Feature Archive 2005

Our handy guide overviews the leading Asia-Pacific think tanks working on development and economics. Which think tanks have visiting researcher programs? Internships? What is the institution's current research program? All this and more in our searchable directory.

How can regional trading agreements work to integrate, rather than isolate, members from the global trading system? Is this happening in Asia today? Find out in our latest discussion paper.

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda will open our annual conference 9 December. Papers ranging from organic farming, trade, microfinance, to governance are now online. Registration accepted from Japan-based participants until 6 December.

In today's global economy what can and should governments do to support innovation and the competitiveness of local enterprises? This conference contrasts recent experiences in East Asia and Latin America and considers new ideas on the appropriate role of public policy.

This conference reviewed today's major technological innovations, their impact on the international labor force, and the skills mix required by 21st century knowledge workers. Papers and presentations now available for free download.

We welcome feedback on this draft report which examines the impact of the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka. It takes stock of the reconstruction and recovery activities to date and identifies challenges ahead. Three major lessons also apply to other disaster reconstruction efforts worldwide.

Our independent reviewer thought this CD-ROM makes a convincing argument for quality early childhood care and development programming as a means of breaking the intergenerational poverty cycle. Read her full review.

This paper uses data from SafeSave, a credit cooperative in the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh, to examine how sensitive borrowers are to increases in the interest rate on loans. Read the results.

Cambodia is the first least-developed country to enter the World Trade Organization. The inside story is told here by Cambodia's chief negotiator, Sok Siphana, who reveals their strategies and tactics for a successful outcome.

ត឵ស឵ែឧរ/Khmer Version

What are key governance issues in Indonesia today, 60 years after independence? Why do the rules of the game remain unclear in so many areas?

Our latest paper examines the performance of a new generation of banks in the People's Republic of China: the City Commercial banks. Can the spread of these banks solve the PRC's serious banking problems?

What makes an effective think tank? What can be learned from international trends and patterns in the think tank industry? This paper provides a summary of the strategic and management issues.

Our latest paper examines the performance of a new generation of banks in the People's Republic of China: the City Commercial banks. Can the spread of these banks solve the PRC's serious banking problems?

Rather than losing export markets and foreign investment to the People's Republic of China, this new discussion paper argues that the PRC's rapid growth presents significant opportunities for its neighbors.

These new studies examine the links between family size and its impact on household savings, labor supply, parents' earnings, and children's education.

• Poverty, Vulnerability, & Family Size
  
• Number of Children & Their Education
  
• Children, Labor Force Participation, & Parents' Earnings

Are bank failures contagious? Our latest study investigates whether the contagion theories applied to Asia's 1997 crisis apply to banking crises as well.

How can rural communities create effective e-community centers? Our workshop report includes presentations, country reports, and project proposals. Download it for free.

CD-ROMs can help people without web access learn new skills and access development knowledge. How good is the content? How easy is it to move through the material? In ADBI's unique CD-ROM Review program we engage independent experts to review development-related CD-ROMs. Over 50 reviews are now online. Recent reviews include:

Investigating, Monitoring, & Reporting on Human Rights Violations
Leadership & Management for Change
Training Course on Water Harvesting

E-community centers are not simply about the hardware. Successful centers understand the needs of the people and provide locally useful content in local languages. This workshop explored the elements of sustainable business models. All workshop materials are now available for free download.

These diseases kill thousands in our region. Two interactive, training CD-ROMs are now available for healthcare workers in developing countries. Our independent reviewers rated both as outstanding.
Dengue Review
Malaria Review

Our research group regularly publishes online discussion papers. These reflect initial ideas on a topic. We welcome your views on these ideas. Simply use the 'Post a Comment' feature available on all our research publications.

Increased movement of people and goods throughout the region produces new challenges. How to combat the spread of infectious diseases? How to manage increased migration? How to stimulate cross-border trade? Papers and presentations from our recent workshop are now available online.

How can we ensure that e-government services meet the needs of the poor? Review the papers and presentations from our recent workshop that explored these challenges.

