The recent essay by Dario Amadei “The Machines of Loving Grade” proposes rosy projections about using AI to rapidly boost economic growth and development in the poorest parts of the world fail to grapple with the stark realities in those societies. The author paints a picture of AI-powered epidemiology and economic planning sweeping away entrenched barriers to progress, but the track record of technological leapfrogging in the developing world tells a very different story.
As I reflect on my time as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Papua New Guinea, I'm filled with a mix of emotions - pride, frustration, and a deep sense of responsibility for the challenges we faced. It was a journey marked by both remarkable achievements and gut-wrenching setbacks, all in the pursuit of transforming this institution into a beacon of integrity and excellence in the South Pacific region.
When I first accepted this role, I knew I would be confronting a daunting set of issues – structural underfunding, corruption, maladministration, and a severe lack of accountability that had permeated every aspect of the university's operations. Students were disillusioned, their studies often interrupted, and the professional community had all but lost faith in the institution's ability to fulfill its mission.
In 2012, I embarked on an incredible journey as the Vice-Chancellor of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology. It was a childhood dream come true—an opportunity to make a real difference in a country close to my heart. Over the next six years, I poured my energy into transforming the university to better serve its students and the nation.
One of my proudest achievements was making the university the first in the world to provide campus-wide broadband internet via the innovative O3B satellite system. This was a game-changer, opening up a world of knowledge and collaboration for our students and faculty. We also became the first university in PNG to adopt open-source Ubuntu software on all student laptops, empowering them with valuable IT skills.
Looking back 30 years after obtaining my doctorate, I can reflect on the profound influence my teachers and professors had on my intellectual development and academic journey. Of course, they do not bear sole responsibility, as the path I ultimately chose was a function of my own decisions and the guidance of my highly educated parents - a Dutch theoretical physicist father who loved mathematics, and an Italian comparative literature scholar mother who continued publishing into her 90s.
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| Enthusiastic PNG University of Technology students after boycotting classes for 5 weeks to demand good University governance |
The spectrum of educators I encountered ranged from the exceptional to the abysmal, with the majority falling somewhere in the middle. The average professors have become entirely forgettable, their names long since faded from memory. Yet the average schoolteachers, through the culture of constant assessment, managed to impart the fundamental knowledge and skills required for their subjects, leaving an indelible mark.
The landscape of educational technology is in the midst of a transformative shift, as the recent widespread adoption of public access large language models has catalyzed a renewed reflection on the historical patterns of technological integration within the education sector. As an economic historian, specialized in technological innovation and large technological systems, I believe that a deeper understanding of these historical trends is crucial in shaping our approach to the emerging technological advancements (Schram, 1997). As I wrote elsewhere, this is particularly relevant for educational institutions in low-income countries in order to tackle the global education crisis and make progress towards achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goal four (SDG -4"access to quality education").
The Nobel Prize in Economics is an annual event that holds immense significance, not only for the field of economics but for the broader understanding of global prosperity and development. This year, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics has been awarded to a trio of pioneering scholars whose groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed our comprehension of the crucial role that institutions play in shaping the economic fortunes of nations.
Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson have provided a compelling explanation for the persistent wealth disparities that exist between countries around the world. Their work has demonstrated that the political and economic systems introduced by European colonial powers are a key driver behind these vast inequalities, with the formerly richest colonies often now being the poorest. By developing a robust theoretical framework, the laureates have shed light on the complex interplay between institutions, politics, and long-term economic growth.
The insights of Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson have had a profound impact on both the field of economics and political science, underscoring the central importance of inclusive, rules-based institutions in catalyzing broad-based prosperity. As we grapple with the entrenched divides between the global haves and have-nots, the lessons of this Nobel Prize offer invaluable guidance on the path forward.
Through their innovative empirical research, the laureates examined how the political and economic systems introduced by European colonizers shaped the development trajectories of their colonies. They found that colonies with dense indigenous populations tended to have more "extractive" institutions designed to benefit a small elite, while sparsely populated areas saw the establishment of more "inclusive" institutions that incentivized broad-based prosperity.
Crucially, the laureates demonstrated that this colonial legacy has had a lasting impact, with the formerly richest colonies now often being the poorest. Their work using the divided city of Nogales as a case study vividly illustrates how seemingly minor institutional differences can lead to vastly unequal outcomes, even among populations with shared geography and culture.
The laureates have also made important theoretical contributions, developing a framework to explain why extractive institutions are so difficult to reform. The "commitment problem" between elites and the masses means that promises of change are often not credible, trapping societies in a cycle of poverty and inequality. However, the researchers also show that in certain circumstances, the threat of mass mobilization can compel elites to introduce more inclusive political and economic systems.
