CV Prof. Mario BIGGERI

PRESENT POSITION

- Associate Professor in Development Economics at the University of Florence, Department of Economics.

President of the MSc. in Advanced Development Economics. Member of the PhD in Politics and Economics of Developing Countries. Member of the Committee of the professors of undergraduate degree in Development Economics and International Co-operation. Member of the Executive Council of the Faculty of Economics.

Teaching (Academic year 2008/2009):

• Economics of Transition (undergraduate and postgraduate).
• Economic development (undergraduate).
• International Aid and Human Development (postgraduate).
• CEDIC Advanced Chinese Studies

Teaching (Academic year 2007/2008):

• Economics of Transition (undergraduate and postgraduate).
• Economic development (undergraduate).
• International Aid and Development (postgraduate).
• Information, Data Base and Applied Econometrics for Developing Countries (and Coordinator of this module n° 1 for PhD students).
• Process of Local Development in Developing Countries, based on Clustering of Small and Medium Enterprises and Informal Sector Upgrading (and Coordinator of this module n° 4 for PhD students)

Research: Child Poverty, Capabilities Approach for children and disable, International Aid, Community Based Organization of The Poor and Collective Action, Informal Economy Upgrading and Clusters of Small and Medium Enterprises.

Other activities

- Coordinator of the thematic group of Children of the Human Development and Capability Association HDCA, Coordinator of the research titled Children Development and Deprivation.

- Coordinator of ECORES the research group of professors and researchers (40 people) of the Faculty of Economics for Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability.

- Member of the committee of the University of Florence for International cooperation projects (since 2007)

- Member of Centro Interuniversitario di Economia Applicata alle Politiche per l'Industria, lo Sviluppo Locale e l'Internazionalizzazione (c-met-05) (since 2007).

- Member of the council, CIRPAC,- Interuniversity Research Centre for Peace. studies and Conflict Analysis and Mediation, (Expert on children issues and Asia), (since 2008)

- Member of LEI-ARCO, laboratorio di Economia dell'Innovazione e Action Research for Co-development (since 2008).

Other courses (either Florence Univ.) courses, seminars during 2002 -2008:

Universities:

- Ancona Univ., L. Bocconi Milano Univ., Bologna Univ., Cambridge Univ., Ferrara Univ., La Sapienza Roma Univ., Federico II Napoli Master ISMED, Oxford QEH, Siena, St. Anna Pisa, University College of London (UCL).

Institutes and research centers

- ISPI (Milano), IAO Ministry of Foreign Affairs Florence, IsIAO Roma, and L'INSTITUTE [Institute for Industrial Development Policy -Università di Birmingham (UK), Ferrara (Italia) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (USA)-], Institute of Child Health (UCL), Accademia dei Georgofili.

CURRICULUM STUDIORUM

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

- University of Siena. Ph.D. on Agricultural Economics and Policy [17/06/1998, Grade A, PhD started in November 1994].

The PhD thesis title is "Factors explaining the Development of Chinese Agriculture After the Reforms: Empirical Analysis Based on a Provincial Panel Data Set". The topic: Chinese provincial rural and agricultural development including rural industrialization through small and medium enterprises and impact on poverty reduction.

- University of Reading (UK). MSc. in Development Economics and Policy [5/07/1996, Grade of pass with Distinction].

- University of Florence. Laurea in Economics Faculty of Economics [21/04/1994, Grade of 110/110 and Distinction plus the honor "'auspicio' of publication" of the thesis of Laurea, enrolled in November 1987].

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION ON EDUCATION

- University of Cambridge. (UK) LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME/ERASMUS, for lecturers/professors, (April 2008).

- University College of London. (Uk) LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME/ERASMUS, for lecturers/professors, (March 2008).

- University of Cambridge. (UK) Cambridge Advanced Program on Re-thinking Development Economics,  CAPORDE, Residential course for young professors and researchers (2^nd to 18^th July 2003).

- Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (CASS, Beijing, China). Visiting researcher at the Rural Development Institute (RDI) October-November 1996 for the PhD research and June-July 2000 and May-June 2005 research on Small and medium enterprises in China [within agreement CASS/CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche). (Field research in Beijing, Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi, Shanghai)].

- European University Institute (EUI, Fiesole, Firenze). Visiting PhD student of the following courses: Microeconometrics (Prof. A. Ichino) 1999, Macroeconomics Distribution and Growth (Prof. G. Bertola) 1998, Microeconometrics (prof. C. Dustmann, 1997), Economics of Inequality (Prof. J. Micklewright and R. Waldman) 1995. Visiting student: Development Economics (Prof. A. Cornia) 1993.

- Econometrics June 1995 post-graduate residential course (11 days, Bertinoro, Italy) in Econometrics organized by CIDE (Centro Interuniversitario di Econometria).