Our latest discussion paper uses a unique database to examine the performance of enterprises in the north-east region. Contrary to popular belief, privatization has been as rapid there as elsewhere. However, the region still suffers from particular locational disadvantages in relation to its investment climate. Learn more.

Our conference brings together over 100 of the region's experts and bankers to discuss the challenges facing regional bond markets. Papers and presentations are available online now.

Two free, self-paced, interactive courses on Digitization and Digital Libraries and Management of Electronic Documents have rated a 'perfect 5' from our independent reviewer. Congratulations to FAO's IMARK team.

Learn from groups in Asia how they have established e-community centers in rural areas. Read over 40 papers about developing business plans and models for sustainable centers.

Our recent workshop focused on how governments could improve their development planning and project and program implementation using results-based management approaches. All the papers and presentations are now online.

Have microfinance programs met the expectation that they can simultaneously achieve outreach, impact, and financial sustainability? Read our research paper that surveys the evidence and contrasts experiences in the two regions.

The globalization process has had profound effects on the ability of governments to pursue independent national policies. Recent theorizing on trade and geography attempts to explain globalization patterns and their consequences. Our latest discussion paper looks at how these theories can add the discussion about regional policy in Asia.

Our latest book presents the results of a survey of corporate governance practices in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea. Corporate secretaries at 307 exchange-listed companies and 596 directors or commissioners participated. Read the findings on shareholder rights and information disclosure, effectiveness of the boards of directors, and the roles of stakeholders.

This CD-ROM contains a practical, accessible set of training materials for educating nurses on clinical hospital-level management of severely malnourished children in developing countries. Our independent expert rated it highly. Read the full review.

Starting an e-business for long-term success takes the same careful planning, efficient management, and good customer relations required for any enterprise. We have just added 9 lecture CD-ROMs from this workshop. View titles and order information.

Journalists from India, People's Republic of China, Fiji Islands, and Nepal took the top honors in our Developing Asia Journalism Awards announced in Tokyo at a special ceremony on 31 March.

CD-ROMs can be one way for people in developing countries to learn new skills and access development knowledge. Many CD-ROMs are free, but how good is the quality? In ADBI's unique CD-ROM review program we engage independent experts to review development-related CD-ROMs. Almost 40 reviews now posted. More.

We have posted over 40 papers and presentations about operating and establishing e-community centers in rural areas. Learn from groups in Asia how they developed business plans and models for sustainable centers.

This paper takes a fresh look at an important and still controversial aspect of the East Asian miracle story: the role of government policy in stimulating a cumulative process of export growth-high investment-high savings.

Lack of access to good road networks is a major constraint on the incomes and welfare of the poor. Quantifying the precise impact of this constraint is challenging.

Using recently available household expenditure survey data for Lao PDR, this paper models the causes of poverty there and shows the impact on overall poverty levels of road improvements. As expected the impact is substantial: over 30% of rural households have no satisfactory road access. The paper's methodology can be applied elsewhere. Read more.

This study examines the impact of economic development in forestry on the indigenous people. Taking villages in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, as a case study it considers how the recent decentralization policy has impacted the lives of villagers from the Dayak community.

Many governments hope to fund infrastructure expansions with new private sector investment. Relying on private funding requires a good regulatory system to protect both users and investors. This paper surveys the theory and practice of infrastructure regulation.

What happens to poverty when trade is liberalized by lifting protectionist trade policies ? This discussion paper uses a model specially constructed for answering the question.

Our latest book presents the results of a survey of corporate governance practices in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea. Corporate secretaries at 307 exchange-listed companies and 596 directors or commissioners participated.

Read the findings on shareholder rights and information disclosure, effectiveness of the boards of directors, and the roles of stakeholders.

There is no international consensus on what poverty is and how it should be measured. Income level, the most commonly used poverty indicator, is limited. Our latest discussion paper evaluates child malnutrition as an alternative poverty indicator. Read more.

Do you write about key development issues? ADBI wants to hear from journalists across the Asia Pacific region. Expand your audience and gain recognition. Enter our competition. Closing date for entries is 14 January 2005.