THE ENVIRONMENT AND GOVERNANCE IN THE COMMONWEALTH

Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London, 8-10 March 2008

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission held its fourth annual governance network conference at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies on the weekend of 8th-10th March 2008. Co-organised and run by the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit (CPSU), the event brought together 30 current award-holders from a diverse range of academic backgrounds to discuss this year’s theme: The Environment and Governance in the Commonwealth.

Sessions included:

• Environmental governance: who does what?’
  Dr. Vasannt Jogoo from the Commonwealth Secretariat, gave an overview of how the Commonwealth facilitates environmental progress within the larger climate change debate.

• Environmental stewardship in relation to good governance

• Land and water issues including management challenges in relation to natural resources,

• The human impact of climate change

• The issue of climate wars and conflict prevention

The final session gave attendees the opportunity to summarise what they had gained from the conference and to propose how they might act on their newly acquired knowledge. Participants identified a need to establish an exact relationship between governance and the environment and to develop adequate governance structures to facilitate reduction in environmental degradation. Local projects were proposed and suggestions to share contacts and engage with established organisations were put forward.

Some scholars were also given the opportunity to showcase their current research, contributing ideas more closely linked with the policy issues surrounding environmental challenges. Insights into the present climate regime, natural resource policy and spatial decision support in a local context were provided. The most popular themes that arose were the placement of civil society within a Commonwealth context and the practical policy changes that could be made to face climate change.

COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP COMMISSION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM: Evaluating the Impact of International Scholarships

Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park,  4-6 May 2007

Speakers were:

• Scholarships and Capacity Building: An Overview
  Professor Trudy Harpham, Chair, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom.

• Dr Andrew Sumner and Ms Kattie Lussier, Institute of Development Studies, UK.

• Defining the Purpose of Scholarships: How clear are our objectives?
  Dr Norm Geddes, Commissioner, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom.

• Academic Objectives:
  Dr Charles Tustin, Chair, Scholarships Committee of the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee.

• Development Objectives:
  Mr Ad Boeren, Senior Policy Officer, Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC).

• Quantifying the Benefits: Lessons from Previous Studies
  Mr William Archer, Director, International Graduate Insight Group, UK.

• Using the Alumni: Experiences of Past Alumni Studies
  Mr Kamel Braham, Scholarships Administrator, The World Bank Institute.

• Ms Antje Schlamm, Director, London Office, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

• What are our Objectives?
  Professor Tim Unwin, Commissioner, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom.

• Taking Evaluation Further: Summary of key indicators and evaluation methodologies
  Dr Norm Geddes, Commissioner, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom.

• The Way Forward: Proposals for Future Collaboration
  Dr John Kirkland, Executive Secretary, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom.

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