· Please read the course materials available online at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=library&op=viewDetailNews&id=339&mid=322&cmid=361 before attending the class. It is useful to take them to the class for additional notes since we do not provide participants with printed course materials.

· Please bring your own laptop to the classes if possible since these training sessions require computer use and Internet access while number of computers for class participants are limited. Wifi is provided free of charge at VDIC.

“Searching the Internet: basic skills” class

Date: January 28, 2008 -- Time: 10:00am to 12:00am

Aims: After the workshop, participants should: (i) have a better understanding of information-finding possibilities on the Internet (ii) have a broad overview of different search tools (iii) be able to phrase search queries effectively.

“Referencing skills” class

Date: January 29, 2008 -- Time: 10:00am to 12:00am

Aims: After the workshop, participants should know how to: (i) manage their references (ii) cite the references appropriately (iii) create a reference list or bibliography.

Everyone is welcome - please visit the VDIC to sign up at the front desk, or send an email to nvu2@worldbank.org with your name, organisation, and telephone number and specify the class(es) you want to participate. Acceptance of registration will be done on first come first serve basis.

Exhibitions at VDIC

Please see Library section for lists of selected resources on the exhibition themes below.

International Volunteer Day

The challenges facing our world are vast and complex -- from resolving conflicts and building peace, to alleviating poverty and reaching the other Millennium Development Goals. Tackling these challenges requires all of us to work together -- Governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society in its broadest sense. Volunteers play an indispensable role in these efforts. Yet, the remarkable contribution of voluntary action around the world is not sufficiently recognized.

Volunteerism is a feature of all cultures and societies. It is a fundamental source of community strength, resilience, solidarity and social cohesion. It can help effect positive social change by fostering inclusive societies that respect diversity, equality and the participation of all. Such contributions are vital to the three pillars of the United Nations’ work – promoting peace and security, advancing development, and protecting human rights and human dignity. That is why every UN agency draws on the spirit of volunteerism, including through the United Nations Volunteers programme, to expand the reach of its activities.

Voluntary action is also essential in our global effort to address climate change, which poses a serious threat to our ability to reach the Millennium Development Goals. Today, the world’s Governments are meeting in Bali, Indonesia, at the landmark UN Climate Change Conference. They hope to negotiate a way forward to save our planet from the effects of global warming. But even Governments cannot hope to do so alone. Instead, we need people everywhere to volunteer for this challenge, and to help communities mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. Voluntary action is also critical to build domestic solutions for sustainable economic growth, and to develop capacities to prepare for and respond to natural disasters.

Small exhibition at VDIC on this occasion provides brief information on this topic as well as display a number of publications on volunteers, with focus on Vietnam.

Library

For more information about VDIC library services and resources, please visit http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=library&op=viewDetailNews&id=354&mid=322

Selected web sites on Volunteerism

World Volunteer Web http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/

The World Volunteer Web is brought to you by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in partnership with several international non governmental organizations. The World Volunteer Web supports the volunteer community by serving as a global clearinghouse for information and resources linked to volunteerism that can be used for campaigning, advocacy and networking. It is an online hub where the community can meet, share resources and coordinate activities to mobilize volunteer action in support of the Millennium Development Goals.

With a constituency comprising of over 20,000 organizations and individuals, the World Volunteer Web helps to catalyze partnerships among volunteer stakeholders from all continents.

United Nations Volunteers http://www.unv.org/

United Nations Volunteers is the United Nations focal point for promoting and harnessing volunteerism for effective development. UNV is a strategic source of knowledge and advice about the role and contribution of volunteerism and the benefits of civic engagement in development programmes.

UNV directly mobilises more than 7,500 UNV volunteers every year nationally and internationally. More than 75% of UNV volunteers come from developing countries, and more than 40% volunteer within their own countries.

UNV also operates the Online Volunteering service, which connects development organisations directly with thousands of online volunteers who can provide services and advice over the internet.

United Nations Volunteers - Vietnam Office http://www.un.org.vn/unv/

Since 1990, the UNV Viet Nam programme has been working to increase the involvement of UN Volunteers and other volunteers in a wide range of development activities that contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in the country.

