Info Allgemein
The second edition of an UNIDO Study with Country Cases on Developing Agribusiness and Promoting Agro-industries in Africa was just released. This is the background document to a major UNIDO Study on Agribusiness for Africa's Prosperity, published under the guidance of the General Director of UNIDO, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella. The Second Edition of the Report with African Country Cases contains eight chapters with case studies and two summarizing chapters by Professor Karl Wohlmuth from the University of Bremen and Dr. Patrick Kormawa, Director for the West Africa Region at UNIDO. The eight case studies, mainly done by African economists, contain evaluations of the ongoing structural changes in the sector and of the policy context for agribusiness development and agro-industry promotion. The synthesis is presented in chapters 1 and 10 while the country case studies are presented in the chapters 2 to 9. The synthesis chapters contain a Country Typology and an Overview for the Eight Cases as well as Lessons from the Cases and Recommendations for a New Industrial Policy which is linked better linked to agricultural development. A Transformation Index is presented covering 10 criteria for assessment.
A full download of the background study with the African country cases is possible via:
http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media/Services/Agro-Industries/Agribusiness/AAP_CCS_v4.pdf
The main UNIDO Report on Agribusiness for Africa's Prosperity can be downloaded as an E-Book in English via:
and as an E-book in French via:
These books are policy inputs to the 3ADI (Accelerated Agribusiness and Agro-industries Development Initiative (see also the relevant links to http://www.3adi.org/ and to http://www.3adi.org/tl_files/3ADIDocuments/Other%203ADI%20docs/briefing%20note%203adi%201103.pdf).
This was the title of a presentation by Dr. Ubaydulla S. Nadirkhanov, a Postdoc Researcher from the Institute of Economy, Academy of Sciences of the Republic Uzbekistan, Tashkent (see the paper by the author). Obviously Uzbekistan is following a foreign investment strategy so as to modernize and diversify the economy. New trends and policy implications were presented and discussed.
Dr. Nadirkhanov is a senior guest researcher at the University of Bremen (Faculty of Economics, Research Group Professor Sell), and the research scholarship was financed by the DAAD.
Dr. Nadirkhanov during his presentation
IWIM was asked to inform its Africa networks about the forthcoming conference in Bremerhaven (see Link to the Organizers: http://klimahaus-bremerhaven.de/africa/). This is done by asserting that the conference is an important event, covering in Forum I important issues of land use, land grabbing and food security in Africa. Good governance and sustainability issues are discussed in Forum II. There are also two workshops I and II on urban climate adaptation projects in Africa and on improving land use, water and food security under climate change conditions in rural Africa. In two further Forums III and IV issues of Fighting poverty with sustainable economy and of Education for Sustainable Development are discussed.
IWIM is still researching on these issues (See the links to the projects: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/Agro-IndustrialDevelopment.htm and http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/EconomicPoliciesInSudan.htm ,and see also the link to the work of the Research Group on African Development Perspectives Bremen: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/africa/about.htm ). In the past major research projects on renewable energy economics and sustainability economics were executed (Links: http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/forschung/abgeschl.htm#Nachhaltiges and http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/forschung/abgeschl.htm#Energiebereich).
Professor Dr. R. A. Alabi from Ekpoma, Nigeria (Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, Second Term), cooperating with the Research Group on African Development Perspectives (directed by Professor Karl Wohlmuth) and Dr. U. Nadirkhanov from Tashkent, Uzbekistan (DAAD Research Fellow, Second Term), cooperating with the Research Group on Eastern Europe (directed by Professor Axel Sell) will present their research findings on Wednesday, 15 August, 2012, 16-18 p.m. in the University of Bremen, Building WHS 5, Room 0.13. At 18.00 p.m. the Press is invited to interview the two researchers on their scientific work and on the conditions and developments in Nigeria and in Uzbekistan. The Full Programme with Abstracts of the Lectures is ready for download (Full Programme and Abstracts).
Our International Research Fellows Professor Alabi from Nigeria and Dr Nadirkhanov from Uzbekistan prepare for their presentations
Professor Alabi is listening to the statements and presentations
Professor Alabi and Dr. Nadirkhanov after their presentations
Dr. Nadirkhanov praises the activities of IWIM which was founded 25 years ago in August 1987
The research supervisors Professor Wohlmuth and Professor Sell with their international guests after the closure of the workshop
The presentations and/or the papers will be revised by the authors and will then be made public in due time.
It was agreed to continue the research cooperation between the research groups at the University of Bremen and the partner university institutions in Nigeria and Uzbekistan, and it was also agreed to extend the cooperation to younger researchers in Nigeria and Uzbekistan.
There are severe doubts that the agreement which was negotiated by the mediator of the African Union (AU) will last for long. The agreement may only bring the resumption of oil production but not sustainable solutions to other open issues between the two countries. Professor Karl Wohlmuth has written a Report on the negotiation issues and on future development cooperation and has proposed a Strategic Framework for Economic Cooperation between Sudan and South Sudan. According to his study four complex negotiation complexes have to be solved in a "package agreement" and five areas of economic cooperation matter for future development in the two countries (Links to Paper and to Presentation).
Universität Bremen ist exzellent: Der Rektor informierte die Professoren über die Möglichkeiten, die dieser Erfolg der Universität Bremen für Forschungsanträge aus Mitteln der Exzellenzinitiative bietet (Link zu dem Schreiben des Rektors).
