Every business should be online Essay

The first of the three I am going to discuss is Tesco. Tesco have become a very large household name over the past 50yrs. When the Internet was introduced to the world Tesco was one of the first supermarkets to put a website up. They put images of products on the website and showed everyone their product range. In doing this, their sales went up and they were, yet again, becoming an even larger company worldwide. Seeing that they were able to expand on the web, Tesco made it possible to apply for a membership card online, which proved to be a great success for them. Tesco saw this as a way to ‘get to know’ their market and made sure that they provided the products people wanted. Also it gave Tesco the image of good ‘Customer Relationships’, which was, and still is, a big thing for any major company. As the years went by they brought the idea of online shopping to life. It means that people were able to purchase goods without having to leave the house. You could choose all products they desired and have them delivered to your house. The only catch to the purchases is that you have to pay for the products online with a credit card, which some people are reluctant to do in case someone else gets hold of the details. Since Tesco had grown so much they also started to advertise jobs on the website for different area’s of the world. They have a link on the site, which takes you to whichever country you are in the world. Say for example I chose the English site. It would give me a list of counties then a list of all the Tesco supermarkets in that county. After going through this process it gives a list of job possibilities. This is the home page of the Tesco website. All their products are broken down into categories and then into sub categories that helps you find the shopping you need. If unable to find a specific product or service the website has a search button which enables you to locate what you are looking for. I believe that Tesco made the right decision when putting this site onto the Internet and that they have successfully become the leading supermarket in their Market. Barclays Among others Barclays bank has been one of the longest running banks we know. Even before designing a website they were very popular and have always been that, and in making their website this image has been upheld. Creating a website meant many possibilities for Barclays. It meant that people could look at all the sources of finance available to them if they were starting up a business, loans if they are in need of one, mortgage rates, etc. I managed to find a press release from Barclays website that I think represents how much they are looking out for their customers demands on the net by giving them information about upcoming events that they are holding. The press release is shown below. Barclays has developed a brand-new seminar to help small business owners and managers to boost their sales and marketing power. From April 19 until June 29 the bank will be running a programme of 22 seminars across the country – â€Å"Bright Marketing for Smarter Business†. Barclays research shows that entrepreneurs want to increase the time they currently spend on business development and marketing activity by at least 50% to 12 hours per week. Developing new business ideas and finding new customers are essential for any business and attendees of the seminar will receive a wealth of information, tips and advice on everything from differentiating themselves from competitors through to better understanding customers and how best to attract them. Alison Hopkins, Managing Director of Small Business at Barclays said: â€Å"Good marketing can be the key to success. It is vital to be able to identify and meet the real needs of customers, whilst at the same time remaining profitable. The Bright Marketing seminars provide valuable advice to help small businesses continue to succeed and grow†. The seminars have been developed by Barclays and is being delivered by leading business and marketing guru, Robert Craven. Robert is author of ‘Kick-start Your Business’ and ‘Customer is King’. He is also managing director of The Directors’ Centre, has run his own restaurant, sound recording studio and training company and was formerly head of small business programmes at Warwick Business School. The seminar is free of charge and is open to all small businesses whether they are Barclays customers or not. Businesses who wish to attend Barclays â€Å"Bright Marketing for Smarter Business† can book online by visiting www. business. barclays. co. uk/bb/seminars or call 0800 028 4002. By allowing the public view press releases on the Barclays website it gives customers an idea of what Barclays are doing with their time and how they try to help everyone they can. Not only has Barclays accumulated a lot of information for their website, they have shown their customers, and potential customers, what is available to them when they bank with Barclays. Below is an image of the home page of the website. On the front page of their website Barclays have included a long list of options, into which you can search through their site to find what you are looking for. So in this instance of Barclays I believe that they have been very triumphant in producing this website for the public. Warner Bro’s Being one of the largest production companies of films and T. V shows, it is obvious that Warner Bro’s would have a website.

Discussion of Former Child Soldiers with Ptsd and the Available Treatments

In his magazine article describing the obscene violence that is currently going on in Uganda, Christopher Hitchenssits down with a boy named James at a rehab center. James was fortunate enough to escape being a slave to Kony, when he was marched all the way to Sudan, where an ambush ensued and James got away. Marching long distances was an initiation technique used by the Lord’s Resistance Army in order to herd out the weaker boys. If a boy was too tired to go on, the other slaves were forced to brutally beat him to death. Before the march, James was savagely flogged with a wire lash and spared from having to kill his own family which is a frequent method of registration practised by the Lord’sResistance Army. No doubt, these experiences would have a negative developmental affect on any child, perhaps developing PTSD. Hitchens writes that when he was speaking to James, the boy would sit perfectly still in his chair, stoic, but when it came time for James to share his story, he began twisting in his chair. Along with rubbing his eyes and making waving gestures with his arms, these restless and jumpy behaviours are common symptoms of PTSD. What is the impact on a child who was forced to kill someone? Are the outcomes of this experience just as severe as witnessing a murder or being raped? Future research must dissect these varying forms of war trauma and compare the severity of a specificexperience to the negative developmental outcomes. Though the analyses of the data collected from these smalls groups seems exhausting, it is vital in order to better understand the individual. Slowly but surely, the research gathered surrounding specific traumatic experiences, will uncover more sophisticated strategies in the rehabilitation of former child soldiers. Participants were taught to verbalize the traumatic Overwhelming Events and that these events and the accompanying emotions might no longer be processed on a conscious level and could produce psychological disequilibrium. They were then taught that these traumatic events and emotions are often encapsulated in their subconscious memory as a coping device and that encapsulating the events and emotions can cause physical symptoms – Somatisation. Participants learned to recognize the psychological and physical bondage of these traumatic events and to acknowledge that these were beyond their control. This was followed by selecting a Companion to Release the encapsulated events to and leads to greater freedom from the emotional bondage. Recognizing their own Resilience as based on their individual strengths leads to the emergence of a New-Self, which leads to Rebuilding their social structure. A final Commencement celebration serves to integrate the learning as well as to initiate a bridge between the former child soldiers and their community. The vulnerability of a child who has just witnessed the destruction of their village and possibly the murder of their family, allows warlords to brainwash them and force them to perform sinister acts of violence. While being enslaved, a child’s once innocent mind is often flooded with warped views by their captor, and turned into an irrational killing machine. The effects of this are devastating on several levels; psychological, emotional, social and physical. As the previously discussed studies prove, it is crucial for research to continue surrounding the mental health outcomes of child soldiers in any war torn country. References Bayer, C. P. , Klasen, F. , Adam, H. (2007). Association of Trauma and PTSD Symptoms WithOpenness to Reconciliation and Feelings of Revenge Among Former Ugandan and Congolese Child Soldiers. JAMA, 298(5), 555 – 559. Hitchens, C. (2006). Childhood’s End. Vanity Fair, Jan 2006, 58 – 64. Onyut, L. P. , Neuner, F. , Schauer, E. , Ertl, V, Odenwald, Shauer, M. , Elbert, T. (2005). Narrative Exposure Therapy as a treatment for child war survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder: Two case reports and a pilot study in an African refugee settlement. BMC Psychiatry, 5:7