There are normally between 40 and 60 national and international UN Volunteers serving in Viet Nam. They work within UN Agencies and governmental and social organizations, filling a wide variety of roles to help Viet Nam achieve the MDGs.

UNVs work in long and short-term assignments in the public, private and non-governmental sectors. In Viet Nam, they can work as Volunteer Specialists, Volunteer under the Community Exchange Programme or in short-term assignments under the Corporate/Private Sector Programme. Young volunteers have the option to serve as UNV Interns or University Volunteers.

UNV encourages Vietnamese people to share their experiences and skills by volunteering in other developing countries on their own international UNV assignments.

Many Online Volunteers around the world also support Viet Nam’s development, offering their expertise when they can using their computer and an Internet connection.

VSO http://www.vsointernational.org/

VSO is the world’s leading independent, international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. VSO's high impact approach involves bringing people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action, and change lives to make the world a fairer place for all.

Highlights from the New Additions to VDIC Library

Full list of new additions to VDIC library in December 2007 can be found at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=library&op=viewDetailNews&id=161&mid=322&cmid=325

(REF) WB4. Ngân hàng Thế giới. Báo cáo phát triển Thế giới 2008: tăng cường nông nghiệp cho phát triển. Nhà xuất bản Văn hóa Thông tin, 2007.

AGR-BUS 29. Shepherd, Andrew W. Approaches to linking producers to markets: A review of experiences to date. FAO, 2007. Agricultural management, marketing and finance occasional paper. 13. Full text http://www.fao.org/AG/ags/subjects/en/agmarket/linkages/agsf13.pdf

BAN-CAP [Internet]. McCauley, Robert. Building an Integrated Capital Market in East Asia. Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), 2007. Full text http://www.adbi.org/discussion-paper/2007/11/26/2411.integrated.capital.market.east.asia/

CUL 13. Mahbubani, Kishore. Can Asians thinks? Marshall Cavendish, 2004. 3rd ed.

ECO-DEV-A 20. Hew, Denis (ed.). Brick by brick: The building of an ASEAN economic community. ISEAS Publishing, 2007.

ECO-ENT-V7. USAID; Phòng Thương mại và Công nghiệp Việt Nam (VCCI); Malesky, Edmund. Chỉ số năng lực cạnh tranh cấp tỉnh của Việt Nam năm 2007: Đánh giá chất lượng điều hành kinh tế để thúc đẩy sự phát triển của khu vực kinh tế tư nhân. Sáng kiến Cạnh tranh Việt Nam (VNCI), 2007. Báo cáo Nghiên cứu Chính sách. 12. Full text http://www.pcivietnam.org/reports.php

ECO-ENT-V7. USAID; VCCI; Malesky, Edmund. The Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index 2007: Measuring economic governance for private sector development. VNCI, 2007. VNCI policy paper. 12. Full text http://www.pcivietnam.org/reports.php

ECO-POL-V52. Chương trình phát triển Liên Hiệp Quốc; Viện khoa học xã hội Việt Nam; Đại sứ quán Thụy Điển. Cuộc sống ở Hà Nội thời bao cấp 1975 -1986. Nhà xuất bản Thế Giới, 2007.

ECO-POL-V52. UNDP; Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; Embassy of Sweden. Hanoi life under the subsidy economy 1975 - 1986. The Gioi Publishers, 2007.

EDU-TEC [Internet]. Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI). Giving knowledge for free: The emergence of open educational resources. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), 2007. Full text http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/35/7/38654317.pdf

(REF) WBZ-UN 1. Chương trình phát triển Liên Hợp Quốc. Báo cáo phát triển con người 2007/2008: Cuộc chiến chống biến đổi khí hậu: Đoàn kết nhân loại trong một thế giới phân cách. Chương trình Phát triển Liên Hợp Quốc, 2007. Full text http://www.undp.org.vn/undpLive/System/Outreach/Publications/Publication-Details?contentId=2487

(REF) WBZ-UN 1 [Internet]. United Nations. Human Development Report 2007/2008: Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world. United Nations, 2007. Full text http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008 /

ENV-CLI [Internet]. Nicholls, R.J. ; Hanson, S. ; Herweijer, C. ; Patmore, N. ; Hallegatte, S. ; Corfee-Morlot, J. ; Chateau, J. ; Muir-Wood, R. Ranking of the world's cities most exposed to coastal flooding today and in the future. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), 2007. Full text http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/16/58/39720578.pdf

