PEEP Publishing

Making Academic Knowledge Accessible to the World

PEEP Publishing is the academic publishing initiative of the Policy Experimentation & Evaluation Platform (PEEP), launched in 2025 to mark our 15th anniversary. As part of an international development NGO accredited by the Portuguese government, PEEP Publishing is dedicated to producing high-quality, peer-reviewed, open-access books on entrepreneurship, innovation, education, finance, and sustainable development - with a particular focus on Africa and the Arab world.

Academic knowledge should be accessible to everyone, everywhere. Traditional academic publishers often price books at levels that exclude universities, researchers, students, and practitioners in developing countries - the very regions where this knowledge could have the greatest impact. PEEP Publishing was created to challenge this model.

We believe that:

• Research should be open: All our books are freely available online under Creative Commons licensing
• Quality should not compromise access: Rigorous peer review and editorial standards are maintained while ensuring affordability
• Knowledge should serve development: Our publications address real-world challenges facing the Global South
• Partnerships amplify impact: We collaborate with leading regional institutions to ensure relevance and reach

The global academic publishing industry generates billions in revenue while limiting access to knowledge through paywalls and prohibitive book prices. Consider these examples from PEEP's previous collaborations with traditional publishers:

• Handbook on the Entrepreneurial University (Edward Elgar, 2014) – £195.00 (approximately €230)
• Developing Africa's Financial Services: The Importance of High-Impact Entrepreneurship (Emerald Publishing, 2017) – £80.00 (approximately €95)
• Transforming Africa: How to Create Shared Value Across Borders (Emerald Publishing, 2023) – £80.00 (approximately €95)

These pricing levels make such volumes inaccessible to most institutions in Africa, the Middle East, and other developing regions - precisely where this research is most needed.

PEEP Publishing operates on a fundamentally different model:

• Free online access: All publications downloadable at no cost in PDF format
• Affordable print editions: Print books available at reasonable prices, significantly below traditional academic publishers
• Open licensing: Creative Commons licenses enable sharing, translation, and adaptation
• Sustainable model: Supported by PEEP's broader development work, institutional partnerships, and print sales

This approach ensures that groundbreaking research on African financial inclusion, Arab entrepreneurial universities, or innovation ecosystems reaches the scholars, policymakers, and practitioners who can use it to drive change.

Financial Services in Africa: From Inclusion to Impact

Editor: Prof. Dana T. Redford, PhD
Publication Date: Late 2026
Status: Call for Chapters Open – Due February 10, 2026

This edited volume examines how African financial institutions, fintech ecosystems, policy frameworks, and community finance models are evolving from financial inclusion toward measurable economic and social impact—particularly for mass-market and low-income segments.

Building upon the earlier work Developing Africa's Financial Services: The Importance of High-Impact Entrepreneurship (Emerald Publishing, 2017), this book explores how the broader financial services ecosystem in Africa is maturing, driven by innovation, inclusion, sustainability, and regional integration.

Key themes:

• Strategic transformation of African financial institutions (2015-2025)
• Fintech, AI, and digital infrastructure for inclusion
• Sustainable and green finance in resource-driven economies
• Regional integration and pan-African banking
• Diaspora finance and remittance flows
• Gender, youth, and entrepreneurship support
• Case studies: Banco Millennium Atlântico (Angola), Equity Bank (Kenya), Access Bank (Nigeria), Fidelity Bank (Ghana), and others

Target audience: Researchers, policymakers, financial sector professionals, development practitioners, business school faculty, and graduate students interested in African finance, economic development, and inclusive growth.

Download Call for Chapters
Contact: dana.redford@peep.pt

Arab Entrepreneurial Universities

Editors: Prof. Dana T. Redford, PhD & Prof. Anas R. Alsoud, PhD
Publication Date: May 2027
Status: Call for Chapters – Due July 1, 2026
Launch Event: Fall 2027

This comprehensive volume explores the strategies, practices, and impacts of entrepreneurial universities across the Arab world. Combining research chapters with public policy and university case studies, the book provides actionable insights for academics, policymakers, and practitioners working to foster innovation, industry engagement, and economic transformation through higher education.

