Calls for greater diversity, especially in relation to the appointment of arbitrators, have been prevalent for some time in the international arbitration community, followed by several initiatives being set up to address the issue. While the primary focus of the diversity debate has been on gender, there have also been calls to expand and diversify the profile of the arbitrator pool to include more non-Western and non-White arbitrators. For several years, scholars and practitioners have argued for countless benefits of increased racial diversity, such as an increased acceptability and legitimacy of the arbitration process. There is a consensus that in a deliberative process like ADR, practitioners should reflect their claimants’ demographics. The existence of diverse panels helps further the aims of meticulous and accurate fact-finding approaches. Similarly, they argue that the lack of racial diversity may directly and negatively affect the quality of arbitration awards. This blog post will focus on the lack of diversity of African arbitrators appointed to resolve international arbitration proceedings, as well as initiatives that are being set up to address such issues. The focus on African ethnicity is given for two reasons: 1) African countries are no strangers to arbitration. Nearly 100 arbitral institutions exist across Africa. 2) There has been an increase of arbitration proceedings emanating from African regions, while there has been a minimal growth in the ethnic diversity of arbitrators appointed to resolve these disputes. This article was originally published on https://commercialarbitrationineurope.wordpress.com/2021/06/29/diversity-in-arbitration-the-lack-of-racial-diversity-in-international-arbitral-tribunals/
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Amsterdam is known to be a cosmopolitan and multicultural city with multiple economic opportunities. Such context provides suitable legal, political and economic conditions where newly arrived migrants are introducing their business ideas. Migrant entrepreneurs are interacting with the economic ecosystem of Amsterdam using their entrepreneurial ideas, and this paper examines the diversity in their networks of business contacts involved in their business idea. While earlier studies have shown the benefits for entrepreneurs when using contacts to reach resources, advice and support; the situation for migrant entrepreneurs can help us understand better various aspects of network diversity. The starting idea is that migratory processes (partially) break business connections created before migration, for example with classmates or former colleagues. But, partly thanks to digital communication, some of those networks are being kept and used as support in the country of destination. I describe the way that migrant entrepreneurs combine different people for business purposes, and based on this analysis I show the various facets of network diversity that play a distinct role to support the business of migrant entrepreneurs in Amsterdam’s urban ecosystem.Networks of contacts who are created as part of the migratory experiences contribute largely to the choice of the sector and the product. Contacts with strong relationships help migrant entrepreneurs to find their way in a new location (Fullin and Reyneri, 2011; Ambrosini, 2013; Toruńczyk-Ruiz, 2014). These contacts provide the (business) support that migrant have (partially) lost due to migrating; and they also provide information and resources used in the implementation of the business due to geographic proximity (Nathan, 2015; Solano, 2015).
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Onderzoeksplatform ‘Connected Learning: ’Al ruim vijftien jaar houdt De Haagse Hogeschool zich bezig met onderzoek als deel van haar missie. Terwijl onderwijs vaak geworteld is in monodisciplinaire vakgebieden, kan met onderzoek wat makkelijker gekeken worden naar domeinen in de samenleving (zorg, veiligheid, ondernemen, etc.) waarin complexe problematiek steeds vaker wél dan niet een multidisciplinaire aanpak vereist. Bijna niemand werkt nog alleen of met alleen vakgenoten aan problemen of uitdagingen. En die veranderende beroepspraktijk is bij uitstek het domein van het hoger beroepsonderwijs. Daar leiden we voor op. Het onderzoeken van en experimenteren met nieuwe uitdagingen in de praktijk verbindt ons sterker met de samenleving, het stelt ons in staat om ons beroepsonderwijs te vernieuwen en geeft docenten, onderzoekers en studenten de kans om zich te ontwikkelen door samen te werken aan vragen en uitdagingen die de toekomst van de beroepspraktijk vorm geven. Veel onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd onder begeleiding van lectoren die samenwerken met docent-onderzoekers, studenten, en professionals in het werkveld aan veelal meerjarige onderzoeksagenda’s die lijn aanbrengen in verschillende deelactiviteiten. Een van de manieren waarop De Haagse Hogeschool onderzoek organiseert is in de vorm van onderzoeksplatforms die zich richten op verschillende domeinen van de samenleving. Wij zijn ‘Connected Learning’, een onderzoeksplatform dat zich richt op leren in de netwerksamenleving - in de samenleving zelf, maar ook in de beroepspraktijk en in ons onderwijs. Aangenaam. Wat wij doen? Daar gaat dit boek over, dus daar verklappen we hier nog