in asia Education here were just so many just so many were here “t Development

28 F people was part of his role. One of the people was part of his role. most memorable aspects of his work then was the number of applicants because of the divergence he rejected between their skills and educational and what jobs required. backgrounds mismatches!” he says. So many that p28-31 Big Mismatch.indd 54 migration. in developing economies, people eager to work seek the best salaries and jobs wherever they can find them. However, as so-called “Asian tiger” economies continue to expand and their hunger for new labor skills grows, it is becoming increasingly evident that skills mismatches— having too few or too many workers with specific training or skills in particular areas—are an added potential drain on economies and are fuelling inefficiencies in companies and bureaucracies. “there’s a mismatch in all labor markets in Asia,” observes Alberto p. Fenix Jr., president emeritus of the philippine chamber of commerce and industry. the Organisation for economic growth, combined with migration SKILLED LABOR Need abounds for co-operation and development from rural to urban areas and vocational education programs designed (Oecd) noted in a 2009 report that increased urbanization, has resulted to produce skilled workers for high- the problem is complex, regional, and in large pools of semi- and unskilled growth fields in the region, such as potentially volatile. workers, many of whom are unable construction, mining, and information “Across the region, population to integrate socially, politically, and communication technology. or economically into mainstream society,” states the report Employment and Skills Strategies in Southeast Lao people’s democratic republic, “Across the region, Asia Setting the Scene. “the failure Nepal, pakistan, the philippines, to provide this group with the Sri Lanka, and—to a lesser extent— population growth, appropriate skills, or support the thailand and Viet Nam, says pernia. combined with upgrading of their existing ones, india may not have the problem to the migration from represents a loss of potential talent same degree because many indians across a generation and could lead to have been trained overseas, especially rural to urban political discontent.” in the united States, and are returning areas and increased ernesto M. pernia, professor to meet the expanding demand for urbanization, has of economics at the university skilled labor. of the philippines and a former One result of skills mismatches resulted in large lead economist with the Asian is a talent drain that has long-term pools of semi- and development Bank (AdB), agrees. adverse impacts on less advanced unskilled workers, “the supply side just hasn’t been able Asian countries seeking to meet the to adjust quickly enough to meet the Millennium development Goals. many of whom are changes on the demand side, and Why? Because this kind of migration unable to integrate educational systems can’t readily can compromise countries’ human socially, politically, cope.” capital requirements for long-term development, says pernia. picture credit: AF or economically into DEMAND IMBALANCES true, a remittances bonanza mainstream society” inadequate investment in human usually results from such migration, capital fuels labor supply–demand but that makes it convenient for — Organisation for Economic imbalances in, among others, governments “to skirt the difficult task p Co-operation and Development Bangladesh, cambodia, indonesia, the of policy reform needed to strengthen

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bring employment opportunities with private companies and public services Vocational Education closer to the people. But the results In most of Asia, upper-secondary students enroll in are disheartening: the fairs meet just technical and vocation programs at rates well above the 1%–2% of the organization’s labor global average. demands. “We still have skills gaps and a lot of unfilled job orders,” says de Guzman. The solution is no quick fix. As Enrollment Rates at the Upper-Secondary Level with most intractable problems in Percentage of upper-secondary students in technical and vocational programs, developing nations, the best hope for regional averages, 2008 the poor and jobless in the long run— almost all economists, industrialists, and academics agree—lies primarily in aggregation of economic wealth Central Asia 49% and better-tailored education that (in East Asia 37% particular) embraces new technologies and focuses on vocations to meet South and West Asia 3% immediate and specific labor-market World 24% needs in the public and private sectors. Fortunately, over the next decade, expanding and strengthening Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Institute for Statistics. Global education will be a priority concern Education Digest 2010: Comparing Education Statistics Across the World. Montreal: UNESCO Publishing, 2010. http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/ged/2010/GED_2010_EN.pdf in nearly all developing countries in Asia, according to a recent ADB RESEARCH AND DESIGN: MARK BLACKWELL report. Indeed Asian governments face strong social demand for expanded the performance of the domestic access. Encouragingly, almost all these economy,” Pernia writes in a recent “ countries seek to incorporate advances Philippine Daily Inquirer article. We still have skills in information and communication Many of the Asian migrants who gaps and a lot of technology to improve delivery of market their skills outside their unfilled job orders” higher education. This will help home countries include the most ensure more people are better attuned experienced and educated workers, —Nimfa de Guzman, a director to opportunities in the labor markets. according to Pernia. This means their of the Philippines Overseas In this scheme, targeting training departure results in a disruption of Employment Administration regimes to skills in demand is as economic activity, and in turn impacts important as increasing access to the quality of goods and services. “A guidance, and information about training, if not more so. In fact, deterioration in quality is not unusual. job opportunities. “One of the most the OECD reports concludes from You see it, for example, in the quality important constraints facing Asian countries’ experiences that training of education and health services in our labor markets is the lack of effective alone without strict attention to country when able teachers and health employment services,” it says. quality and relevance will, in workers leave.” Nimfa de Guzman, a director of the most cases, result in disappointing Philippines Overseas Employment employment outcomes. WEAK INSTITUTIONS Administration, a government “There is a need to raise the scale Another reason for skills mismatches agency that promotes and monitors of training delivered (i.e., quantity) in Asia may be generally weak labor employment for expatriate Filipinos, as well as the relevance of training to market institutions (LMIs). According is aware of how services that aim the demands of the private sector, the to the OECD report, LMIs cover to get people into work can misfire. suitability of training for emerging a range of activities and services, Part of the agency’s strategy is to categories of workers, such as women, including employment services, career hold job fairs around the country to and the certification of training where

30 Development Asia April–June 2011 www.development.asia

p28-31 Big Mismatch.indd 56 7/11/11 3:20 PM REVERSE BRAIN DRAIN Workers assemble India’s Tata Nano, said to be the world’s cheapest car, in the western state of Gujarat. The country’s economic success is encouraging many Indians trained overseas to return.

What is Viet Nam doing right? its industrial policy has successfully targeted dynamic growth sectors. in its powerful manufacturing segment, continued growth has been identified in electro-mechanical industries, shipbuilding, textiles, food processing, petrochemicals, and tourism. information and communication and “professional, scientific, and technical possible (i.e., quality),” the report For this reason, vocational skills activities” are still small but growing states. development should be integrated fast and reinforce the government’s “in most countries across the region with employment promotion for prioritization of high technology, it would take 5 or more years to both the formal and informal private including new materials technology, enable public vocational education sectors. “in particular, international biotechnology, automation technology, and training (Vet) institutions to cooperation in developing an enabling and nanotechnology. deliver skills that are attractive to environment for micro- and small While the country still has problems employers. under such circumstances enterprises is of critical importance.” finding skilled labor, a step in the it is necessary to investigate what role Many Asian nations are trying right direction may be a law passed 5 private providers and companies can to avoid hard lessons that may years ago that sets out state policies on play in expanding the supply of skills, imperil their growth prospects. the Vet development. the law supports as well as what incentives are required development trajectory followed the expansion of the Vet system to to encourage such provision.” by the Southeast Asian tigers, in supply human resources and more A clear benefit of vocational particular, provides lessons on advanced training to modernize education is that it can be tailored strategies for creating decent and and industrialize the nation. it also precisely to labor market needs—such productive employment, according to aims to raise teacher qualification as increasing programs in construction the Oecd’s report. requirements and encourage local and and mining trades in recognition One of the tenets is the need to foreign individuals and organizations that these will be the source of many have an industrial policy that targets to set up vocational training high-demand jobs in years to come. growth in sectors with the greatest institutions. it also consolidates to take one example among many, the employment potential. Such a policy responsibility for Vet under a central Oyu tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia makes it easier for governments to agency. recently announced it would spend ensure a match between the demand ultimately, as AdB’s report around $3 million on vocational and supply of skills. indicates, governments should training for some 3,300 residents over Viet Nam provides a good recognize the economic and social the next 3 years. example of how skills mismatches returns of investment in education, Another step to rectify the can be minimized to reduce poverty. and seek assistance in optimizing mismatch between skills acquisition the country’s economic growth that investment. in AdB’s developing and business needs in the region achievements in the past 15 years are member countries, “the increasingly picture credit: AF is the provision of an “enabling a great success story, according to complex demands of globalization environment,” says the Oecd report, AdB. in 2007, for example, Viet Nam require that attention be shifted beyond so the supply of skills is balanced with absorbed 46.11 million workers after basic education to technical and the provision of opportunities to use creating 11.39 million new jobs in the vocational education and training, and p them. previous decade. to higher education.” n