- University of Reading (UK). 1992/93 Visiting student (Erasmus student) at the Department of Economics.

CONFERENCES

I have participated (and presented a paper) in 33 international conferences and in 6 national conferences (details on request). The last three international conferences were:

CEA, International Annual Conference of the Chinese Economic and Business Association UK, Co-author Danilo Gambelli, title "Chinese provincial economic growth between 1986-2006", 1 April 2008, Cambridge University.

IAFFE Annual Conference International Association for Feminist Economics, title, "Re-thinking child labour and child work through the capabilities approach: a new definition of children activities", 19-21 June 2008, Turin University, Italy.

International Annual Conference of the Human Development and Capability Association, Co-author Santosh Mehrotra, title, "Child poverty as capabilities deprivation", 11-13 September 2008, New Delhi, INDIA.

Invited speaker at the following 13 international conferences/seminars.

International conference - Children's Valued Capabilities, Oxford Children and the Good Life: New Challenges for Research on Children, Univ. Bielefeld, 2-4 April 2009.

OPHI International conference - Child Poverty and its Multidimensional Character: an Empirical Investigation on Children of Afghanistan, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), With J-F. Trani and Mauro V., Oxford, 1-2 June 2009.

International Annual Conference on Development and Change Promoting Development in a Globalized World, paper on "The ‘resurgence' of globalisation into Sub-Saharan Africa: economic impact and policy implications for human development", Cape Town, South Africa, December 9th - 11th, 2007.

International Seminar -Multidimensional Poverty: How to Choose Dimensions-, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), Oxford University, Queen Elizabeth House, paper on "Addressing Children's Dimensions of Poverty", Oxford, 23-25 May 2006.

International Séminaire 2ème - Enfance et développement: Travail des enfants et enfants des rues-, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, C3ED, paper on "Children ‘s capabilities versus child labour: towards a new definition of child labour based on the capability approach", 27 avril 2006.

International Annual Conference on Development and Change Promoting Development in a Globalized World, paper on "China in Perspective: From Economic ‘Miracle' to Human Development?", Neemrana, India, 02-04 December 2005.

International Conference. "Promoting Human Rights and Social Policies for Children and Women: Monitoring and Achieving the Millennium Development Goals". Paper on "Children well-being: are MICS Adequate to Measure Children's Functionings?" UNICEF-The New School University, April 2004.

International conference on Child Labour, paper on "Child labour and Subcontracted Home-Based Manufacturing in Low and Middle-income Asia" May 2002, Oslo, Norway. The World Bank. Co-author Mehrotra S..

International conference on Home-based work by women and children in Asia, UNICEF, 6-8 December 2001, Bangkok. Co-author Mehrotra S..

International conference on Home-based work by women and children in Asia, UNICEF, 6-8 December 2001, Bangkok. "A new labour-absorbing growth strategy? Out-sourced manufacturing to home-based workers in low and middle-income Asia". Coautore Mehrotra S..

International conference on Child Labour in South Asia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 15-17 October 2001. Co-author Mehrotra S..

International Symposium, AIEA2, Bologna, 5-8 September 2001. V° International Symposium "Perspective of the Agri-food System in the New Millennium". Plenary session. Co-author Giovannini E..

International Seminar on China Agricultural Census Results, 19-22 September 2000, ISCACR, FAO, Beijing, China. Co-author Giovannini E..

LANGUAGES

Italian (mother tongue) - fluent English - good Spanish - basic French.

COMPUTER SKILLS

STATA 9, SPSS 12, SAS, E-views, TSP, Statistica, ArcView, Access.

SCHOLARSHIPS/Grants

- Lifelong Learning Programme/Erasmus (2008, for Univ. Cambridge and University College of London).

- CNR/CASS grant as visiting researcher in Beijing for 21 days (2005) research object Labour Market in SMEs cluster in China.

- FGR grant from the University of Florence to study relation among human and economic development (2002).

- FGR grant from the University of Florence to study SMEs clustering in China (2001).

- FGR grant from the University of Florence to study SMEs in Developing countries (2000).

- ECRFF (EU-China Research Fellowship Fund) for one month of field study in China. Funds of the European Union - Chinese Academic Network (ECAN), Tibetan nomads (2000).

- CNR/CASS grant as visiting researcher in Beijing for 21 days (2000) research object SMEs cluster in China.

- Ph.D. grant from November 1994 until November 1997.

- CNR/CASS grant to study in Beijing for 30 days (1996).

- In December 1994, one year scholarship-work by the Sector of Development Economics of the Florence Municipality, not benefited because of the Ph.D..

- Qualification of «idoneo» at the scholarship of Banca D'Italia entitled to «Donato Menichella» for Development Economics 1994.

- Erasmus scholarship (6 months) Department of Economics (University of Reading, UK 92/93).

