Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ADAPTED (Eradicating Poverty: Pathways towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals)
Período documentado: 2021-01-01 hasta 2022-12-31
Reducing absolute poverty and ending extreme poverty is at the top of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) the member states of the European Union together with all other United Nation’s members agreed to work upon towards the year 2030. Since 1990, almost all developing countries have made considerable progress in reducing their population shares living below the poverty line. However, this progress was less dynamic in the 49 countries in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), where in 2019 out of a total population of 1.12 bn people 393 million still lived in absolute poverty. As poverty is a root cause for spreading instability and conflict the high numbers of the poor on its neighbouring continent is of special concern for the EU and the EU member states.
In literature, there is somehow consensus that progress in poverty reduction may result from economic growth, from the implementation of social protection schemes and of minimum wages and from governance conditions, which influence a country’s performance in reducing poverty. Reviewing the literature nevertheless shows that the academic debate on the determinants of poverty reduction takes place in disciplinary silos, that modelling and empirically analysing replicates approaches that work for high-income economies but ignores structural differences between high-income and developing countries, and that there is a large gap in understanding the determinants of poverty reduction.
ADAPTED is a doctoral training framework that breaks the existing silos. It aims at delivering high-level training with intersectoral relevance
• in validating pathways towards poverty eradication (work package 1),
• in analysing interactions between poverty reduction and other policy areas (work package 2),
• and in optimising the impact of poverty reduction policies (work package 2)
to Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) to bridge the existing knowledge gap by equipping them with a unique skills portfolio that is equally attractive for research institutions, development organisations and internationally active firms.
Through its research and training activities, ADAPTED aims at contributing to answering the following research questions:
(1) WP1: How effective are different growth- and social protection-oriented policies in improving poverty-related outcomes, given the large heterogeneity of low- and middle-income countries and the differences in the target groups that these policies are able to reach?
(2) WP2: What are poverty-related trade-offs and co-benefits within different growth- and social protection-oriented policy frameworks on the one hand, and between them and other policies on the other hand and what recommendations towards a policy mix responsive to poverty reduction can be derived?
(3) WP3: What are mechanisms that increase the relevance and the quality of delivery of social protection schemes, which allow for an improved coordination of fragmented social policies, and support the design and implementation of poverty reduction-related policies in neopatrimonial environments?
In literature, there is somehow consensus that progress in poverty reduction may result from economic growth, from the implementation of social protection schemes and of minimum wages and from governance conditions, which influence a country’s performance in reducing poverty. Reviewing the literature nevertheless shows that the academic debate on the determinants of poverty reduction takes place in disciplinary silos, that modelling and empirically analysing replicates approaches that work for high-income economies but ignores structural differences between high-income and developing countries, and that there is a large gap in understanding the determinants of poverty reduction.
ADAPTED is a doctoral training framework that breaks the existing silos. It aims at delivering high-level training with intersectoral relevance
• in validating pathways towards poverty eradication (work package 1),
• in analysing interactions between poverty reduction and other policy areas (work package 2),
• and in optimising the impact of poverty reduction policies (work package 2)
to Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) to bridge the existing knowledge gap by equipping them with a unique skills portfolio that is equally attractive for research institutions, development organisations and internationally active firms.
Through its research and training activities, ADAPTED aims at contributing to answering the following research questions:
(1) WP1: How effective are different growth- and social protection-oriented policies in improving poverty-related outcomes, given the large heterogeneity of low- and middle-income countries and the differences in the target groups that these policies are able to reach?
(2) WP2: What are poverty-related trade-offs and co-benefits within different growth- and social protection-oriented policy frameworks on the one hand, and between them and other policies on the other hand and what recommendations towards a policy mix responsive to poverty reduction can be derived?
(3) WP3: What are mechanisms that increase the relevance and the quality of delivery of social protection schemes, which allow for an improved coordination of fragmented social policies, and support the design and implementation of poverty reduction-related policies in neopatrimonial environments?
After having received nearly 300 applications from all over the world, ADAPTED successfully recruited a group of 15 highly qualified ESRs from 13 different countries (Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, Uganda) with backgrounds in economics, social or political science and law.
For enabling the ADAPTED fellows to use non-orthodox and innovative approaches in poverty-related research, a tailor-made programme has been implemented including
• research training on political dimensions of governance, the role of law, the relevance of economic growth for reducing poverty,
• training on practical approaches (social protection, development effectiveness rating) related to ADPATED’s research agenda,
• training addressing cross-cutting issues such as gender awareness, research ethics, scientific integrity, open science,
• training on case study analysis, design of questionnaires and interview guidelines, data management,
• and training on transferable skills such as career development, presentation, and communication skills and academic writing.