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Red Capitalism Authors Carl E. Walter and The Fragile Financial Foundation of Fraser J. T. Howie, China’s Extraordinary Rise both investment By Carl E. Walter and Fraser J. T. Howie bankers, believe RED that understanding John Wiley & Sons (Asia) CAPITALISM Th e Fragile Financial the institutional February 2011. $29.95 Foundation of China’s Extraordinary Rise arrangements in the ed Capitalism examines the finance sector is key Carl E. Walter Fraser J. T. Howie fragile banking system that to understanding Consumptionomics threatens to undermine the the PRC’s emerging role in the global sustainability and success economy. Their analysis shows how the Asia’s Role in Reshaping Capitalism of the People’s Republic China (PRC) government’s response to the global and Saving the Planet Ron the global stage. It traces how the financial crisis has created a banking By Chandran Nair government reformed and modeled its system whose stability can be maintained John Wiley & Sons (Asia) financial system in the 30 years since it only behind the walls of a nonconvertible February 2011. $27.95 began engaging with the west. currency, a myriad of off-balance sheet

he recent financial crisis has seen the West’s leading economists and policy How the West Was Lost makers urging Asia to make a F i f t y Ye a r s o f E c o n o m i c F o l l y—a n d t h e S t a r k C h o i c e s A h e a d conscious effort to consume more and therebyT help save the global economy. By Dambisa Moyo Consumptionomics challenges this Farrar, Straus and Giroux view. It contends that if Asians were February 2011. $25.00 to achieve consumption levels taken for granted in the West, the results conomist Dambisa Moyo, author of bestseller Dead would be environmentally catastrophic Aid: Why Aid is Not Working, takes up one of the across the globe. Moreover, it would brewing issues in the world today: the shifting of have significant geopolitical impacts economic power from the West to the East. as nations scramble for diminishing The resiliency of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and emerging economies resources. Ein Asia in the face of the recent financial crisis has enabled the East to get back “His book is a call for Asia’s on track toward growth, leaving the still troubled economies of the United States developing nations to eschew and Europe in the dust. Talk is rife that the PRC, now the world’s second biggest consumerism and adopt a more ascetic economy, will eventually overtake the US, and that the renminbi will replace the economic model that will deliver US dollar as the international reserve currency. sustainable development and save the Despite the book’s title, Moyo hardly concedes that the US has already lost the planet from environmental disaster.”— battle. What she does is point out how shortsighted policies and decisions, such Hugh Carnegy, Financial Times as putting too much confidence in market mechanisms, have created the morass Chandran Nair “questions the of debt and deficiencies in the country. At the same time, she rallies the US to take assumptions that everyone in [the PRC] drastic measures, if necessary, to resuscitate the economy. and India should—or needs to—have “What are we to make of the Moyo thesis? Inevitably, in a short book of such a a car, live and work in air-conditioned sweeping nature, there are many hostages to critics. I will let these pass. I do not buildings, and consume food and share Moyo’s pessimism, but I applaud her brave alarum against our economic goods shipped from everywhere in the and social complacency: her core concerns are sufficiently close to painful truths to world. He argues that Asian capitalism warrant our attention.”—Paul Collier, The Observer must be reshaped for a resource- “The backbone of this book, and the best reason for reading it, is her constrained world rather than be examination of how the US has lost economic ground by grossly misallocating replaced.”—John Vidal, The Guardian n capital, labor, and technology.”—James Pressley, Bloomberg n

32 Development Asia April–June 2011 www.development.asia

p32-33 Off the shelf.indd 48 7/8/11 10:29 AM arrangements with nonpublic state vices as well as virtues, lives behind The Net Delusion entities, and the strong support of its this facade. There is enough in Red The Dark Side of Internet Freedom best borrowers—the so-called “national Capitalism to provide [PRC] bulls with champions”—who are the greatest facts to justify enthusiasm for all that has By Evgeny Morozov beneficiaries of the financial status quo. changed, and yet still leave them wary of PublicAffairs Walter has worked in the PRC’s the future.”—The Economist January 2011. $27.95 finance sector for 20 years, holding senior The authors “argue that [the PRC] isn’t positions in investment banking. so different from other economies nor ith uprisings in the Howie has been trading, analyzing, so immune from normal economic laws and Africa and writing about Asian stock markets as cheerleaders argue. An examination being Twittered and for nearly 20 years. of the financial system—or ‘how [the blogged 24/7 to garner “Red Capitalism shines an PRC’s] political elite manages money international support, publishing a unprecedented light on a remarkable and the country’s economy,’ as the Wbook on the democratizing power of the effort to build a system that appears to authors put it—offers a useful lens internet at the start of be comprised of sophisticated companies through which to view much broader the year could not be and markets. But the book also shows issues.”—Rick Carew, The Wall Street more timely. that a more primitive system, with Journal n The Net Delusion however offers a different view from popular opinion. The The Price of Everything author, journalist and social commentator Solving the Mystery of Why We Pay What We Do Evgeny Morozov, By Eduardo Porter seeks to dispel the notion that the Portfolio/Penguin internet and social media are liberating January 2011. $27.95 by nature. These tools are available not just to those who fight for democratic he book starts with a simple premise but ends by reforms, but also to those who stifle making readers more conscious of what influences freedom and social change. At the the value they place on the most mundane to the hands of authoritarian governments, the most important elements of their lives. internet could be used to disseminate Author Eduardo Porter explores the story behind how propaganda and spy on enemies. Tthe world gives a price to everything, not just commodities Morozov is a contributing editor to but also human life. He asks provocative questions, such as Foreign Policy and Boston Review and a why pay $2.29 for coffee at Starbucks when one can get the Schwartz Fellow at the New American same brew elsewhere for less than a dollar, why polygamous Foundation, which is dedicated to societies place a higher value on women than monogamous ones, and why some exploring innovative solutions to the government agencies consider a year of life for a senior citizen four times more world’s most pressing problems. valuable than that of a younger person. “His book is about the dangers of Porter began his journalism career as a financial reporter for the Mexican a particular form of vanity, whereby government news agency Notmex in 1990. He began at the The New York Times earnest, well-meaning commentators and in 2004, covering economics, and later joined the paper’s editorial board in 2007. policy makers in Washington and Silicon He graduated from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, then went Valley convince themselves that their on to earn a master’s degree in quantum fields and fundamental forces from the high-technology tools can liberate those Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London. living under political repression.”— Porter “introduces a prosaic yet surprisingly vital lens for examining our Joshua Yaffa, The Wall Street Journal connected world: prices. Porter uses prices to highlight the economic component “Morozov convincingly argues that, in of our choices. This proves a surprisingly fruitful strategy that’s only enhanced freedom’s name, the internet more often by the author’s first-rate storytelling and muscular prose.”—Harvard Business than not constricts or even abolishes Review n freedom.”—The New York Times n

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Aid on Trial In the past 5 decades, the developing world has received some $2.3 trillion in aid in today’s US dollar equivalent. Has it helped, and without it, would the poor be even poorer? Or has it made things a whole lot worse? In a special two-part report, Development Asia presents the cases for and against more aid

BY Bruce Heilbuth

PArT 1 The cASe for more AiD ShoW Them The moNeY

ajida Khari Mohammad Garment/clothing Sector through lives in a two-room house Skills development. it is a joint effort in ’s Bhainse cattle of the united Nations development colony. the colony is programme and a local garment Sknown for its overpowering stench manufacturers’ body. of cow dung, but the 18-year-old has Like hundreds of similar programs no complaints. Having migrated to across asia that owe their existence to Karachi from a village in the pakistan the Millennium development Goals province of Sindh, she prides herself on (MdGs)—the worldwide initiative being a “pillar for to end poverty by her family”. 2015—it would have Sajida works “Poverty is a social been impossible, in a garment literally, without factory producing construction. Humans foreign aid money. uniforms for made it, so humans can Hard cash from Marks & Spencer, undo it” the world’s wealthy tesco, and nations funneled Sainsbury’s in the —James Arvanitakis of Aid/Watch, through the united united Kingdom. which monitors Australia’s aid and Nations and other the money she trade programs agencies is the earns helps to simple recipe the support her eight world needs to rid siblings and provide medication for her itself of the most extreme forms of chronically ailing father, all of whom poverty, according to some influential have moved to Karachi. thinkers. Learning a new skill has been While few believe relative poverty empowering for Sajida. “after i finish can easily or ever be eradicated, this 3 months in training, my income will body of opinion insists the world’s 1 increase by more than 50%,” she says. billion poorest individuals—those who “the most exciting part is i’ll be able to live on less than $1 a day—can, with picture credit: afp make all kinds of garments.” Sajida is one of 235 “master trainers” HUNGRY FOR AID Flood victims in who have benefited from a project Pakistan gather at a distribution point for known as Gender promotion in the relief goods.

