Despite growing consensus around the need for a more holistic vision of development, realising the human development potential of educational interventions has proven a challenging task. This Forum grapples with how these tensions manifest in the international transfer of dual models of Vocational Education and Training (dVET) to low- and middle-income countries. While dVET has gained global [...]

European Union (EU) trade policy has become increasingly contested and politicised. Citizens and politicians have become more and more concerned about the human rights and sustainable development implications of free trade. The European Commission in its ‘Trade for All’ Strategy has recognized the need for a more value-based trade policy. In the same vein, the EU has included a chapter on Trade [...]

Policymakers are increasingly turning to global value chains (GVCs) as a means of driving development, including generating employment and raising incomes. Access to and benefits from participation in GVCs are closely related to gender issues. The opportunities associated with GVCs differ for men and women as a result of gender-based segregation and constraints that exist to different degrees in [...]

The Discussion Paper examines the opportunities that the rising industrial wages in China will bring for Africa. China has been the industrial workbench of the global economy for decades. However, its competitive advantages are waning, particularly for labour-intensive assembly activities in the clothing, shoe, electronics and toy industries. The Chinese government estimates that up to 81 million [...]

The human capability to learn is widely regarded as one of the most important resources for achieving a sustainable society. Yet, traditional institutions of learning are lagging behind in transmitting such kind of transformative skills. In particular, the role of Vocational Education and Training (VET) is often limited to providing technical skills for greener economies. But will this suffice or [...]

Cooperation between universities in the global North and South have become a popular tool in development cooperation. They are expected to be particularly useful for capacity building at institutions in the global South. For this to materialise, several preconditions need to be in place, such as long-term commitment, trustful relationships and acknowledgement of power asymmetries. This Policy Note [...]