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  • What does the internet mean?

    What does the internet mean?3

    The United Nations’ (UN)  2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development declares seeking “to bridge the digital divide”, including as its 9th goal the aim to “[…] significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020”. The op-ed is focused on one particular aspect of the current debate on Net Neutrality, namely zero-rating, and its implications for internet users around the world.

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  • What does research tell us about Erasmus+?

    What does research tell us about Erasmus+?0

    The well-known European Union’s mobility programme Erasmus+ has been widely discussed in the last few years by the so-called Eurostars and in the public sphere at large. So far the European Commission has ignored students with poor foreign language proficiency and students who come from low income families. Instead, such students should be encouraged to participate in mobility, giving them opportunity to learn host country’s language during the exchange and providing sufficient scholarship to cover their costs. Otherwise, a new gap will open between the mobile elite moving toward a European identity and the less mobile people sticking to national identity or even aggressive nationalism.

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  • What are you switching off at Earth Hour?

    What are you switching off at Earth Hour?0

    I once shared a house with an environmentally hyper-friendly lady. Nothing went to waste, no energy was left unused. Her carbon footprint ruled her life. On Earth Hour she would turn all our lights and energy-consuming devices off, before stepping outside in the hope that our neighbours too would be cast in darkness. Today she will be doing her routine for the 9th consecutive year – on Earth Hour.

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  • Welcome to the not so concrete jungle: How the EU envisages a greener future

    Welcome to the not so concrete jungle: How the EU envisages a greener future0

    Throughout the European Union, local, regional and national authorities are confronted with a myriad of complex challenges in relation to urban, economic and sustainability concerns. Such pressing issues include the need to ensure biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. The concept of ‘green infrastructure’ (GI) has come to the fore within policy circles in recent years and is seen as a vital cog within the EU’s continued efforts to attain its conservation, climate & energy targets for 2020 and beyond.

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  • Welcome to the jungle: Trump’s plan for international trade

    Welcome to the jungle: Trump’s plan for international trade0

    President Donald Trump is consistently trying to wear out the multilateral trading system in order to capitalize on US position of economic power against its trading partners. Does it sound very mercantilist? It does, and it is.

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  • Wealth and Progress

    Wealth and Progress0

    In 2011 the „Enquete-Commission Growth, Wealth, Quality of Life“ of the German Bundestag installed a special working-group. Its task was defined as the „Development of a holistic Indicator for Wealth and Progress“.

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