1,724,533 research outputs found
Inception Report The Preparatory Survey on the Project for Fisheries Pormotion in Republic of Ghana
No full textChallenges the fishing ports of Ghana, notably Sekondi Port include the congestion and the deteriorating efficiency due to the increase of users and decreasing quality of catch due to the shortage and ageing of landing facilities, fish handling sheds and ice-making facilities. The Government of Ghana made a request to Japan for an extension of the wharf, construction of additional breakwater, cold storage and ice-making facility at Sekondi Fishing Port in 2010 in order to overcome these challenges. In response the Government of Japan conducted a survey for the project to promote efficiency and improvement of Ghana's fishery sector. The survey was to examine the need, relevance and urgency of the proposed project.Japan International Cooperation AgencyPublishedlanding portsice-makin
The Evolving Life Improvement Approach: From Home Taylorism to JICA Tsukuba, and Beyond
No full textIn this article, we examine the history of the Life Improvement Approach (LIA) from around the turn of the 20th century, and propose a LIA model based on Japanese experiences followingWorld War II to JICA Tsukuba training courses for Latin American countries, taking into consideration recent advances in information and communications technology (ICT) available in developing countries. In this paper, we first review the history of LIA, pointing out that self-determination and self-management (agency enhancement and pragmatism) are the two principal pillars of the current LIA model elaborated in JICA Tsukuba training courses. We also stress the importance of ‘accompaniment’ by extension workers. We reformulate LIA as an enhanced microeconomic model based on Mokyr (2002) to clarify its relevance as a development policy. We then analyze the case of a small association in Costa Rica using digital photos taken by extension workers, pointing out the necessity of operationalizing the model to fit onsite practices. Based on this foundation, we present a blueprint for a new digital system for sharing images and texts of LIA, called SIMEVI, which provides a bridge between the theoretical model and onsite practices, and underlines the importance of an analog foundation for the system to fully function as an ‘engine’ to support LIA in developing countries.research repor
Mapping JICA-supported Works on Japan’s Development Experience in Development Studies: Their Particularities and Potentials
No full textJapan’s experience of development and modernization occupies a particular place in the study of development processes. Using the UK-based / Western Development Studies as a mirror, this study examines how research on Japan’s development experience connects to broader Development Studies with international implications, rather than being an isolated country-specific field of knowledge. This study focuses on JICA-supported works (research and lectures) on Japan’s development experience and modernization. JICA-supported works span diverse historical and thematic issues and prioritize the study of a long-term process of structural change and instrumental/specific knowledge, describing different policies. Emphasizing the role of the state and state-building, JICA-supported works focus rather on the long-term process of modernization and development of Japan after the Meiji Restoration, than on a short-term snapshot of policy changes. Resonating with the concepts of multiple modernities and reflexive modernization, JICA-supported works emphasize practitioner expertise, practice, and empirical knowledge, while seeking to avoid a supply-driven promotion of a single development model.日本の開発・近代化の経験は、開発プロセスの研究において特別な位置を占めている。本稿は、英国を拠点とする西欧における開発研究に照らし、日本の開発経験にかかる研究が、他国との関連性の薄い隔絶されたものではなく、開発研究の枠組みに位置づけられ、国際的意味合いを持つことを論じる。日本の開発経験・近代化にかかる研究のうち、本稿ではJICAの支援のもとで実施・作成された研究や留学生向け教材に焦点を当てる。JICAの支援のもとで実施・作成された研究や留学生向け教材では、様々な歴史・テーマに関し、長期的な構造変化のプロセスや、政策のレビューを通じた実践的知識の提示に重点が置かれている。また、JICAの支援のもとで実施・作成された研究や留学生向け教材は、国家や国造りを重視し、政策変化にかかる短期的スナップショットよりも、むしろ明治維新後の日本の近代化・開発の長期的プロセスに焦点を当てている。一元的な開発モデルの推進を避けつつ、「複数の近代（multiple modernities）」や「再帰的近代化（reflexive modernization）」の意義にふれながら、JICAの支援のもとで実施・作成された研究や留学生向け教材は、実務家の専門知識や開発政策の実施、経験的知識の重要性を強調している。departmental bulletin pape
Human security in Cambodia: Far from over
No full textThe concept of human security is based on the fundamental principles of ‘freedom from fear’ and ‘freedom from want’ through the 1994 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).1 It argues for a shift from a state-centric view of security to one that focuses on the security of every individual. Human Security is about protection and empowerment of the individual. It tackles general threats to human existence and finds ways to overcome these threats, recognizing that the state itself can at times be a threat to its own people. This report aims to understand how the internationally minted notions of human security and insecurity are perceived and interpreted by Cambodian people, and what suggestions people may offer for mitigating threats to human security. We conducted interviews and focus groups with people in diverse sectors including government, academics, civil society, rural and urban communities, media, students, and Buddhist monks. Our research suggests that when we replace the discourse of security in Cambodia with the concept of human security, it opens new conversations toward understanding and responsiveness to human rights and human development.2 We argue that the connected, multi-dimensional insecurities in Cambodia can be revealed through taking a broad approach to human security that recognizes ‘freedom from fear’, ‘freedom from want’, and ‘freedom to live in dignity’ as inter-related in ways that may be contradictory. Currently much of the debate about the referent of security is too focused on either protection or empowerment; the voices of our research participants lead us to suggest that security comes from communication and dialogue between government and communities, and the importance of ‘cooperative leadership’.falseTokyoJapan International Cooperation Agency Research Institute (JICA-RI
Knowledge Sheets / Knowledge Program: Nature-based Solutions toward a Resilient and Prosperous Africa
No full textRecent years have seen the concept of “Nature-based Solutions (NbS)” come increasingly into the spotlight in the quest for a sustainable society in which no-one is left behind.