The insights of Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson have had a profound influence on both economics and political science. Their work underscores the central importance of institutions in shaping long-term development, and has spurred further research into the complex interplay between politics, education, and societal progress.
For universities in the developing world, the lessons of this Nobel Prize are clear. Strengthening institutional quality - through measures like ensuring academic freedom, improving governance, and forging strategic international partnerships - should be a top priority.
By embedding inclusive, rules-based practices, these institutions can play a vital role in catalyzing the kind of broad-based prosperity that has long eluded so many nations. Only then can the entrenched divides between the global haves and have-nots finally begin to narrow.
Makortoff, K., & Elliott, L. (2024). Trio of professors win Nobel economics prize for work on post-colonial wealth. the Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/14/three-us-based-professors-win-nobel-prize-in-economics-daron-acemoglu-simon-johnson-james-robinson-
Prize in economic sciences. (2024, October 16). Retrieved from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences
As the former Vice-Chancellor of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUT), I encountered a multitude of challenges and missed opportunities during my tenure from 2012 to 2017. This complete account, from 2019, outlines my efforts to transform the university and the unfortunate circumstances that ultimately derailed my initiatives.
Through my leadership, PNGUT became the first university in the world to access high-speed internet through the O3B satellite system. I also worked to establish robust industry advisory boards and secure significant donations from companies like ExxonMobil to support infrastructure upgrades and academic quality improvements.
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| Fast internet and laptops for all students |
The path forward for PNGUT requires a renewed commitment to good governance, academic excellence, and strategic partnerships. Only by overcoming the entrenched interests and political maneuvering can the university truly unlock its potential and serve the needs of Papua New Guinean students and society.
As Papua New Guinea begins to seriously consider renewable energy options, it's important to reflect on a missed opportunity that occurred nearly 7 years ago at the country's premier university. In October 2017, the PNG University of Technology (UNITECH) governing council had the chance to partner with Cambridge Energy Partners and establish a small-scale solar project on the university campus. Unfortunately, due to the biases and lack of understanding displayed by key council members, this potentially transformative initiative was unceremoniously rejected.
The meeting was chaired by Chancellor Kekedo, who, as I observed, never read or wrote any Council document, and displayed her trademark bias. Spearheading the motion to dismiss the solar project was the current Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Ora Renagi. I made a strong case for going ahead, based on a feasibility study and Nasa data.
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| Letter of intent signed |
This decision flies in the face of the critical role universities should play in piloting innovative sustainability projects that can then be scaled up and adopted by local organizations and businesses. UNITECH had a chance to showcase its commitment to renewable energy and set an example for the rest of the country, but short-sightedness and political maneuvering won out.
As PNG grapples with its energy challenges and the urgent need to transition to cleaner sources, this incident serves as a poignant reminder of the damage that can be wrought when biased, uninformed leadership derails progress. Universities should be at the forefront of driving sustainable solutions, not holding them back due to personal agendas and a lack of vision. Going forward, PNG must empower its academic institutions to boldly embrace the renewable energy future, lest it continue to miss out on transformative opportunities like the one that was squandered at UNITECH.
#PNGUniversities #SolarEnergy #UNITECHCouncil #LeadershipFailure
The recent story of my friend Carolyn Blacklock as reported by ABC, paints a chilling picture of the perils faced by expatriate leaders in Papua New Guinea's institutions. Carolyn has deep roots in the country and a distinguished international career in finance as a consultant, and with UN institutions as an international civil servant.
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| Carolyn Blacklock |
Carolyn who headed PNG power, the national power company, and had resigned peacefully (like myself), found herself trapped in the country, her passport confiscated, and subjected to threats and detention despite being cleared of all corruption charges. Those who lost face during her term as CEO had no hesitations to pay the police to harass her in an ultimate act of vindictiveness. Her dramatic nine-day escape, involving travel by helicopter, car, boat, and on foot, highlights the precarious position of foreigners in positions of authority in PNG.
At first, there is often a honeymoon period for expatriate leaders, with traditional welcomes, dancing, and promises of support. However, as soon as these foreign professionals insist on doing things by the book, stopping favouritism and wantokism, and strictly following the rules and laws, the fierce resistance begins. I remember, for example, that it took the staffing committee more than a year to decide not to renew the contract of an employee who had sexually assaulted 3 female employees. The facts were undisputed, but he was related to my deputy the current VC.
