Blog posts
Can we measure the impact of scholarships?
Recently I participated in a seminar organised by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the United Kingdom on measuring the impact of international scholarships. In 2007 the Commission organised a similar event which focused on methods to measure the results of scholarship programmes through tracer studies. DFID, the major sponsor of the Commonwealth Scholarship Programme, wanted to see some hard evidence of the results of the scholarships that had been awarded over the years
Capacity building of developing countries good for international business
Development cooperation, particularly through educational capacity building, contributes to growth of the middle class in developing regions, which, in turn, contributes to the sustainability of international business.
Dutch impact on Mozambican Higher Education
Earlier this month the vice minister for Education of Mozambique, Dr Arlindo Chilundo, visited Nuffic to celebrate Nuffic's 60th anniversary and to attend the Mozambique day organised for Dutch institutions that participate in the NPT and NICHE programmes.
Gender in the Dutch international cooperation strategy
The more than 20 private sector development cooperation programmes that have recently been established in the Netherlands barely include a gender equality focus. Yet, at the national level, the government has articulated its intention to pursue women economic empowerment in its foreign policy. Can this gap between intention and action be closed? And how?
Tackling low secondary school completion rates in Mozambique
The capacity building activities in developing countries managed by Nuffic focus on higher education in relation to the local labour market. Nevertheless, there is also recognition of the problems faced at lower education levels since these also impact on the magnitude of the capacity building needs of the labour market.
Achieving sustainable self-reliance without educational capacity building an illusion
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MinBuZa) and Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (MinEL&I) recently announced more than 20 financial instruments to facilitate increased international cooperation between the Dutch private sector and the private sector in 60 selected developing countries all over the world.
TVET's turn to make its mark?
These are clear signals that TVET and skills development are back on the agendas of the donor community after a two-decade absence in which basic education topped the agenda.
Towards new partnerships and funding sources for development cooperation in HE
The persistent financial crisis that has rung in with the new millennium has had a significant impact on the field of development cooperation, particularly with regard to budget.
Debating the value of NQFs in developing countries
The rife use of old boy networks in job placement does not and should not make continued implementation of National Qualification Frameworks redundant.
Evaluation of Dutch support to capacity development
On 4 August 2011 the Policy and Operational Evaluations Department (IOB) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a 'Synthesis report of the evaluation of Dutch support to capacity development'.
Effective Capacity Building for Sub-Saharan Africa: Targeting the Youth Bulge
Maximum effect in capacity building in Sub-Saharan Africa can be achieved by targeting skills development at the youth bulge, with conscious effort on involving girls.
Women's Worlds 2011
On 3 – 7 July my colleague Miriam Langeveld and I participated in the Women’s Worlds 2011 conference, held in Ottawa, Canada. In this blog, we will briefly set out the theme of our paper and review the relevance of the conference sessions for Nuffic.
Why are alumni so important?
Scholarships forever?
The purpose of scholarship programmes
Orientation for international students with marginalised backgrounds
Customised orientation programmes for students from developing regions can be beneficial in increasing the ease and speed with which the students acclimatise to their new study and living environment.
DAAD conference on higher education co-operation highlights challenges
On 11 and 12 May the DAAD conference "Higher education cooperation – A key factor for development" took place in Berlin. DAAD organised this conference to discuss the status and effectiveness of the cooperation between German universities and their partners in developing countries and to develop strategies and courses of action for the future.
Joint action to improve the impact of development cooperation: the Catalan University Development Plan
In order to improve the efficiency, quality and impact of university development cooperation, Spain's Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP) has launched a joint action programme.
Emerging higher education hubs
Upcoming providers of international higher education in the developing world.
Gender in Nuffic programming for Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development
I have been invited by Wageningen UR (University and Research Centre) to give the yearly Storm van der Chijs lecture on Tuesday 8 March 2011, International Women's Day.
Internationalization: a premature ambition for developing countries?
Tertiary institutions in developing countries are already bursting at the seams trying to meet the local demand for access to higher education as well as possible. So what does this mean for the rising ambition of developing countries to internationalize, particularly to increase incoming mobility?