Key themes:

• Entrepreneurship strategies at Arab higher education institutions
• Triple Helix model implementation (university-industry-government)
• Public policy promoting entrepreneurship in higher education
• University incubators, accelerators, and startup support
• Building entrepreneurial ecosystems
• Gender inclusion and youth entrepreneurship
• Digital transformation, AI, and sustainability
• Case studies of national policies (e.g., Oman's mandatory entrepreneurship course)

This volume is produced in partnership with the Association of Arab Universities (AArU), representing 460 member institutions across 22 Arab countries, ensuring broad regional relevance and reach.

Target audience: Higher education leaders, government policymakers, entrepreneurship educators, university administrators, researchers, and development organizations working in the Arab region.

Learn more: www.arabeuni.org

Download Call for Chapters
Contact: editors@aaru.edu.jo

PEEP's leadership has contributed to landmark publications through traditional academic publishers, demonstrating deep expertise while recognizing the access limitations of conventional publishing models:

Handbook on the Entrepreneurial University

Editors: Alain Fayolle & Dana T. Redford
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014
The definitive reference work on entrepreneurial universities, bringing together leading international scholars to examine institutional transformation, entrepreneurship education, and university-industry engagement.

Developing Africa's Financial Services: The Importance of High-Impact Entrepreneurship

Editor: Dana T. Redford
Publisher: Emerald Publishing, 2017
Examines how high-impact entrepreneurs and innovative financial institutions are transforming Africa's financial services landscape and driving inclusive economic growth.

Transforming Africa: How to Create Shared Value Across Borders

Editors: Dana T. Redford, Rui Brites & Timothy Kiessling
Publisher: Emerald Publishing, 2023
Explores cross-border value creation, regional integration, and sustainable business models driving Africa's economic transformation.

PEEP Publishing collaborates with leading regional and international institutions to ensure our publications meet the highest academic standards while serving the needs of scholars and practitioners across the Global South.

Current partners include:

• Association of Arab Universities (AArU) – Representing 460 universities across 22 Arab countries
• University of Johannesburg – Research collaboration on African finance
• Leading African and Arab universities (institutional partnerships by project)

These partnerships provide:

• Editorial expertise and peer review networks
• Regional dissemination channels
• Institutional credibility and quality assurance
• Access to practitioner and policy audiences
• Translation and adaptation capabilities

All PEEP Publishing volumes undergo rigorous editorial and peer review processes:

Peer Review

• Double-blind peer review for all submitted chapters
• Review panels composed of recognized scholars and practitioners
• Iterative feedback and revision process ensuring quality
• Editorial oversight by subject matter experts

Editorial Standards

• APA 7th Edition referencing (or discipline-appropriate standards)
• Professional copyediting and proofreading
• Clear, accessible writing for academic and practitioner audiences
• Ethical guidelines following international publishing standards

Open Access Licensing

• Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) or similar licenses
• Permits free sharing, downloading, and citation
• Allows translation and adaptation with attribution
• Print editions available at reasonable prices

PEEP Publishing welcomes chapter proposals and book project ideas aligned with our mission of advancing knowledge on entrepreneurship, innovation, education, finance, and development in Africa, the Arab world, and other developing regions.

Current Opportunities

• Financial Services in Africa – Chapter proposals due February 10, 2026
• Arab Entrepreneurial Universities – Chapter proposals due July 1, 2026

Future Publishing Themes

We are interested in developing edited volumes on:

• Innovation ecosystems in emerging economies
• Entrepreneurship education across Africa and the Middle East
• Policy experimentation and evidence-based development
• Digital transformation in education and finance
• Sustainable development and green economies
• Gender and youth empowerment through education and entrepreneurship

   Maximum reach: Open access ensures your research reaches global audiences, especially in regions where it can have greatest impact

   Rigorous quality: Peer review and editorial standards match or exceed traditional publishers

   Development impact: Your work directly supports knowledge dissemination in the Global South

   Strategic partnerships: Collaboration with leading regional institutions amplifies visibility and credibility

   Author-friendly: Retain copyright, receive editorial support, and maintain academic integrity

General inquiries: publishing@peep.pt
Book proposals & author inquiries: dana.redford@peep.pt
Arab Entrepreneurial Universities: editors@aaru.edu.jo

PEEP Publishing is an initiative of the Policy Experimentation & Evaluation Platform (PEEP), an international non-profit organization accredited by the Portuguese government as a Development NGO. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Lisbon, PEEP works globally to advance evidence-based policymaking, institutional capacity building, and knowledge generation in education, research, and innovation.