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Newsletter Article - CMF's E-Platform


Author: Gedeon Lim

Building on the success of our MRAP program, the Centre for Micro Finance (CMF) is proud to announce the latest milestone in our drive to build research capacity and excellence in the Microfinance sector: the CMF E-Training website (http://cmfetraining.wordpress.com) and the CMF E-Library website (http://cmfelibrary.wordpress.com)
With 7 years of experience in Micro Finance research, CMF has amassed a wealth of presentations and training materials used in the many seminars and workshops that we have conducted till date. The problem was that there was no one portal or channel through which we could easily disseminate these materials. Thus, the decision to bring all our material under a single website to facilitate easy accessibility for all stakeholders was a necessity.
 
Accessing the E-Training website, readers will find our training material neatly organised into 5 concise modules designed to hand-hold beginners and experts alike through a typical research process that Principle Investigators (PIs) and Research Associates (RAs) undertake when conceptualizing and carrying out CMF research studies. Readers will be introduced to the basics, from the design of research to how to select a research method; sampling; fieldwork & training.  At the same time, the 5th module, “Microfinance (In India)” provides an insightful introduction to the economics of poverty and the history and challenges of Microfinance from a research centre’s point of view.

The E-Library site intends to be a repository of news articles and research papers on four specific categories broadly dealing with CMF’s research in financial services for the poor. The four categories under which the links to various articles will be listed are: financial inclusion, livelihoods, policy and regulation and social objectives. For anyone who wishes to be updated on the latest happenings and events in this sector, this site will be a one-stop point for them

Our hope is that the E-Training and E-Library websites will serve as a source point for all researchers, practitioners and students who are interested in conducting Micro Finance research. More importantly, we hope to generate further interest in the Micro Finance sector for continual advances in research.






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