ENV-DIS-V1. Chính phủ Việt Nam. National Strategy for Natural Disaster Prevention, Response and Mitigation to 2020 = Chiến lược quốc gia phòng, chống và giảm nhẹ thiên tai đến năm 2020. Chính phủ Việt Nam , 2007. Full text http://www.ccfsc.org.vn/ndm%2Dp/images/download/Quyet%20dinh%20phe%20duyet
%20CLQG%20PC%20va%20GNTT.pdf or Full text http://www.ccfsc.org.vn/ndm%2Dp/images/download/National%20Strategy-E.pdf

GEN-LAB-V [Internet]. Son, Hyun H. Occupational Segregation and Gender Discrimination in Labor Markets: Thailand and Viet Nam. Asian Development Bank (ADB), 2007. ERD Working Paper. 108. Full text http://www.adb.org/Documents/ERD/Working_Papers/WP108.pdf

HEA-REP-V16. Quỹ Dân số Liên Hợp Quốc (UNFPA). Đào tạo cho người cung cấp dịch vụ chăm sóc sức khỏe sinh sản tại các tỉnh miền núi. Quỹ Dân số Liên Hợp Quốc (UNFPA), 2007. Báo cáo về thực hành tốt nhất và các bài học kinh nghiệm. 4.

HEA-REP-V16. UNFPA. Knowledge and behaviour of ethnic minorities on reproductive health. UNFPA, 2007. 2007 UNFPA publications on best practices and lessons learned. 3.

ICT-RES-V1. UNDP; TWAS; TWNSO. Sharing innovative experiences: Examples of knowledge-sharing for local development in the South. UNDP; TWAS; TWNSO, 2006. Sharing innovative experiences. 13. Full text http://tcdc.undp.org/sie/experiences/vol13/content13new.asp

IND-POL [Internet]. Engman, Michael ; Onodera, Osamu ; Pinali, Enrico. Export Processing Zones: Past and Future Role in Trade and Development. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2007. OECD Trade Policy Working Paper. 53. Full text http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2006doc.nsf/43bb6130e5e86e5fc12569
fa005d004c/4f4eb906a942a783c12572e300558929/$FILE/JT03227583.PDF

INF-TRA [Internet]. Ishida, Masami. Evaluating the Effectiveness of GMS Economic Corridors: Why is There More Focus on the Bangkok-Hanoi Road than the East-West Corridor?. Institute of Developing Economies (IED), 2007. IDE Discussion Paper. 123. Full text http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Dp/pdf/123_ishida.pdf

(REF) WBV1. Ngân hàng Thế giới. Báo cáo phát triển Việt Nam 2008: Bảo trợ xã hội. Ngân hàng Thế giới, 2007.

(REF) WBV1. The World Bank. Vietnam development report 2008: Social protection. The World Bank, 2007.

SOC-MIG-V1. Save the children UK. Report on rapid assessment of the situation of migrant children in Vietnam. 2007.

Useful Web Site

More useful web sites on development issues can be viewed at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=usefullink&mid=314

World Bank Documents and Reports http://www-wds.worldbank.org

Documents & Reports, previously known as World Development Sources (WDS) contains more than 27,000 World Bank documents which are made available to the public in order to better share the institution's knowledge base and to implement the disclosure policy.

Browsing or searching provides access to the documents in both text and downloadable .pdf format.

You can use the menu on the left to browse through the documents by country, type, or sector. The types of documents you will find include:

- Analytical & Advisory Work: These provide in-depth background, strategic priorities, and direction for lending activities.

- Project Documents: When a loan is made, various documents are released to the public according to the stage in the project cycle.

- Publications & Research: Formal publications, working papers & informal series are provided here from departments around the Bank.

