Call for Projects 2012 – Eight Projects Accepted for Funding

Trends and Influence of Private Finance on Global Health Initiatives and Development Goals in Resource-Constrained Countries

Project Lead: Professor Marcel Tanner
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel

The global burden of diseases in resource-constraint countries have raised concern about the global health architecture and the need to find new schemes of collaboration and partnerships. The tendency of private-public partnerships is becoming more and more widespread in order to meet the health needs of poorer countries.

This project seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of private financing on global health initiatives and to understand the impact of the growing trend of private philanthropy in developing countries. Results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the global health architecture and the challenges it faces in the near future.

(Un)Sustainable Food Consumption Dynamics in South/Southeast Asia: Changing Patterns, Practices and Policies Among “New Consumers”
in India and the Philippines

Project Lead: Professor Surken Erkman
University of Lausanne

In emerging economies and among the growing middle classes, changing labor markets and production processes along with rising purchasing power is translating to a “moving up” on the energy and protein ladder.
The consumption patterns of these new consumers raises concern in terms of environmental impact and social inequalities.

This project will shed light on consumption practices in Bangalore (India) and Metro Manila (The Philippines) towards the goals of understanding opportunities for more sustainable forms of consumption.

From Rule-Takers to Rule-Makers: Emerging Powers in the Regulation of International Trade

Project Lead: Professor Sandra Lavenex
University of Lucerne

The last 20 years have experienced significant reshaping of the world economy with the emergence of new economic powers. However, how they influence and impact the international trade rules still needs clarification. Therefore, this project will investigate, with the involvement of economists, legal experts and political scientists, different angles of the interaction and implication of the emerging powers in the world economy.

Governance by Contract? The Impact of the International Finance Corporation’s Social Conditionality on Worker Organization and Social Dialogue

Project Lead: Professor Jean-Christophe Graz
University of Lausanne

In the context of the global financial and economic crisis, the International Labour Organization gives particular importance to independent worker organization and social dialogue. A great deal of research exists on “private” governance, but less attention has been paid to regulatory approaches in the
public sector.

The project takes the example of the International Finance Corporation, the private sector lending and investment arm of the World Bank, which has made it a condition of financing that client firms conform with a code of social and environmental practice. The research project seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of this type of contractual governance mechanism with respect to the ILO’s key labour standard of freedom of association.

The Proliferation of Multilateral Funds

Project Lead: Professor Simon Hug
University of Geneva

More and more, non-core multilateral aid has been increasing over the last twenty year in place of traditional multilateral aid. This multiplication of funds may lead to a fragmentation of aid, and therefore affects its effectiveness. This project seeks to understand the mechanisms of this new trend for non-core multilateral aid and proposes to be the first in depth analysis on that matter.

Environmental Change and Migration

Project Lead: Professor Vally Koubi
Senior Fellow at the Center for Comparative and International Studies (CIS) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), and Professor at the Institute of Economics at the University of Bern.

Despite many studies on the impact of climate change on migration, little has been done to understand that phenomena on a larger scale and what are the significant factors. This project intends to bring further expertise on whether, when and how the environmental change affects migration; and how it relays on social, economic and political institutions.

Integrated Analyses of Human Dimensions
and Policy Implications of Cross-Border Migration
on Vector-Borne Neglected Tropical Diseases
in the Andes-Amazon Region

Project Lead: Dr. Esther Schelling
Research Group Leader
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel

Studies have shown that the main border crossing point between Brazil and Peru is an important factor of spreading various endemic diseases. Government of both countries are required to unify their effort to face that challenge and analyze it in depth. For a better handling of the situation, this project focuses on the link of cross-border migration and the spread of the diseases in order to control and eliminate the risk.

Sustainable Land Management in Mountain Regions
of Bolivia and Nepal in the Context of Outmigration,
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction

Project Lead: Professor Michel Jaboyedoff
University of Lausanne

The issue of climate change is becoming increasingly significant, especially for managing water. In some mountain rural regions, it has even strong consequences on migration to urban areas. The effects are a feminization of the population that have to struggle with daily life. This project addresses the impact of outmigration and climate change on the demographics in the mountains of Bolivia and Nepal.