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the help of judicious cash donations, arguably, for proponents of more social commentator eric austrew. rise above subsistence and achieve aid is Jeffrey Sachs, an american “the problems i had always thought control over their economic futures and economist and director of the earth of as the key factors to helping these their lives. institute at columbia university, who countries, such as less corruption, “poverty is a social construction,” in his celebrated 2005 book, The End of better governance, or culture factors says James arvanitakis, a lecturer at Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our like women’s rights, are not at the the university of Western Sydney and Time, proposed nine steps to eliminate root of poverty,” writes austrew. “i a management committee member of extreme poverty by 2025. am convinced it is possible to have a aid/Watch, an independent monitor to accomplish this, Sachs says, aid perfectly governed, free, and equitable of australia’s aid and trade programs. must be raised to $195 billion a year by country that is nonetheless doomed to “Humans made it, so humans can 2015 from $65 billion in 2002. unending poverty and suffering.” undo it.” an essential plank of his argument Nevertheless it is true that the the chief international spokesperson, that more cash can rescue the poorest proportion of very poor people is of the poor is that in countries such shrinking. today, the number living as Bangladesh and Nepal, where tens in extreme poverty, the World Bank SLEEP SAFE Mosquito nets hang of millions live in poverty, all existing estimates, is 1.1 billion, down from above the beds in the children’s ward at capital is consumed simply to stay 1.5 billion in 1981. in the peoples’ government-run Ifakara Health Institute alive. republic of china and india alone, the in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. International aid Meanwhile the extreme poor are economic boom in east and South asia has made a difference in the fight against getting poorer because the amount of has lifted 300 million people out of malaria, particularly in Africa where, until capital per person is decreasing due to extreme poverty. recently, more than 1 million children population growth or environmental this is laudable progress, yet one- suffered from the disease each year. degradation, according to american sixth of humanity still suffers the picture credit: afp

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ravages of aidS, drought, isolation, explicit and oft-repeated promise. and civil wars, and is trapped in a the developed world can afford vicious cycle of deprivation, says “The task of ending to raise the poorest countries out Sachs, writing in Time magazine. these extreme poverty is a of extreme poverty, Sachs argues, people lack roads, trucks, irrigation agreeing with the MdGs’ calculation channels, and power. Because they collective one—for that 0.7% of the gross domestic product need every bit of money they have to you as well as for me. (Gdp) of developed countries would stay alive, they have no way to save. The end of poverty be enough. (the uS currently donates about 0.14% of its Gdp to development reAchiNG The BoTTom rUNG will require a global assistance). a major problem is the inability of network of cooperation very poor countries to reach the among people who eGreGioUS BANK BehAVior bottom rung of the ladder of economic With this in mind, the behavior of Wall development to make these necessities have never met and Street banks has been egregious to available. Once the bottom rung is who do not necessarily say the least. the uS federal reserve reached, with the help of outside aid, trust one another” pumped more than 1 trillion dollars of a country can pull itself up into the new liquidity into the banking system global market economy, and the need — Jeffrey Sachs, director of during the global financial crisis of for assistance will be diminished or the Earth Institute at Columbia 2008, despite banks’ terrible balance eliminated, say proponents of more University and author of The End of sheets and record of reckless behavior. aid. Poverty in 2009, as a result, Wall Street netted there is plenty of evidence that an estimated $55 billion or more in such outside cash help can be very profit. beneficial. in the treatment of malaria “With a knowing smirk, the bankers in developing countries, for instance, helped themselves to their share of the aid has made a demonstrable seignorage as well, to the tune of $20 difference. billion in bonuses, not even counting until recently, more than 1 million unrealized stock options,” Sachs says. african children succumbed to the the solution to this inequity, disease each year. international according to Sachs and others, is to funding for malaria increased from $0.3 earmark part of a globally harmonized billion in 2003 to $1.7 billion in 2009. bank tax to ensure that the uS and the net result is that malaria cases in 38 other laggard donors live up to dropped by more than 50% by 2008, as international standards of burden- compared with 2000 figures, according sharing. politicians are facing up to to Sithara Batcha, an aid professional this, with the White House and 10 based in Geneva, Switzerland. downing Street calling for a new Batcha has worked in tanzania and moral responsibility for ensuring there banking tax to recoup some of the seen the dramatic effects of increased are more successes like this appears to seignorage, as have other governments development aid in the island of be lacking. at Gleneagles, Scotland in of the Group of twenty countries. Zanzibar. When she arrived there in 2005, the Group of eight (G8) countries 2005, hospital beds were filled with promised to double annual aid to corrUPTioN mYTh children suffering from malaria. By the africa by 2010, roughly $30 billion an often-cited argument against time she left in 2009, the percentage extra each year. in 2010, they will have richer nations simply handing over of infected children had dropped fallen about $20 billion short, Sachs more cash to the impoverished is that to less than 1% from about 10% in says. it is pointless because of widespread 2005. “development aid in this case this means that the G8 will not corruption and misrule in countries picture credit: afp is making a difference,” she says. “it’s devote the same amount of money Wall receiving aid. these critics have got it saving lives.” Street bankers take home in bonuses wrong, according to some sources. Sadly, according to many aid at the end of a bad year to aid for 800 researchers Henrik Hansen and finn professionals, when examining the million of the world’s poorest and tarp of the university of copenhagen, aid efforts of “rich” Western nations, hungriest people, even to honor an for example, have examined the

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GoVerNANce: KeY To DeVeLoPmeNT

Access to markets and y the early 1990s, Bangalore, india had experienced decades of rapid the market mechanism growth, and its government was unable to deliver many public services needed by citizens. Many residents had simply given up on getting the are only likely to basics—water,B power, and sanitation services—from the government. succeed if accompanied reacting to urban growth and poor public service delivery, a small group by carefully focused of citizens banded together in 1993 to try to address Bangalore’s problems. the group began compiling “report cards” on how city agencies were aid, global governance performing and presented them to the government, according to the report (of wealthy and poor Pro-Poor Service Delivery Initiatives by the community association Bangalore nations alike), and Mahanagara palike. the report cards led to substantial reforms in government services. from well-managed markets only a few percent of city residents saying they were pleased with local government services in 1994 to more than 70% expressing satisfaction by 2003. the transformation in Bangalore is an example of what many divergent relationship between foreign aid and views in the aid debate agree is key to helping poor countries effectively use growth in real Gdp per capita. they both internal and external funding to help their people: good governance. the show that aid increases the growth rate, policies, laws, and institutions must operate effectively in order for funding to and that this result is not conditional reach those who need it most. on “good” policy. “the prevailing notion on aid effectiveness is that aid is most effective in Besides, in the past decade, societies accelerating economic growth and poverty reduction in countries with good in asia perceived to have extensive governance and institutional quality,” explains Jong Woo Kang, a senior corruption, like Bangladesh, indonesia, economist at the asian development Bank. and pakistan, have enjoyed rapid adB’s long-term strategic framework Strategy 2020 adds: “the state must economic growth while relatively establish institutions and policies that maximize opportunities for growth well-governed countries in africa, such and poverty reduction. the economic success of many development member as Ghana, Malawi, Mali, and Senegal, countries will depend on this kind of institutional progress, along with have failed to prosper. a policy and regulatory environment that fosters trade, investment, and the idea that if you give aid some of technology development.” n it is going to be misused is undeniable, but the plain truth is if you do not do it, ingredients—good harbors, close market mechanism are only likely to more people will suffer or die. contacts with the rich world, favorable succeed if accompanied by carefully climate, adequate energy sources, and focused aid, global governance (of AccoUNTABiLiTY NeeDeD freedom from epidemic disease—have wealthy and poor nations alike), and few people would argue that money escaped extreme poverty, he points well-managed markets. the global should be indiscriminately handed out out. financial crisis highlighted the vagaries with no accountability, and even the asia’s remaining challenge is not of the market mechanism and the most ardent proponents of more aid mainly to overcome indolence and need for government intervention, admit political will and cooperative corruption, but to take on the solvable arvanitakis asserts. effort in recipient countries are problems of geographic isolation, “the key here is the right balance essential. disease, and natural hazards, and to do between the market, governments, as Sachs says: “the task of ending so with new arrangements of political and civil society to look at what extreme poverty is a collective one— responsibility that can get the job done. development really means. Yes, Gdp for you as well as for me. the end of Many of Sachs’s arguments are is important, but other quality of life poverty will require a global network more relevant than ever, especially in measures need to be given equal if not of cooperation among people who have their focus on the MdGs, according to greater weighting,” he says. never met and who do not necessarily arvanitakis. “We need to have a real What encourages arvanitakis is the trust one another.” attempt on these goals,” he says. number of “good” aid projects that the solutions to extreme poverty, serve as examples of what can be done. like the sources, are complex. WANTeD: cArefULLY focUSeD AiD these are designed from the bottom However most societies with the right However, access to markets and the up, controlled by the local population