Professor Dr. Karl Heinz Domdey, Direktor des Forschungsinstituts der Internationalen Wissenschaftlichen Vereinigung Weltwirtschaft und Weltpolitik (IWVWW) e. V. ist am 29. Juni 2012 im Alter von 85 Jahren verstorben. Seine Freunde und Kollegen trauern um ihn. Sein letztes großes Werk "Macht, Herrschaft und Kampf in der sozialen Welt" konnte er mit der Vollendung des 10. Bandes des Dekagons noch abschließen. Die Kooperation zwischen seinem Institut, das er nach der Wende bereits 1990 in Berlin errichtete, und dem IWIM war kontinuierlich sehr eng. Viele gemeinsame Projekte wurden durchgeführt (vgl. die Links http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/Jawi2005.htm und http://www.iwvww.de/ sowie zu den Publikationen des Forschungsinstituts der IWVWW http://dnb.d-nb.de). Dr. Wilfried Trillenberg ist der neue Direktor des Forschungsinstituts und der zugleich Chefredakteur der Zeitschrift "Berichte". Wir gratulieren ihm und wünschen viel Erfolg bei der zukünftigen Arbeit.
Professor Karl Wohlmuth presented a Strategic Framework for Economic Cooperation between Sudan and South Sudan in a Plenary Session at the International Sudan/South Sudan Studies Conference in Bonn (see the programme). First, he analyzed the growth model of Sudan since Independence and presented the constraints and weaknesses. Second, he emphasized the need to look at the various forms and the levels of interdependence which are persisting between the two states. Beside of the interdependence with regard of the oil sector there are so many other forms, such as the interdependence of the border-states, policy interdependence and the interdependence in environment, climate change adaptation and land policies. Also the persisting causes of conflicts in the two Sudans were discussed, especially the horizontal inequalities between "identity groups" in states, regions, and counties; but also such causes of conflict as vertical inequalities, "creed" and "greed", weak state institutions, lack of commitment and trust, and the duration of conflicts were analyzed and related to the two Sudans. The high degree of interdependence between the two Sudans and the high levels of horizontal inequality with cross-border effects request forms of economic cooperation between the two states. As well, the three basic concepts "strategy", "framework" and "cooperation" were presented with regard of the current issues. Third, the feasibility of and the preconditions for the Strategic Framework were discussed, by looking first at the four major negotiation complexes ("border, oil and hydropower"; "citizenship, refugees, and human rights", "debt, assets and finance"; and "security, demilitarization and stability") and then at the feasibility conditions for such a Framework (when regarding key determinants such as interdependence, external instability, opportunities and options). The merits of such a fully negotiated programme are compared with the "Roadmap" of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC). Fourth, five core cooperation programmes and five supplementary cooperation programmes were presented; while the core programmes aim at modifying the growth model of the two Sudans, the supplementary programmes support this turn towards a sustainable growth model. Cooperation potentials are outlined for all the ten programmes; there are huge opportunities which can be realized in the long-term. These programmes are based on bottom-up growth strategies and are needed prior to and in addition to the conventional top-down growth strategies; growth diagnostics at state levels is used to pursue the new approach. Fifth, the first steps towards initiating such a programme were also presented.
In a working group chaired by Professor Wohlmuth on the "Economic Development of the Border-States in Sudan and South Sudan" the centrality of these ten states as a powerhouse and as a growth pole on the one side and as a region affected by conflicts and war(s) on the other side was discussed. Proposals for peace, reconstruction and development were presented by the panel speakers. Two experts from the Sudan and two experts from South Sudan were invited and presented their analyses. The growth diagnostics approach was applied to two states in the border-region (Blue Nile State in Sudan and Western Bahr el Ghazal State in South Sudan). Cross-border cooperation of indigenous population groups was outlined with regard of South Kordofan and North Bahr el Ghazal. The history of oil politics was discussed with regard of the political decisions for the location of refineries and oil installations.
The presentation A Strategic Framework for Economic Cooperation between Sudan and South Sudan by Professor Wohlmuth at the International Sudan/South Sudan Conference in Bonn is available as a PDF (Presentation).
Professor Axel Sell (from the Working Group Eastern Europe) and Professor Karl Wohlmuth (from the Working Group African Development Perspectives) jointly invite to a Research Workshop on August 15, 2012 at the University of Bremen in Building WHS 5, Room 0.13, at 16-18 p.m.
Two Senior Research Scholars will report on their researches:
Professor Dr. Reuben A. Alabi from the Department of Agricultural Economics, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria is an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow and Dr. Ubaydulla Nadirkhanov from the Tashkent State Institute for Oriental Studies is a DAAD Research Fellow.
Programme of the Workshop on August 15, 2012, 16-18 p.m. in WHS 5, Room 0.13:
Introduction: Professors Axel Sell and Karl Wohlmuth
Lecture and Discussion: The Aid-Growth Link in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Case of Nigeria, Presentation by Professor Alabi
Lecture and Discussion: Direct Investment in a Resource-rich Transition Economy. The Case of Uzbekistan, Presentation by Dr. Nadirkhanov
Final Discussion: Can the two Country Cases be compared?
Conclusions: Professors Axel Sell and Karl Wohlmuth
Participation: is for the public possible free of charge, but a notification is requested at: iwimsek@uni-bremen.de or at: wohlmuth@uni-bremen.de or at: sell@uni-bremen.de
As IWIM was founded in August 1987 this event is also a good opportunity to think about the research work of the past 25 years and about future tasks.