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<title>Itinera Institute - Issues - Education &amp; Innovation</title>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org</link>
<description>Itinera Institute - Issues - Education &amp; Innovation</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/web/sources/img/logo_itinera.jpg</url>
<title>Itinera Institute - Issues - Education &amp; Innovation</title>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org</link>
</image>
<copyright>Copyright 2008, Itinera Institute</copyright>
<language>en</language>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
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<title>R&amp;D: Europe progresses, but the efforts need to be pursued</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to the 2008 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard of the European Commission, with 8,8 %, companies of the EU show for the first time a stronger growth of the R&D investments than their Americans counterparts (8,6 %). The research intensity, that is the ratio between R&D and net sales, stays nevertheless very superior in the United States, where it establishes, on average at 4,5 % against 2,7 % in Europe. Besides, the R&D of the private sector in Europe represents only 1 % of the gross domestic product, what would indicate that an increasing part of the investments in R&D of the European firms is made outside the Union. We get closer to the Lisbon objectives, but the efforts need to be pursued to hope reaching them.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/r-d-europe-progresses-but-the-efforts-need-to-be-pursued/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/r-d-europe-progresses-but-the-efforts-need-to-be-pursued/</guid>
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<title>What is to know about corporations&#8217; learning curve</title>
<description><![CDATA[ More competition enhances productivity: it stimulates corporations to work more efficiently and gives them incentives to learn from other domestic companies. According to the Dutch Central Plan Bureau, the know-how present within domestic companies is more important than the know-how abroad. This is why companies have to invest in R&D, to be capable of imitating. This is also why foreign companies have to be given a real opportunity to settle in Belgium. In these turbulent economic times, protectionism is thus not an option. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-is-to-know-about-corporations-learning-curve/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-is-to-know-about-corporations-learning-curve/</guid>
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<title>Is free higher education really democratic?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ At first sight, free higher education is a good thing. Nonetheless, this article from the Institut Montaigne reminds us that this is contrary to the initial concept of democratisation. Higher education is indeed being financed by taxes from all to benefit largely the better off that are going to college without having any difficulties paying for it. This article makes several suggestions to make individual efforts in financing higher education more efficient and equitable.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/is-free-higher-education-really-democratic/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/is-free-higher-education-really-democratic/</guid>
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<item>
<title>University accessibility and university quality do not always go hand in hand</title>
<description><![CDATA[ With more and more high-school graduates going on to university, governments face tough decisions on funding and quality standards to ensure that their education systems respond adequately to booming demand for degrees, a new OECD publication shows. In Belgium too, governments will have to cut the knot: university accessibility and university quality do not necessarily go hand in hand.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/university-accessibility-and-university-quality-do-not-always-go-hand-in-hand/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/university-accessibility-and-university-quality-do-not-always-go-hand-in-hand/</guid>
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<title>Entrepreneurship as a source of wealth</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Some entrepreneurs chose for the profession out of necessity while others made a deliberate choice in order to grasp a business opportunity. For the first group, push factors like the small amount of job opportunities triggered by a high unemployment were a sufficient motivation. This can probably explain why Flanders’ part of self employed is higher than in Wallonia compared to total population, but not compared to the working population. The employment rate is just lower in the south of the country.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-source-of-wealth/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-source-of-wealth/</guid>
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<title>Gifted children, unused potential</title>
<description><![CDATA[ At the moment, the attention paid to the wasted talents that are the exceptionally gifted children who got through the stitches of the net increases slightly. However, it is still very likely that a large number of them will drop out somehow during the school year 2008-2009.