- During all the five years of secondary studies and the first year at University I received a scholarship of ENPAS.

MEMBERSHIPS, LIST PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES IN CIVIC, PUBLIC OR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

International

ACDC (Member of the Annual Conference of Development and Change)

CAPORDE (Cambridge Advanced Program on Re-thinking Development Economics)

CEA (Chinese Economic Association, UK)

ECAN (European Union China Academic Network)

ECARDC (European Conference on Agriculture and Rural Development in China)

HDCA (Human Development and Capability Association)

IDEAS (International Development Economics Associates)

International NGOs (Global March Against Child Labour and for Education, Fair Trade Group)

National (Italian)

AISSEC (Ass. Italiana per lo Studio dei Sistemi Economici Comparati)

ECONOMETICA (Economics and Ethics)

ECORES (Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability)

Several Italian associations and NGOs (Banca Etica, ONGT, Mani Tese, Cospe, RAM, CTM, Ideamondo, Eticamente)

REFEREE

Journals: Journal of International Development JID, Journal of South Asian Development JSAD, Global Social Policy Journal, Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies JCEBS, Journal of Human Development JHD, Development in Practice, Rivista di Economia e Politica Industriale and La Questione Agraria (Italian review), Books Routledge, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press.

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

- Mission for projects evaluation and monitoring to India and Nepal (September, 2008). Project on marginalized and disable children.

- Senior researcher of LEI-ARCO University of Florence, Pin Prato.

- Senior researcher for L'INSTITUTE (Institute for industrial Development Policy) project on "SMEs in China (Guangdong) and Tuscany (Italy)" from April 2003 to June 2005.

- Coordinator for the research project: "Children Establishing Their Priorities: Developing a Bottom-Up Strategy for Understanding Childhood and Children's Well-Being", a co-operation between the organizers of the ‘Children's World Congress on Child Labour' (CWCCL) the Global March Against Child Labour -GMACL-, the NGO Mani Tese and the PhD in Politics and Economics of Developing Countries of the University of Florence.

- Senior researcher on a project on ‘Health impact and response to a growing number of social upheavals' supported by the to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on ‘Health and Social Upheavals' coordinated by Professor Sir Michael Marmot of the University College London, from November 2003 to December 2004.

- UNICEF IRC, consultant of The Understanding Children's Work (UCW) Project- a ILO/UNICEF/World Bank (from November 2002 to January 2004), Research on "Idle Children" and Child Labour in Latin America and bibliography review on Child Labour (last two months).

- Lecturer and Researcher in Development Economics at the University of Florence, Department of Economics (From 1st September 2000 to 31^st October 2003).

- Consultant to RAM (Italian ONG): Mission for projects feasibility evaluation to Nepal, October-November 2003.

- UNICEF IRC, consultant (from October 2000 to October 2002), Research on "Home Base Workers and Child Labour in Manufacturing Processes in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand".

- Researcher (one year-contract) in Development Economics at the University of Florence April 1999 to march 2000. The research topics was on "Institutional and Economic Factors in the Formation and Evolution of Informal Activities and Local Systems of Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries".

- Assistant in Development Economics, since November 1998. I was also acting as coordinator and organizer of the PhD course in Politics and Economics of Developing Countries for the academic years 1998/99, 1999/2000 and 2000/01.

- Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare (IAO) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One week intensive teaching activities (with Prof. Jonathan Kydd and Dr. Franco Viciani) on the "Southland Case Study", international post-graduate course for professors, researchers and high level civil servants from developing countries, on Food Security (12/1999, 6/2000, 12/2000). January/February 2004 Coordinator and Lecturer of one module.

- Mission for Mani Tese (Italian NGO): projects evaluation and monitoring to Mexico (Chiapas) and Guatemala, June-July 1999.

- Research assistant at the Department of Statistics of the University of Bologna from July 1998 to January 1999. The research was on Emilia Romagna Region and based on the analysis of 1997 ISTAT survey data. Software used SAS.

- Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare (IAO) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One week residential seminar (29 April-5 May 1998) on "Policy and Strategies for Agricultural Development" given for postgraduate students (PhD). "Policy and Strategies for Agricultural Development: the case of China".

- Collaboration with the Statistic Department of the University of Florence as coordinator and supervisor of statistic telephone interviews for the Tuscany Region. From May 1995 to March 2000.

- Mission for Mani Tese (Italian NGO): projects evaluation and monitoring to Vietnam and Cambodia, April-May 1998.

- Assistant of the Executive Secretariat, International Seminar on «Improving the Quality of Prices Indices», EUROSTAT, 15-21 December 1996, University of Florence.

- In 1995/1996 "Cultore della Materia" (Lecturer assistant) in Agricultural Economics and Policy at the Department of Economics of the University of Florence.

