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NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MODELS
Current Projects
China’s Development Finance, Growth Models and Sustainable Development in Recipient Countries 2020-2024
Investigators: Peter Sheehan, Bruce Rasmussen, Bhajan Grewal, Fanghong Sun*, Salma Ahmed, Kashif Rashid
Funded by: Ford Foundation
Description: In exploring ways in which China’s development finance can become more effective in providing equitable
development in global south countries, this project examines both the recent evolution of China’s actual
growth model and the contemporary requirements of Global South countries if they are to achieve development
that is both sustainable and equitable. This addresses both, which elements of China’s evolved growth model
are applicable to Global South countries, and the extent to which growth in real per capita GDP is an adequate
measure of increased welfare in such countries. Other parameters, such as income growth and inequality, social
welfare, support for marginal groups (such as women, indigenous communities, the poor and the disabled),
health and education, environment protection and sustainable resource use may all be of critical importance. The research also investigates the experience of Chinese aid in several countries (e.g. Ethiopia, Angola, Indonesia and Pakistan). A book of the research results is to be published in 2025.
Project papers:
Ahmed, S., Sheehan, P. and Rasmussen, B. 2021, 'Understanding Chinese Foreign Aid: A Look at a Global Development Finance Dataset', Project paper, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, May.
Ahmed, S., Sheehan, P. and Rasmussen, B. 2021, 'Literature Review on China’s Global Finance', Project paper, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, June.
Journal articles:
Ahmed, S. 2023, ‘Progress in the Asia-Pacific countries: Does the Belt and Road Initiative make any difference?’, Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Journal, vol. 30, pp. 217-253.
Ahmed, S., Rasmussen, B. and Sheehan, P. 2022, ‘China’s global finance footprint 2005–2014: Comparing AidData and CGIT', Australian Economic Review, vol. 55, pp. 405-416.
Ahmed, S. 2022, ‘China’s official finance in the Global South: What’s the literature telling us?’, Review of Economics, vol. 73, pp. 223-252.
Project report:
Sheehan, P., Rasmussen, B., Symons, J., Maharaj, N., Grewal, B., Sun, F., Ahmed, S. and Rashid, K. 2022. China’s Growth Models and Development Finance: Policy Recommendations for Equitable and Sustainable Development in Global South Countries, Report to Ford Foundation, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, December.
*Specialist staff:
Dr Fanghong Sun has been Senior Research Fellow at VISES over many years (1995–2008 and 2013–2022). She is a China specialist, having worked on China's development strategies while a resident of both Australia and China. Her research interests include international trade and finance, regional economic co-operation, and the Chinese economy. She has strong links with policy makers, government officials and academics in China and has published extensively on related issues concerning China. She has a detailed understanding of China's development strategy and its evolving development model over the past two decades.
She completed a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Economics in Peking University. She then worked as Researcher for the International Trade Research Institute in China; then came to Australia obtained a PhD at Macquarie University (1990).
Recent Projects
Monograph: Enabling Agricultural Policies for
Benefiting Smallholders in Dairy, Citrus and Mango Industries of Pakistan 2018
Investigators: Bhajan Grewal and Peter Sheehan (VISES) and Jim Lang
(TradeData International)
Funded by: Australian Centre for International Agricultural
Research (ACIAR)
Pakistani partners: Planning Commission, Department of Agriculture Sindh,
Department of Agriculture, Punjab, Department of Livestock and Dairy
Development, Punjab, Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Sindh,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF), COMSATS IIT University,
Abbottabad, and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC)
Description: A final monograph of the ACIAR project (2013-2016) was
commissioned by ACIAR. This was published as a monograph and is available on their website (see below).
Report:
Khan, M.A., Irshad, A., Chhajro, H., Kalhoro, N., Khalid, M.I., Khan, G.A., Rashid, K., Tareen, A.Q., Zafar, A.A., Grewal, B., Lang, J. and Sheehan, P. 2019, ‘Enabling Policies for Developing Smallholder Agriculture in Pakistan’, ACIAR Monograph No. 207, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra.
Timor Leste Survey on Human Resources per
Household: Phase 1 2017
Investigators: Jim Lang (TradeData), Steven Parker and Peter Sheehan
Funded by: Government of Timor Leste
Description: The overall objective of this project is to develop a
detailed plan, agreed with relevant agencies in Timor-Leste, for the
collection and analysis of the required human resource data
involving:
- reviewing the National Development Plan 2011-2030;
- conducting a complete review of the relevant literature;
- conducting extensive discussions on the ground in Timor-Leste; and
- preparation of a draft research plan for the human resources
survey.
Report:
Sheehan, P. and Lang, J. 2017, Results of Data Collection for
Existing Human Resources in Timor-Leste, Report to Government of
Timor-Leste, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, 56 pp.
Enabling Agricultural Policies for
Benefiting Smallholders in
Dairy, Citrus and Mango Industries of Pakistan 2013-2016
Investigators: Bhajan Grewal and Peter Sheehan (VISES) and Jim Lang
(TradeData International)
Funded by: Australian Centre for International Agricultural
Research (ACIAR)
Pakistani partners: Planning Commission, Department of Agriculture Sindh,
Department of Agriculture, Punjab, Department of Livestock and Dairy
Development, Punjab, Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Sindh,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF), COMSATS IIT University,
Abbottabad, and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC)This
was the first ACIAR Australian project in Pakistan which focused on
government policies in Pakistan, and among the first few that
focused on benefiting smallholders, who account for 85% of total farmer
households in Pakistan, and most of whom are either poor or vulnerable.
