Cooperation

This book is a rich addition to the existing knowledge on models of development partnership among developing countries. Unlike the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which exclusively focuses on physical infrastructure development with a strong financing component by China, the Asia–Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) envisages a holistic approach toward development partnership based on the spirit of triangular cooperation, demystifying the donor-recipient model of development cooperation.

Cooperation is pervasive throughout nature, but its origin remains an open question. For decades, social scientists, business leaders, and economists have struggled with an important question: why is cooperation so ubiquitous among unrelated humans? The answers would have profound effects because anything that promotes cooperation leads to more productive work environments and benefits society at large. Game theory provides an ideal framework for studying social dilemmas, or those situations in which people decide whether to cooperate with others (benefitting the group) or defect by prioritizing their self-interest (benefitting only the individual). The social dilemma is formulated as a mathematical game and then programmed into a computer model. Simulating the game allows researchers to investigate potential theories to explain how cooperation emerges and what promotes its persistence.