Selected Publications for Sale at VDIC

More featured titles for sale are listed at

http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=bookstore&op=viewDetailNews&id=155&mid=328

Vietnam Development Report 2008: Social Protection

Joint donor report to the Vietnam Consultative Group Meeting, Hanoi, December 6-7, 2007

English -- Published December 2007 by the World Bank in Vietnam

Price: $ 7.00

Vietnam is at the dawn of unprecedented economic and social transformation. How well will the institutional arrangements of Vietnam support this transformation? How can they contribute to making the personal journeys of millions of citizens become stories of prosperity and accomplishment, not of hardship and uncertainty? This report aims to contribute to the discussion of appropriate social protection strategies for Vietnam. It does so in the understanding that this is a new area, closer to the second-generation reforms faced by middle income countries than to the structural reforms Vietnam has so successfully gone through over the last two decades. It also does so in the understanding that a common vision exists among policy makers, academics and the population at large. But at this early stage the specifics remain unclear, often resulting in frustration in the daily implementation of social policies and programs. Because the vision is clear, the report focuses on the specifics. While its scope is wide, the topics covered can be regrouped into three main areas: opportunity to thrive, support for those left behind and insurance to cope with shocks.

The report is organized under the form of "vertical", self-standing chapters dealing with each of the key issues to be addressed by the National Assembly and by policy makers in government during the next few years. These chapters can be seen as brief policy notes, trying to provide an analytical structure for the discussion. Because of their brevity, they cannot go in depth into each of the aspects covered, and can only sketch the findings of more rigorous and detailed studies. However, for those interested in digging deeper, the report includes an extensive bibliography, mainly made of references produced by local researchers and think tanks.

The report also tries to extract a few major policy recommendations, cutting across all these "vertical" chapters, which can be summarized under the form of four policy priorities: extending coverage, strengthening incentives, improving information and managing resources. These recommendations amount to basic principles which could help build a more integrated social protection system in Vietnam.

World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development

by World Bank

English -- Published October 2007 -- ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-6807-7

Price: $ 8.00

The world's demand for food is expected to double within the next 50 years, while the natural resources that sustain agriculture will become increasingly scarce, degraded, and vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In many poor countries, agriculture accounts for at least 40 percent of GDP and 80 percent of employment. At the same time, about 70 percent of the world's poor live in rural areas and most depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.

World Development Report 2008 seeks to assess where, when, and how agriculture can be an effective instrument for economic development, especially development that favors the poor. It examines several broad questions:

· How has agriculture changed in developing countries in the past 20 years? What are the important new challenges and opportunities for agriculture?

· Which new sources of agricultural growth can be captured cost effectively in particular in poor countries with large agricultural sectors as in Africa?

· How can agricultural growth be made more effective for poverty reduction?

· How can governments facilitate the transition of large populations out of agriculture, without simply transferring the burden of rural poverty to urban areas?

· How can the natural resource endowment for agriculture be protected? How can agriculture's negative environmental effects be contained? This year's report marks the 30th year the World Bank has been publishing the World Development Report.

Pension Reform: Issues and Prospects for Non-Financial Defined Contribution (NDC) Schemes

Edited by Robert Holzmann , Edward Palmer

English -- Published February 2006 by the World Bank -- ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-6038-5

Price: $ 13.00

This book presents 24 state of the art papers on the conceptual foundations and issues surrounding non-financial, or notional, defined contribution plans (NDCs), country implementation of NDCs (Italy, Latvia, Poland, and Sweden), and case studies for countries where NDCs are figured in the reform debate. This book is intended as a handbook for academics and policy makers who want to become informed about what NDC is and to learn about the pros and cons of this attractive reform proposal.

How to Build M&E Systems to Support Better Government

by Keith Robin Mackay

English -- Published July 2007 by World Bank -- ISBN: 0-8213-7191-6

Price: $ 5.00

A growing number of governments are working to improve their performance by creating systems to measure and help them understand their performance. These systems for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are used to measure the quantity, quality and targeting of the goods and services - the outputs - that the state provides and to measure the outcomes and impacts resulting from these outputs. These systems are also a vehicle to facilitate understanding of the causes of good and poor performance.

The studies of this volume start by focusing on exactly what monitoring and evaluation has to offer to governments, then focuses on the experience of several countries that have succeeded in building a well functioning government. It analyzes the lessons from building government M&E systems in developing and developed countries, and at the end maps out those issues where international experience with government M&E systems is not well understood or well documented.

"This is an excellent report. The content is sound and likely to be highly useful to countries interested in developing or improving their M&E systems. The case studies are very useful and done very well. This is information seldom found elsewhere."