In this report, we develop solutions proposals which rest on a systematic and premature detection. We demonstrate besides that such an investment is profitable on the short run and that there is thus no place for delay on this topic. Even in period of budgetary illness.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/gifted-children-unused-potential/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/gifted-children-unused-potential/</guid>
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<title>Family attention pays</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Inequality between young Americans is increasing. While the lucky ones get a college degree, the less fortunate ones, whose intellectual and socio-emotional capabilities aren’t equally developed, fight against inequality, in a part due to a lesser productivity on the labour market. For James J. Heckman (Chicago University) the environment in which these kids grow up is in part responsible for these social differences, which is why they need to be tackled right there. Today policies tend to focus on the intellectual capabilities of teenagers, while the focus should be on the young children because economically more profitable. Therefore, family plays a crucial part in the development of a child, and this is true not only for the U.S. but for every country in the world.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/family-attention-pays/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/family-attention-pays/</guid>
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<title>Employment assimilation of immigrants in the Netherlands: Catching up and the irrelevance of education</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This Iza study examines employment assimilation of immigrants in The Netherland. The authors observe marked differences between immigrants by source country: Predictably, non-western immigrants never reach parity with native Dutch, but even the second generation immigrants never fully catch-up. On the contrary, the western, immigrants seem to face no considerable difficulties in the Dutch labour market. The most striking result is however that education is irrelevant for socio-economic position of immigrants once the country of origin has been controlled for, suggesting that immigrants are still subject to discrimination.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/employment-assimilation-of-immigrants-in-the-netherlands-catching-up-and-the-irrelevance-of-education/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/employment-assimilation-of-immigrants-in-the-netherlands-catching-up-and-the-irrelevance-of-education/</guid>
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<title>Health Policy makes a difference on the labour market</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Children from disadvantaged families lag behind their classmates in terms of general development. This decreases their chances of finding a decent job and may cause a vicious cycle to emerge. The traditional focus for narrowing this gap is on better schooling and closer monitoring. This paper on the other hand, shows that health policy can also be a powerful lever. Health problems occur more frequently with children from poorer families and have, when they arise, a more negative impact on the development of the child. 
One relevant policy issue surfaces in the mean time: in frameworks such as the valuable Marshall plan for Wallonia, it is probably better to foresee, in addition to fiscal and more general economic measures, a chapter on the health problems of disadvantaged children.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/health-policy-makes-a-difference-on-the-labour-market/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/health-policy-makes-a-difference-on-the-labour-market/</guid>
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<title>Poorly Educated Europe</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Europe – not to mention Belgium – doesn’t have universities that are absolute world class. The immediate result is that Europe, in comparison to the United States, Australia and even China, is falling behind in the increased international competition for talented academics and students. On the longer term, however, this means that the goal of the Lisbon strategy – to make Europe the most competitive knowledge-based economy – is being jeopardized. As universities are key actors in a knowledge-based economy. This paper identifies the problems and proposes reforms that are needed to turn the tide. Bologna has put the issue on the political agenda, now the time has come to undertake action.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/poorly-educated-europe/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/poorly-educated-europe/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The U.S., land of economic liberalism, and sportive dirigisme</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The Olympic Games are a true triumph for China: an incredible organisation and a sportive success measured by the number of medals wan. Economic research shows that authoritarian regimes are more capable to succeed in top-class sports. America’s dirigisme in sports, on the other hand, is less well-known.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-us-and-of-economic-liberalism-land-sportive-dirigisme/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-us-and-of-economic-liberalism-land-sportive-dirigisme/</guid>
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<title>How to improve the performances of European universities?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This report of Bruegel looks at the factors explaining the under-performance of the European universities in the ranking of Shanghai and identifies the priority reforms for higher education on the old continent. It brings to light a lack of student mobility, an insufficient flexibility of the first cycle programs and a severe underdevelopment of research. The authors plead in favour of a gradual increase of the annual spending in the higher education in the next decade, for more autonomy for institutions and for an intensification of the mobility of the students and the teachers-researchers.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-to-improve-the-performances-of-european-universities/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-to-improve-the-performances-of-european-universities/</guid>
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<title>The economic returns to a second language</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Knowledge of an additional language may be associated with enhanced earnings because it may reflect what might generically be called ‘ability’ bias or because it may actually be useful at the workplace (and therefore demand of bilinguals is higher). Using Canadian data, this IZA publication found very substantial, statistically significant rewards to second official language use in Quebec, but not for the rest of Canada, which is Anglophone. This suggests that smaller language communities have larger incentives to learn other languages, well.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-economic-returns-to-a-second-language/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-economic-returns-to-a-second-language/</guid>