Are Willy Loman and Oedipus Rex true tragic heroes?

The tragic hero should be the kind of hero in whom we can all see ourselves, and whose struggle we identify with. Neither Oedipus nor Willy is such a character: both are so hell-bent on following what is shown to be a clearly mistaken path of action that we cannot share in their suffering or misfortune. I do not believe that we cannot see or identify with either Willy or Oedipus' character. I think that both characters show both the best and worst aspects of humanity. Oedipus especially has admirable qualities that we as an audience would aspire to. It is interesting to note the opening: it is the only surviving Sophocles' play to open with such a mass dramatic scene. This was more common in dramatists such as Aeschylus' work. Sophocles' openings were usually more quiet and private. The scene opens with Oedipus addressing Thebes, and shows a paternalistic side to Oedipus. Firstly, the staging would have helped to enhance this paternalism – Oedipus is on the stage, raised above the orchestra where the chorus would stand, speaking down to them dominating the space. He refers to Thebes as ‘My children' which suggests that although he is an authority figure, he is concerned about his people, and is compassionate. It is rare in Greek tragedy for rulers to address their people in this way. In the rest of his opening speech Oedipus is comforting and devoted. A modern audience would especially admire Oedipus for this, and this would help us identify with Oedipus. The ancient Greeks would also have likened him to their great, grand, ruthless but democratic leader Pericles – which would have increased their identification. Oedipus also has a degree of empathy: ‘You suffer; yet, though sick, not one of you Suffers a sickness half as great as mine' This empathy shows a humane caring side despite his elevated status he is not at all different from his people. This suggests that although Oedipus is treated almost god-like, he can identify with the average person. This helps with the audience's identification with Oedipus. Towards the end the audience see Oedipus' large capacity for love and affection – even after his downfall. He loves his daughers: ‘But my unhappy daughters, my two girls, Whose chairs were always set beside my own' This beautiful insight into the relationship between Oedipus and his daughters shows Sophocles' uncanny ability to express emotion, and would appeal to the audience, we can all identify with familial love. Oedipus is determined in his struggle, and as an audience we identify with this – as normal average human beings we have to be determined in order to overcome struggles in life. He constantly struggles to find the truth of his identity: ‘Stop! Who were they? Who were my parents? Tell me! ‘ I must ask: how is wishing to know the truth surrounding a mysterious background deemed as ‘hell-bent'? Surely that is what everyone strives for in life is the ancient Greek aphorism: Know Thyself. Every common person can identify with this; it is not confined to the great and mighty. Oedipus' language here is exclamatory and conveys a note of desperation – the audience can obtain a sense of his real burning desire to know himself. Oedipus also has characteristics in himself that we can identity with – not because they are admirable, but because they are flaws, which all of mankind possess. The audience can see a glimpse of arrogance and vanity, when he says ‘Whose fame is known to all' but to contemporary Greeks pride was not at all a weakness. However, to a modern audience, Oedipus would seem arrogant here, and this perhaps shows a more unappealing side to humanity. It begins to emerge that Oedipus has an unrelenting quest for knowledge, and is no pushover: ‘But if you keep silent, if any man Fearing for self or friend shall disobey me' The audience glimpses of how impatient and inquisitive Oedipus actually is, as he poses a quick fire of questions towards Creon, e. g. : ‘Where was he murdered? In the palace here? Or in the country? Or was he abroad? This could perhaps provide a good argument for the above statement – that Oedipus is ‘hell-bent' on following this mistaken path of action. However, I feel that everyone at some point is determined to follow something mistaken, and it is how they deal with their error that really determines their heroism. This is what the above statement ignores; the tragic hero isn't determined by the events leading to their downfall, but more so how they respond to these events. There is a marked change in Oedipus, his tone changes one of irritability: ‘Why, what is this? Why are you so despondent'. Throughout the quick dialogue with Teiresias the audience are shown a less controlled Oedipus: ‘But to withhold your knowledge! This is wrong Disloyal to the city of your birth. ‘ There is a repetition of negatives here, and a critical accusatory tone. Oedipus is now more exclamatory ‘You villain! There is a constant questioning by Oedipus, and the flow of speech between the characters is more fragmented and jagged than previously. This is achieved by the use of many hyphens and short sentences: ‘You do not know- therefore I am the villain! This again creates a much more chaotic and less controlled side to Oedipus – he is not perfect which I actually feel helps us to empathise with him, and consequently are more able to share in his misfortune. Teiresias appears to try and stop Oedipus' misguided path of action in the same way that Biff tries to stop Willy ‘I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you' – but both Oedipus and Willy are too strong of characters to be swayed. ‘This crime was planned and carried out by you' which shows the irrational side to his character, and the simple absurdness of it all. I think Oedipus' anger is pardonable with Thebes in great danger; he cannot get to the core of the mystery when Teiresias refuses to speak. Also, the refusal is incriminating; and it was not unknown for a king to be plotted against, so I could argue that Oedipus is not completely irrational. Greeks were accustomed to taking the oracle's words with a grain of salt, the oracle had not supported Athens in either the Persian or Peloponnesian War, and so I think a contemporary audience would be able to identify more with Oedipus at this point, and we may not see much Oedipus in ourselves, The concept of oracles is very foreign to us. There are however, some parts of the play were we cannot share or identify with Oedipus' suffering – simply because it is so far removed from what we know. For example, Oedipus' downfall is extremely intense. The language and imagery in describing this terrible downfall is rich and evocative: ‘Showers of black rain and blood-red hail together' is said by the messenger in describing how Oedipus has blinded himself; he also speaks of the ‘common storm' of the husband and wife. Oedipus also despairs ‘Oh cloud of darkness abominable. This graphic storm metaphor is used extensively throughout the play, and conveys to the audience the catastrophic disharmony between man and nature caused by chaos in the royal house of Thebes. The Greeks had a dangerous freedom in their open society – which could perhaps be a reason why Oedipus is so ‘hell bent' on following this mistaken path. Each individual is un-accommodated and alone – with nothing to confin e him. It adds unique terror to the Greek tragic vision – we can see from the devastating downfall of Oedipus that the gods were unpredictable – no Greeks expected perfect justice from them. In modern society, most people trust the goodness of their God and abide under the shadow of the Almighty. From this viewpoint I feel that a modern audience could perhaps not share so much in Oedipus' suffering, because they don't expect it. But in his downfall we also see strength in Oedipus – and this is where we feel relieved or uplifted, and the completion of the catharsis. When Oedipus returns to the stage blinded, the audience know that he has passed through the dark night of the soul and has survived the worst. At this stage Oedipus joins the chorus in a lyrical exchange, a kind of duet that begins with an outcry of pain and suffering ‘Alas! alas! and woe for my misery' . In joining the chorus in song meter, he expresses with a new level of emotion and sympathy with humanity. This is in stark contrast to his previous commanding distance and he can now identify and stand beside mere mortal man – which he is himself. I think this is one of the most important parts of the play with regards to Oedipus being presented as a hero. We can identify with him because even if he did pursue a ‘hell-bent' path he made it out alive – and can now empathise with the rest of humanity. A tragic hero must encounter a tragedy – or else they are not heroic, and I definitely can say Oedipus encounters a tragedy. Oedipus does not flinch or hide away from what he has dome – he speaks clearly ‘And she that bore me has borne too my children'. This admittance and courage shows the endurance of the human spirit, Oedipus transcends suffering. The