Policies to improve the lives of Slum Dwellers – from international agreements to local contexts. The Brazilian case-study

Last decades economic development induced massive international and regional migration flows directed to the urban spaces. The magnitude and swiftness of these processes determined that several cities’ authorities would fail to respond to the increasing demands of many social services. The right to an “adequate housing” emerged as a political concern, leading governments and institutions to develop housing programmes directed to improve the lives of slum dwellers. This paper presents a diachronic evolution of these specific housing policies in the paradigmatic case-study of Brazil, critically analysing the evolving roles played by the multiple levels of decision (from international institutions to local communities) in the development and implementation of such measures.

Raptos, sequestros e tomada de reféns

In this thesis we address the paradigms and inconsistencies involving crisis kidnappings and hostage-taking. This work particularly focuses on foreign hostages seized by terrorists and guerrilla movements. It highlights major global events that have contributed to the collective awareness of the phenomenon and the evolution of international agreements and protocols. We focus on the episodes involving Portugal or Portuguese abroad, particularly on the kidnapping of Portuguese in the Cabinda enclave. It also deals with the problems associated with the payment of ransoms, the increasing involvement of private agents in addressing these crises, and incongruities in the motivations of the kidnappers.

International Conference on “Foresight Studies on Work in the Knowledge Society“ in Monte de Caparica (FCT-UNL) on 19-20 October 2006

On 19 and 20 October 2006, the Research Centre on Enterprise and Work Organisation (IET) organised the first international conference on “Foresight Studies on Work in the Knowledge Society”. It took place at the auditorium of the new Library of FCT-UNL and had the support of the research project “CodeWork@VO” (financed by FCT-MCTES and co-ordinated by INESC, Porto). The conference related to the European research project “Work Organisation and Restructuring in the Knowledge Society” (WORKS), which is financed by the European Commission. The main objective of the conference was to analyse and discuss research findings on the trends of work structures in the knowledge society, and to debate on new work organisation models and new forms of work supported by ICT.

Fragmentation? The future of work in Europe in a global economy: the WORKS final International Conference debate

WORKS final conference report

On international cost-sharing of pharmaceutical R&D

Ramsey pricing has been proposed in the pharmaceutical industry as a principle to price discriminate among markets while allowing to recover the (fixed) R&D cost. However, such analyses neglect the presence of insurance or the fund raising costs for most of drug reimbursement. By incorporating these new elements, we aim at providing some building blocks towards an economic theory incorporating Ramsey pricing and insurance coverage. We show how coinsurance affects the optimal prices to pay for the R&D investment. We also show that under certain conditions, there is no strategic incentive by governments to set coinsurance rates in order to shift the financial burden of R&D. This will have important implications to the application of Ramsey pricing principles to pharmaceutical products across countries.

The simple economics of risk-sharing agreements between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry

The Janssen-Cilag proposal for a risk-sharing agreement regarding bortezomib received a welcome signal from NICE. The Office of Fair Trading report included risk-sharing agreements as an available tool for the National Health Service. Nonetheless, recent discussions have somewhat neglected the economic fundamentals underlying risk-sharing agreements. We argue here that risk-sharing agreements, although attractive due to the principle of paying by results, also entail risks. Too many patients may be put under treatment even with a low success probability. Prices are likely to be adjusted upward, in anticipation of future risk-sharing agreements between the pharmaceutical company and the third-party payer. An available instrument is a verification cost per patient treated, which allows obtaining the first-best allocation of patients to the new treatment, under the risk sharing agreement. Overall, the welfare effects of risk-sharing agreements are ambiguous, and care must be taken with their use.

China's space program : a new tool for PRC "soft power" in international relations?

When China launched an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon in January 2007 to destroy one of its inactive weather satellites, most reactions from academics and U.S. space experts focused on a potential military “space race” between the United States and China. Overlooked, however, is China’s growing role as global competitor on the non-military side of space. China’s space program goes far beyond military counterspace applications and manifests manned space aspirations, including lunar exploration. Its pursuit of both commercial and scientific international space ventures constitutes a small, yet growing, percentage of the global space launch and related satellite service industry. It also highlights China’s willingness to cooperate with nations far away from Asia for political and strategic purposes. These partnerships may constitute a challenge to the United States and enhance China’s “soft power” among key American allies and even in some regions traditionally dominated by U.S. influence (e.g., Latin America and Africa). Thus, an appropriate U.S. response may not lie in a “hard power” counterspace effort but instead in a revival of U.S. space outreach of the past, as well as implementation of more business-friendly export control policies.

International Expectations: ICW - Prelúdio para o CNM

Neste artigo são abordadas as primeiras diligências internacionais para se formar o CNMP, Conselho Nacional das Mulheres Portuguesas. Procurámos identificar as figuras que estiveram envolvidas nesses contactos iniciais, delineando o relacionamento com a Rainha Sr.ª D. Amélia por parte de quem esteve envolvido. Tempo será ainda de apurar as razões do insucesso. Este estudo assinala uma antecipação em cerca de 10 anos no historial do CNMP, relevante pelas pessoas envolvidas, pelas relações com o feminismo internacional, com particular impacto pois sinaliza o sentido em que o mesmo ocorreu. A iniciativa partiu do ICW «International Council of Women» para Portugal, como acontecera antes estando na génese de outros Conselhos congé

Proceedings of the fifth international conference on Axiomatic Design (ICAD 2009)

FCT/UNL; UNIDEMI, Caixa Geral de Depósitos, CEST, MANO, Visteon, Axiomatic Design, Pionee

Foresight studies on work in the knowledge society: a 2nd international conference at UNL

The 2nd International Conference on "Foresight Studies on Work in the Knowledge Society" was organised by IET, the Research Centre on Enterprise and Work Innovation, at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of "Universidade Nova de Lisboa" (FCT-UNL), and took place on January 26 and 27 of 2009 with the support of the European project WORKS-Work Organisation Re-structuring in the Knowledge Society (financed by the European Commission, and co-ordinated by HIVA Leuven)

The International Multilateral System: Imperatives of Change, Potential Scenarios and Suggestions for the Future

Thesis presented to satisfy the necessary requirements for obtaining a PhD degree in International Relation with specialization in Globalization and the Environment,

The sum-of-the-parts method: An international application

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

The Visual Culture of Human Rights. Observations on Amnesty International

Trabalho de project de Mestrado em Antropologia de Direitos Humanos e Movimentos Sociais

Analysis of benefits of the process of certification on international standars: ISO 9001-2008 for Mapfre Assistencia Portugal

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Economic rents, institutions and growth: International aid and natural resources: A comparative analysis

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics