The thesis interrogates how the political dynamics that emerged in the formulation of the 2016 land legislation in Malawi influenced the gendered outcomes. It highlights the complexity of the policymaking process that was shaped by divergent interests and power dynamics of the stakeholders. It argues that although the interests and agenda complicated the process, their discourses were framed and justified their positions within the development and gender equality framework. It highlights the progressive nature of the socio-legal provisions in the legislation by significantly recognising and promoting women’s land rights. It contends that advances in legal institutions are essential; however, for inclusive transformation to be sustainable, changes in social and cultural practices and norms are imperative. This is because Malawian women continue to face exclusion in owning, controlling and accessing land albeit being the major agricultural producers. This is owed to the persistence of patriarchal attitudes in institutions that perpetuate contestation in the public and private spheres of women’s rights to access, own and control over land. Such is persistent particularly within customary laws which remain sites of struggle between traditional leaders’ claims and women’s societal positions. Hence, creating enabling environments for women will allow them to articulate their political voices and agenda and as such influence policy and legal formulation. Through a multi-faceted approach encompassing of legal pluralism, feminist perspectives on gender and development, and the theory of change, the paper discusses the complexity of policymaking that has been shaped by interests and power. For instance, most chiefs contested against their limited powers and the inclusion of women in land administration issues as stipulated in the new Land Laws, while CSOs advocated for the laws to be people-centred, gender-sensitive and responsive to women’s needs. Also, International organisations were interested in ensuring that there is improved land governance framework and its implementation is in line with VGGT. Thus, apparent realities emerge from the analysis of these political dynamics within the adoption of the 2016 Land Laws: the differing stakeholders’ agenda and how they all pressed on advancing their agenda. Nonetheless, gender equality and development discourse was an aspect that was apparent in the debates.

Content: Preface Selected publications Statistics (Publications and patents, Concluded scientific degrees; Appointments and honors; Invited conference contributions, colloquia, lectures and talks; Conferences, workshops, colloquia and seminars; Exchange of researchers; Projects) Doctoral training programme Experimental equipment User facilities and services Organization chart and personnel

Memoria (licenciado en ciencias jurídicas y sociales)

For years political fundraising was structured around who could raise the most to outlast their opponent. The 2016 presidential elections showed that this standard was no longer the case. Fundraising was a core aspect of campaign finance that was further advanced with the introduction of Citizens United. It established new outlets of fundraising known as super PACs that changed the dynamics in campaign finance. This further incentivized presidential candidates to raise as much funds as they could. Former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush embodied this new gold standard in his 2016 campaign run. On the other hand, celebrity mogul Donald Trump completely defied all standards with his self-funded 2016 campaign. Bush’s defeat and Trump’s victory represents a new era of campaign finance for future elections.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Zambia has, since independence in 1964, endeavoured to build an effective local government system anchored on decentralisation in an effort to attain the values and principles of democracy, autonomy and transparency. These values and principles are essential in enhancing service delivery and development. Within the South African context, De Visser and May argue, in keeping with the developmental imperatives for decentralisation, that local governments should be entrusted with fundamental powers and functions related to basic service delivery. A local government entrusted with fundamental powers is said to be the best foundation for building democracy, social and economic development. Therefore, the desire to build a strong foundation for an effective local government system is what motivates the design of local government administrations in many countries. One of the essential aspects in the design of a local government system is administrative autonomy. Administrative autonomy is important because it plays a complementary role to the realisation of political and fiscal autonomy. Administrative autonomy refers to the discretion to appoint, remunerate, discipline and dismiss staff as well as determining internal administrative procedures. It further ensures that the implementation of local policies is locally directed and driven by promoting accountability of local administrative officials to sub-national governments. In an effort to have a local government system that promotes accountability of local administrative officials to sub-national governments, Zambia has over the years employed three systems of local government administrations from 1964 to 2016 namely, the separate, unified and integrated systems.

