Harvard Thinks Green.

NPR did a great piece on limited Internet access in Cuba, in spite of a fiber optic cable that now connects the island to Venezuela. This is a reminder of the strong correlation between broadband and development. According to Africa CAN:

“In 2009, the World Bank released its Information and Communications for Development report that showed access to broadband boosts economic growth in all countries, but most especially in developing ones. The study showed that in developing countries, for every 10 percentage points of broadband penetration, their economies grew by 1.38 percent. The report, conducted in 120 countries between 1980 to 2006, developed countries’ economies grew by 1.21 percent. Broadband access is key for economic growth and even more vital in developing countries”
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/2011/01/10/broadband-and-economic-growth-in-africa/#_ftn1

Open Learning InitiativeThe Harvard Extension School’s Open Learning Initiative brings a selection of noncredit online courses featuring Harvard faculty to the public for free.

Really cool conference that I still need to watch. Very cool topic, “course” entitled: “Women, Men, and Food: Putting Gender on the Table” from Harvard’s Radcliffe institute of advanced studies.