audience will feel a degree of optimism for humans – all is not lost in Oedipus Tyrannus. Oedipus, unlike before, now accepts his destiny ‘My fate must take the course it will' and accepts it quietly and calmly. The audience do not see the common self-pity of the protagonist in this tragedy unlike others – e. g. Lear in Shakespeare's King Lear. Oedipus remains a tower of strength. Oedipus here highlights the best qualities found in humans. Aristotle stated that it is the quality of the hero's response to the peripeteia and the manner in which he confronts it that determines his essential worth as a tragic hero and gives him ultimate tragic status. Oedipus, in coming through the dark night of the soul, confronts his destiny with courage and bravery. This is echoed in Willy Loman, who never gives up his dream of success for him or his son Biff. To imply that Oedipus is on a hell-bent path suggests that fate has victimised him. I believe this is not true – Oedipus could have left the plague in Thebes, he could have left the murder of Laius un-investigated and he could have not pressed Teiresias or the herdsman for the truth. However, his piety, justice, and desire for knowledge meant that he must. And thus it is his character that has caused the tragedy – his good and bad qualities – his human qualities – and so thus I find that we do share his suffering and misfortune. Willy is a product of the optimistic post war society, and he has a real burning desire to sell and succeed: ‘Goddammit, I could sell them! ‘ This is admirable, and shows an iron determination as well as joyous enthusiasm in Willy's character, and so one could argue that like Oedipus' iron determination, Willy has aspects in his character that highlight the best in humanity. He has a real sense of competition, and acknowledges that the ‘competition is maddening! ‘ Willy doesn't accept this competition with defeat – he presses on – he even states to Biff: ‘Never leave a job till you're finished'. I don't see how striving till the very end, regardless of how successful you are in monetary terms, is considered ‘hell-bent'. Willy loves his family: ‘The man who never worked a day but for your benefit' and I feel that the audience would definitely share in his suffering and misfortune – millions of people today strive to provide for their families. Willy is an admirable in his determination for success for his family: ‘I get the feeling that I'll never sell anything again, that I won't make a living for you, or a business for the boys'. The audience feel a sense of pathos, Willy is striving for a better life for his family, and his struggle is against a mighty and powerful force, that ultimately leads to his demise – quite like the gods in Oedipus Tyrannus. Like Oedipus, although he cares for his family deeply, his drive to preserve his personal dignity and honour surpasses their need, and this could perhaps explain why he chooses to kill himself – leaving Linda with nothing. External forces such as consumerism also shape Willy's way of thinking, and would have affected millions of people in that period in America. Consumerism was a major force in the late forties, with families having more disposable income and industry and economy booming, consumer products were churning out faster than ever before to meet the demand. This is demonstrated in Death of a Salesman: ‘there's nine-sixty for the washing-machine. And for the vacuum cleaner there's three and a half' speaks Linda in Act One, and Willy laments how ‘we should've bought a well-advertised machine'. Arthur Miller denounces consumerism through Willy: ‘Once in my life I would like to own something outright before it's broken'. A contemporary audience should be able to identify with this, that Willy has an up-hill struggle against a corrupt society. Willy's mistaken path is not entirely his own doing, but the above statement does not consider these external factors in shaping Willy's destiny. Willy lies unthinkingly – it is almost like an automatic reaction. The audience can see though; Willy's later hesitance, stuttering and pauses ‘Well, I – I did about a hundred and eighty-gross in Providence' showing the extreme discrepancy between his dreams and his reality. This shows his insecurities behind the bravado ‘I'm fat. I'm very – foolish to look at, Linda'. These poignant moments show the deep-seated insecurities within Willy – and I think the audience will be able to identify with Willy at these times – and sympathise with him. Although Willy may be deluded and lie unthinkingly, we can see that he is not completely deluded though, and in this strange metaphor ‘The woods are burning! Willy is realising that his dreams are going up in smoke. This is juxtaposed with the realist vernacular that occurs throughout the play, and suggests this line is of great importance – that Willy is aware that his path is mistaken. However, it suggests that at this stage, he must continue to follow it to retain a sense of personal dignity. This shows the complexity of Willy's decisions, and I feel the above quote trivialises them somewhat. Willy is tired and exhausted – this is made clear in the stage directions: ‘Even, as he crosses the stage to the doorway of the house, his exhaustion is apparent. He unlocks the door, comes into the kitchen, and thankfully lets his burden down'. This staging helps to enhance the realism of Willy's character, and the audience can see visually as well as from the dialogue this man's exhaustion. This very humanistic portrayal of Willy would strike a note with the audience, and I feel that we can share in his suffering, and that he is not following this mistaken path for trivial reasons – he genuinely wants to be better. We can also see in Willy the worst in ourselves – this man has many flaws. There are no attempts to idealise Willy – he is perhaps an anti-hero, and Arthur Miller states that this tragic process is ‘not beyond the common man'. As an audience, we should be able to identify with Willy's suffering and misfortune even more than Oedipus', as it is not so far removed from our own selves. Willy can be rude and dismissive ‘Don't be a pest Bernard! What an anaemic', his language here being vulgar and childish. He can also be intensely angry at the people who love him – he is seen on stage as ‘exploding at her' (Linda). He also betrays Linda's trust in his affair with the woman – which, in memory time – comes back to haunt him: ‘[The WOMAN'S laugh is heard. ] Willy: Shut up! Willy's interior is explored through the use of memory time. Willy often reverts into episodes of memory time when reality becomes too hard to bear. From a psychological point of view, it shows that Willy is perhaps trying to repress the pain he is feeling. This enables the audience to see a more rounded view of Willy's situation, and we are shown his mental suffering graphically, which increases our sympathy for this character. The staging in Oedipus Tyrannus is much simpler and relies mostly on the dialogue – and so a modern audience may not be able to identify as much with Oedipus, as we do not see such detail into his mind. Other characters also highlight Willy's suffering; Linda says ‘He's been trying to kill himself'. Is Willy finally giving in to his failure? We see however, later on in the play, that his attempts to kill himself are not because he is admitting failure, but to gain i20,000 in life insurance in order for Biff to become successful: ‘It's twenty thousand dollars on the barrelhead. Guaranteed, gilt-edged, you understand? ‘ he tells Ben in a fictional episode. Ben uses the sinister metaphor: ‘The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy' to describe Willy's suicide. This is perhaps a point in the play were I do agree with the expressed view ‘hell-bent' on following a mistaken path. Willy has such determination that he will end his own life to secure some sort of success. I feel that here the audience would find it hard to identify with this – most of us would never go this far, and I think most of us would realise how success is not the most important thing in life. For Willy though, it is what he has based his whole life on, and like Oedipus, he wants to preserve that honour. Miller states that the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing – his sense of personal dignity'. This perfectly describes Willy, and so, even if we cannot perhaps identify specifically with his struggle, we are still in the presence of a tragic hero. We could ask however, does Willy need to lay down his life for his personal dignity? It doesn't matter what we think, because for Willy, this is the only way to. I feel that Willy's path is certainly more hell-bent than Oedipus' in that Willy never gains self-knowledge or approaches an anagnorisis of what he truly is, Biff sadly states in the Requiem ‘He never knew who he was'. Whereas Willy dies perhaps in vain, Oedipus survives the dark night of the soul, and accepts his destiny. This could be why audiences more readily see Oedipus as a tragic hero whom we can see the best and worst of ourselves in.

