Cambridge and international development - The Humanitarian Centre

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5 The Cambridge factor Cambridge is recognised globally as a city that produces more than its fair share of innovative new ideas, and these in turn feed into a sense of expectation that ‘Cambridge ideas change the world’ New ideas are often generated at the boundaries of organisations and cultures. Much of the innovation discussed in this report is based on people travelling from the UK to developing countries and reflecting on how to adapt their experience and knowledge to another context. However new technologies mean that it is increasingly possible for ideas to flow between organisations and cultures without face to face contact. In a city with two universities, dynamic private sector and bright international population there are plenty of opportunities for crossover and exchange. Networks are one way through which individuals communicate across organisational boundaries. Cambridge networks bring together business, academia and the non-profit world not just physically in this city, but globally. Such networks are not only a powerful source of new contacts and ideas, but also provide innovators with access to know-how and experience. >> The risk with a focus on innovation is that you can lose track of the good stuff that’s been done in the past, and not make use of it Rick Davies, M&E News Academic research in Cambridge is a particular source of innovation. Not only does it lead to practical spin-outs, such as the knowledge of emergency shelter developed by Shelter Centre and the flexible water pipelines developed by Ian Ball, discussed above, but it also provides a long term source of understanding of what works, and why. Research with long-term impacts on poverty Cambridge University scientist Dr Julian Hibberd leads a team working on the mechanics of effective photosynthesis in plant leaves. A potential early application of this work is in improving rice yields, with potential impact on food security in many developing countries. This work takes place as part of a consortium of labs and research institutes worldwide. Networking saves lives Two Addenbrooke’s Hospital consultants visited Manipal Teaching hospital in Nepal. Their advice on operating procedures and hygiene led to a significant drop in patient deaths. The visit resulted from a chance encounter between two Cambridge charities – Addenbrooke’s Abroad and the Mountain Trust – at a regular Humanitarian Centre networking event. 24
© Ken Banks, kiwanja.net > Bikes are a familiar part of Cambridge life. In another part of the world, a Ugandan entrepreneur cycles around with a carbattery powered ”mobile” phone, charging for phone calls. As new technologies take off in developing countries, new business opportunities open up for entrepreneurs to make technologies available to everyone 25
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Cambridge and international development - The Humanitarian Centre

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