As part of the research training, local and network-wide offers have been supplemented by intensive exchange with the supervisory teams, by peer-learning activities and by individual presentations and discussions of the research projects during two ADAPTED annual meetings. As part of their international and interdisciplinary exposure, ADAPTED fellows have spent secondment periods at the partner universities for the award of the joint doctoral degree, have actively participated in international conferences, and are now preparing for data collection in African countries, where the fellows will be supported by the local partner universities of ADAPTED.
For enabling the ADAPTED fellows to use non-orthodox and innovative approaches in poverty-related research, a tailor-made programme has been implemented including
• research training on political dimensions of governance, the role of law, the relevance of economic growth for reducing poverty,
• training on practical approaches (social protection, development effectiveness rating) related to ADPATED’s research agenda,
• training addressing cross-cutting issues such as gender awareness, research ethics, scientific integrity, open science,
• training on case study analysis, design of questionnaires and interview guidelines, data management,
• and training on transferable skills such as career development, presentation, and communication skills and academic writing.
As part of the research training, local and network-wide offers have been supplemented by intensive exchange with the supervisory teams, by peer-learning activities and by individual presentations and discussions of the research projects during two ADAPTED annual meetings. As part of their international and interdisciplinary exposure, ADAPTED fellows have spent secondment periods at the partner universities for the award of the joint doctoral degree, have actively participated in international conferences, and are now preparing for data collection in African countries, where the fellows will be supported by the local partner universities of ADAPTED.
The European Joint Doctorate ADAPTED is expected (1) to enhance the career perspectives and employability of trained Early Stage Researchers, (2) to contribute to structuring doctoral training at the European level, and (3) to strengthen European innovation capacity in fighting absolute poverty:
(1) ESRs graduating from the international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary training programme of ADAPTED will be perfectly prepared for vacancies in academic institutions, in international and national governmental and non-governmental development organisations and in certain layers of the private sector due to the acquired highly competitive skills portfolio.
(2) ADAPTED will be a catalyst towards implementing structures, harmonised rules and processes for doctoral training, which are binding throughout the consortium. To achieve the goal of truly European Joint Doctorates, awarded under identical requirements and guided by the same processes, the five benefitting universities, together with their partners, will discuss, draft and finally sign an ADAPTED-wide Framework Agreement for Future European Joint Doctorates, defining European standards for poverty reduction-related doctoral training, which is an achievement beyond the requirements of signing bilateral agreements for the award of doctorates.
(3) ADAPTED’s contributions towards strengthening European innovation capacities will result from its pioneering and innovative interdisciplinary research and training programme in terms of taking a holistic approach to the issue of global poverty reduction, and in bringing together a variety of social science disciplines to investigate interventions in terms of their interdependencies and poverty reduction potential. Via the ESRs graduating from ADAPED and qualified to influence future research agendas as well as designing and implementing policies and interventions towards more effective poverty reduction, ADAPTED also responds to European international strategies such as to the Joint Africa-EU strategy or to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is substantially supported by the EU and by its member states.
(1) ESRs graduating from the international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary training programme of ADAPTED will be perfectly prepared for vacancies in academic institutions, in international and national governmental and non-governmental development organisations and in certain layers of the private sector due to the acquired highly competitive skills portfolio.
(2) ADAPTED will be a catalyst towards implementing structures, harmonised rules and processes for doctoral training, which are binding throughout the consortium. To achieve the goal of truly European Joint Doctorates, awarded under identical requirements and guided by the same processes, the five benefitting universities, together with their partners, will discuss, draft and finally sign an ADAPTED-wide Framework Agreement for Future European Joint Doctorates, defining European standards for poverty reduction-related doctoral training, which is an achievement beyond the requirements of signing bilateral agreements for the award of doctorates.
(3) ADAPTED’s contributions towards strengthening European innovation capacities will result from its pioneering and innovative interdisciplinary research and training programme in terms of taking a holistic approach to the issue of global poverty reduction, and in bringing together a variety of social science disciplines to investigate interventions in terms of their interdependencies and poverty reduction potential. Via the ESRs graduating from ADAPED and qualified to influence future research agendas as well as designing and implementing policies and interventions towards more effective poverty reduction, ADAPTED also responds to European international strategies such as to the Joint Africa-EU strategy or to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is substantially supported by the EU and by its member states.