- Assistant of the Executive Secretariat, 49^th Session of the International Statistical Institute (ISI '93 Firenze): from April to the beginning of September 1993 (full-time); and from April to the beginning of June 1994 for the editing of the proceedings (vol. IV).

EXPERIENCES ABROAD

I visited -for research, project appraisal and as an independent traveler- 41 countries for a total of more than 3 years outside Italy, of which 10 months in developing countries (15) and transition economies (7).

VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATIONS AND NGOS

Since very young I participated in several NGOs and other civic associations. Since the age of ten I was part of CISV Children International Summer Village an international NGOs recognized by UNESCO. In 1980 I went with an Italian delegation to Poland. Between the age of 15 and 18 I was national secretary of Junior Branch. Since the age of 16 I took part to the activities of Mani Tese and of other NGOs active in international cooperation. I am member of the scientific committee of some NGOs dealing with international cooperation and the health of children in Italy.

- NGO Mani Tese (Firenze). Volunteer from 1990. Coordinator of the Group for Guatemala from January 1998 to January 2002.

- NGO Mani Tese (Italy). From 1999-2002 member of the Latin America Committee, Guatemala, Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil and El-Salvador.

- NGO Mani Tese (Italy). From 1995 to 1999 member of Asia Committee, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam.

- NGO Mani Tese (Italy). From 2002-2008 consultant for children issues.

- Onlus Noi per Voi (Italy), Meyer Hospital, From 2002-2008 Member.

MAIN RESEARCH ISSUES

1) Children capabilities: poverty, deprivations and development, marginalized and disable children

2) Labor markets: Child labor

3) International Aid, Cooperation and Economic and Human Development

4) Transition economics and Chinese Economic Development

5) Informal activities, poverty alleviation and social protection

6) Local system of development and Small and Medium Enterprises' (SMEs) Clusters in Developing Countries

7) Health impact of economic and social policies

1) Children capabilities: poverty, deprivations and development, marginalized and disabled children

This is my present main area of research. I am particularly concerned with issues regarding marginalized and disabled children.

Currently I am carrying out several researches on child poverty as capabilities deprivation.

- One is for Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) for Sabina Alkire applying the Foster Alkire (2008) index to Afghans children (with J-F Trani and V. Mauro).

- A second project has a special focus on disable children through the capability approach in the Tuscany Region. The project it is based at the Istituto degli Innocenti (Florence) and it is financed by the Assessorato alle politiche sociali of the Tuscany Region. I am the scientific coordinator.

- I am also trying to operationalise the approach to programme, monitor and evaluate project and programmes regarding children issues in developing countries and for disabled children. I am finalising a research with operational outcomes at Delhi (India 2008) in a slum with a local NGO together with Leonard Cheshire Disability & Inclusive Development Centre based at University College of London UK as well with Women's foundation at Kathmandu (Nepal, 2008).

- I am since 2004 coordinator of the thematic group of Children of the Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA), Coordinator of the research titled Children Development and Deprivation. This thematic group is an interdisciplinary international network of development economists, economists, anthropologists, demographers, statisticians, sociologists and psychologists. It focuses on children with the aim to develop a bottom up framework based on the capability approach to address theoretical and practical issues related to children human development. I am coordinating together with the help of two colleagues (from the University of Cambridge and the University of Versailles) a group of 40 peoples.

- We, as thematic group of Children of the HDCA, organized an international conference/workshop on "Children's capabilities" at Florence Italy the 18-19 April, 2007.

- We, this time as the thematic group of Participatory methods of the HDCA), organized an international workshop on "The capability approach and participatory methods Expanding Bridges: HDCA and Civil Society" at Florence, Italy the 18-20 May, 2007.

- We, as the two thematic groups of Children and of Participatory methods of the HDCA, organised an international workshop on "Agency and Participation: The case study of adults and children with mental illness and intellectual disability" at Delhi India the 4-9 September, 2008. We are going to organize a day workshop in Peru (Sept. 2009).

- Research on capability approach and early childhood interventions, Bernard van Leer Foundation (NL) (July 2008- January 2009).

- I was Co-ordinator of the research project "Deprivation of Street Involved Children in Kampala (Uganda)". Analysis using an ad hoc-survey (random sample) and participatory approaches. Field research in Uganda (February/June 2005). I coordinated 10 people (7 in the field research team). I was in charge of the relationships with the partners and the stakeholders of the research.

- I was Co-ordinator of the research project "Children Establishing Their Priorities: Developing a Bottom-Up Strategy for Understanding Childhood and Children's Well-Being and the Impact of Their Priorities on the Research on Child Labour" Field research in Italy (April/May 2004), India (September 2005), a co-operation between the organisers of the ‘Children's World Congress on Child Labour' (CWCCL) the Global March Against Child Labour -GMACL-, the NGO Mani Tese and the PhD in Politics and Economics of Developing Countries of the University of Florence. In Italy I coordinated 10 PhD Students and other three colleagues. I was in charge of the relationships with the partners and the stakeholders of the research.

- From October 2000 to October 2002 I was at UNICEF IRC as consultant. We carried out a research on "Home Base Workers and Child Labour in Manufacturing Processes in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand".  Child labour is widespread in industrial outwork in the informal sector in most developing countries. This form of child labour will not attract the penal provisions of a country's laws banning child labour. We examined the incidence of child work in such households, the child's schooling, reasons why children are working, their work conditions, their health, and gender issues. Based on focus group discussions with children, it also attempts to articulate the voices of children working. Policy implications are drawn accordingly. Econometric analysis is applied to analyse the determinants of child activity status. (Multilogit analysis and OLS, software STATA)-. With Santosh K. Mehrotra. I supervised two assistants a statistician and an economist.

2) Labor markets: Child labor

-I worked as consultant at UNICEF IRC in the project The Understanding Children's Work (UCW) Project.- a ILO/UNICEF/World Bank Project (11/2002 a 1/2004), I carried out a research ont the group of children that neither attends school nor performs economic activity according to the statistics of the household surveys. Drawing on datasets from six countries, evidence is provided suggesting that children can be absent from both school and economic activity because they are needed to perform household chores, because of their health, or because they are unable to find work after having left school. But a large proportion of children not in school or economic activity does not fall into any of these categories. A simple theoretical model of household decisions concerning children's time allocations is presented in an attempt to account for this "unexplained" portion of the group of children absent from school and economic activity.

I carried out data elaboration and analysis using different types of household surveys, MICS (UNICEF), Poverty Monitoring Survey, Child Labour Survey (ILO, SIMPOC), LSMS (World Bank), National Labor Force Survey. Software used STATA. Brazil, Camerun, Guatemala, Nepal, Turkey and Yemen. With Prof. Furio C. Rosati.

3) International Aid, Cooperation and Economic and Human Development

My actual research in South South international cooperation. I am researching especially on People's Republic of China international cooperation with African Countries.

In 2006, professor Volpi and I published a book for undergraduate and postgraduate students. 12 chapters and 7 appendices on international aid and development issues including poverty alleviation and MDGs. I supervised two researchers.

This is also my area of research in the first three months as consultant of UNICEF IRC were I was responsible for the data management and statistics. Mehrotra S. (2001), "The Rhetoric of International Development Targets and the Reality of Official Development Assistance" Innocenti Working Paper, no. 85.

Recently, in this area, I am focussing my attention into two main issues: 1) the international aid for children and the Millennium Development Goals; 2) the international aid to develop clustering of small and medium enterprises in the informal sector an their role in poverty reduction and social protection. I am supervising two junior researchers and working in a group of 6 people.

I am collaborating with NGOs and the Ethic Bank of Italy to identify best practices for improving project impact and to evaluate their social impact. I am supervising two junior researchers and working in a group of 5 peoples. We are working in collaboration with the HDCA.

- I am very often involved as expert at the initiatives of the Tuscany Region on international cooperation. e.g. In Latin America, Desurbal project 2007/2008 with Municipality of Arezzo and UCODEP international cooperation for local system public services development. Another example is the participation to the Commission for Asia or Tuscany Region, ... .

- I am actually involved as coordinator of the unit on international cooperation based at University of Florence in the Programme on local Human development Project financed by EU VII FP (partners, University of Pavia, Tuscany Region, UCODEP, Province of Arezzo, Municipality of Arezzo, Lunaria).

4) Transition economics and Chinese Economic Development (More details on request)

This is my initial area of research. I am interested in economics and political economy of Developing and Transition countries. Initially I was involved in research regarding the determinants of economic growth and development during the transition (econometrics, panel analysis, software used TSP). I received three grants form CNR/CASS (see curriculum studiorum) to conduct field research in China. I also received a grant from ECAN (European Union - China Academic Network, ECRFF EU-China Research Fellowship Fund) through the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, UK) and several grants from the University of Florence. (More details on request).

My actual research in South South international cooperation. I am researching especially on People's Republic of China international cooperation with African Countries.

5) Informal activities, poverty alleviation and social protection (More details on request)

I was involved mainly into three research projects:

i) One regarding the role of the informal sector in SSA developing a theoretical model. as researcher in Development economics at the University of Florence (04/1999 - 03/2000). The low-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) present a segmented economic structure. In the research I argue that, in these economies, informal activities can contribute to poverty reduction and to economic and human development. The development process is analysed starting from the assumption that its evolution is influenced by institutional endowments and non-institutional resources endowments.

ii) In the project "Home Based Workers and Child Labour in Manufacturing Processes in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand" at UNICEF IRC (see points 2 and 3), we found that collective action and organizational membership have a positive influence on women's productivity (in value terms) and health. This calls for government support to relevant collective actions. Education and work experience have a positive influence on women's productivity (in value). (Econometric analysis, Software used STATA).

iii) Coordinator of a project to develop Credit and rural cooperatives in Vitoria do Mearim, (Nord East) Brazil, April 2006-November 2007.