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<title>Too Young to Leave the Nest? The Effects of School Starting Age </title>
<description><![CDATA[ This IZA paper uses data on the population of Norway to examine the role of school starting age on longer-run outcomes. They find evidence that starting school younger has a small positive effect on IQ scores at 18, a large positive effect at tests, a significant positive effect on the probability of teenage pregnancy, but has little effect on educational attainment of boys or girls. Overall, there is not much evidence to suggest that there are strong reasons for parents to hold their children out of school or to time the births of their children to influence school starting age.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/too-young-to-leave-the-nest-the-effects-of-school-starting-age/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/too-young-to-leave-the-nest-the-effects-of-school-starting-age/</guid>
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<title>Languages and Economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ As 59% and 53% of Flemish people master French and English, only 19% and 17% of the Walloon speak Dutch and English. The economic impact of this is not to be underestimated.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/languages-and-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/languages-and-economy/</guid>
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<title>School improvement and economic development</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The role of improved schooling, a central part of most development strategies, has become controversial because expansion of school attainment has not guaranteed improved economic conditions. This NBER working paper reviews the role of education in promoting economic well-being, with a particular focus on the role of educational quality. It concludes that there is strong evidence that the cognitive skills of the population - rather than mere school attainment - are powerfully related to individual earnings, to the distribution of income, and to economic growth.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/school-improvement-and-economic-development/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/school-improvement-and-economic-development/</guid>
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<title>For more and better interactions between universities and the business sector</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This Policy brief of “The Knowledge for Growth” Expert Group emphasizes the importance of the interactions between universities and the business sector. It stresses however that it is necessary to take into account the diversity in models of modern universities and that interaction with the business sector do not conform to “one-size-fits-all” prescriptions. Following this, the authors invite public authorities to develop a combination of incentives and liberalized regulations that permit differentiated institutions to adopt different modes of governance that will enable them to compete for varied source of funding. Also in Belgium there is room for improvement as universities could reach out more to the business sector.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/for-more-and-better-interactions-between-universities-and-the-business-sector/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/for-more-and-better-interactions-between-universities-and-the-business-sector/</guid>
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<title>The creative economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ A new development paradigm is emerging that links the economy and culture, embracing economic, cultural, technological and social aspects of development at both the macro and micro levels. Central to the new paradigm, called the creative economy, is the fact that creativity, knowledge and access to information are increasingly recognized as powerful engines driving economic growth and promoting development in a globalizing world. This UN report looks deeper into the concept of creative economy, its dimensions, measurement and (policy) implications. A must-learn concept for every economy that highly depends on innovation and seeks to be sustainable – like ours in fact.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-creative-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-creative-economy/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Greening the economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This review of the Insead Innovation Centre seeks to identify how the European Union can shape a transition towards a more sustainable and competitive economy. It stresses the role governments have to play in promoting eco-innovation, by supporting research and development, as well as their responsibility in facilitating investments in clean energy, by creating legal and institutional incentives that make it easier for entrepreneurs to set up a company in the EU.   
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/greening-the-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/greening-the-economy/</guid>
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<title>Surviving the international war on talent together</title>
<description><![CDATA[ A way to limit our current losses in the international war on talent is to ‘produce’ more talent ourselves. This KBF report tells how to do this, provided all societal actors are collaborating. The private sector should give (even) more attention to young talent through enhanced cooperation with schools. Schools have to put more focus on talent and technology. And what about the public authorities? They have to assure a flexible education system, widen the development opportunities of teachers and stimulate entrepreneurship. But the biggest challenge of all will be to double the amount of young graduates by 2020. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/surviving-the-international-war-on-talent-together/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/surviving-the-international-war-on-talent-together/</guid>
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<title>Belgium is likely to lose the international war on talent</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This NBER article found that the more educated are more likely to emigrate and that more-educated migrants are more likely to settle in destination countries with high rewards to skill. Belgium will therefore have to make efforts in becoming more attractive in the context of an international war on talent. Given our tight labour market and limited income dispersion, many challenges lie ahead.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-likely-to-lose-the-international-war-on-talent/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-likely-to-lose-the-international-war-on-talent/</guid>