El presente trabajo explora las atribuciones causales de éxito electoral en los integrantes del Frente Amplio (FA) durante las elecciones generales. Para esto se realizaron entrevistas a profundidad con 9 miembros de la coalición. Se identifican cuatro grandes grupos explicativos para el éxito: causas vinculadas a la organización política, a la candidata presidencial, a elementos en la coyuntura política y a la población. Estos bloques de sentido se analizaron y categorizaron de acuerdo al modelo tridimensional, el cual contempla la ubicación, el control y la estabilidad como dimensiones independientes y complementarias. La sistematización de la información recopilada permite afirmar que el enfoque teórico de Bernard Weiner ayuda a comprender los fenómenos políticos a nivel psicológico, puesto que brinda una aproximación cognitiva, emocional y volitiva del problema. / This paper explores the causal attributions of electoral success in FA members during the general elections of 2016. In-depth interviews were conducted with 9 coalition members. Four major groups are identified for success: causes linked to the political organization, the presidential candidacy, elements in the political situation and the population. These blocks of meaning were analyzed and categorized according to the three-dimensional model, which contemplates location, control and stability as independent and complementary dimensions. The systematization of the collected information allows affirming that the theoretical approach of Bernard Weiner helps to understand the political phenomena at the psychological level, since it provides a cognitive, emotional and volitive approach of the problem. / Tesis

Vertical greenery systems (VGSs) on building walls in cities develop rapidly worldwide in recent years, which is a potentially effective way to mitigate urban heat island (UHI) effect mainly through evapotranspiration and shading. Benefits of using vertical greening applications are of social and environmental origins, such as CO₂ emission reduction, energy saving, air quality improvements and enhanced aesthetic. However, little is known about C sequestration and CO₂ flux of vertical greening, and less attention has been paid on the C balance of vertical greening. In addition, many factors have great influence on C sequestration of vertical greening, including plant species, orientations and fertilizer application. However, limited studies report their impacts on C cycling, mitigation of UHI effect and improvement of urban microclimate of vertical greening. / Firstly, C sequestration of seven common plant species and that of Peperomia claviformis under six fertilizer treatments were studied. The results showed that plant species and fertilizer application had significant effects on shoot and root biomass. In contrast, we investigated C sequestration of Schefflera octophylla in four orientations, and showed that orientation had no significant influence. C sequestration of the seven species in VGSs ranged from 61 to 523 g C m⁻² y⁻¹. Meanwhile, the total C footprint of their maintenance ranged from 196 to 434 g Ce m⁻² y⁻¹, including the C footprint of fertilizer, pesticide and electricity consumption for irrigation. Newly established VGSs with these seven species could become C source from C sinks with large amount of C emissions from the maintenance practices between 2.7 and 43.6 years. / Secondly, the CO₂ fluxes of VGSs were determined by chamber-based measurement. Plant species and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) played a dominant role in CO₂ fluxes. Fertilizer also significantly contributed to CO₂ fluxes of VGSs. Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO₂ and respiration rates of VGSs varied with plant species, and most species in VGSs were higher in summer than other seasons. / Thirdly, VGS in the west-facing wall had the best capacity in terms of daily maximum wall temperature on sunny days. In addition, VGSs decreased the indoor air temperature of the thermal test room with VGSs. Solar radiation, total bright sunshine and relative humidity had the greatest significant correlations and relatively stronger coefficients with thermal indicators. / Finally, we compared the electricity consumption for cooling in flats with and without a VGS (8.22m²) in a pubic housing estate, and quantified the environmental benefits and burdens of a commercially available VGS. The daily electricity saving by the VGS in the flats with and without a VGS (8.22m²) in sunny, cloudy and rainy days in summer was 1.30, 0.84 and 0.71 kWh, respectively. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to analyze the environmental burdens of the VGS in its material, transportation, use and end-of-life stages. A comparison of the environmental burdens and benefits gained from cooling showed that the environmental burden of the VGS in regard to abiotic depletion of fossil fuels could be paid back in 20 years. / Overall, vertical greeneries installed on building walls did not only play a significant role on alleviation the problems of global warming and climate change through C sequestration and energy saving, but alse contribute to mitigating the UHI effects and improving urban microclimate due to the thermal performance. / 近年來城市中垂直綠化快速發展，主要通過植物蒸騰和遮陰效應而成為一種減緩城市熱島效應的有途徑。垂直綠化的應用由於其多種社會和環境效益，比如降低二氧化碳排放、節能、提高空氣品質和提升審美效果。然而，我们對於垂直绿化的碳匯和二氧化碳通量所知甚少，并且很少有研究關注垂直绿化的碳收支。並且，許多因素影響垂直綠化的碳匯，包括植物品種、朝向和施肥。但是在垂直綠化的碳循環、減緩城市熱島效應和提升城市微氣候方面研究卻很少。 / 首先，我们研究了七種常见的垂直绿化植物的碳汇和黑叶椒草在六种不同施肥处理下的碳匯。结果显示，植物品種和施肥對茎部和根部生物量有顯著促進作用。相比之下，我們還研究了鵝掌柴在四個朝向的碳匯，結果顯示，朝向對其並沒有顯著影響。七種垂直綠化植物的碳匯範圍為每年每平方米61到253克碳。同時，這些植物的維護包括施肥、噴藥和灌溉用電，造成了每年每平方米196到434克碳排放。因此，由於維護所造成的大量碳排放。所以這七種植物垂直綠化系統在2.7年到43.6年之內將從碳源變成碳匯。 / 第二，我們用二氧化碳分析儀測定了垂直綠化的碳通量。植物品種和光合有效輻射在碳通量上起主導作用。施肥也同樣顯著影響垂直綠化的碳通量。淨生態系統碳交換量和呼吸速率隨植物品種而變化，並且在夏天高於其他季節。 / 第三，在晴天最大牆面溫度上，西向的垂直綠化有佳的植物降效應。並且，垂直綠化降低了測試房間的室內空氣溫度。太陽輻射、總日照和相對濕與熱能指標有最多的顯著關係，並且有更高的相關係數。 / 最後，我們比較了在公共住宅的有垂直綠化(8.22平方米)和無垂直綠化的房間用於降溫的電量消耗，並評估了一個商業化垂直綠化系統的環境效益和環境負荷。在對比已安裝和未安裝垂直綠化的兩個房間後，在晴天、陰天和雨天每日省電量分別為1.30, 0.84 and 0.71千瓦時。我們用生命週期評價來對垂直綠化在材料、運輸、使用和最終階段的環境負荷進行了分析。對比了垂直綠化的環境效益和環境負荷後可知，化石燃料的不可再生資源消耗能夠在20年內償還。 / 總之，建築物外牆的垂直綠化不僅通过其碳匯和节能作用能夠對溫室效應和氣候變化有顯著作用，而且由于其熱性能還能緩解城市熱島效應和提升微氣候。 / Pan, Lan. / Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2016. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 217-246). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 24, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