Harry Hatry

Director, Public Management Program, The Urban Institute

Public Sector Governance and Accountability Series

Edited by Anwar Shah

English -- Published 2007 by World Bank

A well-functioning public sector is critical for poverty alleviation. It must deliver quality public services that match the needs of its citizens, foster private market-led growth while managing fiscal resources prudently, and be accountable to its citizens for all actions. This important series provides conceptual guidance and lessons in how to reach these objectives. The series facilitates learning from others' experiences with ideas and practices that promote responsive, responsible and accountable public governance in developing countries.

This series, edited by Anwar Shah, distills current wisdom and presents tools of analysis for improving the efficiency, equity, and efficacy of the public sector. Leading public policy experts and practitioners have contributed to the series.

Titles in this series currently available for sale at VDIC:

1. Performance Accountability and Combating Corruption -- Price: $11.00

2. Budgeting and Budgetary Institutions* -- Price: $10.00

3. Local Budgeting* -- Price: $10.00

4. Local Public Financial Management* -- Price: $10.00

5. Participatory Budgeting* -- Price: $10.00

6. Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers: Principles and Practice* -- Price: $10.00

7. Public Expenditure Analysis* -- Price: $10.00

8. Local Governance in Developing Countries -- Price: $10.00

9. Local Governance in Industrial Countries* -- Price: $10.00

10. Fiscal Management * -- Price: $10.00

11. Public Services Delivery* -- Price: $10.00

Free online fulltexts of this series are available at http://go.worldbank.org/EZEEXKZIK0.

Distance Learning Center Events in January 2008

For more information about our Distance Learning Center services, facilities and events, please visit http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=learningevents&op=viewDetailNews&id=311&&mid=330

Waste Water Treatment Technologies Seminar (by invitation only)

Date & time: January 10, 2008, from 14:00 to 18:00 hrs.

The Seminar is organized by the Embassy of Israel in Vietnam to introduce waste water treatment technologies of Israel. The videoconference-based Seminar will discuss waste water treatment for industrial and urban zones as well as for special sectors (paper, chemicals, husbandry, pharmaceuticals, mining, etc..) The Ambassador of Israel will address the Seminar, which will be attended by 60 - 70 participants from relevant ministries, agencies and companies in Vietnam.

Vietnam Standards Training Program's Course

Date & time: January 15 - 18, 2008, from 08:00 to 10:00 a.m. every course day (by invitation only)

Vietnam Standards Training Program (VSTP) is sponsored by US Trade and Development Agency and aimed to provide Vietnamese government and private sector representatives with applied knowledge concerning standards-setting, compliance assessment and other aspects of international trade regulation. Overall, the VSTP course content will include standards development, conformity assessment, regulatory, World Trade Organization, APEC. Training will be conducted in two modes, remote distance learning via digital video conference links between Hanoi and Washington DC, and on-site classroom training in Hanoi. The video conference sessions in January will cover the US and Vietnam current approaches to trade standards. Approximately 60 Vietnamese public (80%) and private (20%) representatives will participate in this training.

Catalysts of Change: An Open Dialogue with Legendary Leaders of Asia (registration closed)

Dialogue 2: Interview with Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor, Singapore

Date & time: in third week of January (tba)

This unique program is organized by the East Asia and Pacific Region of the World Bank and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), offering emerging young leaders in 13 Asian countries an opportunity to learn from senior leaders who laid the foundation for the region’s dynamic success. The senior leaders to be featured are all recognized for the extraordinary contribution they made to their country’s development and the region’s growth and stability; they are the catalysts of change who are responsible for generating the confidence, vision, policies and drive within their countries that led to sustained economic growth and dramatically reduced levels of poverty. The program consists of 3 dialogues via videoconferences to be held from December 2007 to February 2008. At the end of the program participants will be invited to submit a 750 word essay on the main lessons from the series and how they plan to apply them to their own work. A prize of $750 will be awarded to the three most insightful essays which will be publicized on World Bank, ASEAN and GDLN websites.

The first dialogue was with the former Secretary General of ASEAN, Ong Keng Ong and Vice President of World Bank East Asia and Pacific Region, James Adams. Twenty (20) emerging young leaders have been selected from 72 applicants to participate in this program from Hanoi.