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<title>Education: the germ for research and innovation</title>
<description><![CDATA[ If Flanders wants to become a pole of knowledge, it will have to pay close attention to research in its higher education system, but also to the teaching itself, according to this VLOR publication. This can be done by increasing the number of admitted and graduated students, by paying more attention to society’s needs, rewarding excellent teaching, developing the interaction with the labour market, making the budget meet the European objective and by internationalizing. Where the needed 0,8% of the Gross Regional Product is to be found is unfortunately not specified.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/education-the-germ-for-research-and-innovation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/education-the-germ-for-research-and-innovation/</guid>
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<title>More technology for less unemployment</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This European University Institute working paper challenges the conventional wisdom and states that technology deficit is more responsible for high unemployment than are labor institutions. The authors argue that the pace of technology adoption plays a fundamental role for how an economy’s labor market reacts to an acceleration in capital-embodied growth. This is good news for Belgium. It may suggest that in the fight against unemployment, creating conditions that prevent the emergence of a technology deficit should receive at least as much attention as labour market reform.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-technology-for-less-unemployment/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-technology-for-less-unemployment/</guid>
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<title>Education policy and economic performance</title>
<description><![CDATA[ As many studies have shown, investment in education can both promote efficiency and reduce inequality. This is particularly relevant for Belgium: the regions that are underinvesting in education are also those that are underperforming and more unequal.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/education-policy-and-economic-performance/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/education-policy-and-economic-performance/</guid>
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<title>Student exchange helps to foster a European labour market</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Increasing international labour mobility is essential in the Euro zone given the loss of most of the monetary and trade instruments. If that has been the aim of ERASMUS, then the program succeeded! This IZA publication computed that studying abroad increases one's probability of working in a foreign country by about 20 percentage points. Rational economic thinking is not necessarily what drives former ERASMUS students to work abroad though: the effects on the students' (language) skills matter, but also the interest in foreign cultures and... the desire to stay with the foreign partner.  ]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/student-exchange-helps-to-foster-a-european-labour-market/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/student-exchange-helps-to-foster-a-european-labour-market/</guid>
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<title>Europe&#8217;s R&amp;D: Missing the wrong targets? </title>
<description><![CDATA[ It is not a surprise that Europe is not delivering on its Lisbon agenda commitment to increase its R&D-to-GDP ratio to three percent by 2010. More surprisingly, this Bruegel policybrief underlines that the European Commission’s benchmarking of member states against the headline three percent figure is questionable, because such comparisons rarely take into account the industrial specialisation. Moreover, it claims that setting targets for private R&D is ineffective and calls for a support of research activities up to a threshold of one percent of GDP by the aggregate government sector. This Policybrief advocates a more integrated European market for technology (notably an EU patent) and increased funding for academic research, which significantly induces further research in the business sector. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/europesrdmissingthewrongtargets/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/europesrdmissingthewrongtargets/</guid>
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<title>Entrepreneurship as a public good </title>
<description><![CDATA[ International comparisons learn that Belgium counts too few start-up companies. Apparently, potential entrepreneurs need to be activated just as the unemployed. Is there a genetic explanation for this passive attitude or is the average Belgian most and for all a rational free-rider preferring others to take up the efforts and risks of job creation?]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-public-good/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-public-good/</guid>
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<title>Educational inequalities among immigrants</title>
<description><![CDATA[ A precondition for immigrants’ integration is their point of departure for labour market success: their education and ability. Whereas most studies disguise the diversity within the immigrant population by focusing on average educational attainment of immigrants vis-à-vis natives, this paper examines educational inequalities among immigrants in eight high immigration countries. The results indicate that for almost all countries immigrants’ educational dispersion is considerably higher than for natives. In most countries immigrants’ high educational dispersion derives from a considerable group of 'worst' achieving immigrants who fall considerably behind 'worst' achieving native students.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/educational-inequalities-among-immigrants/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/educational-inequalities-among-immigrants/</guid>
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<title>Technological change expands health care capabilities at a budgetary cost</title>
<description><![CDATA[ As in Belgium, health care costs in the United States have grown substantially for decades and are expected to continue to grow in the future. For the US federal government, rising health care costs constitute the primary challenge of fiscal policy. But also private payers have experienced similar growth in costs. This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) paper describes the historical growth in spending on health care in the United States. It examines the factors that determine this evolution and gives special emphasis to the largest single factor driving spending growth —the greatly expanded capabilities of medicine brought about by technological advances in medical science over the past several decades. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of continued technological change for future growth of health care spending.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/technological-change-expands-health-care-capabilities-at-a-budgetary-cost/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/technological-change-expands-health-care-capabilities-at-a-budgetary-cost/</guid>
