CONTENTS 1.The Il Chamus of North Central Kenya and their Commitment to Female Circumcision by Beneah M. Mutsotso 2. The Understanding of Probability in the Iraqi Culture by Saad Darwish 3. Potential of Women Entrepreneurs in Brazil, Russia, India and China: A Comparison of Gendered Based Entrepreneurial Activities by Manu Sharma 4. Politicization of Education in Nigeria: Implications for National Transformation by Nsemba Edward Lenshie

With the changing economic environment, the Editors question what impact this will have on applied researchers around the world. What can we learn from their cases? What can one region learn from another? With increased pressure on researchers to achieve academic reputation, how does this fit with the demands for greater practical applicability? For them, applied research is seen as a vital part of the infrastructure for economic and social development, in the region and beyond.