If you need a break from modelling the effectiveness of bed nets, with and without insecticide, then Nathan Myhrvold has a 15 minute answer for you.
Warning: mosquitoes may have been harmed for the making of this TED talk
Video Series on TK & Climate Science
The United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies has released a Video Series on Traditional Knowledge and Climate Science
With deep connections to nature, the world’s indigenous people and local communities are experiencing some of the most pronounced affects of climate change. This video series focuses on some of the key links between traditional knowledge and science regarding climate change.
Relevant topics include:
1. Land Use and Adaptation (18:15 mins)
2. Energy (8:54 mins)
3. REDD+ (9:47 mins)
“Business Leadership to Fight Poverty” – London Conference
As a business or professional person, your skills can have an impact of the neediest areas of the world. By mentoring and training emerging entrepreneurs, helping establish a business or investing, you can bring transformation and combat poverty.
Our London conference is set for the 25th of May so book the date in your diary now. The conference will be held at the Congress Centre and we are putting together an exciting programme for the day.
The day provides the ideal environment to:
Become informed on the current issues and opportunities;
- Become engaged as part of a movement that is motivated by a passion for social justice and has the means to have a concrete, sustainable and scalable impact.
- Hear inspiring case studies and keynote speakers, receive practical guidance, network with business leaders and learn how your skills and resources can bring transformation to the poor.
Master’s Programmes Scholarships from TRECCAfrica
TRECCAfrica scholarships for Master’s programmes announced
The TRECCAfrica University Consortium has published a call for applications for prospective African Master’s students on its website at www.treccafrica.com. TRECCAfrica is Transdisciplinary Training for Resource Efficiency and Climate Change Adaptation in Africa; understandably shortened.
Up to 32 full-degree two-year Master’s scholarships will be awarded to applicants to enrol in a number of highly sought-after master’s programmes related to sustainability and environment. The scholarships cover travel, tuition and a living allowance of €600 (about KSh66,000) per month for 24 months.
Applications close on 30 April 2012 for studies commencing from September 2012. A second call for studies commencing in 2013 will be launched towards the end of 2012.
The consortium consists of the universities of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Ghana, Mekelle (Ethiopia), Nairobi (Kenya), Nigeria-Nsukka and Stellenbosch (South Africa). Their programme is called Transdisciplinary Training for Resource Efficiency and Climate Change Adaptation in Africa – or TRECCAfrica, for short.
The list of Master’s programmes presented by each of these institutions range across subjects such as sustainable development, environmental management, renewable energy, food science and technology, natural resource assessment, climate and society, biotechnology, agro-ecology, soil physics, microbiology and veterinary medicine.
The scholarships are for study outside the student’s home country. Interested students can visit the TRECCAfrica website to see who can apply and what Master’s programmes are on offer.
The scholarships are made possible with the support of the European Commission in partnership with the African Union Commission through the Intra-ACP Academic Mobility Scheme (Mwalimu Nyerere Scholarship).
According to the coordinator, Dr Christoff Pauw, TRECCAfrica students at the six universities will be offered unique opportunities to engage with one another via satellite and internet platforms. They will be able to share their learning and research experiences.
Some students will also gain the opportunity to spend an internship at the African Technology Policy Studies network’s offices in Nairobi. Here they can learn to apply their research to policy interventions that will address Africa’s resource opportunities and its climate challenges.
For more information email the coordinator at treccafrica@sun.ac.za or call +27 21 808 3727 or visit www.treccafrica.com
(Transdisciplinary Training for Resource Efficiency and Climate Change Adaptation in Africa)
SciDev’s Mobile Website
SciDev.net is an evergrowing resource for news, views and information about science, technology and the developing world.
If you haven’t yet tried SciDev.Net’s new mobile version, it offers:
- Access to news, feature and opinion articles, alongside Spotlights, topic and regional pages;
- A clutter-free design with fewer images to ensure faster page load times, and improve your SciDev.Net experience, even on handsets with slower connections;
- An optimised and more efficient version of SciDev.Net design, that is user-friendly for the smaller screen size on your device;
- Quick navigation with a clear webpage structure for better browsing, enabling you to access content with ease;
- Automatic detection that you are viewing our site on a mobile device, offering you the new version instantly; and
- The ability to switch back to the PC version of the site at any time.
With 67% of Kenyans having a mobile phone according to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), this development is very welcome.