Head of Global Fund to deliver 2016 Harold Mitchell Lecture
We are very pleased to announce that Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund, will deliver the 2016 Harold Mitchell Development Policy Annual Lecture.
A leading voice on global health, Mark has been in the top job at the Global Fund since 2012, and previously served as the US Global AIDS Coordinator.
He will be speaking on the topic ‘Exciting, challenging, frightening times – global health, development and the stuff of innovation’.
The lecture will be held at 5:30pm in the Molonglo Theatre, Monday 29 February 2016. Register here.
Stephen Howes spoke to Mark on his visit to Australia earlier this year – read the blog or listen to the podcast. You can also refresh on the previous events in the Harold Mitchell series here.
2016 Australasian Aid Conference
If you haven’t seen it yet, the program for the 2016 Australasian Aid Conference is huge! 75 papers, 25 panels, two plenaries and three keynotes. Check it out here [pdf].
And if you aren’t sure what to get yourself or the development wonks in your life this Christmas, an aid conference registration is the perfect gift. It’s like a spa voucher for the mind. Register here. Don’t leave your registration too late—in previous years we have sold out.
New discussion papers: PNG informal economy and electoral quality in PNG and Sols
In a new Discussion Paper, John Conroy provides an in-depth examination of the historical context behind the development of PNG’s informal economy, focusing on policy debates in late colonial Port Moresby. Read an excerpt blog here and the full paper here.
And zooming in on a different kind of economy, Terence Wood examines how particular political economies influence the quality of elections in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. While each country suffers electoral issues, the extent of these issues varies significantly. Terence argues that three interacting political economies explain the overall state of electoral quality in Solomon Islands and PNG, and much of the variation. Read a summary blog here and the paper here.
New staff
We recently welcomed a new addition to our team. Dr Mike Cookson will be managing our partnership with the University of Papua New Guinea School of Business and Public Policy, based here in Canberra. Mike has previously worked for the Pacific Institute and on a partnership between UPNG and Group of Eight universities, so is ideally qualified for this new role.
We also have two Research Assistants working with us over the summer—Ainsley Jones and Jonathan Wilson—and we’ll be joined by two Summer Communications and Events Interns in January and early February—Gina Zheng and Sienna Lake.
End of year blog closure
The blog will be taking a summer vacation, starting today – we’ll be back on January 5.
It’s been another big year on the blog, with fascinating debates and contributions – read our best of the blog for some of the highlights and our Christmas reading tips. It’s a great way to catch up on anything that you missed. Podcasts are also great for long holiday car trips – see the archives here.
From all of the Devpolicy team, a big thank you to everyone who has supported our work this year, whether it’s been through writing for us, attending or presenting at our events, providing feedback, or sharing our work around. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and we’ll see you in 2016!
Devpolicy Christmas Party 2015
Upcoming events
2016 Australasian Aid Conference
10-11 February 2016. Registrations open. Details here.
Forging a new development future
With Kitty van der Heijden. Wednesday 10 February, 10am-11am. Register here.
What will the SDGs mean for Asia?
Wednesday 10 February, 1.30pm – 3.20pm. Register here.
Launch of the 2015 Australian aid stakeholder survey
Thursday 11 February, 9.40am – 10.30am. Register here.
International climate change: perspectives on Paris
Thursday 11 February, 1.30pm – 2.50pm. Register here.
2016 Harold Mitchell Development Policy Annual Lecture
With Mark Dybul. Monday 29 February, 5.30pm, Molonglo Theatre. Register here.
Blog highlights
Climate finance in Paris: the good and the bad
Should PNG be scrapping its Grade 8 & 10 exams?
Humanitarian aid and militaries: navigating blurry lines
On the blog
Best of the blog 2015 by Camilla Burkot and Stephen Howes
A fragile symmetry: climate finance in the Paris Agreement by Robin Davies
Fiji’s 2016 Budget: consistent, confused? By Matthew Dornan
Humanitarian principles amid the militarisation of aid: an interview with Vincent Bernard by Camilla Burkot and Vincent Bernard
What are exams good for? Primary and secondary school exam reform in PNG by Anthony Swan
Ten days that didn’t shake the world: three big climate finance failures at COP 21 by Robin Davies
The eclipse of PNG’s eight aims and the false dawn of informality by John Conroy
Triangular aid cooperation: the case of Te Mato Vai by Denghua Zhang
Impact investment – funding sustainable business models to improve vision by Lachlan McDonald
Investing in innovation for health: an interview with BT Slingsby by Camilla Burkot and BT Slingsby
The three political economies of electoral quality in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea by Terence Wood
In brief
Fortnightly links: Chinese aid, Ebola, development indices, and more…
Ebola dominated neglected disease R&D in FY2014
Vacancies at the Oil Search Foundation in PNG
‘Power, politics and positive deviance’: DLP annual conference 2016
This is the fortnightly newsletter of the Development Policy Centre at Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University, published every second Friday.
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