Last call for Vi online course on trade and poverty and new academic opportunities from the Vi network

I am pleased to forward the following academic opportunities from the network, including a last call for the second edition of the Vi online course on Trade and Poverty. I hope you find them of interest, and that you will redistribute widely to your students and associates.

Last call: Scholarships for Vi online course on trade and poverty - Apply now! The deadline is November 24
The Vi is now accepting applications from researchers and university lecturers from developing and transition countries for the second edition of its online course on trade and poverty analysis, scheduled for Feburary 3 to April 20. Part of the Vi project on trade and poverty funded by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Government of Finland, the course will provide participants with the empirical tools needed to assess the impact of trade and trade-related policies on poverty and income distribution. In addition to strengthening teaching and research capacities in participants' countries, the course aims to support governments in the design of pro-poor trade policies conducive to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

All selected participants will be exempt from course fees, and will receive the course CD/DVD including the Vi teaching material on trade and poverty, free-of-charge. As a hands-on technical course, the pedagogical approach emphasizes data manipulation and the use of econometric tools. Applicants must, therefore, have knowledge of STATA and trade theory and policy, as well as a Master's degree in Economics and excellent knowledge of English. Participants with passing grades in all course activities will receive a certificate of completion. The top 10 course graduates will receive a copy of the UNCTAD/Vi-WTO book, "A Practical Guide to Trade Policy Analysis."

Applications, including CV and letter of institutional support, must be submitted online no later than November 24.

Vi associate member, Evans Osabuohien, Lecturer at Nigeria's Covenant University, invites Vi members to contribute chapters to a book he is editing, "In-Country Determinants and Implications of Foreign Land Acquisitions." The book's release is scheduled for September 2014.

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before December 19, a two- to three-page chapter proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of the proposed chapter. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by January 10. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by April 4. All submitted chapters will be double-blind peer reviewed by two or three anonymous reviewers. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers.

Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document) or by mail to: Dr. Evans Osabuohien, Department of Economics and Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria / Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, German Development Institute, Bonn, Germany, Tel: +49 228 94927 290; Fax: +49 228 94927 130; GSM: +49 1525 7010 484. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].

Vi friend, Randy Mitchell, of the U.S. Department of Commerce, wanted to let Vi members know about the Global Innovation Summit, a conference on how to foster the growth of innovation ecosystems to be held in Silicon Valley, California, February 17-19. Part of Global Innovation Week, the summit is an invitation-only gathering to exchange ideas, network, and find practical tools to solve real problems.

The overall goal is to enable the development of ecosystems that support innovators, inventors, and entrepreneurs in order to generate jobs, create wealth, and stimulate economic growth in both developed and developing countries. The four major themes for the Summit are: design, capital, technology, and megatrends. The event will feature expert speakers in each of these areas, but the format will be primarily hands-on, informal, and interactive.

Interested Vi members should request an invitation, or contact the organizers for more information.

Best regards,

Susana Olivares
Virtual Institute
UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Division on Globalization and Development Strategies
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10 - Switzerland
Phone: +41 22 917 5823 Fax: +41-22 917 0050
Web: http://vi.unctad.org