New insights in studying development
The EU might not be perfect in every respect, but it boasts a standard of living and a model society that is the envy of many developing nations. Indeed, the bloc can do much to encourage positive change in these countries through knowledge transfer, best practices and valuable research. In this context, the EU-funded project 'Actors, markets, and institutions in developing countries: A micro-empirical approach' (AMID) worked on providing cutting-edge research scholars with tools to investigate development issues. It achieved this by bringing together key intellectual resources from five European universities with high-level training offered by the project partners. More specifically, the project team developed formal coursework that outlines rigorous empirical research methods, with exposure to other disciplines in PhD courses, workshops and summer schools. It worked on field projects in developing countries and on data collection, often with non-governmental organisations. This involved building relationships with students and faculty across Europe, through workshops for example, strengthening exchanges and virtual networks, and analysing key development issues around the world. Specific project exercises included a study of educational choices and credit constraints in Mexico, and the role of television in affecting household and lifetime decisions such as divorce. Free primary education impacts in Cambodia, human trafficking in the Philippines and inequalities in China were also investigated in the first part of the project on human capital and policy evaluation. The second phase of the project involved studying market access for the poor, investigating issues such as savings and gleaning policy implications. One notable project study during this phase involved assessing the impact of a unified social health insurance plan in Rwanda. With respect to the last project phase, the team investigated micro evidence in institutions, such as the inefficiency of land co-ownership in eastern Europe. Another similar issue under study involved land property rights in the Dominican Republic and how this is shaped by family ties and social norms. From assessing the impact of teaching Roma in Serbia to evaluating new mechanisms that minimise the spread of HIV in Lesotho, AMID consolidated valuable research knowledge to benefit developing nations. Most importantly, the project's training programme gave birth to new tools and skills that can be used for an in-depth understanding of development issues. As new partnerships in this arena emerged, the project disseminated its results through publications, conferences and workshops, as well as online. Clearly, such an endeavour will contribute significantly to how we assess development and what methods, strategies and policies work best to raise the quality of life in developing countries.
Keywords
Developing nation, development, micro-empirical, research, knowledge transfer, policy implications