niets over. Wat verwacht u als u nadenkt over onze naam? Enig idee? Geen idee? Benieuwd? Lees verder om te ontdekken wat ons inspireert, uitdaagt en nieuwsgierig maakt. Sommige van onze ideeën zijn doordacht en doorleefd omdat we er al jaren onderzoek naar doen, andere zijn nieuw en dagen ons uit om er grip op te krijgen. Wij geven met dit boek een beeld van waar we staan in 2018. Zie het als een eerste kennismaking, met de nadruk op ‘eerste’: we werken graag met veel en verschillende partners. Zie het als visitekaartje van onze onderzoeksagenda. We hopen van harte dat u zich als lezer uitgenodigd voelt om met ons samen op zoek te gaan—misschien wel naar een gezamenlijke toekomst. ‘Connected Learning’ Research Platform: For over fifteen years, The Hague University of Applied Sciences has been carrying out research as part of its mission. While education is often rooted in monodisciplinary subject areas, research allows for a broader look at areas of society (care, security, entrepreneurship etc.), where complex problems more often than not require a multidisciplinary approach. Today, barely anyone works on problems or challenges alone or solely with colleagues from within the same subject area. Universities of applied sciences are uniquely placed to deal with these changes in professional practices; after all, we train the professionals who will one day enter that field. Researching and experimenting with new challenges in professional practice allows us to connect more strongly with society, enables us to be innovative in our professional training and gives lecturers, researchers and students the opportunity to develop themselves by cooperating on the challenges and issues that will shape the future of that professional practice. Most research is carried out under the guidance of professors who cooperate with lecturers/researchers, students and the professional field, mainly on long-term research agendas that provide an outline for various sub-activities. One of the ways in which research is organised at The Hague University of Applied Sciences is in the form of research platforms that focus on various areas of society. We are ‘Connected Learning’, a research platform focusing on learning in the network society — in that society as such, but also in professional practice and our education. Nice to meet you! So, what do we do? That’s what this book is about, so we’re not going to give anything away just yet. Just thinking about our name, what do you expect we do? Any ideas? Or not a clue at all? If you’d like to find out, keep reading to find out what inspires us, what challenges we face and what drives our curiosity. Some of our ideas are well-established because we’ve been researching them for years, while other, newer ideas are more challenging to grasp. This book provides an overview of where we stand in 2018. You could see it as an initial introduction, with the emphasis on “initial”; we work with many different partners, and we enjoy doing so. Alternatively, you could see it as a calling card for our research agenda. We sincerely hope that, as a reader, you feel encouraged to join us in our quest — possibly towards a joint future.
DOCUMENT
Former military fortifications are often repurposed for tourism and recreation. While some of over 100 Dutch forts are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites, a substantial number are currently underdeveloped, putting their cultural and natural heritage at risk. Developing these forts in a conscious and collaborative way promises to not only preserve their heritage value, but also facilitate enjoyable and healthy experiences for visitors. Moreover, under-developed forts provide an opportunity to solve another pressing challenge, namely overtourism. Visitor pressure at tourist attractions has led the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions to call for spreading visitors to lesser-known areas. Less-developed forts are among the most promising of these. Development initiatives depend on a transition from isolation to cooperation across sites. However, for cooperation to be effective, agencies managing these forts have indicated an urgent need for data on visitor characteristics and experiences. The purpose of the present project is to measure and analyze visitor demographics, motivations, and experiences at less-developed forts, and to develop a toolkit to inspire, support, and monitor development of these forts for natural and cultural heritage preservation and improved visitor experience. This proposal builds on the previous project, “Experiencing Nature” which utilized Breda Experience Lab technologies to measure visitor experiences at Fort de Roovere. We now aim to broaden this proven approach to a broader variety of forts, and to translate visitor data into actionable advice. The consortium includes a changemaking network of the Alliantie Zuiderwaterlinie (NL), Regionale Landschappen (VL), and Agentschap Natuur en Bos (VL). This Dutch-Flemish network aims to connect formerly isolated forts to one another, and represents a broad diversity of fortified sites, each with unique challenges. The project will thus facilitate interregional collaboration, especially toward coming Interreg EU proposals, and inform interregional marketing campaigns and planning for management and conservation.