Space tourism risk identification and analysis Essay

Space tourism risk identification and analysis - Essay Example Use the 4 categories learned for the RBS: technical, organizational, external and PM risks. Hilson (2002) defined risk breakdown structure or RBS as a source-oriented grouping of project risks that is detailed as in descending manner towards the sources of the risk. It is hierarchical in structure and provides a guideline in risk management. The usefulness of the method is: it aids in identifying risk allowing for complete coverage; allows risk assessment and categorization by source, thereby identifying dependency or correlation that results to capability in focused or generic responses; allows comparison of alternatives or options for management and investment decisions; risk reporting reduces misunderstanding as well as provides consistent information sharing from the bottom up to the highest level of the organization. Comparative Histories: Look back at other projects and if there were scope creep issues or major scheduling risks. The PERIL database (in the back of your Kendrick textbook) is a good example, but most organizations have files of project completed – or cancelled – which could be reviewed for insights and ‘lessons learned’. Decomposition Discussions: Experts who have worked on similar projects are great at ‘taking a potential project apart’. ... Calcium is a metal in the structure of bones necessary for biochemical mechanisms that contract muscles. Crystals growing in urine rich in the right chemicals block the kidneys or the bladder (NASA, 1998). Protein loss was also noted where 45 % decrease in protein synthesis occurred as compared to a 15 to 20 % decrease expected from bed rest studies (NASA, 1998). Forecasting: Often used in the financial arena, there are many methods such as extrapolation, causal forecasts, etc. These projections always will have limitations: they depend on the quality of the historical data available, and are useful for identifying ‘trends’ but cannot ID specific risks. Soft System Analysis: This method assists in the identification of feelings, attitudes and perceptions of stakeholders that could trigger conflicts in projects if left unchecked, not discussed or not considered during risk/opportunity analysis. Pareto Diagram: Demonstrates frequency over time of risks occurring. Review pa ges 210-211 in the PMBOK Guide for an illustration of this diagramming method. Also see the diagram style on p.42, Kendrick text. Straw Man Analysis: A ‘what if’ scenario is developed (hypothetical, like a man built of straw) and then stakeholders discuss the potential risks which might arise in a project. Soft system analysis can also take place here: better discussed beforehand than during any risk crisis. Brainstorming: A group process, useful to ID risk/opportunity decisions about new, large, complex or non-standard activities and project scope, scheduling and aspects. This method relies on group dynamics and depends upon the experience of the participants in identifying and dealing with risks. The method is limited due to ‘group think’

