The Knowledge to Decide

As China aims to shift from quantity to quality economic growth in 2018, it aims to foster high-quality job creation in fields like robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), while forestalling global financial risks. Will 2018 still see China regain its old dominance of global growth? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. The world economy is poised for an upturn. This is not only due to China’s economic success. Perera remarked that the decrease in the headline US corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% – one of the lowest in the developed world; and Japan’s economic reforms under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are some of the contributing factors to the improved global economic outlook in 2018. Moreover, disruptive technologies such as drones and AI will give rise to employment opportunities globally in new sectors, compensating for eliminated traditional jobs. However, this movement depends on ho

Women farmers in Africa are quietly learning new technologies to increase their crop yield. For this, training is being provided in different rice farming technologies targeting three groups from the Saakoba Gbugli, Kukuo and Yipelgu communities. Successfully implemented in 15 West Africa states, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) initiative – through the Agriculture Technology Transfer project – will enable farmers to increase productivity. These groups were exposed to technologies for weed control, rows transplanting and the application of briquetted urea fertilizer on rice farms. The program has been a success so far due to NGO intervention efforts (on behalf of USAID) to overcome challenges. For instance, farmers are now aware of the correct way to apply fertilizer and methods to increase productivity levels through in-depth training sessions. Asia already benefitted from a Green revolution in the 1960s which enabled it to feed over 50%