So you would like to build a software system for a project of development cooperation and you consider using “Free and open source software (FOSS)”? Good choice, as going open source will offer you a highly sustainable and cost-effective way of developing these systems. See also my think-piece on the “why development cooperation should use […]
Researcher Evangelos Papadimitropoulos just published a cool article that sums up and puts into perspective some of the emerging schools of thought on commons-based peer production (cbpp). Fresh hot off the (virtual) press, it also presents a pretty comprehensive and up-to-date list of references. I recommend the article to everyone interested in getting beyond the basics […]
Today, I invite you to join the conversation on an article, which I just published on the issue of “Learning by sharing – how global communities cultivate skills and capacity through peer-production of knowledge“. I posit in this paper, that commons-based peer learning offers a trigger to enhance skills, competencies, connections, capacities, and the agency […]
Great start of the long-awaited conference of the Open African Innovation Research and Training Network: We just launched two really interesting compendia on “Open African Innovation” packed with practical examples of the knowledge commons in Africa – and with a tool that allows policy advisors to discuss the future of knowledge governance in Africa in […]
Great news: Yesterday, UNCTAD launched its latest Information Economy Report. Free and Open Source Software is discussed extensively in this years’ edition, which has a focus on “The Software Industry and Developing Countries”. Also great news: the FOSSFA/GIZ capacity building programme ict@innovation is featured prominently, both in the report and at its Africa launch, which […]
GIZ online journal Global Connect just published an article on Global Knowledge Sharing, which quotes me quite a bit. So I reproduce here some lines, the entire piece is online here. “… The example of Wikipedia gives us a taste of how we will likely generate our knowledge in the future: Radically different from the […]
In a recent presentation for GIZ e-learning staff, Balthas Seibold gave an introduction to “Open Approaches to educational provision”, stressing the potential of Open Educational Resources and Open Licensing for Capacity Building. The presentation gives an overview of the changing educational landscape, introduces Open Education and Open Educational Services in practice (openSE, openEd 2.0 (UNU-Merit), […]
The working group on ‘Promoting Innovation Systems’ of Germany’s development cooperation just published a documentation on “Strengthening Innovation Systems in the Context of Development Cooperation”. An article by Balthas Seibold gives an overview of the potential of open innovation for developing countries. Taking the capacity building programme commons@ip as an example, the paper enumerates important […]
Germany’s international Development + Cooperation Journal just published an article by Balthas Seibold, which looks at open innovation and the knowledge commons in the framework of business development in developing countries. The piece argues, that innovation is key to private sector development, so stringent protection of intellectual property rights can hamper businesses in poor countries. […]
And yet another publication to promote on this page. It’s published at the international magazine “D+C Development and Cooperation / E+Z Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit 2009/01”, and it’s about impact measurement in development cooperation. In the article Balthas Seibold takes the ICT capacity-building project it@coops of InWEnt to illustrate that it makes sense to examine what […]
InWEnt/it@ab releases a series of advanced e-learning courses on Information Technology (IT)- “Open Source & More IT for African Business” focussing on the needs of business related IT consultancy in Africa. The courses introduce relevant and adapted key concepts and applications such as E-Business Applications & Architecture / IT Security / Open Source IT (including […]
Globalization with a Human Face – Benefitting All – That’s what UNESCO promotes through a new book with the same title. Balthas Seibold has edited the volume and has contributed an article on “Media, Communication and Globalization”. Check the book on the publication section of this site.
Just published: An article by Balthas Seibold on main uses of online content by users in developing countries. The article is part of a scientific book on the quality of online communication. The German title is “Gute Seiten – schlechte Seiten. Qualität in der Onlinekommunikation”. The title of the article (which is available in German […]
The book “Klick-Magnete” from Balthas Seibold is just out as part of the research series “InternetResearch” of Reinhold Fischer publishing. It looks at the main factors, that make people klick on online news. For more attention, check http://www.klick-magnete.de (in German). [Update: The book is now available as a direct Download ]
What are the main needs, uses and expectations of internet users in Peru as an example of a developing country? This has been the main focus of a piece of research by Balthas Seibold, which resulted in two sets of publications: An article on the needs with the German title “Verfügbar, verständlich und relevant – […]