Hedging against a Weak Dollar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hedging against a Weak Dollar - Essay Example From the research it is clear that for the five-year period ranging from 2007 to the end of 2011, the US dollar has experienced numerous fluctuations. The highest value of the Euro in comparison to the dollar was 1.5991, during the 2008 global economic crisis, when American multinationals were going into bankruptcy or requesting bailouts by the government. The lowest value was 1.1923, in the year 2010, two years after recovery from the meltdown. Over the course of last year, the dollar reached its highest and lowest points for the period at the start and at the end of the year. At these times, the dollar was stronger in relation to the Euro. In the middle of the year, the dollar was weaker in comparison to the Euro for the year, and almost reached a rate of 1.5 against the Euro in comparison to the beginning and the end of the year when it was below 1.3 against the Euro. Another short-run determinant to exchange rates between the euro and the dollar is the growing capital mobility ac ross the globe. All forms of financial markets now share access to each other on a global scene, and investors put their money in the markets that offer them the best returns, without restrictions to invest locally. Whenever demand for US assets is bigger in relation to relative demand across the globe, the demand for US dollars will likewise increase. The converse is true, when the demand for US assets falls, investors will have put their money in competing markets rather than the US market, and likewise the dollar will depreciate in comparison, as the investors make the most of the more profitable markets around the globe. Relative price levels A fall in prices causes an appreciation in the currency while a rise in price levels causes a decrease in the value of the currency. For the US dollar to fall in relation to the euro with regard to the price level changes, the goods in the European market would have to fall in prices in relation to the same goods in the American market, or fall at a greater rate in relation to the goods in the European market. A fall in the price of goods indicates a strengthening of the dominant currency in the market. Tariffs and quotas Barriers to trade may significantly affect a currency’s value. The tariffs decrease demand of foreign currency in as a fall in the demand for foreign goods occurs. The result is an increase in the value of the domestic currency. Consequently, the reduction of trade barriers has the reverse effect on the local currency. Enforcement of a quota system for some goods to the European region affects the amount of American exports into the region, which sets a ceiling for the amount in value the dollar can have in relation to the euro over the year. Preference of domestic over foreign goods Increase in demand for domestic goods, exports, causes an increase in the demands of the foreign currency. The converse is true; increase in the demand for the foreign currency causes the domestic currency to depr eciate. Increase in demand for domestic goods, for instance, the increase in American made automobiles increase the demand for the

CODE OF ETHICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CODE OF ETHICS - Essay Example I hope that the code of ethics that I have come up with would be of interest to you and inspire others who have plans to be a healthcare associate. Sincerely yours, Name of Student My Code of Ethics as a Healthcare Associate A healthcare professional is a person that people trust to provide them not only with medical attention but also treatment that is fair and appropriate according to the policies and laws governing healthcare. Therefore, as an ethical healthcare professional, I will ensure that I meet, if not exceed, the statements below in practicing my profession. I. To practice integrity and respect at all times ensuring that I uphold the values and regulations set by the healthcare system that I work for. II. To avoid exploitation of one’s position in order to achieve financial or personal gain at the expense of others. III. To value the trust given by the people and retreat from transactions or activities that could affect or have a negative impact on the healthcare sy stem or the profession. IV. To treat everyone fairly and avoid discrimination at all times. V. To take on jobs that one can proficiently handle and has ample knowledge on based on trainings and experience on the subject. VI. To establish trust from patients as well as colleagues by helping in providing an environment that is safe and free from harassment, violations and any actions that give off a negative light on the system. VII. To provide sufficient information to patients to enable them make an informed decision regarding their health. VIII. To be truthful and honest in all forms of transactions with employees and patients. IX. To report any abuse on these codes to the ethics committee. As a healthcare practitioner, it is very important to adhere to the policies set by the healthcare system that one works for. Codes of ethics are in place for a reason (Dominion, 2010). By practicing integrity and respect not only to patients but also to colleagues, the environment becomes such that the transactions and/or interactions with everyone is done with integrity, respect for life and other’s opinions and preferences. It is sometimes unavoidable for people in position to exploit the power they have over others. It is very important that the people who can do something remain honest and with integrity so that the healthcare system continues to be trusted by the public. Using one’s power in order to advance another is not only selfish but also wrong. (American College of Healthcare Executives [ACHE], 1996) It sheds a negative image on the healthcare system and its workers. Therefore, when one can be paid off or be coerced whether by money or by other means, it becomes something that in very untrustworthy. One of the most important factors in this type of business is trust, therefore, by being fair and just, trust can be established. Earning the trust of patients is a little difficult since one has to establish credibility not only on giving them the co rrect solution to their concerns but also in keeping their confidences. Patients must have the peace of mind that their concerns or issues are kept at the strictest confidence and that it will not be disclosed to anyone else at any cost. (ACHE, 1996) This same principle goes to

Business and Ethic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business and Ethic - Essay Example Members of different groups traditionally have been underrepresented and disadvantaged socially, politically, and economically. Also, critics distinguish social categorization processes; the nature of evaluative, conscious, and affective issues that are elicited; and the sign of stereotypes and differentiated emotional changes (Gilbert et al 2001). Discrimination and prejudices are unethical because they violate constitutional rights and freedoms, they are illegal and unlawful. Social and individual differences have a great impact on human relations and discrimination issues and lead to such problems as low motivation and poor communication, unequal treatment, unfair labor relations and aggression. Thus, the constitution and modern society is based on freedom of expression and freedom of speech. every individual has a right to express different attitudes and opinions, have certain religious beliefs and belong to a particular culture. In spite of these issues, the main cause of discrimination is different attitudes caused by social variations and backgrounds. Complicating the interpersonal dimensions of dealing with competence, of course, is the competitive atmosphere, both within and among firms. In order to avoid discrimination and prejudices, definitions and descriptions of competent work must be clear, consistent, and fairly applied.