Kid Initiative Teachers Training Course - Module 2: Global Collaboration through Theme-base Sharing (registration closed)

Date & time: January 26, from 13:30 - 17:00

This course was developed by Tokyo Development Learning Center to accompany Kid Initiative, a multicultural education program for children using videoconference. The instructor plays a vital role in conducting a successful Kids session, providing guidance to children from planning to delivery. As such, the course has been created with advice from international experts and is designed to enhance instructional skills with a focus on the effective use of videoconference. The course consists of four 3-hour modules and includes a videoconference lecture, discussion, case studies and assignments.

Funding Opportunities

For more funding opportunities, please read previous VDIC newsletters at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=newsletter&op=viewDetailNews&id=230&mid=350

For further information on the news provided below, please contact the organization directly.

Open Research Fellowships - University of Cambridge

Applications are invited from men and women for three research fellowships in any subject, and for one Alan Wilson Research Fellowship in the Medical or Biological Sciences.

Applicants must not have completed more than a total of eight years of postgraduate research by October 1, 2008.

Deadline: October 11, 2008.

For more information please visit http://www.emma.cam.ac.uk/teaching/jobs/resfell/

Harold White Fellowships - National Library of Australia

The Harold White Fellowships aim to:

- promote the National Library of Australia as a centre of scholarly activity and research;

- encourage scholarly and literary use of the library's collections and the production of publications based on them; and

- publicise the library's collections.

Fellows are provided with:

- a return economy airfare to Canberra from their homes,

- a grant-in-aid towards living expenses while in Canberra,

- a furnished office at the Library, including a personal computer with Internet access,

- access to the Library outside opening hours of reading rooms,

- access to book stacks, and

- free photocopying and interlibrary loans.

Deadline: April 30, 2008.

For more information please visit http://www.nla.gov.au/grants/haroldwhite/information.html

Visiting Fellowships - University of Oxford

All Souls College will offer Visiting Fellowships for periods of one, two, or three terms in the academic year running from October 2008 to June 2009. Visiting Fellowships are intended to enable their holders to carry out study and research in Oxford and to participate in the academic life of the University. Visiting Fellowships are open in all subjects. In making its final choices, the college gives weight to intellectual quality, the value and feasibility of the research project, and the need to be in Oxford to carry it out.

Visiting Fellowships are open to men and women from all countries. Preference will be given to applicants who will be between the ages of 35 and 65 during the relevant academic year.

There is no stipend attached to a Visiting Fellowship, but the college provides visiting fellows with free lunches, dinners, and living accommodation; a study; computing support; internet facilities; some shared secretarial assistance; and access to Oxford libraries.

Deadline: September 7, 2008.

For more information please visit http://www.all-souls.ox.ac.uk/elections/visiting.php

Summer Field-School Scholarships - American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to announce the third annual competition for grants to individuals in the archaeology and early history of East and Southeast Asia. This program is undertaken in cooperation with the Henry Luce Foundation. Comparative projects and those that build scholarly networks are especially encouraged. Proposals may cover prehistoric or historical periods, but must focus on work that involves excavations or excavated materials, or both.

Citizenship: Brunei; Burma (Myanmar); Cambodia; China; Hong Kong; Indonesia; Japan; Laos; Malaysia; Mongolia; North Korea; Philippines; Singapore; South Korea; Taiwan; Thailand; Vietnam.

Deadline: November 14, 2008.

For more information please visit http://www.acls.org/eaaeh.htm

ASIA Fellows Awards - Asian Scholarship Foundation

The principal goal of the ASIA Fellows Awards is to increase the overall awareness of intellectual resources in the countries of northeast, south, and southeast Asia and to contribute to the growth of long-range capabilities for cross-regional knowledge sharing. The ASIA Fellows Awards seek to:

- develop regional expertise;

- establish a multilateral network of Asian specialists from many disciplines, professional fields, and countries;

- stimulate interdisciplinary research and inter-societal comparison; and

- contribute to new developments within existing area studies communities.

The awards offer opportunities for outstanding young and mid-career Asian scholars and professionals to gain knowledge of the countries in the region and an understanding of the contexts that shape global and regional issues through research.