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p34_42 Aid on Trial.indd 40 7/8/11 11:03 AM with assistance from nongovernment HATS OFF TO U2? Bono, international organizations (NGOs) and the social justice activist and lead singer of government. the rock band U2, reportedly paid 1,000 that is why governments and pounds to have his favourite hat flown to aid agencies should not only focus a charity concert. on more, but better aid and other measures such as fairer trade relations and the forgiveness of “odious” debt, he says. among agencies that show how focused, accountable, and effective aid should be delivered, he points to apheda (timor-Leste), the PArT 2 The cASe AGAiNST more AiD international Women’s development agency (Bougainville), and Oxfam GooD iNTeNTioNS GoNe AWrY (throughout africa). Batcha agrees that in many countries a mixed strategy may work. Moderate ock star Bono, renowned for the efforts of the “aid industry” and amounts of capital infused into his public campaigning for pop-star aid activists. government budgets, with capacity debt relief for poor countries, Less frivolous is the June 2010 report building and strong follow-up and was reportedly “panic- in The Wall Street Journal and elsewhere oversight mechanisms provided by stricken” when he discovered he’d that united States investigators suspect NGOs with experience in financial rforgotten to pack his favorite hat for a afghan officials stuffed suitcases full management and results reporting, charity concert in italy. of cash siphoned from Western aid may help build government capacity to four daily projects and flew absorb more funds successfully in the newspapers in the them out of Kabul future. united Kingdom, airport. the reports the case for aid remains hopeful including the two “Aid has been, and revealed that more and strong, and there is much else largest-circulation continues to be, an than $3 billion of that can be done under its banner. papers, reported unmitigated political, aid money has been Writing in Scientific American, Sachs that Bono paid legally declared to says payments to poor communities 1,000 pounds economic, and leave afghanistan to resist deforestation could save sterling to have humanitarian disaster in this way over the species habitats. No-till farming and his trilby flown for most parts of the past 3 years. other methods can preserve soils and from england. cases such as biodiversity. More efficient fertilizer When the plane developing world” the afghan money use can reduce the transport of touched down in grab have led excessive nitrogen and phosphorus. Bologna, a hired — Zambian economist and author many dismayed Dambiso Moyo Better irrigation and seed varieties driver grabbed the participants in the can conserve water and reduce hat and drove it 50 debate to conclude other ecological pressures. Sachs plus kilometers to the concert venue in that aid money is not necessarily believes those changes will require a Modena. being well spent by the world’s tremendous public–private effort that “isn’t this the same Bono who disadvantaged nations, is not helping picture credit: is yet to be mobilized. constantly . . . pressures us ‘wealthy’ the poor, and may in fact hurt them. Says arvanitakis of aid/Watch: american taxpayers to forgive the On the other side of the argument, “if you ask me can everyone have gazillions in debt owed us by such columbia university economist and

u a four-wheel drive, no. But should murderous terror-host states such as author Jeffrey Sachs espouses that N p HO t every person have access to food? Sudan?” wrote online critic debbie increased aid is the key to rescuing the

O / B ric K Yes. Maybe, in the end, to achieve Schlussel. poorest people in the developing world this, we in the wealthy world should it may be a frivolous anecdote, but from poverty.

a give up a little more. for the sake of it is a serious representation of the the rebuttal to Sachs is led by— JO rNaS sustainability and justice, this is not skepticism and cynicism with which among others—author and scholar much to ask.” n many in the West have come to view William easterly of New York

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university. in his book The White Man’s in Nepal, many educated and Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid qualified Nepalese feel that their the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So own expertise is better than that of Little Good, easterly distinguishes two any expatriate, writes British aid types of foreign aid donors: “planners,” critic Graham Hancock, author of the who believe in imposing top-down seminal book Lords of Poverty. they also big plans on poor countries; and point out that, at a rough estimate, aid “searchers,” who look for bottom–up agencies could hire 30 to 50 Nepalese solutions to specific needs. He favors experts with the money required by the latter to work on aid solutions: just one foreign adviser. people who try to understand those who may need help and to include $2.3 TriLLioN AND coUNTiNG them in the solutions. Of the $2.3 trillion (measured in today’s Since the 1950s, the “Big aid” legacy dollars) spent on aid over the past the developing world,” she says. spawned a bureaucratic approach to 5 decades, what is there to show for examples to support her contention economic development that has been it? Not much, if anything, according are not hard to find in asia. for the standard ever since, according to many pundits. “it’s fair to say this example in Lords of Poverty, Hancock to easterly and others, albeit with approach has not been a great success,” tells the story of a World Bank project, some lip service to free markets by writes easterly. a $44-million tantalum processing the World Bank (which has a billion- Zambian economist and author plant on the thai island of phuket, that dollar administrative budget), regional dambiso Moyo uses stronger language. epitomizes the well-intentioned but development banks, national aid “aid has been, and continues to be, an sometimes ineffective aid projects. agencies such as the united States unmitigated political, economic, and Keen to disburse funds rapidly, agency for international development, humanitarian disaster for most parts of World Bank representatives had failed and the united Nations development to canvass local opinions of the scheme agencies. before going ahead with it. the locals Sachs’s underlying assumptions knew, however, that the huge ore are from the enlightenment, which refinery would be noisy and messy believes in human ingenuity solving and, thus, represent a threat to the all problems and creating progress tourist trade on which their livelihoods through rational processes, says robert depended. So they burned it down. reese, professor of cross-cultural part of the problem, according ministry at Mid-atlantic christian to Sithara Batcha, a Geneva-based university in North carolina, who has development agency employee who worked in developing countries. has worked in developing countries, this mentality is “strongly rooted is the inflexibility of many aid in the Western world and fuels the aid organizations. Some strongly feel the system now in place,” says reese. “i best way to get results is to directly see it as a relic of the colonial mentality fund government budgets. While this where the progressive peoples can ensures funding ends up in-country decide for the others what’s best.” and promotes country ownership, the Of the $2.3 trillion this colonial viewpoint sees poverty risk is that funds will be misused by (measured in today’s as a problem for Western engineering corrupt governments. dollars) that has been to solve. it doesn’t consider the real On the other side of the spectrum conditions on the ground, especially are organizations that fund (mostly spent on aid over the the mentality of the supposed BUILDING SELF-RELIANCE A young girl Western) NGOs and corporations. they past 5 decades, what beneficiaries, who are generally not uses an ECHO bucket to fetch water can generally be sure their funds are is there to show for it? students of the enlightenment at all, in Sudan. Some experts say there is a not lost to corruption, but “vast sums” picture credit: afp reese adds. it also overlooks local greater need for better rather than more fail to end up in the country and go Not much, if anything, initiative, which abounds in africa and aid. Such assistance should seek to instead to financing the organization according to many asia, in favor of foreign experts doing involve the local community and build itself and its workers. critics note the pundits the “engineering.” their capacity to improve quality of life. huge amounts of taxpayers’ money that

40 Development Asia april–June 2011 www.development.asia

p34_42 Aid on Trial.indd 42 7/8/11 11:03 AM Who oWNS DeBT? “The aid industry crushing debts do not worsen poverty in the developing world, easterly needs to take a small- adds, because the foreign debt of scale approach that poor countries has always been partly does not overwhelm fictional. Whenever debt servicing became too onerous, the poor nations local peoples with simply received new loans to repay old foreign kindness, but ones. treats them as humans Besides, debt relief advocates should remember poor people do not with the capability owe foreign debt, their governments HIDDEN COST OF FREE FOOD Sacks of handling their own do. “poor nations suffer poverty not of flour are offloaded from a US Army problems, even if they because of high debt burdens but CH-47 Chinook helicopter for aid flood because spendthrift governments survivors in Kallam Valley in Pakistan in do need some small constantly seek to redistribute the August 2010. Aid critics warn against help to do so initially” existing economic pie to privileged the danger of flooding the market with political elites rather than try to make free food during a crisis as it may affect —Robert Reese, professor of cross- the pie grow larger through sound the livelihood of local suppliers such as cultural ministry at Mid-Atlantic economic policies,” writes easterly in farmers. Christian University in the US an article for Foreign Policy. Likewise, it is the elite who tend to benefit from aid-funded projects once goes to funding bureaucrats around the DeBT reLief: ‘A BAD iDeA’ they are completed. in Bangladesh, the globe employed by bodies such as the Solutions tacitly accepted by Greater dhaka electricity transmission uN and the World Bank. development professionals are targeted and distribution system cost British Obviously, the aid industry is by easterly, to sobering effect. in his taxpayers 38 million pounds. But governed by codes of conduct and book The Elusive Quest for Growth, he is more than 85% of Bangladeshis live standards that aim to ensure aid at particularly critical of debt relief. in rural areas and cannot benefit least does no harm. But as the phuket despite its overwhelming popularity from the electrification of the capital anecdote shows, no standards or codes among policymakers and the public, city. in dhaka, the main users of the can guarantee effective action on the debt relief is a bad deal for the system were not the poor but the ground, and humanitarianism remains world’s poor, says easterly, because it middle classes and foreigners. “as messy and imperfect. transfers scarce resources to corrupt a ‘development’ initiative it would aid worker conor foley, governments with proven track records appear to leave much to be desired,” author of The Thin Blue Line: How of misusing aid. writes Hancock in Lords of Poverty. Humanitarianism Went to War, also as another example easterly points the tragedy is that no one seems agrees that well-intentioned aid to the ivory coast, an african nation to care that money disappears, says projects “can do great harm,” citing the that built not one but two new national easterly. “that breaks my heart over case of food aid sent by rich countries capitals in the hometowns of the and over again,” he says in a recent to poor ones during food crises. When country’s previous rulers as it was interview with online ideas forum Big

