Journal of International Development最新文献

This study examines the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities on national competitiveness through a comparative analysis of the IMD World Competitiveness Index and three major AI indices: Oxford AI Readiness, Tortoise AI Index and Stanford AI Index. Utilizing correlation analysis, multiple regression and K-means clustering across samples of 64, 59 and 35 countries, respectively, the research identifies infrastructure and research capacity as key predictors of national competitiveness, with regression models explaining 52.4%–60.8% of IMD variance and Pearson correlations exceeding 75% for predictive validity. Clustering analysis delineates AI-advanced nations (A2 cluster) with superior AI performance relative to national competitiveness and resource-dependent laggards (C2 cluster) at risk of stagnation without AI investment. The study proposes open innovation strategies, inspired by collaborative ecosystems like shared mobility, leveraging government-industry-academia partnerships and digital public infrastructure (DPI) to address gaps in government policy, research capacity and infrastructure, with case studies of the United States and Singapore. For Least Developed Countries (LDCs), a 2 × 2 strategy matrix outlines low-cost, high-impact AI initiatives to enable a bypass strategy, leveraging open innovation ecosystems to circumvent traditional industrial pathways. Findings underscore AI's transformative role in redefining competitiveness, driven by qualitative capabilities like efficiency, innovation and governance, offering actionable pathways for advanced economies and LDCs to close competitiveness gaps through strategic AI integration and DPI investments.

Traditional values and beliefs perpetuate gender inequalities and marginalize women in many societies worldwide by limiting their access to economic resources and decision-making abilities. In-depth interviews were conducted among 53 young women and men to explore the barriers to asset development and decision-making autonomy among adolescent girls transitioning into young women in southern Uganda. Five themes emerged from the participants’ narratives, including societal expectations, restricted mobility, early pregnancies and marriages, limited motivation and parental perceptions. Findings from this study emphasize the widespread gender disparities in asset ownership and decision-making autonomy in southern Uganda, rooted in restrictive gender norms.

Trial Registration: The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01447615

This study investigates the impact of gender-disaggregated human capital on export performance in 11 East Asian countries, utilizing panel data spanning 1990–2022. Human capital is measured by the Human Development Index, expected years of schooling, and mean years of schooling, and export performance is captured by both the share of medium- and high-tech exports and total exports as a percentage of GDP. Employing panel regression and error correction models, the analysis distinguishes between short- and long-term effects. The results indicate that male human capital currently exerts a stronger influence on export performance, reflecting prevailing industrial structures and patterns of labour force participation. However, the contribution of female human capital—particularly expected years of schooling—has increased over time. The findings further demonstrate that human capital accumulation has a limited short-term but substantial long-term effect on export performance. Moreover, reducing gender inequality, as measured by the gender development index and gender inequality index, is positively associated with export outcomes. These results underscore the importance of gender-sensitive human capital investment and policies that promote educational attainment and labour market inclusion for sustained export growth.

The aim of this study is to analyse the effects of inequality of opportunity on corruption in Africa. In a panel of 40 African countries over the period 2000–2023, the results from the MMG-Sys show positive and significant effects of inequality of opportunity on the level of corruption in Africa. These effects are higher in sub-Saharan African countries than in North Africa. However, these effects diminish as the country develops. As our results are robust, we recommend improving access to basic goods and services in general and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Creating formal employment by diversifying the economy and better managing resources and aid. Finally, the creation of solid institutions to fight corruption and promote democratic principles in Africa is recommended.

In 2022, China introduced Ethiopia's Science Museum as a diplomatic gift. With its AI research centre focused on developing practical commercial outlets, Ethiopia's Science Museum enables China and Ethiopia to strategically align policy objectives and economic stakeholders within a win-win public–private partnership. This article explores the notions of coconstructed gift and shared agency through a jointly handled Rubik's Cube model applied to development aid. It demonstrates that while serving the recipient's interests, Ethiopia's Science Museum simultaneously constitutes China's new development aid tool, that is, an upgraded version of Guangdong Science Center, the China-supported museum in Senegal and China-aided Industrial Parks in Ethiopia. A gift-level analysis subsequently offers a counterpoint to conventional critiques on China's self-serving aid to Africa and opens new avenues for research on industrialization-driven China–Africa cooperation.

The objective of this study is to analyse the effect of education on the income-level dynamics in Togo. The data used are pseudo-panels constructed from survey data from the Unified Questionnaire of Basic Welfare Indicators (QUIBB) of 2006, 2011 and 2015 and the Harmonized Survey of Household Living Conditions (EHCVM) of 2021 of Togo. The methodological approaches used are the generalized moment method and quantile regression for panel data. The main results show that there is no linear relationship between education level and overall income, with the relationship following an inverted U-shaped curve. However, the results show a positive and significant linear relationship between higher education and income levels. Additionally, investment in education strengthens the impact of education on income. Looking at the income quantiles, there is a significant positive relationship between education and income in the third quantile.