Diverse local parties normally at odds can quickly come together in a post-colonial, nationalist sentiment, united in the belief that it is all the fault of the meddling foreigner. The traditional warm welcome quickly gives way to accusations, trumped-up charges, and efforts to force these leaders out of the country. Another case in point is Jan Czuba, the Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Research Science and Technology, who at his own expense for 2 years had to fight frivolous accusations in court. To be fair, this is how some local leaders who fall out of grace with the Prime Minister are treated as well.
This is not an isolated incident. There is a disturbing pattern of PNG authorities abusing the migration and legal systems to target and remove expatriate leaders who challenge the status quo and work to establish good governance. The cases of former UNITECH Vice-Chancellor John Warren and myself are prime examples. We faced trumped-up charges, slanderous attacks, and ultimately were forced to leave the country, despite our efforts to root out corruption and mismanagement. Slander is a crime in PNG, but nobody is ever indicted when it regards foreigners.
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| Prof. Jan Czuba |
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| Dr. John Warren |
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| Dr. Albert Schram |
The PNG government has consistently and intentionally failed in its obligation to protect the safety and security of foreign workers, especially those in leadership roles. Local politics, inflated egos of elected politicians, and a disregard for the rule of law take precedence over the need for ethical, competent management of the country's institutions. Until this changes, the country will continue to struggle to progress, and expatriate professionals will remain wary of taking on critical roles in PNG.
Asia Pacific Report. Retrieved from https://asiapacificreport.nz/2018/05/16/former-unitech-vc-takes-legal-steps-in-scary-png-education-controversy
Asia Pacific Report. Retrieved from https://asiapacificreport.nz/2018/08/20/second-expat-vice-chancellor-flees-for-safety-as-png-universities-turn-nasty
Expatriate v-c flees Papua New Guinea fearing for his life. (2018, August 30). Retrieved from https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/expatriate-v-c-flees-papua-new-guinea-fearing-his-life
Howes, Stephen (May 2018) The outrageous & unfounded arrest of Dr Albert Schram. (2024, October 15). Retrieved from https://www.pngattitude.com/2018/05/the-outrageous-unfounded-arrest-of-dr-albert-schram.html
Howes, Stephen (August 2018) PNG media silent as another vice chancellor is lost. (2024, October 15). Retrieved from https://www.pngattitude.com/2018/08/png-media-silent-as-another-vice-chancellor-is-lost.html
Postcourieronline. (March 2023). Fr Czuba reinstated. Post Courier. Retrieved from https://www.postcourier.com.pg/fr-czuba-reinstated
During my 6 years, or two terms as Vice-Chancellor at the PNG University of Technology (UNITECH), I had the privilege of serving its wonderful students, working with seven Ministers of Higher Education, and four Chancellors. This experience provided me with unique insights into the challenges and opportunities facing higher education in Papua New Guinea.
From 2012 to 2015, UNITECH students led a commendable drive for transparency and good governance. Sir Nagora Bogan, the second Chancellor I worked with, was known for his pragmatism and kindness. He strategically built coalitions based on politicians' desire to maintain power, while allowing me to engineer the removal of the worst offenders from the previous administration.
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| Uni-city Master Plan |
The Student Representative Council (SRC) was the principal driver of change. The principled stance of SRC Presidents like Eddy Nagual and Joe Kaowai made it clear that students desired a well-governed, rule-based institution where academic freedom and institutional independence were honored.
The recent passing of Sir Nagora gives us pause for reflection. My tenure primarily focused on ensuring UNITECH programs complied with international standards, university infrastructure was upgraded to provide essential conditions for a positive learning environment, and securing ongoing support from stakeholders inside the country and abroad. As part of this process, the university became the first one in the country to actively participate in the European Union's Erasmus programs, which opened opportunities for students, as well as recruitment of lecturers abroad. It also became the first university in the world to have independent high speed internet access through the O3B satellite systems.
Just before leaving, the university received a clean financial audit, and we were on track to achieve accreditation for one engineering program in 2019, but unfortunately, again political considerations took precedence over educational quality and student experience. Two significant challenges emerged after my return from exile in Australia in 2014:
1) Political interference led to increased tensions between regional groups, resulting in tragic incidents of violence.
2) Pressure to ignore institutional autonomy intensified, particularly in the lead-up to the APEC summit. As a result, two foreign Vice-Chancellor, who were seen as too independently minded, were pushed out.
These two issues impeded any progress from about 2016 until today.
The ambivalence in leadership must stop if PNG is to progress. The only job of the chair of the board (Chancellor) is to assure the strategic direction is set, and support the CEO (Vice-Chancellor) in taking the necessary measures. His or her job is not to take over executive functions, believing they are the only ones mandated by the government to rule the university.
