Wanawa: Afrika prekolonial, un introdukshon

Wanawa Precolonial Africa: An Introduction focuses on the history and culture of the African continent before it was colonized by Europe. Many people still associate Africa only with the history of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery and neglect the fact that this continent has a rich and diverse history. As this book explains, the history of Africa did not start with the transatlantic slave trade, and Africa is not merely a victim of colonialism but an agent of its own history and rich culture. The intention of this book is to highlight and thereby broaden the knowledge of Africa’s historical, economic, cultural and social diversity. This book is a brief introduction in Papiamentu to the history and culture of precolonial Africa, with the aim of stimulating people to dig deeper into this subject themselves. Its purpose is to provide a general view of the continent’s flora and fauna, to illustrate how large and small states rose, developed and sometimes fell over the course of time, and to shed light on historically significant persons, while also mentioning these states in some cases were connected to the transatlantic slave trade. In addition, the book provides insight into the diverse and heterogeneous cultures of the continent. Rose Mary Allen (Curaçao, 1950) is an anthropologist and Extraordinary Professor of the Chair of Culture, Community and History at the University of Curaçao Dr. Moises da Costa Gomez. She has published many books and articles on migration, slavery, music, oral history, the dynamics of identity formation, modern nationalism, and gender issues. She is a recipient of the Boeli van Leeuwen Award and of the 2015 Cola Debrot Award for her contribution to the sciences.

Developing a National Innovation System in Small States

This study shares some empirical insights for adopting a national innovation system (NIS) to catalyze capacity building in small states with relatively low technology-based research and development resources. These countries may have to start further back than other nations; however, this chapter maintains that with the right NIS, latecomers can have the advantage of catching up economically. This study explores Brunei Darussalam's journey to catalyze innovation for sustainable economic growth, particularly digitalization and deep tech. The study found that establishing a national innovation ecosystem could be effective with national consensus and acceptance behind the approach. It emphasizes building critical infrastructures, institutions, and governance to promote efficient knowledge flow, talent development, digital literacy, and overall absorptive capacity. Because Brunei is a small state, coordinating and facilitating cohesive linkages among its key stakeholders can strategically mobilize change. As Brunei Darussalam embarks on such a trajectory, it must determine a relevant model.

China-India contemporary relations: Geopolitical challenges to the small states in South Asia

Background: The two Asian giants, India and China, have shown unprecedented growth and development in recent decades. As neighbours, the bilateral relationship between the two countries has experienced turbulences, even wars, but their trade and economic relations date centuries back. These characteristics of cooperation and conflict between India and China as they aspire to become major powers globally have tuned up the competitiveness, which has further engaged them with collaborations in some areas, conflicts and contestations in others. This unique relation with antagonistic cooperation has implications for South Asian states, including India and other small states. Methods: Thus, realising the research gap of future repercussions on the region and hypothesising that the contemporary China-India relations not only have consequences on each other but also brings challenges to the small states in South Asia, the paper primarily focuses on current China-India relations and the geopolitical challenges to the South Asian small states. Hence, it is crucial to comprehend ‘What is the nature and pattern of contemporary China-India relations?’ and ‘What are the geopolitical challenges to the small states because of this unforeseen relation?’ The study revisits the historical relationship between India and China to examine the trend of collaborations and contestations between the two. The paper also discusses the increasing forays of China into South Asia and the deepening US-India relationship to counter those looming Chinese influences. Results: Notably, the research identifies the geopolitical challenges for other South Asian small states because of those fluctuations in the relationship and recommends strategies for the small states in South Asia to avert the increasing geopolitical challenges, generalising the challenges for the small states evolving due to the major power politics in different parts of the world.

The Institutionalization of Political Science in Small States: A Comparative Analysis of Estonia, Iceland, Malta, and Slovenia

The chapter explores the relevance of population size in relation to the internationalization of political science in higher education institutions by comparing the situation in Estonia, Iceland, Malta, and Slovenia. Moreover, the chapter also examines if the legacy of the former communist regime aids or hinders the institutionalization of political science in the higher education of Estonia and Slovenia. The findings suggest there is a north-south effect as the northern States have integrated political science more thoroughly and more easily into their higher education system. Moreover, the findings suggest a tendency for hyper-active internationalization in the states formerly under the communist regime. Finally, smallness proves to be a mixed blessing, although the small states in the study have been able to use their small size to their advantage.