The grant provides the following:

1. Round-trip travel between home country and host country

2. In-country living allowance to cover housing and other expenses based upon the cost-of-living in the host country

3. Limited accident and health insurance

4. Field trip and language training allowance

5. Research allowance

Applicants must have a master's or doctoral degree or equivalent professional training and experiences (minimum of three years of university teaching experiences for scholars or five years of work experience for professionals.) Proficiency in English or in the language of the host country appropriate to the proposed research project is required.

Citizenship: Bangladesh; Bhutan; Brunei; Burma (Myanmar); Cambodia; China; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Japan; Laos; Malaysia; Maldives; Nepal; Pakistan; Philippines; Singapore; South Korea; Sri Lanka; Taiwan; Thailand; Vietnam

Deadline: January 11, 2008.

For more information please visit http://www.asianscholarship.org/?head=GrantInformation&p=detail

2009 Fulbright Vietnamese Student Program

The Fulbright Program in Vietnam recruits and nominates young Vietnamese professionals for Master’s degree programs at U.S. universities. The Program provides 20 to 25 fully-funded fellowships for early to mid-career professionals on an annual basis. Most Fulbright Fellowship recipients will earn a master's degree in two years. Since 1992, more than 350 Vietnamese students have participated in the program.

In order to successfully compete for the fellowship, candidates must have at least 1 year’s work experience in their proposed field of study after earning a bachelor’s degree by the time of application, strong English language skills, and a clearly focused study objective in a field supported by the program.

Applications will be due April 4, 2008.

For more information please visit http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/fvst.html

Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP)

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) promotes young scientists within its Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP). IIASA's annual 3-month YSSP offers research opportunities to talented young researchers whose interests correspond with IIASA's ongoing research on issues of global environmental, economic and social change. Many of IIASA's National Member Organizations provide special grants to enable young scientists from their countries, or foreign students studying in their country, to participate in the program. From June through August accepted participants work within the Institute's Research Programs under the guidance of IIASA scientific staff. The YSSP provides a unique opportunity for participants to

-- advance their research under the direct supervision of an experienced IIASA scientist, and at the same time contribute to IIASA's ongoing scientific agenda;

-- broaden their research interests by working in IIASA's interdisciplinary and international research environment;

-- build contacts with IIASA's worldwide network of collaborators and with other YSSP fellows.

More specifically, IIASA's Energy Program (ENE) is looking for YSSP applicants with a background in energy and environmental modeling, in particular focusing on one of the following topics:

-- Incorporating salient energy, economic and environmental uncertainties into energy models by means of e.g. stochastic optimization and portfolio management techniques, and assessing their implications for decision making

-- Large-scale energy modeling using linear optimization approaches for the development of systems engineering-based, long-term scenarios with focus on energy transitions in the context of climate change

-- Investigating the role of investments in research, development, deployment and diffusion of energy technologies with emphasis of integration of energy into broader policy objectives, such as access to energy in the developing world

Registration will be open until 15 January 2008.

For more information please visit http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/YSP/reg-info/more_about_the_program.html

World Bank 2008 Summer Internship Program

The goal of this Internship Program is to offer successful candidates an opportunity to improve their skills as well as the experience of working in an international environment. Interns generally find the experience to be rewarding and interesting. To be eligible for the Program, candidates must possess an undergraduate degree and already be enrolled in a full-time graduate study program, pursuing a Master's degree or PhD with plans to return to school in a full-time capacity. Generally, successful candidates have completed their first year of graduate studies or are already into their PhD programs.

Applications for the Summer Internship Program are now accepted until January 31, 2008.

For more information please visit http://go.worldbank.org/IY07OW3WQ0.

The World Bank's Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program - Application 2008-2009

The Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program provides support to young researchers working in academic and research institutions from developing countries, and preparing a doctoral thesis in a subject related to development. Research grants cover residence costs in a university or research center in a member country of the World Bank other than the home country or country of residence of the candidate. Fellowships are awarded for a period of five to ten months and must be completed between July 2008 and June 2009. The maximum amount of the grant is US$25,000.

Completed application packages must be received in Washington, D.C., by March 31, 2008. The awards will be announced in June 2008.

Application forms and Information about the application procedure are available on the World Bank Scholarships Program website http://www.worldbank.org/scholarships

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