Papers by L. Groenendijk
In the search for new approaches to respond to the need for good professional and academic educat... more In the search for new approaches to respond to the need for good professional and academic education in land administration, e-learning has proven to be a good alternative to traditional classroom education. E-learning can play a crucial role in capacity building in land administration in developing countries and countries in transition. Several aspects of elearning are highly relevant for academic education in land administration and in particular to support the mission of the United Nations University (UNU) School for Land Administration Studies. E-learning supports student-centred learning approaches and knowledge exchange between students from all over the world contributing to the global land administration knowledge base. Students in remote locations and working adult students have the opportunity to attend online courses without cost for travel and without the need to leave the workplace. E-learning supports lifelong learning and continuous development of land administration professionals. High numbers qualified land administration professionals are needed to implement and maintain sustainable land information systems. Through e-learning large numbers of students can be reached and trained. E-learning and related Web 2.0 technologies are increasingly becoming an element in professional networks and academic partnerships in land administration.
In the search for new approaches to respond to the need for good professional and academic educat... more In the search for new approaches to respond to the need for good professional and academic education in land administration, e-learning has proven to be a good alternative to traditional classroom education. E-learning can play a crucial role in capacity building in land administration in developing countries and countries in transition. Several aspects of elearning are highly relevant for academic education in land administration and in particular to support the mission of the United Nations University (UNU) School for Land Administration Studies. E-learning supports student-centred learning approaches and knowledge exchange between students from all over the world contributing to the global land administration knowledge base. Students in remote locations and working adult students have the opportunity to attend online courses without cost for travel and without the need to leave the workplace. E-learning supports lifelong learning and continuous development of land administration professionals. High numbers qualified land administration professionals are needed to implement and maintain sustainable land information systems. Through e-learning large numbers of students can be reached and trained. E-learning and related Web 2.0 technologies are increasingly becoming an element in professional networks and academic partnerships in land administration.
This paper examines the status of land administration as an academic discipline. An evaluation ap... more This paper examines the status of land administration as an academic discipline. An evaluation approach for validating areas of study as academic disciplines is described. The approach is then applied to land administration. The following attributes are found to exist: formal definitions, a common knowledge base, structural elements on university level, graduate programs and students, both academic and professional associations, textbooks, discipline specific lingo, some icons and visible scholars, some researcher self-identification with the discipline, some accepted rules, recurring conferences, and a strong interaction between academia and the field of practice. The following attributes are found to be wanting: unifying theories, procedures and methods of inquiry, a unique cluster of research problems, a shared vision, recurring journals, and a truly worldwide research community. In summary, at best, land administration represents a discipline in formation. Alternatively, it can be considered an emerging area of interdisciplinary study, however, still primarily based in the areas of land registration (land lawyers) and cadastre (geodesists/surveyors). It is concluded that scholars, including those beyond the traditional fields, and practitioners must work more collaboratively to overcome the areas of weakness. In doing so, the utility of land administration in assisting with the delivery of broader societal goals will be enhanced.
Land Use Policy, 2013
ABSTRACT Food security remains an ongoing global concern: the challenge of ensuring food availabi... more ABSTRACT Food security remains an ongoing global concern: the challenge of ensuring food availability, access, and utility for all, at all times, is yet to be met. The body of literature relating to food security is growing immensely. Land administrators are part of the discourse. Their arguments are spread disparately across academic and professional publications. The distinction between scientific work and political rhetoric is increasingly blurry: the role of land administration needs to be more concisely articulated. This paper provides a new synthesis on the relationships between land administration and food security. It undertakes a review of land administration literature relating to food security. It aims at crystallizing understandings of how land administration supports, or fails to support, food security at a conceptual level, and also the strategic and operational levels of land administration systems. The relationship between land administration and food security appears to be conceptually agreed upon; however, at operational levels the link is less evident. Conceptually, land administration is argued to deliver (and sometimes not deliver) secure land tenure, support for implementation of agricultural policies, access to credit, less litigation, easier land dealings, land taxation, land inventories, and land transaction controls. This enables (or undermines) subsistence farming, development of local agricultural sectors and markets, credit to access to non-local food markets, farm subsidization, more efficient land utilization, fairer international investments, and national food planning strategies. In general, the examined literature tends to focus on problem identification rather than system design. Additionally, the large amount of positive viewpoints need better validation in many cases. Future work needs to concentrate on examining the utility of land information and geospatial tools for food security, extracting lessons from the land administration systems of developed contexts, and improving the links at an operational level.
Conference Presentations by L. Groenendijk
The last five years has shown a remarkable growth of academic programs in land administration in ... more The last five years has shown a remarkable growth of academic programs in land administration in Eastern Africa. In recognition of the role of land and land administration, various governments have supported training institutions in their countries to set up programmes in the land administration domain. Programs at Bachelor's level are being offered in Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda, and are expected to start in Tanzania. Ethiopia embarked on an MSc program in Land Administration, while universities in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, are developing their postgraduate and/or master's curricula.
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Papers by L. Groenendijk
Conference Presentations by L. Groenendijk