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Blockchain for Consent Management in the eHealth Environment: A Nugget for Privacy and Security Challenges
Get PDFIn our digital world, access to personal data has become an item of concern, with challenging security and privacy aspects. Occurrences of hacking intentions and privacy violations make digital trust a major challenge. This is true in the eHealth area where management of patient health data must comply with many regulations, while remaining accessible to duly authorised health practitioners. Most will have heard about Blockchain because of its most known application - Bitcoin - in the payment area. However, Blockchain’s characteristics make it possible to fulfill the requirements of consent management, as illustrated in an implementation within a health domain use case
Animals, Human Beings and Technologies: New Relations and New Interactions for Improved Efficiency
Get PDFIn this paper, we describe an approach to extend the classical human-machine, human-animal and animal-technologies relationship, with a triptych scheme with which one of the three components provide added value to the relation between the two others. We give an example where the technology provides added value to the blind person – guide dog relationship. The objective is to reassure the blind person through a system that enables them to localise the dog and to be sure that the distance between the dog and its master is relevant depending on the place, time of the day and density of people in the immediate environment. Measurement of the ambient noise, natural communication through embedded microphone and loudspeakers, GPS localisation chips, and mobile communication equip both the user’s interface and the dog’s collar to implement the functionalities
Five-Year Technological Changes of Distant Medical Education in Asia
Get PDFAll physicians would benefit from more comprehensive distance learning. However, the technology is often difficult to use because technological infrastructure is limited in many hospitals in Asia. Since 2003, we have worked to advance international distant medical education implemented through the Internet in Asia. This paper presents an analysis of our activities over the past five years to evaluate the technical transition and its effects on modes of distant medical education. Methods: We analysed distant medical education programmes that we conducted from 2011 to 2015. We used a Digital Video Transport System (DVTS), H.323 and Vidyo, along with commercial and research and education networks (REN) installed in the subject hospitals. Questionnaires were randomly distributed to the audience to evaluate image resolution, image movement, sound quality, and programme content. Results: The number of programmes increased to over 90 per year in 2014–2015. The main system gradually changed from DVTS (58%, 30/52 in 2011) to Vidyo (64%, 67/104 in 2015). The number of new institutions increased to 149 in 2014–2015. Over 92% of the ratings for image resolution and movement were positive. Sound quality was somewhat lower at 83%. Ultimately, 98% of respondents rated the programmes “very good” or “good.” Conclusions: Continuous technical development was observed with increasing numbers of sites for each programme. This resulted in expansion of activity involving non-university hospitals. Practical distant medical education, satisfies physicians’ need for quality and inclusiveness could be expanded to normal hospitals in Asia and beyond
20 Years of higher education curriculum policy in South Africa
Get PDFThis article revisits teaching and learning policy in South African higher education from the 1990s to the present, against the grain of the student revolt that started in 2015, in order to focus on curriculum. The paper distinguishes two moments within this period, one developed around the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) that concentrated on the structure and purpose of qualifications; the other starting around 2003 that focused on the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching and learning without regard for the curriculum. It argues that the overall policy choices made by the democratic government, together with the preoccupation and the reaction of academics to some of the underpinnings of the NQF, did not create the space for an investigation of knowledge and pedagogy in the curriculum that had sufficient range to talk about the transformation of the curriculum beyond the concern about responsiveness to national needs in relation to economic and developmental goals. If South African universities want to address the unrealised aspects of institutional transformation that students have been raising it is necessary to explore more carefully the relationship between curriculum, knowledge and identity
Indian Diaspora Policy and the ‘International Triad’ – Of Voices and Visions beyond Pragmatism
Get PDFThis work aims to explore and problematize India’s discourses on its Diaspora policy vis-à-vis the reflections and experiences of actors on the ground. Historically, the Indian state has been known to project a founding and pioneering discourse on Diaspora closely connected and inter-twined with its foreign policy. Nonetheless, in its international outlook just as India continues to change and evolve over time, so do its Diaspora discourses and practices as per the needs of its foreign policy. From being distantly neutral and adopting diplomatic routes of concern for Indian origin people abroad during its early post-Independence outlook, India’s Diaspora policies have turned volte-face by shifting to the foreground of its global profiling in more recent times. Three important agents responsible for this role reversal are represented by the forces of globalisation, transnational geopolitics and Diasporization, acting in tandem with each other. Referring to these three as the, ‘International Triad’, (a term I employ as a heuristic tool), I undertake a qualitative analysis through review of literature, primary data including newspapers and ethnographic interviews conducted by me. It is clear that in its pro-active positioning and emerging Diaspora relations, India is no different from many other countries. Conversely, Indian Diasporas too have come a long way, emerging as not only key drivers in development efforts but also in strengthening bilateral ties between host and home nations as other diasporas do. No longer bereft of voice and rights, as much as in previous political contexts, the PIO and Diaspora communities stand on firmer ground while interacting with their home countries and ancestral homelands. However some vulnerabilities and status issues may still remain open despite the prismatic implications of the International Triad. The questions that therefore arise are: how do members of various Indian Diasporas assess the ‘everyday’ of this emerging relationship? Conversely, how responsive and compassionate is India to the qualitative expectations of its Diaspora
India and Trinidad & Tobago: Diaspora Building and Diaspora Integration – Implications for Emigration States
