Dr Alexander Borda-Rodriguez

Professional biography

Alexander’s research interests are in the area of politics of inclusive development and innovation in the Global South. Over the last four years his research has been focused on inclusive organisational structures such as social enterprises (i.e. co-operatives and associations) and inclusive innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. His previous work explored the politics of knowledge for development and development aid in low income countries.

Some of his publications include:

• Borda-Rodriguez, A., and Vicari, S., (2016) ‘Resilience’ in Cooperative enterprise: Keywords (eds. Bernardi, A. and Monni, S) Roma Tre - Press, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, pp. 128-137.

• Borda-Rodriguez, A., Vicari, S., Johnson, H., and Shaw, L., (2015). ‘What makes rural co-operatives resilient in developing countries?’ Journal of International Development, 28 (1), pp. 89-111.

• Borda-Rodriguez, A., and Vicari, S., (2015). ‘Coffee co-operatives in Malawi: building resilience through innovation’ Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 86 (2), pp. 317-338.

• Borda-Rodriguez, A., and Vicari, S., (2014). ‘Rural co-operative resilience: the case of Malawi’ Journal of Co-operative Organization and Management, 2 (1), pp. 43–52.

• Vicari, S., Borda-Rodriguez, A., (2014). ‘Building Resilience in the Malawian co-operative movement’ The Co-operative College, Manchester, UK.

• Dandara, C., Masimirembwa, C., Huzair, F., Borda-Rodriguez, A., and Warnich, L., (2014). ‘Reflecting on the African Life Sciences Ecosystem, H3Africa and Beyond: Towards Sustainable Global OMICS Science and Innovation for All’. OMICS: Journal of Integrative Biology, 8(12), pp. 733–739.

• Levidow, L., Borda-Rodriguez, A., Papaioannou, T., (2014). ‘UK bioenergy R&D priorities: making expectations credible in state-industry arenas’ Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 87, pp. 191–204

• Borda-Rodriguez, A., Johnson, H., (2013). ‘Development on my terms: development consultants and knowledge for development’. Public Administration and Development, 33 (5), pp. 343-356.

• Huzair, F., Borda-Rodriguez, A., Upton, M., & Mugwagwa, J. T. (2013). ‘An interdisciplinary and development lens on knowledge translation’. Science and Public Policy, 40 (1), pp. 43-50.

• Levidow, L., Papaioannou, T., Borda-Rodriguez, A. (2013).‘Path-Dependent UK Bioenergy’, Science as Culture, 22 (2), pp. 213-221.

• Ozdemir, V., Borda-Rodriguez, A., Dove, E., Ferguson, L., Huzair, F., Manolopoulos, V., Masellis, M., Milius, D., Warnich, L., and Srivastava, S. (2013). Editorial: ‘Public health pharmacogenomics and the design principles for global public goods – moving genomics to responsible innovation’. Current Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, 11(1), pp. 1–4.

• Levidow, L., Papaioannou, T., Borda-Rodriguez, A. (2013). ‘Innovation Priorities for UK Bioenergy: Technological Expectations within Path Dependence’. Science & Technology Studies, 26 (3) pp. 14–36.

• Huzair F., and Borda-Rodriguez, A. (2012). ‘Challenges for the application and development of OMICS health technologies in developing countries’. Drug Development Research. 73 (7), pp. 447-451.

• Graham, J., Borda-Rodriguez, A., Huzair, F. (2012). ‘A Global Vaccine Safety System? Comparative perspectives of national regulatory authorities’, Vaccine. 30(33), pp. 4953– 4959.

• Borda-Rodriguez, A., Huzair, F. (2011). ‘Revisiting the Paris Declaration: pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine as accelerators for development aid and effectiveness’. Current Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine. 9(4): 240-242.

• Ngueng-Feze, I., Borda-Rodriguez, A., and Huzair, F. (2011). ‘Not So Simple: Situating Postgenomics Personalized Medicine in the Regional Context in Africa for Global and Women’s Health’. Current Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine. 9(4), pp. 332-334.

• Huzair, F., Borda-Rodriguez, A., and Upton, M. (2011). ‘Twenty-First Century Vaccinomics Innovation Systems: Capacity Building in the Global South and the Role of Product Development Partnerships (PDPs)’. OMICS: Journal of Integrative Biology. 15 (9), pp.539-543.

• Borda-Rodriguez, A. (2011). ‘Knowledge in development aid and healthcare: a comparative analysis’. Innovation Knowledge Development. IKD Working Paper No. 61. The Open University.

• Borda-Rodriguez, A., Lafranco, S., (2011). ‘Knowledge as power: science and technology for change’ in Tools for Change: A Handbook for Critical Development Studies, (ed. Veltmeyer, H.) Ed. Pluto, London.

  Borda-Rodriguez, A. (2006). Book review, ‘The Knowledge Society: Trompe-l’oeil or accurate perspective?’ Carton, M. & Meyer, J., Eds. L’Harmattan, Paris, France.

Alexander has taught both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. At the OU he taught the postgraduate module Development Context and Practice (T877) and currently teaches a module on inclusive development at the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership. He has also co-written case study material for distance learning teaching, which can be found on the Open Educational Resources website. This material is available to everyone interested in rural co-operative resilience in developing countries.

He welcomes PhD proposals in the area of inclusive development, particularly in relation to social enterprises, organisational resilience in developing countries and the politics of inclusive innovation. Alexander is currently co-supervising the following PhD students:

• Chris Willman, ‘Children’s Contribution to Child Labour in Bolivia’ (with Prof. Helen Yanacopulos and Dr. Agnes Czajka)

• Carlos Encalada ‘Inclusive ICTs in the context of Social and Solidarity Economy organisations, the case of Ecuador’ (with Dr. Claudia Pons and Dr. Leandro Antonelli), National University of La Plata (Argentina).

Alexander is a member of international editorial board of OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology and Current Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine. He has also setup and leads the interdisciplinary research group ITOESS  at the Universidad Católica de Cuenca (Ecuador), ITOESS is an interdisciplinary group that draws on international development and systems engineering, it explores the development and application of inclusive technologies and the role of ICTs in the context of social enterprises in Ecuador.