picture credit: a local market is flooded with free piling up debt. then it had a military Think. food, prices tend to fall, pushing poor coup and a tainted election, not an this may be overly harsh, because farmers struggling to make a living environment in which aid would be many people obviously have the best of out of business. Sometimes food aid well used. intentions, yet it is arguably true most u N

p arrives too late, especially when it Meanwhile, poor nations that did not have no idea what happens to their HO t is shipped from far away. the food mismanage their aid loans so badly— well-meaning donation once they post O / SO pH crisis may have ended, but the aid such as Bangladesh and india—now do their check. ends up diminishing food security not qualify for debt relief, though their clearly, there are massive problems ia

pari S by disrupting the market for the next governments would likely put fresh associated with the way in which season’s harvest. aid resources to better use. international aid is delivered, and

www.development.asia april–June 2011 Development Asia 41

p34_42 Aid on Trial.indd 43 7/8/11 11:03 AM picture credit: HeMiS.fr picture credit

7/8/11 11:03 AM n Big Think Big those olman, author olman, author ST ST p www.development.asia asterly inasterly the e N, hoNe BATe rmies, rebels, and militias steal ltimately, as withltimately, all complex he media, too, has a more oPe De inally, reliefinally, agencies and here’s no accountability no basic here’s for… f u t “a hird, changes in the way aid is way aid is hird, changes in the olman. “Bringing food aid to a war food supplies from warehouses or from international and aid convoys either consume them sell or them their up to top war chests,” writes p zone can amount to form a arms of delivery.” professionalsdevelopment should, as a prime rationale their for existence, acknowledge that aid is not necessarily benign nature by and does automaticallynot equate to a better world. problems, the most effective solutions bemay disarmingly simple. responsible delivering for to the help poor should focus aid, on not more but on better aid, and should remember that a good aid project is one that is designed from the bottom and up controlled the by local population. accountable the for very results it expects to achieve underits charter. “t things, and so these basic things don’t says happen,” 3 t with a more delivered should start among aid open and honest debate agencies and professionals about how effective they are being, especially about the effects of aid diversion to ruling elites and corruption—sensitive subjects in an industry whose funding and jobs depend heavily on its reputation. responsible role to play in promoting openness, according to some experts, especially in war situations. Warring parties often use journalists to draw attention to their conflict and so win more aid, says Linda Games:of War The Story of Aid and War Modernin Times. interview. uN TY rgo, it is it not rgo, e f the organization author Hancock author points to the ccoUNTABiLi NShriNe e A was being effective in alleviating itself put have out would it poverty, businessof ago. long and its huge budgets have continuedand budgets have its huge to balloon. i 2 Second, aid bodies must become more accountable for results. Lords of Poverty fact that the bureaucracy the of and even governments, this she says. is the to get best to know way the situation on the ground and tailor fundingdevelopment and solutions abound (Stories foreign of accordingly. aid executives staying in a luxury hotel in a developing nation a week for and then professing to know what locals need.) WAITING FOR CHANGE Beggars gather WAITING volcano on the slopes of the Bromo in Java, Indonesia during the Kosodo of food festival to collect the offerings by thousands of and coins thrown visitors into the active volcano. Opinion is still divided over the value of donations . in poverty reduction. asterly e he West he West hina and s t the a christian asterly. asterly. tlantic e a pril-June 2011 pril-June id should beid delivered republic c of a a Asia t is then easier to bypass hose responsible for i t eople’s eople’s reese, Mid- of article he aid industry needs to take a iecemeal reform motivates specific reJecT The BiG PLAN reJecT The BiG APProAch practical solutions to such an practical solutions to p Market mechanisms can sort Geneva-based aid professional “t Development N andotherN aidagencies. niversity. irst and foremost, the plan big ndia in the and through 1980s 1990s 42 commentators can whine about them can whine about commentators be right. and will probably endlessly to distill. harder intractable issue are these Many have been advocated. most sensible: seem to be among the 1 f approach should be rejected the by u simple dreamssimple the at run top afoul of insufficientof the complex knowledge realities the at bottom.” actors to take small steps, a one at time, and then tests whether that small step has poor made people better off. corrupt governments and local bureaucrats and support those people local have who solutions to problems. through the projects and that work those that fail, says observes, large-scale crash programs, especially often outsiders, by produce unintended consequences. “ achieved gradual as success this way, did the p u Batcha agrees. in true partnership with local people, justnot governments, and she says, isit essentialaid for professionals everyof sort to be “local of aware context.” i gradual market reforms. small-scale approach that does not overwhelm local peoples with foreign kindness, treats but them as humans with the capability handling of their own problems, even if they need do some small so initially,” to do help says delivering aid should think more fundingcreatively, local players: entrepreneurs, businesses, NGOs, p34_42 Aid on Trial.indd 44 With some solutions for climate change

...you simply add water

Climate change endangers us all. A great way to fight it is harnessing renewable energy. ADB provides funding and assistance for clean- energy run-of-river hydropower plants across Asia. They range in size from 5 to 200 megawatts.

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p43 ad.indd 68 7/8/11 10:40 AM picture credit: AFp 7/8/11 3:10 PM im Shin at the www.development.asia r. Hai-r r. nited States. egional Office for the Western egional Office for the ancer expert d —World Health Organization Health —World Chan Margaret Dr. Director-General “In low- and middle- and low- “In countries, income overwhelmingly cancer This poor. the affects implications huge has suffering, human for health systems, health drive the and budgets, poverty” reduce to c part of the GLOBOCAN series anada and the u acific in Manila says the looming WHO r p strain epidemic of cancer will severely health systems in low- and ill-prepared middle-income countries, which cannot expensive cancer treatments afford available in developed countries such as c Agency published by the international on cancer showed an for research estimated 12.7 million new cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths occurred in 2008, with 56% of new cancer cases and 63% of the cancer deaths occurring of the world. in less developed regions the most commonly diagnosed cancers and lung, breast, worldwide are with lung cancer being the colorectal, ndia gupta, BY James Hutchinson James BY World Health Organization (WHO) Health Organization World Flavored concoctions, such as Flavored A worker packs CHEWING ON HEALTH made beedis, chewing tobacco freshly wrapped in tendu leaves, in Karimnagar, north of Hyderabad, India. is the main cause of 365,000 new cases part of head and neck cancers annually, in cancer. upsurge of a region-wide kills statistics show cancer already AidS, and malaria, than people more Asia’s combined. By 2020, tuberculosis cancer rate is expected to jump by nearly 60% to 7.1 million new cases a year. cancers whose survival rate has not over 30 years. improved containing tobacco and araca nut have become popular with younger age though their use is banned even groups, by schools. “Our youngest patient was 19 years old,” says Kuriakose, in the use of explaining that a surge chewing tobacco and araca nut in i

ndia, i ancer

r. Moni Kuriakose tells a r. April–June 2011 April–June Asia enter in Bangalore, enter in Bangalore,

t Mazumdar Shaw c c d mother of three 34-year-old Cancer’s Long Tail Long Cancer’s

f diagnosed early, they could be f diagnosed early, ARTICLE see advanced cases like this every Asia and the Pacific goes unchecked it will overwhelm the region’s ill-prepared health systems health ill-prepared region’s the overwhelm will it unchecked goes Pacific the and Asia “i Development ven so, she will have only a 50% Will cancer stall Asia’s development? Health experts are warning that if a rising epidemic of cancer in in cancer of epidemic rising a if that warning are experts Health development? Asia’s stall cancer Will 44 chance of a cure. chance of a cure. i day. at a local minor surgery by treated clinic,” says Kuriakose, noting that the poor have limited or no access to to a According multidisciplinary care. study in the Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene, oral cancer is one of the few that the lesion in her cheek is late stage cancer caused by a decade of chewing As chief of head tobacco and araca nut. he schedules her and neck oncology, for a major operation, to be followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment. e A BURNING BOTH ENDS By 2030, tobacco of all male deaths will cause one-third between ages 35 and 69 in the People’s Republic of China, striking down millions of breadwinners. p44-47 Cancer's Long Tail.indd 42 picture credit: AF

HOPING FOR A REMEDY A cancer patient receives treatment at a hospital in Kolkata, India. Asia’s health systems are ill-prepared

p with the growing number of cancer patients, particularly among the poor in the region who cannot afford expensive treatments.

