Aidnography

It is a nice coincidence that my 100th weekly development link review and a surprisingly widely shared curated link post on 9 post-Haiyan articles (which has grown to 11 links by now) have been published these days. Both give me the opportunity to share some reflections on sharing links and curating interesting virtual content for about two years now. Curating and expanding the boundaries of knowledge just before the arrival of 'The Internet' (Thomas Wijck : The Alchemist) My weekly link review… …forces me to stay connected, read and digest new content This is probably the most obvious insight, but it is also easier written than done. Between marking student assignments, compiling new research and producing it myself , engaging with and reviewing books and catching up with news, my job already involves a lot of reading. Collecting links throughout the week and then compiling the review means that I actually have to read these things-and staying connected with vario

I have not included posts about the typhoon Haiyan response in my regular weekly link review , but I have come across quite a few posts that are not only worth sharing, but also worth curating and keeping in mind for the next disaster response scenario. As with many issues in development and humanitarian aid, 'we' know quite a lot about dos and don'ts and this short collection provides a good overview over key issues, from the small and practical to the bigger political realm. Some of the advice may seem a bit repetitive (but you can never stress local capabilities enough) and most of the articles have further links to other interesting material. Also, if you have come across a great post just share it in comments below! 18 November: I added two more articles at the end of the post. The GUARDIAN article stresses the importance of locally-grounded approaches (again) from the view of supply chain logistics; Agnes Bun's reflections as journalist covering the disaster are

Hello all, After a stimulating seminar with students and colleagues in Berlin the weekly link review is back! To make up for the short hiatus there are a few more recommended reading included this week: From Brazil's homicide epidemic to mobile money in Kenya the development news section offers a glimpse at new reports and publications. There is quite a comprehensive section on the challenges of the open government/development/transparency discourse, plus the future of graduate employment at AusAid and reflections on what 'local' really means in peace and development work. An excellent interview with anthropologist Tim Ingold, the human randomness of academic search committees and outsourcing of exam marking are the highlights of the anthropology and academia sections.  Enjoy! New on aidnography A few reflections on the ‘blended professor’ of the future What we will likely see more of is a generation of academics that will use (or forced to use) a mix of blended technolo

This post is based on my first six months of working and teaching at Malmö University in Sweden. Even though I do not want to and cannot claim universal application of the emergence of the ‘blended professor ’ I still believe that some emerging trends may be interesting to share-explicitly not in the listicle style of ‘the four things that will change academia forever and ever ’. What we will likely see more of is a generation of academics that will use (or forced to use) a mix of blended technology, pedagogy and skills – from TA-ing as a professor in a MOOC to adopting teaching from near-high school levels to PhD supervision. This may not be as ‘radical’, ‘revolutionary’ or ‘disruptive’ as fancy op-ed writers claim regularly, but especially for those at the beginning of their academic careers or post-graduate studies it will be important to think about some of the changes of academia as a profession in the nearer rather than further future. To keep it readable I will focus on four

Hello all, A busy week with a full plate of interesting links! New literature on conflict prevention and ICT and the limitations of 'trickling down/up' accountability through technology; more on ICT pilotitis; goodwill ambassadors and good ideas gone big and bad... My reading recommendation for this week is Natalia P. Hule's essay on the pros & cons of being a development professional in India and beyond. Two anthropologists ask challenging questions about the afterlife of generals in Sierra Leone and life under democracy in Mongolia. Lastly, a look at redefining MOOCs, CaSs & POOCs and a great essay on the birth of social media science. I am on my way to Berlin, but there will be new content on aidnography next week; however there will probably be no link review as we are busy with our ComDev retreat and teaching seminar at the European Liberal Arts College. Enjoy! New from aidnography Online lecture on development, fiction & development fiction As part of

Hello all, As we are approaching the 100th link review we have another great week with great pieces written by some great friends! This week features IDS' new digital repository; a new report violence and suffering of Nepali migrants; Oxfam, USAID & the difficulties of really listening to stakeholders; the futile 15 seconds of fame that come with post-2015 MDG exercises; NGOs, M&As and the business of aid; German TV & refugee p€rn; would you tell an energized crowd the truth about development? Behavioral economics-what are they good for? Why the revolution will not be open datazised; and a look at an ideal college. Enjoy! New on aidnography Popular Representations of Development (book recommendation) This collection highlights how if we look beyond conventional academic studies and policy reports - for example to films, posters, or fiction - then we may learn something new. For example, we may find forms of knowledge and representation that humanise development proces