Attitudes to work and social security in South Africa

Linking Universities and marginalised communities examines how South African universities engage with the informal sector in marginalised communities to improve livelihoods through inclusive innovation. The knowledge imperatives of universities are explored in relation to the public good and social justice, and the roles of innovation and technology transfer. Case studies provide examples of coherence between teaching, research, innovation and community engagement, and illustrate the enablers and constraints to such interaction. These insights find policy application in the spheres of higher education, science and technology, and economic development. The analysis also provides lessons for innovation studies, pointing out the need to refine the notion of innovation so that it may be more appropriate for the developmental challenges of countries such as South Africa.

Critics of privatisation are often told they present no alternatives. This book takes up that challenge, proposing conceptual models for what constitutes an alternative to privatisation and analyses what makes them successful (or not), backed up by empirical data on creative public service initiatives in over 40 countries in the Global South. This groundbreaking study provides a robust platform for comparisons across regions and sectors, with a focus on health, water and electricity. Alternatives to Privatisation is a compelling study and has been written by leading academics, practitioners and activists in the field.

The current and future capacity of South Africa to generate and sustain access to information and communication technologies (ICT) for its citizens is an important development priority. The Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA), launched by government in 2006, identified key factors which are affecting South Africas drive to achieve 6% economic growth and to halve unemployment and poverty in South Africa by 2014. One of these factors is the cost of telecommunications. Together, the cost of telecommunications and the availability of ICT infrastructure will crucially facilitate or frustrate attempts to improve levels of access to ICT.

How do actors in the educational field respond to the changing skills demands of the future? Research teams from the Labour Market Intelligence Partnership (LMIP) undertook a set of experimental and innovative case studies to improve our understanding of how current research intersects with a rapidly changing future.