American or Anti-American Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American or Anti-American - Essay Example them to shun violence and sit at the negotiating table .This pushed him to the forefront of the anarchist movement, which led him to lose not only his job but had also got him blacklisted. In order to support her family, Lucy opened a tailoring shop, where she sometimes hosted meetings with her friend Lizzie Swank, for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU). Soon she was writing for The Socialist and The Alarm, an anarchist weekly published by the International Working Peoples Association (IWPA), which she and Albert had helped found in 1883. The most famous of Lucy Parson’s editorials, published on October 4th, 1884, in the American Group of the International Working People’s Association’s (IWPA) first issue of The Alarm, titled â€Å"A Word to Tramps†, which Parsons herself described as â€Å"a word to the 30,000 now ramping the streets of this great city† was a landmark call to the working class to do away with the exploitative capitalist system. She urged the labor class to reclaim their ‘rightful share of their hard work’: (Lucy Parsons, Oct. 4th, 1884) Explaining how the system worked Lucy stated, â€Å"In all those years of drudgery do you not know you have produced thousands upon thousands of dollars’ worth of wealth, which you did not then, do not now, and unless you ACT, never will, own any part in?...[C]an you not see that the â€Å"good boss† or the â€Å"bad boss† cuts no figure whatever? That you are the common prey of both, and that their mission is simple robbery? Can you not see that it is the industrial system and not the â€Å"boss† which must be changed? (Lucy Parsons, Oct. 4th, 1884) Lucy Parsons was a firm advocate of the theory, that power should reside in the hands of the workers and until this objective was achieved, she insisted on violent strikes, use of explosives, as well as direct action, in order to wrest power from the capitalist classes. During the Chicago Hunger Demonstrations in January 1915, she made a

Benchmarking report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benchmarking report - Assignment Example In addition, it aims at identifying Auburn city’s business sustainability gaps and giving necessary recommendations for improvements. This benchmarking report outlines the methodology used to select the comparative organizations, Moreland and Conroe. Also, it provides a detailed comparison of Auburn city to both Moreland and Conroe as far as environmental, economic and social sustainability is concerned. This is followed by identification of Auburn’s business sustainability gaps and provision of action plans that are considered appropriate for the desired outcomes. The report ends in a conclusion stating the general significance of sustainable development to business organizations. 2.0 Scope and Nature of the Research The success of this research relies upon proper selection of the comparative organizations and detailed analysis of their strategic and sustainability objectives. A number of benchmarking criteria are used to achieve maximum level of comparison. These incl ude their Cultural and Linguistic Diversities (CALD) within their operational environments (Khondker, 2004). Among the criteria are the manufacturing levels of these organizations and the methods used to develop sustainability policies in the manufacturing process. Another suitable comparative measure is the low social environment which also encompasses the development of personal and organizational knowledge and skills (Irani, 2011). Auburn, Moreland and Conroe are also worth being compared based on strategies used to maximize sustainability including waste, energy, water, training, R & D, business networking, job creation and crime reduction. These benchmarking standards are considered the most suitable for this study as they can effectively be used to analyze Auburn’s sustainability strengths and gaps (Irani, 2011). The two organizations, Moreland and Conroe prove to be the best for benchmarking against Auburn Council since they can provide the most significant initiatives to foster, implement and support business sustainability. Two matrices containing the above named benchmarking measures are used for this study as the best research tools. The first matrix is used to select the two organizations, Moreland and Conroe, on the basis of their Cultural and Linguistic Diversities (CALD), manufacturing and low social environments. This matrix helps in understanding the Auburn city’s strategic and sustainability objectives in comparison to Moreland and Conroe cities since these three organizations bear some form of similarities on the above named criteria (Khondker, 2004). The second matrix is used to classify the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the three organizations and the factors considered in this case are together with waste, energy, water, training, R & D, business networking, job creation and crime reduction. This second matrix helps in identifying Auburn city’s business sustainability gaps which are useful for g iving the necessary recommendations for improvements. 3.0 Performance and Gaps Auburn is traditionally manufacturing based, culturally diverse and socially and economically disadvantaged (Payor, 2013). Critical analysis of its performance and identification of any necessary gaps relative to Moreland and C

The Importance of Training and Developing Employees at Wal-Mart Research Paper

The Importance of Training and Developing Employees at Wal-Mart - Research Paper Example Out of all these divisions, one important division is Training and Development. â€Å"Training and Development is a subsystem of an organization. It ensures that randomness is reduced; learning or behavioral change takes place in structured format† (Training and Development 2007, par. 4). Most of the organizations did not concentrating in Training before. They believed that managers are born not made; also they thought that training program is very costly affair and not worth. But there has been a change in this kind of traditional approach. Different from traditional thinking, now Organizations are considering training and development as a retention tool than just a cost. The main objective of this department is to create a skillful, willing workforce for any organization. â€Å"The training and development strategy needs to recognize that there should be continual process of core competence development for all staffs† (Cartwright 2003, 53). The objectives can be divid ed into four sections such as individual, organizational, societal and functional. An individual objective mainly helps to attain the personal goals of the employees which indirectly enhance the individual contribution towards the organization. Organizational objectives  help the organization with its primary objectives to bring effectiveness of individuals. Societal objectives mean the corporate social responsibility of any organization, i.e. to make sure that the particular organization is socially and ethically responsible for the needs of the society. Functional objectives ensure the department’s contribution to the organization’s goals. 1st Issue: Orientation Program for New Associates as a Part to Reduce Employee Turnover: â€Å"Companies need to look for ways of incorporating job enrichment, lateral assignments, rotation programs and other activities that can improve employee retention† (Career Development at Walmart 2010). For reducing employee turnove r and retaining employees, Wal-Mart has implemented some attracting training tools to assist its employees. One of the major practices done by Wal-Mart is its orientation program. To help in understanding the newcomers all about their job positions, Wal-Mart additionally teaches the people about the organizational structure within the company, while recruiting. Employees are welcomed with great honor at the same way how the customers’  receives. â€Å"The simulation exercise helps associates to understand customer expectations and what they can do to meet and exceed those expectations† (Stores Training and Development n.d.). Maintain the uniqueness in the retail industry is a big issue faced by Wal-Mart like any other market leader. For that in the next phase of the orientation program, associates explain the company’s history and culture, store work expectation and environment, the impact on customers, communities and associates. Last part of the orientation program is the Audio store Discovery Tour. â€Å"In this exercise, new associates listen to the voices of customers and associates through a headset and audio-playing device† (Stores Training and Development n.d.). â€Å"All these initiatives are aimed at making employees stay within the organization more favorable. This empowers the employees and gives them the incentive to remain within the company† (Career Development at Walmart 2010). Issue 2: Training and Development for New Associates: â€Å"Training and development is not one-time occurrence at Wal-Mart.