6) Local system of development and Small and Medium Enterprises' (SMEs) Clusters in Developing Countries (More details on request)

The analysis of Development of clusters of SMEs in developing countries as a means for economic development and poverty reduction. I received several grants from the University, and by the National Council of Research. I was visiting researcher of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 1996, 2000 and 2005.

- From 1999 to 2000 on request of FAO I collaborated with professor. E. Giovannini (Director of the OECD Statistical division) in analysing the data of the First Chinese Agricultural Census. I have studied the relevance of Township and Village Enterprises in Chinese economic development and poverty reduction.

- From 2000 to 2001 ISESAO of the Università Commerciale L. Bocconi paid me to carry out a research on The role of SMEs in Chinese industrial development.

- From November 2002 I colaborated with L'INSTITUTE [Institute for industrial Development Policy, Università di Birmingham (UK), Ferrara (Italia) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (USA)] on a project on Italian SMEs internalization and an Analysis of Guangdong and the clusters of SMEs. In this case I supervised two junior researchers and I worked with a team of 10 people.

7) Health impact of economic and social policies (More details on request)

- From March 2003 to November 2005 I collaborated to the research project on ‘Health impact and response to a growing number of social upheavals' financed by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation su ‘Health and Social Upheavals' coordinated by Professor Sir Michael Marmot of the University College London. I worked in the group of ‘Health impact and response to a growing number of social upheavals' coordinated by Prof. Giovanni Andrea Cornia.

- Projects evaluation, international cooperation of Tuscany Region on health.

- 2008-2010 Expert consultation for AIFO to evaluate through a survey the program carried out by AIFO and local NGOs and self-help groups on Disabled Persons in the district of Mandya, Karnataka, India. Partners WHO, LCC South Asia, and local partners.

MAIN PUBLICATIONS

Working papers and conferences with proceedings

Biggeri M. (2004), "Capability Approach and Children Well-being", Studi e discussioni, n° 141, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche, Università degli Studi di Firenze.

Biggeri M. (2004), "Growth with Development: Informal Sector and Human Development in Low-Income Sub-Saharan Economies", Studi e discussioni, n° 140, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche, Università degli Studi di Firenze.

Biggeri M., Guarcello L., Lyon S. and Rosati F. C. (2003), "The puzzle of "idle" children: neither in school nor performing economic activity: evidence from six countries", UCW Working Paper, Understanding Children's Work (UCW) Project, ILO/UNICEF/WORLD BANK.

Biggeri M. (2003), "Human Resources, Physical Infrastructure and Institutional Changes in a Small Sized Farm Households Agriculture: ‘the Chinese Case'", in Perspective of the Agri-food System in the New Millennium, Edited by Fanfani R. and Brasili C.. Proceedings of the AIEA2, V° International Symposium C. Bologna, 5-8 Sept. 2001.

Giovannini E., Biggeri M. (2003), "Understanding the Evolution of Chinese Rural Non-Agricultural Enterprises", in Perspective of the Agri-food System in the New Millennium, Edited by Fanfani R. and Brasili C.. Proceedings of the AIEA2 cd, V° International Symposium C. Bologna, 5-8 Sept. 2001, Invited paper session, Bologna.

Mehrotra S., Biggeri M. (2002a), "The Subterranean Child Labour Force: Subcontracted Home Based Manufacturing in Asia". Innocenti Working Paper, no. 96, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence. www.unicef.org/irc.

Mehrotra S., Biggeri M. (2002b), "Social Protection in the Informal Economy: Homebased Women Workers and Outsourced Manufacturing in Asia", Innocenti Working Paper, no. 97, UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence. www.unicef.org/irc.

Giovannini E., Biggeri, M. (2002), "The Chinese Rural Non-Agricultural Enterprises: Evidence from the First Agricultural Census", in Proceedings of the International Seminar on China Agricultural Census Results, 19-22 September 2000, ISCACR, FAO, Beijing, China.

Biggeri M. (2002), "The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): the Case of the Chinese Provinces", Working paper, presented at the XIII annual conference Chinese Economic Association.

Mehrotra S., Biggeri M. (2001), "Child labour and poverty in Home-Based Manufacturing in India and Pakistan", International conference on Child Labour in South Asia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 15-17 Oct..

Biggeri M., (2001), "The Township and Village Enterprises: The Success of SMEs in Rural China", Quaderni ISESAO, Università Bocconi, Milan.