The viability of smallholders is crucial for the
sustainability of Pakistan’s agriculture and rural society. By passing
the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan in 2010, Pakistan
also embraced a system of devolution, transferring responsibilities for
agriculture policies to provincial governments. This change has added to
the importance of capacity building of relevant government departments
at provincial levels for policy formulation, implementation,
coordination, and monitoring & evaluation – all of which are also a key
part of this project.
The aim of this project was to review existing policies and develop
options, and to evaluate and define implementation pathways for new
enabling policies to improve the livelihoods of smallholders.
Report:
Khan, M.A., Irshad, A., Chhajro, H., Kalhoro, N., Khalid, M.I., Khan, G.A., Rashid, K., Tareen, A.Q., Zafar, A.A., Grewal, B., Lang, J. and Sheehan, P. 2018, Enabling Policies for Developing Smallholder Agriculture in Pakistan, Final Report to ACIAR, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Project activities and documentation
2015
VU improving lives of rural poor in Pakistan
24 February 2015, News and Events, Victoria University
Planning Workshop and Project Coordination Committee
Meeting
Islamabad, 11-12 February 2015
The meeting of these two
committees were held in Islamabad. Meeting papers for the Project
Coordination Committee Meeting are available here.
Preliminary Report on Punjab Field Studies (PDF 543 Kb)
Preliminary Report on Sindh Field Studies (PDF 401 Kb)
Issue Paper 1: Extension Services (PDF 60 Kb)
Issue Paper 2: Smallholder Access to Credit (PDF 71 Kb)
Issue Paper 3: The Role of Smallholder Cooperatives and Networks
(PDF 53 Kb)
Issue Paper 4: Access to Markets (PDF 53 Kb)
Issue Paper 5: Policy Issues in Dairy (PDF 53 Kb)
Attachment: Summary Analysis of International Trade Trends for
Mangoes, Citrus and Dairy (PDF 514 Kb)
From left to right: Dr N. Azeem (NARC), Dr A. Irshad (Planning
Commission of Pakistan), Mr J. Lang (TradeData), Prof. B.Grewal
(VISES), Mr A.A. Zafar (Agriculture, Punjab), Prof. P. Sheehan (VISES), Mr
B.L. Baloch (Agriculture Information, Punjab), Dr Kashif Rashid (COMSATS), Dr N. Kalhoro (Dept of Livestock & Fisheries, Sindh), Mr K.
Chaudhry (Dept of Livestock & Dairy, Punjab) and Mr A.Q. Tareen (Agriculture, Sindh)
Dr Ejaz Qureshi, Research Project Manager from ACIAR, also
attended and participated actively in the Planning Workshop and
Project Coordination Committee meeting in Islamabad in February
2015.
2014
Background papers
VISES commissioned two background papers in 2014 from the University
of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
Background Paper No. 1:
Agricultural Extension Services in Pakistan: Challenges,
Constraints and Ways Forward, by Dr Babar Shahbaz and Salman
Ata, Institute of Agriculture Extension & Rural Development,
University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
Background Paper No. 2:
Pakistan’s Dairy, Mango and Citrus Sub-sectors: An Overview,
by Dr Muhammad Khalid Bashir and Ghaffar Ali, of the Institute
of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of
Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
12-17 October 2014
Pakistan delegation visit to Australia
A capacity building workshop was organised by VISES in October 2014, involving workshop
sessions in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. A delegation of five senior government officials
from Pakistan, came to Australia including Dr Aamer Irshad,
Chief, Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform;
Mr Abdul Qadir Tareen, Department of Agriculture Sindh; Mr Ahmed Ali
Zafar, Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Punjab; Mr.
Khalid Mahmud Chaudhry, Deputy Secretary, Department of Livestock and
Dairy Development, Punjab; and Dr Nazeer Hussain Kalhoro, Executive
Director, Livestock and Fisheries Department, Sindh, Karachi. The
purpose of their visit was to have discussions with Australian experts
and government officials in relation to dairy and horticulture
sub-sectors.
Pakistan Delegation Visit Program
Workshop Report, prepared by Mr Ahmed Ali Zafar, Additional
Secretary (Planning), Department of Agriculture, Government of
Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
As part of the discussion sessions Mr Jim Lang, Managing
Director, TradeData International Pty Ltd., prepared three
presentations:
Global Trade in Citrus
Global
Trade in Mangoes
Sample Analysis – China imports of Milk and Cream
22 February-4 March 2014
Visit to Pakistan
Professor Bhajan Grewal and Mr Jim Lang were invited to attend the ACIAR
Social Research Project Workshop in Bhurban, Pakistan on 25-26 February
2014. Mr Lang was also invited by the Mango Production Project team
to make a presentation at their workshop in Islamabad on 22-23 February. During the Bhurban Workshop, they also had enabling policy-related discussions with members of the Dairy Project, and with Dr Shahbaz of University of Agriculture Faisalabad. After the Bhurban
workshop, they both
had further meetings related to the project in Islamabad on 28 February, in Lahore on 3 March and in Karachi on 4 March 2014.
ACIAR Project_2014 February March Pakistan TRIP REPORT
Jim Lang - Analysis of International Demand and
Supply of Mangoes
2013
26-27 November 2013
Inception workshop report
A 2-day inception workshop was held in Pakistan on 26-27 November 2013,
with the Australian policy project team travelling to Pakistan. The Inception
Workshop was launched by the Deputy High Commissioner for Australia, Mr
Paul Molloy and was attended by a total of 26 participants from the
Planning Commission, the various agriculture, livestock and dairy
departments, other relevant ministries and UAF, COMSATS, PARC, SDF, VU,
TradeData International and ACIAR.
Inception Workshop Report
Contact:
Peter Sheehan |