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<title>New Universities for Old Europe?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ On January 8, 2008 the Itinera Institute and Dexia hosted the renowned Lawrence Summers for a stimulating reflection on universities in the 21st century. Discover here the presentation given by Marc De Vos and Johan Albrecht.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/new-universities-for-old-europe/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/new-universities-for-old-europe/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/20080108%20New%20Universities%20for%20Old%20Europe.pdf" length="1210684" type="application/pdf" />
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<title>Universities in the European knowledge economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In the debate on the competitive knowledge economy, universities are more than ever expected to directly support national innovation systems. Spectacular technological developments in the private sector however suggest that universities should rather be selective in their R&D strategy and strive for the integration of research in education. Delivering qualitative human capital remains the most important social and economic contribution of universities.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/universities-in-the-european-knowledge-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/universities-in-the-european-knowledge-economy/</guid>
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<title>The Belgian productivity in slow-motion</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The launch of the Lisbon strategy in 2000 was strongly motivated by the observation of a declining trend in European labour productivity growth over the preceding decade. This Federal Planning Bureau paper compares the labour productivity growth of three small open European countries: Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. This comparison shows that, while Austria and Belgium recorded a decrease in their productivity growth between 1995 and 2004, the Netherlands followed the American pattern and has recorded an increase in their growth rate since 1995. Belgium could learn from the Netherland where productivity growth is driven by key factors such as ICT, R&D and innovation.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-belgian-productivity-in-slow-motion/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-belgian-productivity-in-slow-motion/</guid>
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<title>Belgian teaching: to be improved</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The new PISA survey on education was recently released. This OECD study aims to give a comprehensive picture of science learning today. Some countries such as Finland succeed in providing both high quality education and equitable learning outcomes. This is not the case for Belgium which is characterised by a high level of inequality and by major regional disparities in terms of student's performances. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgian-teaching-to-be-improved/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgian-teaching-to-be-improved/</guid>
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<title>International students: assets or liabilities?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Do international students benefit or harm an economy? This paper of the Higher Education Policy Institute examines the (purely economic) impact of the presence of both EU and non-EU international students in the UK. Detailed calculations underpin the conclusion that each FTE EU student in the UK annually brings net cash benefits of about £10,000 to the UK economy, whereas a FTE non-EU student annually brings net cash benefits of about £17,900. Even if all EU students would default on the repayment of their subsidised loans the overall economic impact is substantial. This suggests that also Belgium, with its heavily subsidised higher education system, could benefit from attracting more international students.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/international-students-assets-or-liabilities/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/international-students-assets-or-liabilities/</guid>
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<title>More and better use of ICT for a more prosperous Europe</title>
<description><![CDATA[ For most of the post-war period, productivity was growing faster in Europe than in the United States. Yet, after 1995, the trends reversed. Robert Atkinson from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) observes that the ICT revolution was responsible for the lion’s share of U.S. productivity growth and discusses why a productivity turnaround is critical for the future of Europe. Policy recommendations include the use of tax incentives and tariff reductions to spur ICT investment as well as the active encouragement of universal digital literacy and digital technology adoption. In terms of benefits from ICT investments Belgium belongs to the top students of the EU. Nevertheless there is still significant scope for productivity improvements in our country, as also confirmed by a study of the Federal Planning Bureau that can be found elsewhere on our website.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-and-better-use-of-ict-for-a-more-prosperous-europe/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-and-better-use-of-ict-for-a-more-prosperous-europe/</guid>
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<title>More for less? Efficiency of education and health care in the Group of Seven</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This IMF paper addresses the efficiency of public spending on education and health in the G7 countries. The authors find that policies and institutions are clearly associated with differences in efficiency. Public spending is less efficient in countries where budgets for education and health largely consist of wages and salaries. Lower student-teacher ratios and more autonomy of schools enhance efficiency in the education sector. With cost-increasing technological progress and ageing driving up the cost of health care, reducing inefficiencies in the health sector will be key for achieving sustainable fiscal policies and overcoming obstacles to international competition in G7 countries. Belgium is not included in the analysis, but can definitely learn on the performance of educational and healthcare systems from this cross-country study on the Group of Seven.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-for-less-efficiency-of-education-and-health-care-in-the-group-of-seven/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-for-less-efficiency-of-education-and-health-care-in-the-group-of-seven/</guid>