NbS is defined as “actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits” (IUCN 2016).
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been cooperating with Africa in the natural environment sector for many years and accumulated a wealth of collectively nurtured wisdom. In the hope that the array of different experiences and knowledge co-created by Japan and Africa can help in handling natural resource management issues in Africa, JICA launched a new program called “Knowledge Program: Nature-based Solutions toward a Resilient and Prosperous Africa.” This program identifies and introduces the co-created knowledge as an effective approach for NbS (hereinafter referred to as an “NbS approach”).
Under this program, JICA created the Knowledge Sheets which compile 30 NbS approaches
Studies on Japanese Aid for International Student Programs: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Future Research on the ABE Initiative and other JICA-Supported Scholarship Programs
No full textJICA’s international scholarship programs have invited future leaders from numerous low- and middle-income countries to come to Japan to acquire new knowledge and skills, empowering them to contribute more effectively to the development of their home countries. Among these programs, the ABE Initiative (the African Business Education Initiative for Youth) distinguishes itself by focusing on building and strengthening business networks between Japan and Africa and by providing internships at Japanese companies. As the first phase of a research project on the ABE Initiative, this literature review provides an overview of the academic literature on JICA scholarships and other human resource development programs with similar objectives, and presents four major research themes. The first is the ‘soft power’ of scholarships in promoting understanding and positive perceptions of Japanese society, finding that previous studies have had mixed evaluations of the soft power impacts of higher education in Japan. The second theme is ‘program quality’ in the Japanese higher education sector, which has a significant impact on the efficacy of JICA programs but has been discussed critically in the existing literature. On the other hand ‘network formation’ through international student programs has been discussed positively, particularly in relation to higher education institutions. Finally, there are differing evaluations in previous studies regarding the focus on the ‘uniqueness’ of Japanese concepts and philosophies in international student programs. This literature review has identified future areas for research via these four themes and their implications for JICA’s scholarship programs and the ABE Initiative.JICA留学生事業は、数多くの低・中所得国の将来のリーダー達が新たな知識・スキルを習得し、自国の発展により効果的に貢献することを可能にしてきた。JICA留学生事業の中で、「ABEイニシアティブ（アフリカの若者のための産業人材育成イニシアティブ：African Business Education Initiative for Youth）」は、日本とアフリカのビジネスのネットワーク構築・強化と日本企業の職場におけるインターンシップに重点を置いている点で他のJICAのプログラムと異なる。ABEイニシアティブに関する研究プロジェクトの第一段階として、本文献レビューは、JICA留学生事業に加え、同様の目的を有する人材育成プログラムに関する主要な先行研究に関し、その概要とともに、４つの主要な研究テーマを提示する。主要な研究テーマの一つに、日本社会についての理解や肯定的な見方を促す留学生事業の「ソフト・パワー」が挙げられるが、ソフト・パワーを意図した留学生事業について先行研究の評価は分かれている。第二に、JICA留学生事業のプログラムにとって重要な要素である「学位プログラムの質」が挙げられるが、先行研究では学位プログラムの質について批判的に論じられている。留学生事業を通じた「ネットワークの形成」については、特に高等教育機関の関連において肯定的に論じられている。他方で、留学生事業のプログラムに日本独自の概念や哲学を含めること（「プログラムの独自性」）については先行研究の評価が分かれている。本文献レビューは、JICA留学生事業のプログラムに関し、上記の４つの研究テーマにおいて、それぞれ今後の研究課題を明らかにした。articl
Promoting Gender Parity Lessons from Yemen: A JICA Technical Cooperation Project in Basic Education
No full textDespite remarkable progress supported by international commitment to meeting the
MDGs, countries such as Yemen still face great challenges in achieving gender parity in
education and in reducing in-country disparities. Strengthening community participatory
school management is a key area which JICA has prioritized in its programs for reaching
marginalized children and for improving access to and quality of education. One instance of this
is a technical cooperation project in Yemen called Broadening Regional Initiative for
Developing Girls’ Education (BRIDGE) Phase 1 (2005-2008), which piloted a participatory
school management model supported by school grants with the objective of eliminating gender