Wantokism (tribalism) needs to make way for meritocracy, and successful, ethical leaders should be supported rather than becoming victims of slanderous attacks. It is crucial to build rule-based, well-governed, and inclusive organizations that meet the reasonable expectations of citizens and students.
While sceptics say things will never change in PNG, I believe transformation is possible when the logic of criminal gangs is replaced by the rule of law and meritocracy. Sir Nagora, despite moments of generosity and attempts at change, struggled to fully embrace this vision, as reflected in lack of support for Sir Nagora by his own the people of Butibam and Busamang. Ironically, the populations of these villages strongly urged the government to support me until the end of my mandate, to no avail.
Sir Nagora was by far the best of a bad lot. His successor Chancellor Kekedo, was an overall embarrassment, and her lack of university education was a real impediment for her effectiveness. She is mainly known for politicizing and torpedoing the university's campus development plan, which would have generated other sources of revenue. Oddly she had been pro-chancellor during the two years in which the university council developed this plan, but turned against it when she tried unsuccessfully to push for a leading role for her own people.
She was succeeded by Chancellor Koim, who as chair of UDC had failed to deal with the financial mismanagement. As head of anti-corruption task force sweep he failed to indict a member of the notoriously corrupt O'Neill government, and more recently he single-handedly caused looting in the capital when he failed to pay the police their allowances and then lied about it. He eagerly participated in the political with hunt against me, encouraging the spread of slanderous lies in my regard.
In the end, the only charge that was made was that I did not hold a doctorate, a claim that had already been refuted by the 2018 Sevua Investigation. Inevitably, all these silly allegations were thrown out by the courts.
It is somewhat encouraging to see that the current leadership team I worked to train has renewed itself and begun to find its voice, although they are largely continuing initiatives that I started. There is still no firm grasp of the idea that the only standards that matter are international standards, and that support from foreign stakeholders is essential to carry the university to the next level. They remain unresponsive and incapable of driving the necessary changes. As a result, there is still not a single engineering program that has received accreditation.
The path forward for UNITECH and higher education in PNG requires unwavering commitment to good governance, academic excellence, and institutional integrity. Almost a decade has been lost in political squabbling and infighting. As we reflect on the past and look to the future, let us remember that progress is possible, but it requires dedication, courage, and a steadfast commitment to ethical leadership and educational quality.
1. 📈 Academic misconduct is on the rise, with increasing instances of plagiarism and retracted papers, particularly in medical sciences. #AcademicMisconduct #Plagiarism
2. 🔍 The current peer review system is broken, and AI-powered tools can help fix it by detecting false data and ensuring the reliability of new scientific knowledge. #PeerReview #AI
3. 💊 In medical sciences, academic misconduct can lead to ineffective treatments and patient deaths. #MedicalSciences #PatientSafety
4. 🤖 However, the extensive use of large language models like ChatGPT in medical research carries the risk of incorporating hallucinations and other mistakes from the model into research findings. #ChatGPT #AIrisks
5. 📜 The integrity of the body of knowledge that scientists build upon is being eroded by the large number of retracted articles that continue to be cited. #Retractions #ScientificIntegrity
6. The use of AI-powered tools to check research findings makes the detection of fraud and misconduct much easier. #AItools #FraudDetection
7. Cooperation between humans and AI-powered tools can ensure the reliability and validity of new scientific knowledge in medical sciences. #HumanAIcooperation #Science
8. 📝 Each stage of the peer review process should be bolstered by AI-powered tools and big data techniques, with a "human-in-the-loop" to make final decisions. #PeerReviewProcess #AItools
9. 💰 The crisis may need to worsen before new companies and organizations are created to address the issue of academic misconduct in medical sciences. #Crisis #BusinessOpportunity
10. 👥 Higher education leaders should advocate for a radical transformation of peer review that combines human cooperation with AI-driven tools for all sciences. #HigherEducation #PeerReviewTransformation
11. This approach will contribute to the development of a more solid knowledge base for our societies, and ultimately leading to better education and health outcomes, and overall prosperity for society (McKinsey 2020).
#AcademicIntegrity #MedicalResearch #AIinScience #PeerReviewReform #ScientificCredibility
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| Source: Burgett 20204 |
Here is the link to the video introduction on my channel.
Good day, I am Albert Schram and I hold a doctorate in Economic History from the European University Institute.
