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UPDATE ON TRAINING ACTIVITIES

The MA Programme on Economic Policy and Management

Academic Year 2003/2004 

The period January – March 2004 corresponds to the implementation of the first semester of academic year 2003/04, with nine courses delivered including examinations for the 2003-2005 cohorts. The next stage of the programme involves finalizing the preparation of the 2nd semester which starts on 6 April 2004.

Training seminars are being organized for the trainees who are completing their MA theses prior to the defence in April and May 2004.

Short Courses

Course on Regional Integration in Africa

The Anglophone session of this five-week training course in regional integration was implemented during the period 19 January - 20 February 2004. The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) sponsored fourteen participants from the African 
Union Commission (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) - SADC, COMESA and CEN-SAD - while seven participants from member States were sponsored by the African Union Commission. 
The total number of participants was 21 (14 men and 7 women), and comprised senior professionals occupying high level positions in their respective institutions. They included ministers, permanent secretaries and directors responsible for integration matters in their various institutions.

The Francophone session of the same course started on 22 March and is due to end on 23 April 2004. The total number of participants is 35 (21 Men and 14 women) including 22 from the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) sponsored by BADEA and 13 from Member States sponsored by the African Union Commission (AU). 


Public Seminars

Three public lectures were organized as part of the IDEP Monthly Seminars Programme. The Speakers were all eminent personalities drawn from the United Nations and African Institutions. The following lectures were delivered between January and March 2004.

Date: 29-01-04
Speaker: Dr. Edouard TAPSOBA
FAO Representative in Senegal
Topic: Food Security in Africa: Challenges and Prospects.

Date: 18-02-04
Speaker: Dr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah
Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West Africa
Topic: Productivity, Competitiveness and Security in Africa

Date: 30-03-04 
Speaker: Professor Adebayo OLUKOSHI
Executive Secretary, CODESRIA
Topic: Overcoming the Maladjustment of African Countries


IDEP offers MA Scholarships

IDEP is pleased to announce that it is offering five scholarships for candidates admitted to its 18- month M.A. Degree Programme in Economic Policy and Management, starting from the 2004/2005 academic year.
The scholarships will cover full tuition, a monthly living stipend, medical expenses, and allowance for books, documentation and thesis preparation. However, nominating countries or institutions will be responsible for the cost of travel of the candidates to and from Dakar, Senegal. 

Selection, to be done by a committee, will be based on merit and the expressed needs of the country or institution concerned. Eligible candidates must apply and be admitted into the IDEP M.A. Programme; they should possess an excellent academic record and have 
at least two years of professional experience. They must be citizens of IDEP's member States and have a good command of English or French – the two main working languages of the Institute.

Besides forwarding duly filled application forms, the nominating country or institution should make a formal written request for the scholarship. The deadline for the submission of applications for each academic year, which starts in early November, is end of July. 

COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS

IDEP Director Visits Egypt

In 1997, IDEP and the Egyptian Institute of National Planning (INP) signed an Agreement for Scientific Collaboration in which the two institutions would cooperate in the areas of economic research and management. It was to further explore avenues for more collaboration that Mr Seck paid a visit to the INP and the Egyptian Ministry of Planning from 18 to 24 February, 2004. 
During discussions at INP, both parties agreed that: INP staff would serve as lecturers in IDEP's MA and short course programmes; INP Research Assistants, who have a B.A. in economics, would be considered for admission into IDEP's M.A. programme; and Researchers of both institutions could co-author research papers and initiate large research projects for which external funding could be sought. The Agreement for Scientific Collaboration was updated and signed by the Directors of INP and IDEP at an official signing ceremony. 

At the Ministry of Planning, the Director met with the Minister, Dr. Osman, and sought Government support towards the Institute's regular budget. He also discussed matters relating to the organization of short courses by IDEP in which requests for applications 
would be centralized and sent to INP. 

The Director carries out missions to Europe

From 8 to 14 February 2004, IDEP Director, Mr. Diery Seck, travelled to Paris (France), Brussels (Belgium) and The Hague (The Netherlands) where he met with several Government officials and had discussions with a number of European organizations. The organizations and Governments visited included the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands.
At the French Foreign Ministry, the Director met with Mrs. Marie-Claire Petit Perrin, Representative of the Research Division,Department of International Cooperation. During the discussions, Mr Seck made a presentation on IDEP and its training and research programmes and discussed issues relating to the Global Development Network (GDN). 
During the visit to the ACP Secretariat, Mr Seck meet with senior management and sought support for the upcoming selection of an institution that will be in charge of the management of the European Commission's Trade Com grant. He presented IDEP's programmes to ACP's senior staff and discussed possible collaboration between IDEP and the ACP.

At the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he visited officials to express IDEP's gratitude for the ongoing support extended to the Institute and to present progress reports covering the grant activities as approved by the Governing Council at its meeting of September 2003. He also informed the Dutch Government about IDEP's current activities in the areas of training and research. Officials of the Ministry expressed their satisfaction with IDEP's progress and welcomed the timely and accurate information. 

NEWS UPDATE

Activities of Staff

Regional Workshop on Food and Nutrition Security Policies in West Africa: Implementation Issues and Research Agenda, Bamako, Mali, 13-14 January 2004.