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 45

p44-47 Cancer's Long Tail.indd 43 7/8/11 3:10 PM picture credit: AFp 7/8/11 3:10 PM in 2010 and www.development.asia the death and disease caused by the death and disease the nation most at peril from the the nation most at peril from smoking Medical costs alone from Supporting the WHO Framework cities such as Shanghai are of total household spending goes to spending goes of total household for leaving less money buy tobacco, health care. food, education, and to smokers. not restricted smoking are at the global the first study to look secondhand smoke was of burden published in The Lancet estimated that a staggering 603,000 estimated that a staggering attributable to secondhand deaths were deceased, 47% smoke in 2004. Of the and women, 28% children, were 26% men. the study concludes that significant health gains can be made by passive smoking worldwide, reducing that to say nothing of the burden already would be lifted from systems. health care overextended tobacco is the people’s of scourge republic of china (prc), the world’s and producer tobacco largest than 300 the prc has more consumer. million smokers, and without a major in consumption, by 2030, reduction of all male tobacco will cause one-third deaths between ages 35 and 69, striking down millions of breadwinners. than 50 more impoverish already to million people in the prc, according WHO statistics. the control, convention on tobacco WHO Report on the Global Tobacco map for the Epidemic, 2008 is a road 150 signatories to the convention. lists the six most effective the report policies: raising taxes tobacco control and prices; banning advertising, protecting sponsorship; and promotion, secondhand smoke; people from warning everyone about the dangers help to people who of tobacco; offering monitoring want to quit; and carefully policies. the epidemic and prevention curbing beginning to work toward smoking with indoor the harm from legislation, passed in smoke-control expo World At the recent 2010. March smoking was banned held in the city, f present f present i Cancer already already Cancer in people more kills countries developing malaria, AIDS, than tuberculosis and 2020, By combined. rate cancer Asia’s jump to expected is 7.1 to 60% nearly by year a cases new million As WHO’s tobacco Free initiative Free As WHO’s tobacco use and poverty are tobacco Experts say risk BALLOONING RISKS such cancer, factors and causes of consumption, as tobacco and alcohol diet, and pollution, an unhealthy obesity, Asia. rising in rapidly developing are of 10 smokers now live. consumption patterns continue, WHO says the number of deaths globally to 8 million by 2030 with will increase 80% of the world’s 1 billion than more smokers living in low- and middle- targeted income countries, which are by tobacco industry marketers even than 70% of lung, tracheal, though more directly cancer cases are and bronchial attributed to tobacco use. points out, the economic costs of enormous. Besides tobacco are the billions spent on public health tobacco-related treating programs less often diseases, tobacco users are Many smokers also die productive. stripping their families of prematurely, their main income. inextricably linked, says the initiative. studies show that in Numerous households in many of the poorest than 10% developing countries, more April–June 2011 April–June Asia ARTICLE “in low- and middle-income “in low- and the greatest are products tobacco strategy for the most effective the union for international cancer Development 46 TOBACCO STRAINS HEALTH CARE 2010 Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer A study estimates smoking Prevention than 5 million kills more currently people per year and is the biggest cause As death worldwide. of preventable anti-smoking campaigns have reduced the number of smokers in developed countries, their ranks have ballooned 8 out in developing countries, where number one killer. killer. number one countries, cancer overwhelmingly huge this has the poor. affects suffering, implications for human budgets, and the health systems, health says WHO poverty,” drive to reduce chan. Margaret dr. director-General Asia, far in single cause of cancer including outstripping other causes agents, aging populations, infectious alcohol abuse, obesity and lack unhealthy diet, poor of exercise, sanitation, and pollution, almost all of rising in the wake of rapid which are says Shin. economic gains in the region, dealing with the looming epidemic of Asian countries, cancer in developing and early she says, is prevention these include: detection programs. public education and awareness government anti- campaigns; effective early screening; tobacco initiatives; free (especially vaccination programs and against the hepatitis B virus); cancer- cleaning up and regulating causing pollutants, chemicals, and industrial waste sites. unregulated campaign “cancer (uicc) control too” aims to raise can be prevented of the fact that the risk of awareness developing cancer can potentially be simple by up to 40% through reduced lifestyle changes and other control such as vaccination, regular measures, eating healthily, physical activity, limiting alcohol consumption, reducing and avoiding tobacco. sun exposure, p44-47 Cancer's Long Tail.indd 44 in all restaurants. tobacco sales and as intravenous drug use and unsafe growing throughout the world, but advertising were also banned. blood transfusions, could help reduce especially in developing regions, transmission. where the incidence is rising by as CANCER-CAUSING INFECTIONS much as 5% per year and mortality “Of the 12 million people who are OBESITY RAISES RISK is also greater. the study reported diagnosed with cancer each year, Most people are aware that being that only half of diagnosed breast around 20% of cases can be attributed overweight puts them at risk of heart cancer cases in the world come from to viral and bacterial infections that disease, but few realize that obesity developing countries, meanwhile either directly cause or increase the risk also increases the risk of many common 75% of deaths from the disease occur of cancer,” says david Hill, who was cancers. By analyzing 282,137 cases in the developing world. Another then uicc president, ahead of World of cancer, a study by the department study in the Jiangsu province of the cancer day on 4 February 2010. “For of Surgery, School of cancer Studies, prc showed that breast cancer risk this reason, the uicc, with over 300 university of Manchester, found is associated with body size, and that member organizations in more than 100 increased weight heightened the risk of moderate occupational and recreational countries, will focus this year’s World various cancers, including esophageal, physical activity has protective effects. cancer day campaign on increasing thyroid, colon, and renal cancers. the WHO advises: “recognizing awareness of the contribution of study also found an increase in body possible warning signs of cancer and infections to the global cancer burden.” mass index in women raised their risk taking prompt action leads to early According to WHO, examples are of endometrial and gallbladder cancers diagnosis. increased awareness of the human papillomavirus (HpV) while increased weight in pre- and post- possible warning signs of cancer, that causes cervical cancer and the menopausal and the among physicians, nurses, and other hepatitis B virus that causes liver pacific raised their risk of breast cancer. health care providers as well as among cancer. Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial A study on the cost-effectiveness the general public, can have a great infection, is a major factor in stomach of breast cancer interventions partly impact on the disease. Some early signs cancer. funded by WHO noted that breast of cancer include lumps, sores that fail Such infectious diseases are cancer as a public health problem is to heal, abnormal bleeding, persistent widespread in Asia, along with indigestion, and chronic hoarseness. hepatitis c. HpV infections are usually AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION Studies early diagnosis is particularly relevant transmitted sexually, and vaccination show that some infectious diseases such for cancers of the breast, cervix, mouth, against HpV is an effective method as Hepatitis cause or riase the risk of larynx, colon and rectum, and skin.” to prevent cervical cancer, says cancer. Mass vaccination is among the WHO estimates that excessive WHO’s Shin. Low-cost screening in health programs that are expected to alcohol intake causes about 20%–30% conjunction with mass vaccination protect future generations from cancer. of esophageal and liver cancers programs in developing countries worldwide, with most of the global could dramatically reduce the future increase in alcohol consumption in incidence of cervical cancer and save recent decades occurring in developing millions of dollars in health care costs. countries. two standard drinks for Hepatitis B virus is a serious public men and one for women per day is health problem worldwide and a major considered a safe level. cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, According to the uicc, if the growing and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver worldwide burden of cancer goes cancer). More than 350 million people unchallenged, new cases will more than worldwide are chronic carriers of double to 26 million and result in 17 hepatitis B virus with about 75% million deaths by 2030. in Asia and the Western pacific. Says dr. eduardo cazap, current comprehensive vaccination programs president of the uicc on World being carried out in the region are cancer day, 4 February 2011, “With picture credit: AF protecting youngsters and also saving individuals, governments, and policy future health care resources. makers of the world working together, No vaccine is available for hepatitis we have the ability to ease the global c, but intensified public health burden of cancer now and for future p education about risk factors, such generations.” n

www.development.asia April–June 2011 Development Asia 47

p44-47 Cancer's Long Tail.indd 45 7/8/11 3:10 PM profiles in development

Solving Problems

Two physicists took on the challenges of a small, impoverished high school in the central Philippines and ended up addressing the educational issues of a nation