Today, we will be discussing this year's Nobel Prize in Economics winner, Dr. Claudia Goldin, and analyzing her groundbreaking contributions to the field of economic history. As a bit of background, I grew up in the Netherlands where my father worked as a physicist at Utrecht University. Through his connections, I was frequently exposed to Nobel laureates from a young age, many of whom did not encourage my interest in exploring economic history or the intersections between the economic sciences and humanities. One physicist in particular always liked to jokingly say “You know, there is even a Nobel prize in economics”. Leaving the issue of whether economics is a science aside, let’s dive into Goldin’s revolutionary research, and what it reveals about the ongoing development of economics as an intellectual pursuit.
Dr. Claudia Goldin of Harvard University was awarded the 2022 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for her work advancing our understanding of women's labor market outcomes over the past century. She becomes only the third female economist to win the prize, following Elinor Ostrom in 2009 and Esther Duflo in 2019. Lesser known predecessors who conducted pioneering studies on related topics in the 1990s include Carla Eugenia Nuñez for Spain, and Vera Zamagni for Italy. Goldin’s prize is especially impactful given the field of economics remains particularly male-dominated, with less than 25% of tenured professors globally identifying as women compared to over 40% across academia overall. Even textbook examples have historically strongly favored featuring men's names and scenarios over women's.
Goldin’s body of research spans decades and analyzes women's changing employment patterns from multifaceted angles, and connects this analysis with insights from labor and education economics. A consistent theme throughout her work has been scrutinizing the complex causes behind persistent wage gaps between male and female workers. In the 20th century, as women rapidly outpaced men in educational attainment levels, earnings disparities stubbornly remained. By examining employment trends through different economic eras defined by agricultural, industrial, and service sector shifts, Goldin discovered women's participation followed a recurring U-shaped pattern influenced heavily by prevailing technological innovations and societal norms.
The details and implications of Goldin’s famous U-shape graph are truly fascinating. During America's agrarian past, high fertility rates and family farm labor needs meant married women's economic participation stayed relatively high. However, as factories dominated the late 1800s, rigid ideologies of separate gender roles took hold, and wives were incentivized to withdraw from the paid labor force once married or after bearing children. This low point extended into the early 1900s as well. Things began changing rapidly starting in the 1970s, which Goldin identified as a revolutionary period. Women started postponing marriage, prioritizing higher education, and leveraging new opportunities made possible by the widespread availability of reliable birth control like the Pill. Their workforce participation responded positively as a result.
By unpacking these dynamic, long-term cultural shifts, Goldin demonstrated how the structure and composition of modern families have substantively redefined women's relationship with the labor market. However, she also acknowledged progress towards equality has been uneven and nonlinear. Today, American and European women still only earn 60-80 cents for every dollar earned by men in similar roles. Much of the residual gap stems from steep “motherhood penalties” faced after a woman's first child is born. Goldin’s work laid the foundation for new policies aiming to support female labor participation at all career stages while also advocating innovative workplace arrangements flexible enough to accommodate child-rearing responsibilities. Her research illustrates the magnitude of societal transformation still needed. She is hopeful about the future of work, pointing out that online working has introduced some flexibility into labour markets that can favour women.
[Dr. Goldin’s colleagues praise her trailblazing efforts to establish economic history as a respected field of quantitative study. By incorporating insights from demography, sociology, and other social science lenses, she helped enrich mainstream economic modeling beyond its initial limitations and assumptions of a gender-neutral labor force. Goldin has also been a hugely influential role model and mentor for younger female scholars pursuing related topics. Although some have critiqued her work for potentially overlooking the risks of certain “gender equity” policies, her preeminent career achievements and enduring contributions to shaping public debates around these complex issues are undeniable. Goldin continues academically producing at a high level well into her 70s, inspiring new generations to think creatively and rigorously about optimizing economic opportunities for all.]
In sum, this year's Nobel Prize affirms that data-driven economic history maintains vital relevance for addressing real-world problems today. The field has recognized its initial models fell short by excluding societal, psychological, and institutional factors disproportionately affecting specific demographic groups. As a response, leading researchers like Dr. Goldin broadened analysis to incorporate multi-disciplinary lenses examining everything from norms and stigma to the power of unanticipated innovations in shaping market forces.
Her work exemplifies economics' evolution away from rigid assumptions of purely rational actors towards appreciating humanity's complex, evolving nature. Perhaps most importantly, Goldin leaves a legacy of empowering more diverse voices that will undoubtedly strengthen economics as an academic pursuit dedicated to creating inclusive prosperity for all.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of this overview. I hope it provided valuable insights into both the groundbreaking scholarship of Dr. Claudia Goldin and larger developments currently reshaping economics as a discipline. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions!