The story of an hour from mrs Mallards perspective Essay Example for Free

The story of an hour from mrs Mallards perspective Essay It was my sister who broke the news to me. As soon as I gathered from her disjointed announcement that my husband had been killed in a horrific rail accident, I felt myself collapsing into an infinite depression of emptiness, silence and sorrow. My heart and soul were thrust downwards as if a cumbersome mass was depressing my frame, as the eruption of grief forced me to express a plethora of tears into the sympathetic arms of my dear Josephine. Despite the initial and genuine reaction to my sudden loss, I almost felt it my duty to weep for my deceased husband. Of course I loved him, as a companion; he was a means of fortification against the world and a way out of eternal spinsterhood and loneliness, and his mind and soul had now departed forever. Five minutes or so had passed, and I carried myself to my room with little motivation, where I sat in silence, reflecting on the news whilst giving my anaesthetised body an opportunity to recover from the horrific shock which was delivered earlier on. After a period of reflection, I realised that a new beginning seemed to be commencing for me. As I glanced out of the window, I caught a glimpse of the delightful pastel-coloured blossom beginning to appear in the trees. The wildlife animated the street below and a lively new air swept across the room, carried by the sweet spring breeze. I was perplexed, since this charming feeling had approached and briefly refreshed my mood; yet my energy had completely evaporated and my torn, slashed spirit progressed further and further away as if it had no intention of returning to me. The emptiness remained in the atmosphere like an unwelcome storm cloud spoiling an otherwise perfect blue sky. I pressed my head to the material behind me and pondered further. I was aware that I would soon need to confront my fears of seeing my husband before a burial, and the terrible emotions which viciously attacked me would return stronger. However, I also thought of the freedom; I have always wanted to escape. The claustrophobia had almost been too much to battle on occasions. Of course, I would not ever have had the means to escape and it is never considered proper for a lady to leave a respectable, healthy husband. Besides, he would not have let me go, I am quite certain. I was going to be ensnared forever. But after this, I could live without requesting permission. My mind became entranced and the idea of finally being free from eternal slavery dominated my thoughts. Josephine soon arrived at my door, calling for me to open it. Of course, I could not let her in, as I needed to clear the misty fog surrounding my head and collect together my thoughts, which were strewn everywhere. She insisted that I would become ill. However, I assured her that I would not, and immediately I descended back into deep contemplation. My entire surroundings rotated and merged together in my mind, as I managed to absorb a new soul and a positive belief of a more blissful future of freedom. I left the room after my courage was gained enough to for my legs to stand my weight and clasped to Josephine’s wrist. She led me down the staircase to where Richard was stood, and there appeared to be someone entering the house. My curiosity compelled me to glance over at the gentleman, but as I did, I recognised his face. I then realised that this gentleman was my husband. Everlasting amounts of air flooded into my lungs, as my expanding heart was speared by the savage storm of shock and dismay.

Bretagne France Essay Example for Free

Bretagne France Essay Bretagne is found along Frances northern shore. Bretagne is also called Brittany and sometimes referred to as little Britain. It is a land of enchantment and wonders. It features rugged coastlines with some of the worlds most breathtaking views. It features more than 4,000 castles and medieval homes. Its an ideal destination for water sports enthusiasts, lovers of fine cuisine and seafood, and anyone fascinated by legends and history. The attractions, weather and scenery, and the festivals are what attract people the most. This region is full of numerous world-class museums and historic attractions. One of the best places to visit while in Brittany is Oceanopolis. It features 50 aquariums from tropical and polar species. The cathedral of St. Pierre and St. Paul is one of the last Gothic French cathedrals. The chateau de Combourg is a beautiful castle surrounded by greenery and water. The Grand Phare or Great Lighthouse is also a great place to visit, being 300 feet high. And finally the musee de la Faience is devoted to the famous pottery. Other fun things to do are outdoor water sports, including sailing, kayaking, surfing and scuba diving. Spa seawater treatments are also available for relaxing purposes. Being close to the ocean, the weather is fairly nice and warm year round. Rain occurs regularly which keeps the countryside green and wooded. Although it rains often, cloudless days are common and sunny in Brittany. In Brittany a common expression and response to people complaining about the rain is En Bretagne, il ne pleut que sur les cons, which literally translates as In Brittany, it only rains on the idiots. This means that if you don’t like Brittany, you should leave. Brittany has many festivals and events. They reflect Brittany’s culture and energetic music and dance. Some cultural festivals include the festival de Cornouaille, which is a festival that displays Brittany’s cultural diversity. Les Filets Bleus celebrates fishing traditions and the Festival du Film Britanniqu previews British films in France. Music festivals are also popular in France. Astropolis is a techno music themed festival celebrated in July. La Route du Rock plays pop and rock music. Les Transmusicales is known for showing brand new acts for undiscovered bands. They also have a festival all about activities dealing with the sea. The Fetes Maritimes de Brest is a sailing event that takes place every four years. The next race happens in July of 2012. La Route du Rhum is a transatlantic yacht race which also takes place every four years. The next race will be in November of 2014. Bretagne is a beautiful, fascinating mix of spectacular coastlines, ancient towns, magical islands and inland woods. With so many attractions and activities you will never get bored. The scenery and weather is unforgettably amazing. The festivals attract many tourists and French people to the area.