BY Floyd Whaley

hen Christopher at Albany, State University of New central Philippines. It was there that and Maria Victoria York. Later, they headed the National they became interested in the Central Bernido started to Institute of Physics at the University Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF), a run a small school in of the Philippines in the 1980s and struggling private high school operated anW impoverished town in the central received awards for their teaching and by his then 77-year-old mother. Philippines, they were shocked by the research. After taking over the school in 1999, size of the task. As nationally recognized scientists, they saw little improvement for the “The school was ready for they found that the field they loved— first few years. The obvious solution foreclosure,” says Mr. Bernido. science—was neglected in Philippine was for the school to obtain an infusion “There were ceiling leaks in several education. Basic science courses were of funding in order to upgrade the classrooms and offices. When it rained often lacking at the lower grade levels facilities, modernize the curriculum, outside, it rained inside.” In addition and for quality advanced scientific and increase the pay of the teachers. to dilapidated facilities, the teachers study, students had to come to a few But they rejected the notion of looking were poorly paid, the curriculum was for a straight financial fix. outdated, and student and faculty “Rather than go for grants, which morale was low. Rehabilitating the wouldn’t be sustainable, we said, ‘let’s school would require lots of work and “Basic science is the try to improve the system. Let’s make money. foundation of building ourselves more efficient before we Despite the problems, the two long- ask for funding from others,’ ” Mrs. time educators decided to take on the a strong country. Bernido relates. challenge of transforming a poorly Countries that are Tackling the problem like a funded school in a small town into a strong in science are complicated equation, they devised a progressive learning center. system where a single instructor could “When we took over the school, we strong in development” teach three classes simultaneously. said to ourselves, ‘Before we criticize Students devote 80% of class time to the government for not solving the —Christopher Bernido independent study while lecturing problems of education in the country, by the teacher is limited to 20%. This let’s just try to solve the problems way, one teacher can move from class of this small school,’” says Mrs. institutions in Manila. to class, providing the lecture portion Bernido. “We soon realized that the “Basic science is the foundation of while a teacher who is not an expert problems of this small school were building a strong country,” says Mr. in the subject simply maintains order. also the problems of education in the Bernido. “Countries that are strong By stressing independent study, Philippines in general. These same in science are strong in development. particularly at the start of the class, problems were being replicated in You need scientific manpower to be the students are eager to hear from the schools nationwide.” competitive, and the lack of it in the teacher when the lecture begins. The Bernidos were no strangers to Philippines is glaring.” “By the time the lecture comes, the education. After graduating from the The Bernidos responded to this students are hungry for answers,” says University of the Philippines, they both problem in 1992 by opening a science Mrs. Bernido. “You don’t need a song- earned doctorate degrees in physics research center in Mr. Bernido’s and-dance motivational strategy to get from the same college, the University hometown of Jagna, Bohol, in the them to listen.”

48 Development Asia April–June 2011 www.development.asia

p48-49 Solving problems.indd 62 7/11/11 2:49 PM 7/11/11 2:49 PM Asia 49 n Development April–June 2011 2011 April–June In 2010, the Bernidos received In 2010, the Bernidos received public high schools in the province public high schools in the province located will be adopting they are where the program. Asia-wide Ramon the prestigious for “their Award Magsaysay purposeful commitment to both science and nation, ensuring innovative, low- basic education even cost, and effective under Philippine conditions of great and daunting poverty.” scarcity Philippine SUCCESSFUL FORMULA (left) President Benigno Aquino Christopher and congratulates physicists receive the as they Victoria Bernido Maria pioneering for Award Ramon Magsaysay learning program low-cost an effective, that aims to raise the quality of education in the country. Grade 2 LITERALLY CRAMMING, in a small classroom students are packed at a public that used to be a bathroom in Manila. school The system improved their school. The system improved They were able to provide a higher able to provide They were level of education at lower cost. It also caught the attention of educators the Philippines. Since 2005, around than 300 schools more educators from have visited the Central Visayan Aspects of their Institute Foundation. adopted in schools being are program and in June, all the country, around problems.” Under this system, fewer teachers are are teachers fewer system, this Under didn’t think of it as an “We required so the pay can be increased. so the pay can be increased. required Their system, called the CVIF Dynamic involved several Learning Program, other innovations as well, including designed learning programs carefully and detailed student performance tracking tools. innovative education system,” says just solving were Mrs. Bernido. “We www.development.asia

PICTURe CReDIT: AFP p48-49 Solving problems.indd 63 picture credit: Science photo Library 7/8/11 3:09 PM ank ank www.development.asia evelopment b

f this material can be fundamental idea behind fundamental idea behind sian d a a n individual machine could n individual machine could in its 2005 edition. he idea that virtually any type he idea that virtually nited States company that makes nited States company that makes n recent years, the field has years, the field has n recent Much of the initial work in this field Much of the initial work in this field i “t he commercial market for market for he commercial Asian Environment adb) publication Asian Environment ( Outlook was focused on building extremely tiny machines that could undertake tasks at a scale that is impossible “a today. superior be designed to manufacture to materials, convert solar energy enter or even, ultimately, electricity, the body to fight disease and aging at the cellular and molecular level,” Zyvex Labs, notes a white paper from a u that examine computer nano-probes chips. to include a variety of broadened novel uses of material built at the nanoscale. everything in is that this research the same the universe is built from basic material. i manipulated, basic problems can be manipulated, basic problems solved: any type of waste material down could be broken theoretically into its most basic form and rebuilt material; building into any productive at the materials could be rebuilt molecular level to be much stronger Some now. and lighter than they are see the possibilities as endless. NANOTECH FOR DEVELOPMENT t is products nanotechnology-related of extraordinary item can be made by item can be made by of extraordinary manipulating matter at the molecular world fascinated,” level has the entire notes the precise. hey see t n general it is an applied n general it is an applied by Floyd Whaley Floyd by ontrolling the way the basic the way the basic ontrolling hose risks worry some. c t he definition of nanotechnology he definition of nanotechnology this new technology as so powerful this new technology as so powerful that it tinkers with the fundamental building blocks of the universe. THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF MATTER t varies depending on the source consulted. i of science that involves the control and fabrication of devices or matter, materials, on the atomic and molecular scale, generally 100 nanometers (one billionth of a meter) or smaller. snapped building blocks of matter are that products together could create and more lighter, stronger, cleaner, are Tiny diseases-fighting diseases-fighting Tiny NANOROBOTS are envisioned in the human body robots of nanotechnology. proponents by or just leave the developing world behind world developing the leave just or

esearch esearch

ut most ut most

Nanotechnology could revolutionize the fight against poverty… poverty… against fight the revolutionize could Nanotechnology b olicy r pril–June 2011 pril–June Agricultural, Food, and

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Trillions ofTrillions Frenemies magine a future in which the in which the magine a future most elaborate international done by development tasks are machines trillions of microscopic dvances in nanoscale sciences dvances in nanoscale sciences reconnaiSSance ecause nanoscale science and ecause nanoscale science and “b though it sounds like science “a Development nstitute, titled n this vision of the future, solar panels solar panels n this vision of the future, nternational Food p