As climate change accelerates, rising sea levels pose challenges for low-lying nations like the Netherlands. Floating developments (such as homes, solar parks, and pavilions) are considered the most climate adaptative solution for the future, but the effects on the environment are unknown which is holding back this floating transformation. Since public and private partners are not able to answer questions on the effect of floating urbanisation on the environment and water quality based on speculations by models without field data, permits are given only after proof that ecological & water quality will not affected (also EU warnings ‘deteriorating’ water quality (UvW 2025, EU 2025). This proposal aims to develop an innovative autonomous docking station for aquatic drones, enhancing environmental monitoring of floating structures. Only a few monitoring campaigns measured the impact of small floating structures (small structures and only basic parameters). Traditional monitoring methods rely on manual sampling and static sensors, which are costly, labour-intensive, and provide delayed results. A new study, led by Hanze with Gemeente Rotterdam, Waternet (Gemeente Amsterdam) and Indymo, will assess the impact of new large-scale floating developments with a new method. Autonomous aquatic drones improve data resolution but face operational challenges such as battery life and data retrieval. An innovating docking station will address these issues by enabling drones to recharge, offload data, and perform continuous missions without human intervention. Advanced tools—including aquatic drones, 360-degree cameras, sonar imaging, and real-time sensors—will collect high-resolution environmental data also monitoring biodiversity and bathymetry. The proposed docking station will support real-time sensor networks, allowing for spatial and temporal data collection. It will improve the (cost) efficiency and quality of long-term environmental monitoring, providing insights into water quality dynamics and underwater ecosystems in Rotterdam and Amsterdam as an international example of floating development in the battle of climate change.
Human kind has a major impact on the state of life on Earth, mainly caused by habitat destruction, fragmentation and pollution related to agricultural land use and industrialization. Biodiversity is dominated by insects (~50%). Insects are vital for ecosystems through ecosystem engineering and controlling properties, such as soil formation and nutrient cycling, pollination, and in food webs as prey or controlling predator or parasite. Reducing insect diversity reduces resilience of ecosystems and increases risks of non-performance in soil fertility, pollination and pest suppression. Insects are under threat. Worldwide 41 % of insect species are in decline, 33% species threatened with extinction, and a co-occurring insect biomass loss of 2.5% per year. In Germany, insect biomass in natural areas surrounded by agriculture was reduced by 76% in 27 years. Nature inclusive agriculture and agri-environmental schemes aim to mitigate these kinds of effects. Protection measures need success indicators. Insects are excellent for biodiversity assessments, even with small landscape adaptations. Measuring insect biodiversity however is not easy. We aim to use new automated recognition techniques by machine learning with neural networks, to produce algorithms for fast and insightful insect diversity indexes. Biodiversity can be measured by indicative species (groups). We use three groups: 1) Carabid beetles (are top predators); 2) Moths (relation with host plants); 3) Flying insects (multiple functions in ecosystems, e.g. parasitism). The project wants to design user-friendly farmer/citizen science biodiversity measurements with machine learning, and use these in comparative research in 3 real life cases as proof of concept: 1) effects of agriculture on insects in hedgerows, 2) effects of different commercial crop production systems on insects, 3) effects of flower richness in crops and grassland on insects, all measured with natural reference situations
Lectorate, part of NHL Stenden Hogeschool