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<title>Innovation and adaptation: how companies and countries stay wealthy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The challenge for Belgium and other wealthy countries is to stay wealthy in a rapidly evolving global economy. Companies and countries face an ever more volatile market place. As the “sweet spots” for corporate success are constantly changing, successful entrepreneurs have a social capacity for flexibility and adaptation. To policymakers, successful adjustment has often been posed as a choice between social protection and market flexibility. This study of the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy (BRIE) recasts this all too common framing and emphasises instead that a strong social protection system could be leveraged to a unique advantage in the emerging digital era.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/innovation-and-adaptation-how-companies-and-countries-stay-wealthy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/innovation-and-adaptation-how-companies-and-countries-stay-wealthy/</guid>
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<title>Ten recommendations for a truly innovative Europe</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Innovation is crucial to achieving the Lisbon Agenda goals and while it cannot be ‘invented’ in Brussels, a strategic policy framework which allows it to thrive can only be created at the European level. This Policy Brief of the European Policy Centre sets out a ten-point plan for making Europe truly innovative. Member States supported by the EU need to ensure that the right conditions for innovation are in place. This is the key to unlocking the EU’s potential for sustainable high growth, competitive world-class companies, high-performing public services and an international reputation for innovation.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ten-recommendations-for-a-truly-innovative-europe/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ten-recommendations-for-a-truly-innovative-europe/</guid>
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<title>Ageing does not rime with innovation</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The effects of ageing on our economy go beyond a “simple” retirement financing problem. Innovation is also an issue. This CESifo working paper demonstrates that there is a positive link between the working age population and the number of startups. Less innovation and creativity, this is certainly not good news for the future economics growth in an ageing Belgium.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-does-not-rime-with-innovation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-does-not-rime-with-innovation/</guid>
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<title>The digital gap does not exist</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Approximately 90% of the Flemish between 18 and 45 years old dispose of a computer and access to the internet. Whereas the digital gap in terms of ICT possession was only recently filled, a new form of digital inequality suddenly emerges. Research shows that not everybody uses ICT-technology in the same way. As if someone expected the opposite, it turns out that the highly-qualified use the internet in a different way than the low-skilled. Is the class struggle going digital or is the observed usage gap primarily an expression of an obsessive striving towards absolute consumption equality?
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-digital-gap-does-not-exist/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-digital-gap-does-not-exist/</guid>
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<title>Are the Belgian universities threatened? </title>
<description><![CDATA[ The start of the academic year was characterized by the publication of many universities ranking across the world underlying the weak position of Belgian universities. What is the real meaning of these rankings? Jean Hindriks and the Itinera Institute comment on the existing rankings and give perspectives in favour of an investment policy into Belgian universities.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/are-the-belgian-universities-threatened/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/are-the-belgian-universities-threatened/</guid>
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<title>The economic value of entrepreneurship is not to be underestimated.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The interest in entrepreneurship in Belgium substantially increased during the past two decades. It is often claimed that entrepreneurs create important economic value in comparison to non-entrepreneurs. This paper examines to what extent recent empirical evidence can collectively and systematically substantiate this claim. Based on 57 studies the authors conclude that entrepreneurship has indeed a very important - but specific - role in the economy. They further discuss the impact of entrepreneurship on employment creation, innovation, productivity and growth vis-à-vis for example large and old firms.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-is-the-economic-value-of-entrepreneurship/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-is-the-economic-value-of-entrepreneurship/</guid>
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<title>Belgium lags behind in patent policy.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The new Eurostat publication 'Biotechnology in Europe; patents and R&D investments' shows that Denmark is leading the patent race in this high-tech sector. Between 1998 an 2003, Belgium produced fewer patents. Table 5 refers to the time it took to implement the EU Biotechnological Inventions Directive of July 1998; two years in Denmark and seven years in Belgium.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/biotech-in-europe-denmark-is-leading/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/biotech-in-europe-denmark-is-leading/</guid>
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<title>Community Innovation Statistics</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Innovative enterprises in Europe do hardly benefit from public R&D-expenditures. A recent report by Eurostat concludes that innovative enterprises most and for all consult the private market for information on innovation. Public investments in R&D – at universities and public research organizations – do provide only 5% of information flows to innovative enterprises.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/community-innovation-statistics/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/community-innovation-statistics/</guid>
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<title>Quand la Commission se soucie d&#8217;&#233;quit&#233;</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This article gives a critical assesment of the EC report on « efficiency and equity of European education and training systems (2006) which discusses most controversial issues in reforming education and training programmes in europe: evaluation, selection, specialization, competition, flexibility and autonomy.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 18 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/quand-la-commission-se-soucie-dequite/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/quand-la-commission-se-soucie-dequite/</guid>
