Environmental resources have physical, social, cultural, economic and aesthetic dimensions. But the specific focus in terms of development has been the physical and economic aspects. Environment factors may change spatially and temporally, they can have synergistic affects on individuals, communities and nations, and they can determine survival and quality of life. But for the most part in development these aspects have been largely given tertiary status in the macro sense of development.

This paper briefly examines university-based international development research institutes to assess (1) the kinds of development problems/issues they address; (2) their methodologies of inquiry; (3) standards of quality; (4) kinds of data utilized; and (5) what other criteria factor/impact their processes. We examined the following university-based international development research institutes:

Both are premiere centers for international development research. The CID takes a very broad intellectual-prescriptive approach whereas the IDS takes a specific theory-practical-administrative approach. The CID, established in 1998, is a new center and the IDS, established in 1966, has been in existence for over 30 years.

The CID, established in 1998, has identified the program areas listed below as current areas of focus:

… Globalization and Economic Growth

… Social and Human Development

… Environmental and National Resources Management

… Governance (with the focus on political, administrative, and legal institutions.

… Multi-disciplinary, multi-year study of African development

… Poverty reduction

… Food issues

… Environment

… Education

… Employment

… Gender

… Health

… Social policy

… Democracy and governance

… Globalization

… Trade and industry

… Finance

The CID was established by the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID) and the Kennedy School of Government (KSG) to serve as Harvard's primary center for research on sustainable international development.

Housed at the Kennedy School of Government, it is a university-wide research center, drawing upon faculty, staff and researchers from the KSG, HIID, the faculty of Arts and Sciences, School of Public Health, the Medical School, the Education School, the Law School and the Business School. The Harvard Institute of International Development (HIID) and the John F. Kennedy School of Government operates the CID. It will combine the multidisciplinary approach of HIID to solving real world development problems with the Kennedy School's mission to train world leaders. It will utilize the international development expertise of researchers and professors throughout the university system.

The CID operates under one overriding notion: "the need for cross-disciplinary approaches to the challenges of sustainable development" and serves as the central pillar of Harvard's deepening commitment to the problem of international development.

The Institute for Development Studies

The IDS has about 60 researchers who also, for the most part, teach development studies. The research covers a wide range of development themes and has an inter-disciplinary flavor.

The IDS is a national center for research and teaching on international development. However, the research and teaching is combined with operational work for it gives advice to governments and aid organizations. This work helps to turn theory on development into practice. Collaborating with the University of Sussex, it is the largest postgraduate training center on development in Europe. It serves as a forum for debate, hosting conferences and workshops on a variety of development subjects and produces a range of publications. The British Library for Development Studies is housed at IDS. It is one of the world’s foremost development libraries.

IDS works throughout the world with emphasis on Africa and South and East Asia. However, it is becoming involved in Eastern Europe and countries of the former Soviet Union. Some of its recent advisory work shows the range of its involvement. The new government of South Africa was given advice on education policy, health systems and industrial strategy. In Ethiopia, it led a team carrying out a major evaluation of European aid to the country. And in India, it advised on a cyclone rehabilitation project funded by the UK government and Christian Aid.

The Institute for Development Studies:

As stated in an earlier section, the IDS addresses a broad spectrum of conflicts and development issues in the following areas of (a) poverty reduction; (b) food issues and environment; (c) education and employment; (d) gender, health and social policy; (e) democracy, governance and trade. The entire scope essentially encompasses issues of globalization with a very heavy emphasis on the methods of participatory and inclusive methods.

At the CID economic development and capitalistic methods seem to receive priority emphasis.

The Institute for Development Studies:

Dave E. Bloom and Jeffrey Sachs, "Geography, Demography, and Economic Growth in Africa", October, 1998

Jeffrey Sachs, "Do we need an international lender of last resort?" , (Graham Memorial Lecture, Princeton University, 1995)

Panayotou, Theodore and Jeffrey D. Sachs Climate Change and Development: Some Recent Results

Radelet, Steven and Jeffrey Sachs, "Shipping Costs, Manufactured Exports, and Economic Growth" Presented at the American Economics Association annual meeting, January 1998

Radelet, Steven and Jeffrey Sachs, "Towards a New Strategy for Asian Recovery" in Singapore Straits Times, July 26, 1998.

Radelet, Steven and Jeffrey Sachs, "The Onset of the East Asian Financial Crisis." (updated: March 30, 1998)

Radelet, Steven and Jeffrey Sachs, "The East Asian Financial Crisis: Diagnosis, Remedies, Prospects." April 20, 1998

One of the particularly interesting publications is In Brief from Bridge, which is a quarterly update raising gender awareness among policy makers and practitioners. Issue 6 on Reforming Economic Policy highlights a shift in focus of IDS from concerns with women's welfare towards integrating gender analysis into economic policy design, including agricultural market reform. Two women's initiatives aimed at influencing economic policy are described: the women's Budget in South Africa and a network lobbying on financial sector reform in Uganda.

These and other publications lead one to conclude that the IDS researchers are people centered. Another example is IDS Policy Briefing No. 12 Nov. 1998: Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation: Learning from Change. Traditionally, program evaluation in development is done by outside consultants, the experts. The beneficiaries of development almost never participate in the evaluation process. This policy brief deals with the possibility of beneficiaries participating in monitoring and evaluation. It shows the benefits that can be derived from this approach when local people's perspectives are taken into account.

There are two significant articles which should be read by all persons interested in international development because they deal with two current, burning issues. The first is about the crisis in East Asia because this crisis is affecting the world economy and the present prescriptions for dealing with it don't appear to be effective. Steven Radelet and Jeffrey Sachs of the Harvard Institute for International Development wrote the article "Towards a New Strategy for Asian Recovery" in the Singapore Straights-Times on July 26, 1998. The second article is by Dani Rodrik, a professor of international political economy at the Kennedy School of Government. It is entitled "Rethinking the World Economy". He states that global capitalism in the image of the U.S. is a myth. He develops a theory of how capitalism should work in individual countries and the world.

The Institute for Development Studies:

1. What is the impact of globalization on developing countries and why is it now important to take an integrative approach, economic and social, to development?

2. Why has the role of women in society now taken on greater emphasis and how can we better integrate gender in development?