Biggeri M. (1999), "Determinants of Chinese Provincial Economic Growth in the Last Decade: Empirical evidence for human capital, physical infrastructure and sectoral and institutional changes", Studi e Discussioni, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche, Università degli Studi di Firenze, n. 114.

Articles in journals/reviews

Biggeri M. and Mehrotra S., (2009 accepted and forthcoming) "Children in home worker households in Pakistan and Indonesia". (printing, International Journal of Man Power).

Biggeri M., Mehrotra S., Sudarshan R. M., (2009) "Child labour and Subcontracted Home-Based Manufacturing in India". Economic & Political Weekly, March, vol XLIV n. 12, pp. 47-56.

Biggeri M., Sanfilippo M., (2009), "Understanding China's Move into Africa: An Empirical Analysis", January, Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies. Vol 7 n1 January, pp. 31-53.

Bellanca N., Biggeri M., (2008), "Il significato dello sviluppo" a Sviluppo, capacitazioni e benessere, numero monografico di Studi e note di economia, Anno XIII, N°2.pp. 211-216.

Biggeri M., Gambelli D. (2008), "I fattori chiave della crescita economica in Cina: uno studio a livello regionale", Studi e note di economia, Anno XIII, N°2. pp. 245-264

Biggeri M., Hirsch G., (2008), "L'altra Cina", Studi e note di economia, Anno XIII, N°2. pp. 265-298.

Biggeri M., (2007), "Choosing dimensions in the case of children's wellbeing", Maitreyee, Human Development and Capability Association, VOL 7 N° 2, pp. 4-7.

Biggeri M., Libanora R., Mariani S. and Menchini L., (2006), "Children Conceptualizing Their Capabilities: Results of the Survey During the First Children's World Congress on Child Labour", Journal of Human Development, vol. 7, n. 1, March.

Mehrotra S., Biggeri M., (2005) "Can Industrial Outwork Enhance Homeworkers' Capabilities? Evidence from Clusters in South Asia", World Development, Vol. 33, No. 10, pp. 1735-1757

Biggeri M. (2003), "Key Factors of Recent Chinese Provincial Economic Growth", Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Vol. 1, n.° 2, p. 159-183, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Biggeri M., Gambelli D. and Phillips C. (1999), "Small and Medium Enterprise Theory: Evidence for Chinese TVEs", Journal of International Development, Vol. II n° 2, March-April, pp. 197-219, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Biggeri M. (1995), "Il mondo agricolo e rurale cinese tra sviluppo e problemi emergenti", La Questione Agraria, n° 58.

Chapters in books

Biggeri M., and Sanfilippo M., (2009), "Understanding the China's Move to Africa: An Empirical Investigation", in  Zhongmin Wu (a cura di) Financial Sector Reform and International Integration of China, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Biggeri M. (2009) "La globalizzazione economica in Africa: una prima riflessione sull'impatto economico e sociale" in C. Fiamingo (Ed.) Africa che cambia, Aracne Roma (under referee process final stage)

Biggeri M. and Santosh Mehrotra (2008) "Il peso delle attività informali nel mercato del lavoro indiano" in Gian Paolo Calchi Novati, Silvio Beretta e Simonetta Casci (Eds.) L'India fra i grandi: Politica, economia e società sessant'anni dopo, Asia Major Nuova Serie/2, Carocci, pp. 125-144.

Biggeri M., (2008), "Le attività informali e i cluster come strategia di sviluppo umano e di lotta alla povertà in Africa sub-sahariana" in Pavanello M, (eds) with Bellanca N., Biggeri M. e Libanora R., Le forme dell'economia e l'economia informale, Editori riuniti.

Biggeri M., (2007) "China in Perspective: From Economic ‘Miracle' to Human Development?", in Ashwini Deshpande (Ed), Globalization and Development: A Handbook of New Perspectives, Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

Biggeri M., (2007), "Children's Valued Capabilities", in Walker Melanie and Unterhalter Elaine (Eds), Amartya Sen's Capability Approach and Social Justice in Education, Chapter 10, pp. 197-214, Palgrave, New York, Oxon.

Biggeri M., (2006), "L'industrializzazione della Cina: fasi storiche e varietà geografiche", in Di Tommaso M. R. e Bellandi M. (Eds), Il Fiume delle Perle: Luoghi e industria in Cina e il confronto con l'Italia, Rosenberg & Sellier, Torino.

Biggeri M., (2005), "L'industria cinese, le sue varietà, e l'importanza del Guangdong come laboratorio", in Bellandi M., Biggeri M., (Eds) (2005), La sfida industriale cinese vista dalla Toscana distrettuale, L'institute, Toscana Promozione, Consorzio Ferrara Ricerche, pp. 13-37

Bellandi M., Biggeri M., (2005), "Introduzione", in Bellandi M., Biggeri M., (Eds) (2005), La sfida industriale cinese vista dalla Toscana distrettuale, L'institute, Toscana Promozione, Consorzio Ferrara Ricerche, pp. 7-9.