Get PDFIndia had influenced the community life of people of Indian origin in Trinidad & Tobago long before diplomatic relations commenced between the two nations in 1948. This paper is an attempt to provide a historical description of the state-diaspora relations between India and Trinidad & Tobago during and post indentureship. The paper draws from the written accounts by historians, government officials and scholars on the policies applied to the indentureship system, abolition, and bilateral relations between the two nations. Gamlen’s (2008) two diaspora mechanisms are employed to demonstrate the state-diaspora relations. The major findings indicate that the early Indian migrants developed mechanisms to cultivate a diaspora identity based on their collectively created vision of ‘an imagined India’. Additionally, diaspora building and diaspora integration in post indentureship through numerous cultural exchange programs and educational opportunities for Indo-Trinidadians and Indian nationals have been top-most in forging diplomatic relations between the two nations. In the final analysis, there is a need for a more in-depth analysis of Gamlen’s diaspora mechanisms and the model of emigration state typology and how these can apply to the Indian diasporas in the Caribbean
Definition of Leadership in Africa within the Twenty-first Century Context: Empirical Research on Leadership in Africa
Get PDFOrientation: Leadership is a widely used construct and there are numerous articles across multiple disciplines. In the past few years there has been growing interest to investigate the construct of leadership in Africa. Much of what is written is conceptual, and empirical articles on African leadership remain sparse. Research purpose: This paper reports on the findings of the systematic literature review that was conducted on leadership in Africa. The paper presents a qualitative review of empirical research highlighting key findings and implications for future research. Research method: The research investigation followed the traditional body of knowledge framework of concepts, statements, definitions, and conceptual frameworks to systemize reports on leadership in Africa. Articles were identified, selected and analysed using the systematic literature review methodology. Articles, statements, definitions, models, typologies, theories, and paradigms were explored and interrogated in each article to understand how they are linked to leadership in Africa. Main findings: A total of 96 articles were retrieved from eight electronic search engines. Following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, only thirteen articles met the set criteria - suggesting that little empirical research is conducted on leadership. The findings illustrated the extent of paucity of empirical research on leadership in Africa and clearly indicate a definite need to investigate it, and then to build on the understanding of African leadership through empirical research. The published articles showed that the concept of African leadership is seldom defined, measure-ments are typical of the Western tradition, and that the set hypotheses do not include the African context. Furthermore, no Africa-specific models or theories are presented. The positivist paradigm was most often used in the research. Practical implications: The literature review has provided an understanding of the extent of the lack of empirical work around leadership in Africa. There is a definite need for systematic empirical work to explore what leadership means in Africa, and to build the concept of African leadership as a concrete scientific construct. The paper concludes by providing suggestions on how to bridge the gap towards understanding leadership in Africa
Analysing University Students’ Quality Perceptions and Identifying Strategies in Mapping a Way Forward to Closing the Quality Gaps
Get PDFEvery year universities vie for the same top students nationally and internationally. In order for a student to choose that university, the university needs to set itself apart from all the others. It can do this quiet strategically by providing top quality services. Thus service quality to a student can mean many things, namely, by the university being a world ranked tertiary institution of learning, by it having a well established faculty, by the institution having well recognised and highly skilled academics and efficient administration staff that have the students best interests at heart. All these are but a few distinguishing characteristics of high quality services that can set a university apart from others. This paper provides a review of service quality with specific reference to service quality at universities. The SERVQUAL instrument was used to measure students’ perceptions on service quality at the university of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The Gaps model also formed the foundation for this research study. The survey conducted on the students at the university indicated that students were dissatisfied with the services provided by the university. From the empirical results the researcher provided strategies to the university’s management that could close these quality gaps and improve the service offerings made to students
Exploring the Effectiveness of Nonverbal Cues as a Means of Improving the Communication Skills of Law Students and Legal Practitioners
Get PDFModern legal studies at tertiary institutions in South Africa exclude the study of nonverbal communication as a key component in the communicative process. Therefore, within the domain of the legal profession, there has been a degree of ignorance about the effectiveness of nonverbal cues and signs as a means of improving the legal and communicative skills of attorneys. Some investigations have been undertaken on the role and importance of nonverbal behaviour as a communicative tool, yet limited research had been undertaken on its impact and benefits to the legal profession. The participants in the study were all practicing attorneys with legal experience ranging from one to twenty years. From the study, it emerged that the current one-dimensional communicative legal system constituted a challenge to most young attorneys. The study found that an understanding of the different components of nonverbal communication and its sign structures was crucial for attorneys to gain insight into the subjective meanings that emerged during the consultation process. The findings suggest that the study of nonverbal communication amalgamated with traditional legal skills would help remove the deep-seated dichotomy that still exists between theory and practice in the LLB curricula
Waqfs and the Dynamics of Muslim Charity in Secular Milieus, Kenya 1900-2010
Get PDFWaqfs (religious endowments) were the mainstay of a plethora of beneficiaries evolving to a socio-economically secure constituency of Muslims. Secured of socio-economic well-being, beneficiaries threatened and often advocated for social and political positions independent of and in opposition to political establishments. This saw the creation of state agencies to control waqfs as evident in both Muslim and colonial powers. State agencies did not, however, annihilate waqfs as envisaged but beneficiaries diversified into alternative charitable activities as provided by the Shari’a. Using James C. Scott’s concept of ‘symbolic resistance’ and Talal Asad’s view of Islam as a ‘discursive tradition’, I argue that use of uncontrolled charities like sadaqa and private trusts in Kenya’s secular milieu does not only accord Muslims the wherewithal to negotiate the socio-cultural and economic spheres, but also provide a means to fulfilling religious obligations outside the purview of the state