
Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
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The Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities provides rankings compiled each year from 2003 onwards. Universities are ranked using a combination of indicators of academic and research performance such as Nobel Prize winners, highly cited researchers and number of articles published in Nature and Science.
The authors explain how the data is compiled and present summary statistics by region and country, as well as a full list of the top 500 institutions worldwide.
TIMSS is an international study of science and mathematics achievement of schoolchildren carried out in four-year cycles. The purpose of the study is to help developing countries measure the science and maths scores of their students, compare these across participating countries and assess the impact of educational reforms. This achieved by putting in place and streamlining systems and processes to collect standardised academic achievement data. Sixty-one countries are participating in the 2007 study, including 15 Arab countries. The website hosts TIMSS-related documents for the Arab world including regional and country reports of the 2003 study.
The AAU, based in Accra, promotes consultation, exchange of information and cooperation among higher education institutes in Africa. It provides fellowships and small grants for postgraduate studies and staff exchanges. It also runs programmes to study higher education management and assure the quality of its member institutions. The website gives summaries of all these activities and links to AAU newsletters and publications. It also offers a list of online resources relevant to higher education in Africa.
Distance Learning for Development, coordinated by the London International Development Centre, provides distance learning postgraduate courses at the University of London in international development. Subject areas include health, food production, environment, education, water and sanitation.
The site is searchable by keywords and covers over 140 courses ranging from single modules to higher-level qualifications. Courses can contribute towards the completion of other qualifications such as postgraduate certificates, diplomas and masters degrees.
The website of the department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States, provides information on current and past research in areas including nuclear reactions (fusion and fission) and security. It also hosts reports about nuclear energy's future, and publishes events, sources of information, news and undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The department aims to advance nuclear science and engineering to benefit society and the environment.
The Scholarly Communication in Africa Programme (SCAP), funded by the International Development Research Centre in Canada works with African universities to increase the visibility of African academic research published in print and online. Based at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the initiative explores ways of increasing the quality and output of scholarly communication through information-sharing technologies. The website hosts a blog that discusses issues surrounding the communication of research for development. It also provides information about relevant conferences, news, research and business models for publishing.
The Scholarly Communication in Africa Programme (SCAP), funded by the International Development Research Centre in Canada works with African universities to increase the visibility of African academic research published in print and online. Based at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the initiative explores ways of increasing the quality and output of scholarly communication through information-sharing technologies. The website hosts a blog that discusses issues surrounding the communication of research for development. It also provides information about relevant conferences, news, research and business models for publishing.
The principal aim of TWAS is to promote scientific capacity and sustainable development in the South through research as well as South–South and North–South collaborations. It was founded in 1983 by a group of Southern scientists, under the leadership of Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, as an autonomous international organisation. Fellows are citizens of the South; associate fellows are citizens of the North who were born in the South or have made significant contributions to science in the South.
IARC's mission is to undertake research on the causes of human cancer, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and to develop scientific strategies for cancer control. It develops strategies at a theoretical level, however, and does not get involved in direct implementation nor contribute to the formulation of policies or legislation. The agency also does not on the whole contribute to research in to cancer treatments.
The agency publishes several key publications on epidemiology (especially of the disease in developing countries), pathology and genetics. To encourage research, the agency offers several fellowships, scholarships and training courses.