50 I observers in the nanotechnology field observers in the nanotechnology field bound to have a believe that they are altering technologies gigantic effect, used in all types of industries, their risks can be managed.” provided Water Nanotechnologies for the Poor. for the Poor. Nanotechnologies Water still at their early engineering are stages, it is difficult to gauge the future importance of nanotech applications,” continues. “ the report i that handle jobs exponentially more that handle jobs exponentially more difficult than what can be done today, and cheaper, safer, and do them faster, better than anything now known. i like spray paint onto roofs sprayed are is taken to the extreme: and recycling nearly any type of waste can be into nearly anything else. recycled fiction, this is what many see as the field of potential of the emerging it is likened by some nanotechnology. to a transformation the world has not seen since the industrial revolution or the advent of the internet. While corporations and governments grapple new field of science, with this relatively just are development professionals its significance beginning to recognize and potential dangers. a new opportunity to … may present the livelihood of the poor,” improve by the report 2011 notes a February i p50-52 Reconnaissance.indd 64 and is priced such that rural indian research, and supported by the bill consumers can afford it, notes Gilbert. & Melinda Gates Foundation—uses the filters have a lifespan of 3,000 nanoparticles triggered by perspiration liters—about enough to provide a to deliver vaccines via pores in the family of five with drinking water for skin. a year. “this method of vaccination another promising use of bypasses the traditional and more nanotechnology in water purification painful needle-based vaccines,” says is being developed by scientists at carlos alberto Guzmán, a scientist Stellenbosch university in South with the center. africa, says Gilbert. researchers there have developed a high-tech “tea bag” “GREY GOO” filter which fits into the neck of a bottle the enthusiasm of nanotechnology and makes polluted water potable as supporters is matched by the alarm you drink it. expressed by its detractors. Many “the filter promises to provide easy groups see it as dangerous technology LAB ON A CHIP Launched by a Japanese access to clean drinking water for with unknown consequences. Some company, a blood test chip using vulnerable communities, such as those envision a world of nanotechnology nanotechnology analyzes illness-related living near polluted streams,” says run amok. proteins in a drop of blood. Gilbert. “Media coverage of outside the area of water sanitation, nanotechnologies has invariably an engineer at the university of raised the specter of the ‘grey goo’: expected to reach $1 trillion by 2015, california, Los angeles, has created a doomsday scenario in which according to the adb report. but the the world’s smallest and lightest nanoscale robots self-replicate out use of the technology in development microscope, which could be used of control, producing unlimited work is in its infancy, notes todd for medical tasks in poor countries, copies of themselves, consuming all barker, a partner with the Meridian including disease monitoring in rural available material and ultimately institute, a uS-based organization that areas and testing water quality after laying waste to the planet,” notes the tracks nanotechnology. natural disasters. report Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: “there has been much talk, and “the microscope, which weighs only Opportunities and Uncertainties, certainly a significant amount of 46 grams, obviates the need for trained produced by the united Kingdom’s research and development work, technicians to analyze the images royal Society and royal academy of regarding the potential of this emerging produced,” says Gilbert. “instead, the engineering. technology to help developing nations images are analyzed instantaneously While the royal Society generally with energy use, medicine, clean water, by a computer.” dismisses this concern as science and other needs, but actual, ready-to- another potential use of fiction, there are serious issues related deploy products are minimal,” says nanotechnology in the field of health to the development of nanotechnology. barker. is being developed by a researcher at “Materials engineered at the Monique Gilbert, who edits the the council for Scientific and industrial nanoscale can exhibit fundamentally publication Nanotechnology and research in cape town, South africa. different properties, including toxicity, Development News, points to water the product is designed to ensure with unknown effects,” says chee sanitation as one of the most promising tuberculosis patients take their yoke Ling of third World network, nanotechnology-related areas in medicine, which is required every day a nonprofit organization based in development work, in part because for 6 to 9 months. Malaysia. “current research raises red it is more advanced and likely to be the product uses “nanoparticles flags that demand precautionary action commercially available before other that stick directly to infected cells and and further study.” picture credit: he innovations. release the drug slowly so patients do “as there are now hundreds of tata, one of india’s largest not need to remember to take their products containing nanomaterials in conglomerates, has launched a “water drugs,” explains Gilbert. commerce; the public, workers, and the purifier priced for the masses.” a similar innovation—being environment are being exposed to these MiS.Fr the tata Swach does not require developed by the Germany-based unlabeled, and in most cases, untested running water, electricity, or boiling, helmholtz centre for infection materials.”

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p50-52 Reconnaissance.indd 65 7/8/11 3:09 PM picture credit: aFp 7/8/11 3:09 PM n www.development.asia n the report notes that much of the the report ralph Merkle, vice-president of ralph Merkle, vice-president at the same hearing, nobel Laureate all steps in the process may need all steps in the process constraints—from to overcome and investment and research approval, development to regulatory distribution, release, commercial adoption, and access, availability, states. by users,” the report use proper for bringing the benefits responsibility of this new technology to the poor lies with the public sector: “Whether nanotechnologies succeed in helping depend on the poor will largely institutions, whether public research technology developers, national governments, and international donors these multiple address able to are challenges in the coming years.” interest in the technology, a landmark in the technology, interest hearing in 1999 uS congressional the issues to center stage. brought technology assessment at the Foresight devoted to institute, a uS organization told the the study of nanotechnology, “nanotechnology will uS congress: manufacturing base our entire replace precise, radically more with a new, radically less expensive, and radically products.” making of way flexible more “the Smalley told congress: richard impact of nanotechnology on health, wealth, and lives of people will be at least the equivalent of the combined medical influences of microelectronics, engineering, imaging, computer-aided and man-made polymers developed in this century.” hat oom rize-winning lenty of r echnology. t echnology. obel p ecember 1959 at here’s p here’s t hysical Society of the nstitute of t ichard Feynman gave a ichard y most accounts, nanotechnology was born on 29 d the annual meeting of the ottom.” “industry is much more focused focused “industry is much more the international Food policy “as with other new technologies, “What i want to talk about is the uS-based technology company, merican p alifornia i PLENTY OF ROOM AT THE BOTTOM on commercial products that will be products on commercial “the explains barker. profitable,” needed that the products is reality in developing nations have high and development costs and research is not of great which low profitability, to companies.” interest notes institute report research that “agricultural and food nanotechnologies, and especially those that could lead to reduced bound are poverty or food insecurity, being to face many challenges before and used by rural commercialized poor.” a n day after dinner, c b physicist r titled “ lecture at the b of manipulating and the problem things on a small scale,” controlling Feynman said that night. “the principles of physics, as far as i can see, do not speak against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom.” Zyvex Labs, in its study Molecular Realistic Treatment, Nanotechnology: A in notes that after steady growth pril–June 2011 pril–June a Asia Nanotechnology and reconnaiSSance in addition to vocal opposition to Most of the nanotechnology- opposition to the use of opposition to the use technology could “this emerging Gilbert points out that government “the overall concern that Development 52 An artist’s conception conception An artist’s NANOPARTICLES to the delivering drugs of nanoparticles bloodstream. EXPENSIVE TECHNOLOGY EXPENSIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE POOR there nanotechnology by many groups, other significant challenges to its are development. one of the key issues is that nanotechnology development is expensive. extremely being developed enabled products for development/poverty reduction come via universities or projects foundations, such as the bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, says Meridian barker. institute’s todd nanotechnology in development nanotechnology in development and in developing countries, projects, that differ involves specific issues concerns the from in some regards the commercial regarding expressed says technology, development of the Gilbert, with Development News. nations adversely developing affect in unexpected ways,” she says. the “nanotechnology could reduce development materials—a raw for need that some would applaud—but since exporters many developing nations are of such materials, they could suffer detrimental social and economic impacts.” nanotechnology regarding regulations in many developed still nascent are countries, including leaders in the field, nations. such as the uS and european regulation in developing countries is likely to be even less or nonexistent. nanotechnology is being used in there before products commercial is a complete understanding of the implications of this emerging technology certainly applies to development work as well,” she notes. p50-52 Reconnaissance.indd 66 7/8/11 10:44 AM Asia 53 i i

Development am on the record on the “i absolutely passionate about education because director-general of the Food the of director-general April–June 2011 2011 April–June know what can what know i believe it gives everybody gives it believe shape to opportunity the the for lives own their wherever And future. and women encounter girls, the is lives their change great a have to ability education.” quality Australia’s first female prime minister Australia’s at the 2011 InternationalJulia Gillard in Ceremony of Courage Awards Women DC Washington, “Gender equality “Gender equality is not just a lofty ideal, it is also crucial for agricultural development and food security.” Diouf, Jacques United the of Organization Agriculture and anniversary 100th the of eve the on Nations, on Day Women’s International of 2011 March 8 o f

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“I strongly believe that in partnership the 21st century, networks will play a more important role than alliance can only have systems. . . . You alliance to withstand enemies, but you can have partnerships for everything.” Yudhoyono Bambang Susilo H. President Economic World the at speaking Indonesia, 2011 January in Switzerland Davos, in Forum TheState of the World’s f you educate a boy, you educate one boy, whereas whereas boy, one educate you boy, a educate you f and community.” and if you educate a girl, you educate her entire family entire her educate you girl, a educate you if “i Hasina Sheikh Minister Prime writes in writes Anthony Lake Anthony President Barack Obama, asking the US United States President to fix the No Child Left Behind law in March Congress “In the 21st century, it’s not it’s “In the 21st century, enough to leave no child need to help behind. We every child get ahead.” www.development.asia United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive (UNICEF) Fund Children’s Nations United Director and the adult world. Nine out of 10 of these of 10 of out Nine world. adult the and world developing the in live people young from challenges, profound especially face and alive staying simply to education an obtaining for magnified more even are that —challenges women.” young and girls “Today, 1.2 billion adolescents stand at the at stand adolescents billion 1.2 “Today, childhood between crossroads challenging Children2011

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