Bellandi M., Biggeri M., (2005), "Le prospettive del confronto interdistrettuale con la Cina", in Bellandi M., Biggeri M., (Eds) (2005), La sfida industriale cinese vista dalla Toscana distrettuale, L'institute, Toscana Promozione, Consorzio Ferrara Ricerche, pp. 203-211.

Mehrotra S., Biggeri M. (2004), "Inter-Generational Transfer of Poverty: Child Labour in Home-Based Manufacturing in India and Pakistan", in Small Hands in South Asia. Child Labour in Perspective. Edited by G. K. Lieten, Ravi Srivastava and Sukhdeo Thorat (2004) Chapter 8, IDPAD e Manohar Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, India.

Books

Pavanello M, with Bellanca N., Biggeri M. and Libanora R., (Eds) (2008), Le forme dell'economia e l'economia informale, Editori riuniti.

Bellanca N., Biggeri M., (a cura di) (2008), Sviluppo, capacitazioni e benessere, numero monografico di Studi e note di economia, 2008, Anno XIII, N°2.

Mehrotra S., Biggeri M., (Editors) (2007), Asian Informal Workers: Global Risks Local Protection Routledge, London (and Delhi for Asian Countries).

Biggeri M., Volpi F. (2007), Teoria e politica dell'aiuto allo sviluppo, (Theory and Politics of International Aid), FrancoAngeli, Milano.

Bellandi M., Biggeri M., (Eds) (2005), La sfida industriale cinese vista dalla Toscana distrettuale, L'institute, Toscana Promozione, Consorzio Ferrara Ricerche.

Biggeri M. (1998), I fattori dello sviluppo dell'agricoltura cinese dopo le grandi riforme. Analisi empiriche su un panel di dati a livello provinciale, Tesi di Dottorato, Università degli Studi di Siena.

Biggeri M. (1994), Lo sviluppo agricolo e rurale in Cina dal 1949 ad oggi, Tesi di laurea, Università degli Studi di Firenze, pp. 1-491, con auspicio di pubblicazione

Reports

Biggeri M. and Bonfanti S. (2009), The capabilities approach in early childhood: How young children value their social capabilities and agency. Study paper for Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Hague, The Netherlands.

Biggeri M., Bonfanti S. and Conradie I. (Eds) (2008), Children's Capabilities and Project Why, Reports on the results of the International Workshop on Children Capabilities and Participatory Methods, Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA), New Delhi, India, September 4-9, 2008.pp. 1-40.

Bagnoli L., Biggeri M., Lanzetta A., Fedi C., Frediani A. A., Olivo M. e Bonfanti S. (2007), La prefeitura di Vitória do Mearim: strategie di intervento, Studio di fattibilità - Cooperazione internazionale. Comuni di Pontassieve e di Pelago, Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Pontassieve ECORES, Ricerca e Didattica per l'Economia Responsabile, Facoltà di Economia - Università di Firenze, pp. 1-139.

Biggeri M. (2007), Cina: aumento della disuguaglianza e ondata migratoria verso la zona costiera, CIRPAC, Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche per la Pace e l'Analisi dei Conflitti, pp. 1-31.

Biggeri M. (2007), India: Attività informali e sviluppo locale, CIRPAC, Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche per la Pace e l'Analisi dei Conflitti, pp. 1-27

Biggeri M. (2007), Scheda Paese: Afghanistan, CIRPAC, Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche per la Pace e l'Analisi dei Conflitti, pp. 1-19

Bagnoli L., Biggeri M., Lanzetta A. (2006), La prefeitura di Vitória do Mearim: Caratteristiche socio-economiche e potenzialità di sviluppo, Studio di prefattibilità - Cooperazione internazionale. Comuni di Pontassieve e di Pelago, Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Pontassieve ECORES, Ricerca e Didattica per l'Economia Responsabile, Facoltà di Economia - Università di Firenze, pp. 1-142.

Biggeri M. (2004), "Recent Evolution of the Chinese Industrial Sector and the Analysis of the SMEs Sector" Chapter 1. in Industry, clusters and industrial policy in Guangdong and their linkages with some selected Italian industrial regions. Bellandi M., Di Tommaso M. (Editors), Report. L'INSTITUTE, Institute for Industrial Development Policy. pp. 1-76.

Biggeri M. (2004), "Development and Provincial Differences of the Chinese Industrial Sector". Chapter 2 in Industry, clusters and industrial policy in Guangdong and their linkages with some selected Italian industrial regions. Bellandi M., Di Tommaso M. (Editors), Report. L'INSTITUTE, Institute for Industrial Development Policy. Pp. 1-46.

Florence, 26 March 2009

                                                                                     Prof. Mario Biggeri