News

Dr. Lykke Andersen gave a keynote speech entitled “A Theoretical Background to Land Use Change and Social-Ecological System Modeling in SimPachamama” during a two-day workshop on “Using Agent-Based Models to Project Possibilities for REDD+ Policies” held at the University of Florida on April 24-25, 2013.

One of the goals of the workshop was to discuss in which directions to expand and improve INESAD’s Simpachamama – a didactic game that is used as a tool for the participatory design of effective, efficient and equitable policies to reduce deforestation and rural poverty in Bolivia. Click HERE for a description of the game.

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As part of continuous growth, INESAD and Development Roast are bringing on board a host of new interns. Join us in welcoming our newest addition Lorena Talavera:

Lorena is originally from Peru and she is currently an international student at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in England in pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree in International Development and Economics. She was awarded an International Development Scholarship by UEA’s School of International Development for the duration of her undergraduate degree studies.

While studying for the International Baccalaureate (IB) at Newton College in Peru, Lorena developed a passion for development ecnomics. Around the same time, she volunteered with a Peruvian nongovernmental organization called TECHO, where she spent time working with some of Lima’s disadvantaged communities on issues of emergency house building. Her experience with TECHO, with whom she is still involved, only confirmed that she wanted to contribute to the social welfare of her fellow citizens and country by studying and working in development. Read More »

As part of continuous growth, INESAD and Development Roast are bringing on board a host of new interns. Join us in welcoming our newest addition Jonathan Fortun Vargas:

Jonathan believes that coming from Bolivia is not a coincidence in his life; he is certain that change comes from within and, therefore, he has been preparing all his life to support the development of his country and region. He is certain that INESAD is a great platform to build a collective consciousness for the improvement of Bolivia, and as an intern he hopes to contribute to this change.

He holds a Master in Economics (Kobe University, Japan); an M.A. in Finance and a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Financial Engineering, both from universities in Bolivia. Read More »

On April 4, 2013, INESAD’s Dr. Lykke Andersen and Osvaldo Nina gave a presentation to a consortium of students from Italian universities who visited INESAD as part of a project conducted by Giulia Maria Baldinelli of the Institute of Research and Training in Social Sciences (IRFOSS).

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Today, on April 3, 2013, INESAD’s Dr. Beatriz Muriel Hernandez was incorporated as an Academic of the Bolivian Academy of Economic Sciences (ABCE). The event took place at the Bolivian Catholic University (UCB).

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If you want to fast-track your career as a sustainability leader, join this unique, leading post-graduate program. The Master’s (MA) in Leadership for Sustainability was established 17 years ago by Forum for the Future, a sustainability non-profit that works globally with business, government and others to inspire new thinking and develop practical solutions. This MA is validated by Middlesex University, and includes access to all their facilities.

The MA is highly student-centered with small learning groups of 12 people or less and tuition from a diverse group of experts and practitioners, including leaders like environmentalist and writer Sir Jonathon Porritt and Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey and Director of RESOLVE Tim Jackson.

It also includes student placements at notable organizations in the public, private and citizen sectors working to further sustainability in their fields. Students in the 2012-13 cohort were placed at Islington Council, Committee on Climate Change, Good Energy, Friends of the Earth, Fairtrade Foundation, Marks and Spencer, Unilever, and more. Read More »

Today, the popular anthropology site PopAnth published an article by INESAD’s Ioulia Fenton in which she reflects on her time living and researching in Guatemala and the shopping experience that helped her feel more connected with food and the local people who produced and sold it.

Shopping for the human connection?

By Ioulia Fenton

In Guatemala I was addicted, truly addicted, to my morning regimen. No, it wasn’t a catch up to the day’s news on my iPad with a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Nor was it my favourite bowl of cereal or brand of orange juice. It wasn’t even a luxurious shower or a sleep-in. It was something much more sacred: a daily experience that allowed me to indulge in what makes us human — connections with others. Read More »

In an article recently published by popular anthropology blog ‘PopAnth‘, INESAD’s Ioulia Fenton explores the importance of rituals and ceremonies in human society:

“But we agreed that ceremony and ritual are so foolish,” said Yankel to his daughter Brod in Jonathan Safran’s Everything is Illuminated as she took her place as the Float Queen in their town’s annual parade.

“But we also agreed that they are foolish only to those on the outside. I’m the centre of this one,” she replied.

Brod’s answer is a perfect illustration of the enjoyment and meaning that human beings extract from rituals. Anthropologists see rituals as actions performed mainly for their ceremonial value. In other words, it is what they represent that matters and not necessarily what they physically are. In many cases, rituals satisfy our need to be included by others since partaking in community rites inspires feelings of belonging and acceptance. We flock to support national teams at the Olympics, put on masks at Halloween and get very merry on Christmas; all activities that purposefully socialise us into our particular communities, cultures and even nations. Read More »

The Institute for Advanced Development Studies (INESAD) is going through an exciting and dynamic period of change. As part of the expansion, we are implementing a new communications and outreach strategy. The R&C internship with INESAD is a unique opportunity for suitable motivated and adaptable candidates to build research skills at a prestigious institution whilst gaining invaluable hands-on experience of what it takes to drive organizational growth through external communications and outreach. It will also give interns the rare opportunity to research and co-author for and publish academic working papers and articles, as well as op-eds, analyses and other pieces in popular media. The intern’s work will feed into an ambitious 12-month expansion plan and will be carried out remotely. For more details and information on how to apply, please visit our INTERNSHIPS page.

 

 

 

The positions are unpaid. There are several posts available and recruitment will be open until filled.

January has truly been a wonderful 2013 start for INESAD: prolific, impactful and full of news.

INESAD Ranks Number One:

To begin with, according to the recently released 2012 Global GoTo Think Tank Report – an international survey of over 1,950 scholars, public and private donors, policy makers, and journalists who helped rank more than 6,500 think tanks across the world – INESAD ranked number one in Bolivia (out of 51 evaluated). It also ranked among the top six percent of think tanks in Latin America and the Carribbean (among 721 evaluated) and, perhaps most impressively, on the analysis of environmental issues INESAD raced in across the finish line in the very top percentile of all institutions worldwide (out of all 6,603 evaluated).

 

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