disparity in basic education. How successfully has this approach been in such a traditional
society? Our analyses of the performance of the project’s pilot schools based on
analyses of data collected at three points in time – at the initial year and end year of the
project and two years after the project’s end – suggests the following: Interventions in
school management that strongly emphasize girls can be effective in rather quickly
improving gender parity regardless of the schools’ initial conditions. However, we also
observe that the post-project performance of the pilot schools in terms of gender parity
is mixed, even though budgets for school grants were allocated by the local government
to all pilot schools. We further observe that such variation in performance appears to be
significantly correlated to school leaders’ perceptions of gender equality, to community
participation, and to the number of female teachers employed. These findings point to
the importance of continuous long-term guidance to the schools and monitoring of those
which implement school improvement programs. Attention should be paid to key factors
that might influence school performance, such as those identified in this paper.conference pape
これからの日本社会を創る国際教育の意義とJICAの役割
No full text2023年6月に改定された開発協力大綱では、開発協力の社会的基盤として学校教育等での開発教育の重要性が明記されている。一方で、学校教育では、開発教育よりも国際教育という用語が浸透しているが、国際教育自体が学校教育の中で一部の教科で限定的に取り組むものとして認識されている。そして、国際教育より認知度の低い開発教育はさらに周縁化された状況に置かれている。このように開発協力への市民の理解を向上したいと考える立場から開発教育に向ける熱い眼差しと、従来から議論されてきた国際教育の枠組みに立つ学校現場からの眼差しには温度差がある。このことを理解した上で、国際教育の先行研究が論じてきた学校教育における課題や新しく勃興してきた外国につながる子供の教育に対し、JICAが実施する開発教育支援事業の可能性を提示したいと考えた。それにより、これからの日本社会を創るうえで必要となる国際教育の意義とJICAの役割を示そうとするのが本稿の目的である。本稿では、「学校教育において、JICA開発教育支援事業はどのような実践の可能性を持つだろうか」という研究設問に関して、国際教育の実践は特定の教科でしかできない訳ではなく、領域・教科横断的であることが分かった。次に「外国につながる生徒への対応に関して、JICA開発教育支援事業はどのような意義を有しているのか」という研究設問に関しては、外国につながる子供が置かれた特殊な背景を「公正」という視点から、教員や学校以外の関係者が捉えていくことの重要性が明らかになった。先行研究が論じていた課題のうち、本稿では次の示唆を導き出した。第一に、理念（視点・考え方）をどのように設定するかが、国際教育を考えるうえで最も大事な視点であること、第二に、国際教育は比較の手法により日本の社会・地域の「当たり前」を問い、多様化する現代社会に必要なシステムへの転換の視点として活用できること、第三に、国際教育は教師の授業における願い・狙いと、児童生徒の学びたいという反応とをつなぐ「参加型学習」を通じて、教員・児童生徒双方の学びを自分事化できることである。このような学校現場での実践を支える取り組みとして、JICA開発教育支援事業は重要な役割を果たしていると言える。research repor
Cross-Border Higher Education for Regional Integration:Analysis of the JICA-RI Survey on Leading Universities in East Asia
No full textSet against the backdrop of increasing economic interdependence in East Asia, the idea of“regional integration” is now being discussed as a long-term political process in the region. As in the field of the international economy, de facto integration and interdependence exist with respect to the internationalization of the higher education system in East Asia. Based on the results of a comprehensive Japan International Cooperation Agency Research Institute (JICA-RI) survey of 300 leading higher education institutions active in cross-border higher education, located in ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member Southeast Asian countries and three Northeast Asian countries (China, Japan, and Korea), this paper examines universities’ perceptions of the degree of cross-border activities, the significance of their “expected outcomes,” and their regional preferences for partners. The objective is to envision a direction for a future regional higher education framework in East Asia and to consider the policy implications of the internationalization of higher education in East Asia in the context of regionalization. The findings related to the degree of cross-border activities suggest a current perception that there is more prominent in conventional than in innovative activities, but that innovation will rise considerably in the future. With respect to the significance of “expected outcomes,”academic and political “expected outcome” are perceived to be more significant than economic“expected outcome,” which are nevertheless expected to be more significant in the future. Finally, in terms of their preferred regions of partners, universities in East Asia overall place a high priority on building partnerships within their own region. Yet, among Northeast Asian universities, North America is perceived as the most active partner.research repor
- …