The new technological mediums of each era, such as the radio in the 1920s and 30s, television in the 1950s and 60s, and today’s Internet and social media platforms, allow presidential candidates the opportunity to control their messaging and the potential to reach a greater audience than ever before. Candidates today are increasingly using social media and the Internet as a vital campaign source for spreading information, raising money, and rallying voters. Whether social media will measure into offline votes and political influence is yet to be seen, but presidential candidates who quickly recognize the potential of the latest technologies and use the new mediums at their disposal will nonetheless reap the most benefits of political communication.

This study examines the role of traditional media-outlets when Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States in 2016. The study is a quantitative study, comparing the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections, where the correlation between voter’s media consumption and their perceived polarization are examined. The data comes from the ANES Time Series Studies from 2012 and 2016. This study shows that traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers and certain webpage’s) played a significant, but relative small role, in both elections. However, the correlation between media and polarization was slightly higher in 2016. The conclusion is that an individual’s media consumption also influences his or her level of polarization, also when Donald Trump was elected president. But an individual’s level of polarization is also based on a number of other factors, apart from media consumption. The study also discusses media consumption and polarization in the context of the new media model, where social media plays a large part.

Magister Legum - LLM (Public Law and Jurisprudence) / Zambia has had a system of local government whose origin can be traced back to the colonial era. This system of local government, which is comprised by local authorities, did not have constitutional recognition. The 1996 Constitution of Zambia was the first to recognise the institution of local government. Nevertheless, the only aspect of local government which was entrenched was the provision that councils were to be democratically elected by universal adult suffrage. Other key principles of local democracy, such as citizen participation, local accountability and transparency, that are necessary pillars to an effective system of local government, were not recognised in this Constitution. It was not a surprise that most Zambians experienced challenges in accessing basic public and social services such as water supply, sanitation, housing and health care, which are a responsibility of local government. The absence of sufficient democratic content in the 1996 Constitution and in the enabling legislative and policy framework partly contributed to the ineffectiveness of local authorities.