Applied Research

Research Programs

Current Research

  1. Research Migration and Integration on Curacacao (Period 2010-2012)
Research Team:
University of Curacao: prof.dr. Jeanne en  drs. Maartje Groot 
Knowledge Center Curacao : M. Mamber
CBS-Curacao.
Abstract
Worldwide, migration is an important issue in socio economic development. Migration decreases the risk of poverty and often increases surviving chances of families. Remittances are today world wide the highest investment in developing countries. Small Island development states are often heavily characterized by migration. Curaçao is a classic example with a history of centuries of migration, from forced migration by slavery onwards to many different economic migration flows to the metro pole or in the region in the last decades. Before between 1860 en 1920’s there was mostly emigration from Curaçao to the region, after 1920 a hugh immigration to Curaçao started. Today about 160 different nationalities are found on the island of Curaçao.  In the previous decades, thousands of migrants came to the island. Migration has been changing the island continuously over the last 100 years.  Our new research is about the impact of new regional migrants on Curacao.  Our central question is: What is the impact of recent migration from the Dominican republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Colombia and Venezuela on Curaçao as a small island development state ?   And how do migrants integrate and participate in the local community?

  1. Research Higher Education in Small Island Development States ( Jeanne de Bruijn)

ABSTRACT  Global trends towards a knowledge economy and “creative societies” show the importance of more and higher qualified education. De economic interest for the higher educated is proven for a long time by scholars like Howard Bowen (1977) and many others, by Center for Higher Eduction and Policy Studies (utwente.nl/cheps/publications) and OECD (www.oecd.org/topic). Scholars show impressing economic returns, private as well as public. Therefore higher education is in many countries a subject high on the political agenda. Scholars show how in the end tertiary education is not a financial burden but on the contrary a profitable investment and a flywheel for society. Knowledge is the engine of the economy, as the title of a TNO report summarizes (TNO, 2010, www.tno.nl).

The research is on the risks and opportunities for small island development states to invest in higher education. The paper counts public and private returns in higher education in the case of Curacao and elaborates on the balance between state investments in public higher education and bank investment in student loans in a small island economy.  General Terms: Returns on Investment, Education, Governance, Small Island Development

Keywords: Higher education, returns on higher education investments, brain drain, small island state.
  1. Phd Research drs. Odette van Brummen  (promotor prof.dr. A. Buunk RUG)
PhD Research supervised bij prof.dr. Jeanne de Bruijn
  1. Completed:  Reproduction Policies and practices on Curacao, promotores: prof.dr. B. Meyboom RUG,  prof.dr JGM de Bruijn,   defended in April 2011
  2. Domestic Violence on a Small Island Community started 2009  Promotores: prof.dr. J.G.M. de Bruijn UNA, prof.dr. E. de Leeuw UU
  3. Fraude en Corruptie in de Nederlandse Cariben started 2010. Promotores: prof.dr. JGM de Bruijn UNA, prof. dr. L. Huberts VU
  4. Governance and Policies in the Health Care Sector, a comparative research on Curaçao and Barbados, started 2010. Promotores prof. dr. P. Meurs EUR, prof dr. JGM de Bruijn UNA
  5. Geschiedenis van Professionalisering in het welzijnswerk in de Nederlandse Cariben started 2009
  6. Global Aging and Gender,  started in 2011.