The Coordinator of IDEP's Agriculture Programme, Mr. Matar Gaye, participated in the Regional Workshop on Food and Nutrition Security Policies in West Africa: Implementation Issues and Research Agenda, held in Bamako, Mali, on 13 and 14 January, 2004. The 
workshop was organized jointly by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Center of Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD), and the Malian Institute for Rural Economy (IER), in cooperation with the Foundation for Sustainable 
Food Security in Central and West Africa (Foundation SADAOC). The main objective of the workshop was to prepare for the upcoming Conference on Food and Nutrition Security (FNS), to be held in Kampala, Uganda in April 2004.
The meeting was an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss policy implementation and research issues pertaining to food and nutritional security in the West Africa sub-region, with a view to meeting the UN development objectives for the Millennium and those of the World Summit on Food. About seventy participants took part in the workshop.


United Nations Millennium Project mission to Senegal (10 – 11 February 2004) in Dakar

This mission led by Professor Jeffrey Sacks was aimed at defining and discussing modalities to boost progress toward the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The mission held two meetings with the United Nations Agencies in Senegal, which is among a limited list of countries selected for launching innovative poverty reduction strategies in line with the operationalisation of MDGs. IDEP was represented at the meeting by Mr. Matar Gaye.

Discussion Forum on the Senegalese peanut industry (9 March 2003) in Dakar

The Forum was initiated by the Internal Fair for Agriculture and Animal Resources in West Africa.Mr Gaye was invited to be the principal discussant of the forum at the request of the Farmers Unions in Senegal.


Thesis Defence at the University of Yaoundé II

On 24 March 2004 at the University of Yaounde II, Cameroon, IDEP's Deputy Director/Chief of Training Division, Mr Aloysius Ajab AMIN, participated in a Doctrate thesis defence by Mr Agustine Ntembe. Mr Ntembe's doctoral research work entitled "Public Spending on Health Care in Cameroon: An Empirical Analysis of Choices for Policy Intervention", was supervised by Mr Amin.


A peek at the hits for the IDEP web page : Use of the Internet


The frequency of use of IDEP's website is progressing from month to month with peak hits occurring the days preceding the beginning of short course sessions. Statistical data representing hits for the months of September 2003 through to March 2004 are provided 
below:

• Hits on the website

• Data sent / received

• Visitors

Use of the Intranet

In the process of improving the internal network resources to make them more efficient for the staff, 2 additional web based databases have been put online in the intranet website for internal information sharing and processing. A third one is being experimented on 
in the training department for the processing of short course trainees' files. New interesting features have also been set up on the mail server for improved mail processing.

First Video Conference between ECA Headquarters and IDEP

On Friday 13 February 2004, a group of IDEP staff attended a Video Conference (VC) at the World Bank Office in Dakar. The VC was initiated by ECA in order to test the connectivity of their new VSAT-based VC facilities in Addis-Ababa with Sub Regional Offices 
(SRO) throughout Africa. The participating countries were Ethiopia, Niger, Rwanda, Zambia, and Senegal (IDEP). ECA SROs were connected via the VC facilities of the World Bank offices. The link between Addis Ababa (ECA) and New York (UNHQ) was successful. The same could be said about links between New York (UNHQ) and Washington (World Bank Network Operation Center–WB NOC) on the one hand and Washington and WB offices in the above-mentioned countries on the other. Discussions were about progress in the implementation of the VSAT systems in the ECA SROs and pending technical matters.

IDEP wins tender to develop a Library Management System in the Gambia

In an effort to support income-generating activities, an Expression of Interest Proposal was prepared and submitted to the Gambia Association of Accountants (GAA) to develop a Library Management System for the Management Development Institute (MDI), Banjul, 
the Gambia, within the framework of World Bank financial support. Under the existing MOU signed between IDEP and the MDI, the Institute was to provide limited human capacity development assistance for which the counterpart institution was to pay nominal fees.

Bibliographies prepared for course modules and specialisation courses

One of the overall objectives of the IDEP Library is to ensure timely access to economic data, whatever their sources. An indispensable source of these data and information is to be found in the library at IDEP and the various digital/online libraries. To assist the faculty 
and trainees to retrieve pertinent information in a timely manner, the library has started to compile bibliographies on each and every course module taught at the Institute. These are regularly distributed to all interested library users.

Recruitment

Mr. Mamadou Demba KA has been recruited as a Driver to replace Mr. Dominique Mbodji, who retired on 1 February 2004, after having worked for thirty-nine years with IDEP


Send-off for IDEP retirees

A send-off party was organized for the following eleven retirees who have left the organization since the year 2000. IDEP wishes them good luck in their new endeavours.

Training in Accounts Package

TOMPRO Accounting Software training was given to all staff members in the Finance Unit. The software package will enhance the capacity of IDEP's financial management and budgeting systems and services.

Fire prevention and drill

In coordination with the UN Staff Security Office in Dakar and the Senegal Fire Service, all staff members were given one-day training in fire prevention and evacuation procedures. 

© January 2004, 

United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning – IDEP 

BP 3186, Dakar (Senegal) Tel: (221) 33 823-1020, Fax: (221) 33 822-2964  

Email: idep@unidep.org  Internet: http://www.unidep.org