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<title>Atlas Shrugged</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos reflects on the importance of entrepreneurship and concludes that the legitimate war on corporate fraud should not degenerate in a witch hunt.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/atlas-shrugged/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/atlas-shrugged/</guid>
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<title>An Education Strategy to Promote Opportunity, Prosperity, and Growth</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Education is the key to both economic success and social integration. Belgium can learn from productive education reform elsewhere. A Brookings paper gives some clues for a successful education policy. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/education-strategy-promote-opportunity-prosperity-growth/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/education-strategy-promote-opportunity-prosperity-growth/</guid>
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<title>How tuition fees motivate students to speed up graduation</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This study shows that tuition fees can induce students to graduate earlier, especially when university education is heavily subsidised as in Belgium. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-tuition-fees-motivate-students-to-speed-up-graduation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-tuition-fees-motivate-students-to-speed-up-graduation/</guid>
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<title>Skills for the Future - Competentieagenda 2015. De technologische industrie in Vlaanderen</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Successful innovation and economic growth require a workforce with the right skills. A survey of Agoria, the sector federation for the technological industry in Belgium, investigates the quantitative and qualitative challenges for the sector towards 2015. The federation advocates reform of both the educational system and the labour market. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/skills-future-competentieagenda-technologische-industrie-vlaanderen/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/skills-future-competentieagenda-technologische-industrie-vlaanderen/</guid>
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<title>American Lesson for European Universities</title>
<description><![CDATA[ As the new academic year got underway, international rankings once again demonstrated the meagre performance of most European and Belgian universities. The situation is acute and critical, considering the crucial position of universities in the modern economy. Marc De Vos explains that Europe and Belgium can learn from the good sides of the American university model.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/american-lesson-for-european-universities/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/american-lesson-for-european-universities/</guid>
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<title>A Primer on Innovation and Growth</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Don’t let the current cyclical upswing in the EU fool you. European economic growth structurally lags behind that of the US. How can we diminish the growth gap between the United States and the European Union? Philippe Aghion from Bruegel recommends stimulating innovation in Europe. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 01 Oct 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/primer-innovation-growth/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/primer-innovation-growth/</guid>
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<title>Innovation at Work: The European Human Capital Index</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Despite the crucial importance of innovation for the future of Europe, we are still making painfully little efforts. The Lisbon council and Deutschland Denken! show the urgent need for reform. Belgium is ranked a disappointing 9th out of 13 countries in its performance on human capital, primarily because of underemployment. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 01 Oct 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/innovation-work-european-human-capital-index/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/innovation-work-european-human-capital-index/</guid>
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<title>De overheidsfinanciering van innovatie: Vergelijkende studie van Finland, Zweden en Belgi&#235;</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Should Belgium import Scandinavian innovation policy? The Federal Planning Bureau compares the public financing of innovation in Belgium with that in Finland and Sweden.  ]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Sep 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/overheidsfinanciering-innovatie-vergelijkende-studie-finland-zweden-belgie/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/overheidsfinanciering-innovatie-vergelijkende-studie-finland-zweden-belgie/</guid>
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<title>Local Language and Social Housing: the Flemish Government is Right</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to Jean Hindriks, requiring candidates for a government provided house learn the local language (Dutch or French) should be seen as a legitimate goal. The integration and emancipation of thousands of women of foreign origin should be a priority.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 31 Mar 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/local-language-and-social-housing-the-flemish-government-is-right/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/local-language-and-social-housing-the-flemish-government-is-right/</guid>
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<title>Will More Choice Improve Outcomes in Education and Health Care? The Evidence from Economic Research</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Does (parental) freedom of choice of school matter? This survey suggests that the main impact of choice may come from the pressure of competition rather than the actual exercise of choice with empirical evidence suggesting that the competitive threat improves school productivity. The negative effect is that parental choice with lack of choice (shortage of good-quality schools) increases segregation. That is, exactly the opposite of the announced objective of the Arena Reform in Belgium’s French community. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2005 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/will-more-choice-improve-outcomes-in-education-and-health-care-the-evidence-from-economic-research/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/will-more-choice-improve-outcomes-in-education-and-health-care-the-evidence-from-economic-research/</guid>
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