Biotechnology Importance and Application

Biotechnology Importance and Application Biotechnology! Biotechnology! Biotechnology!!! Seems like this word has become a buzz word nowadays. You will hear this word from classroom to cafeterias. It can be commonly found in newspapers, magazine, journals and all sorts of media outlets, which include print media to electronic media. People are organizing huge meetings, conferences and workshops on biotechnology, where participants come from different arenas like science, industry, administration, social work etc. As days pass by, it seems like the way our life is heading, biotechnology will become an essential component of our life. The day is not far from reality, that we cannot fathom our life without biotechnology. If, I have to say in simple words it can be said we wake up with biotechnology and we go to bed with biotechnology. The word biotechnology has received its importance and significance in last two decades, which is just unprecedented. Probability and possibilities behind this kind of attention towards biotechnology is due to its unlimited potential to serve and benefit humanity. So far biotechnology has touched our life in all aspects like our food, health and animals. We have also noticed the importance and potential of biotechnology towards the improvement of our environment for a better living along with its capability to meet the need of our depleting energy reserves of fossil fuels, through Bio-fuels as all these things are becoming limited for their availability to ever increasing population. In simple terms our life starts with biotechnologically developed tooth-paste, to driving our car based on biotechnologically developed fuels and we retire for the day with bed-side medicine either to keep us healthy or control chronic disease like diabetes to make our life better. Rationally, biotechnol ogy word has been derived from two simple terms of science i.e., Biology and Technology. If we try to decipher these words, it simply suggests in lay-mans term that it is the technology which is making our life convenient and comfortable with the employment of biological resources. Question still remains, that is Biotechnology such a new branch of science? A real fact is that biotechnology has been in practice even long before the term Biotechnology was itself coined. It is interesting to learn and understand that how and when biotechnology evolved. Biotechnology: What does it mean? The term biotechnology was used for the first time by Karl Erkey, a Hungarian Engineer in 1919. Was it the start of biotechnology, answer is no! Later on biotechnology was defined by different scientists. As per one definition biotechnology is Application of principles of engineering and biological science to create new products from raw materials of biological origin, e.g. vaccines or food. Or in other words it can also be defined as the use of living organism/s or their product/s to modify or improve human health and human environment. Apart from their beneficial applications, biotechnological principles can be used for destruction too, the best example to explain this is bioterrorism. Biotechnology from fiction, myth and reality can be simply understood by watching a movie entitled as Frankstein where, a human known as Frankstein was created by a physician who became a reason for his destruction itself. Biotechnology: A Basic Requirement As we know that the technological application of biological material is considered as biotechnology. If, we want to understand, how does it work? Then it is essential for us to know what is the starting point or material for biotechnology or biotechnological applications. In general biotechnology uses either living material or biological products to create new products for use in various pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural, environmental applications with an ultimate goal to benefit humanity e.g., Production of recombinant proteins, resistant crops, vegetables, higher milk producing animals, etc. Biotechnology and it various stages of development: There are various stages of development of biotechnology to meet the various needs of humans. Its development was basically based on the observations and applications of these observations to practical scenarios. The complexity of system and evolution has increased with time, which is based on the employment of improved technological advancements along with the better understanding about various life-science principles. If we study systemically the evolutions of biotechnology up to its current stages, it can be divided into 3 different stages or categories 1) Ancient Biotechnology, 2) Classical Biotechnology, and 3) Modern Biotechnology. Some important discoveries related to biotechnology has been shown in Fig 1. Ancient Biotechnology (Pre-1800) Most of the developments in ancient period can be grouped as the discoveries or development before the years of 1800. If we study all these development, we can simply conclude that all these inventions are based on the common observation of nature, which could be put to the test for the betterment of human life at that point of time. Food, cloth and shelter are the most important basic needs of a human being whether s/he lived in ancient period or modern period like nowadays. Only thing that has changed is their type and origins. Food has been an inevitable need since the existence of man as well as for the existence of human being. Early man used to eat raw meat, whenever they found a dead animal, However, during harsh weather seasons, there was a paucity of food, so as it is said necessity is the mother of invention, which led to the domestication of food product which in other words can be classified as Agriculture. In ancient time human explored the possibilities to make available food by growing them near their shelter so that the basic need of food could be met. They brought seeds of plants (mostly grains) and sowed them near his shelter, where they understood the importance of water, light and other requirements for optimal growth of food plants. The similar principles and need also led to start domesticat ion of different wild animals which helped them to improve their living condition and now to satisfy their hunger. They need not go for hunting; as animals are available to them at closer proximity as well as they need not to deal with the dangerous condition of hunting, too. Domestication of wild animal was the start of observation, implication and application of animal breeding. Certainly we can say that these were the initial times for the evolution of farming, which led to another need like development of methods for food preservation and storage, where they used cold caves to preserve food for long-term storage as well as evolution for the pots for the storage of food products in the form of leather bags, clay jars, etc. After domestication of food crops and wild animals, man moved on to other new observations like cheese, curd, etc. Certainly, cheese can be considered as one of the first direct product (or by-product) of biotechnology, because it was prepared by adding rennet (an enzyme found in the stomach of calves) to sour milk which is possible only by exposing milk to microbes (although this understanding was not there at that time). Yeast is one of the oldest microbes which have been exploited by humans for their benefit. Yeast has been widely used for bread making, vinegar production and other fermentation processes which include production of alcoholic beverages like whisky, wine and beer. Vinegar has its significant importance because of its low pH, vinegar is capable of preventing growth of certain microbes, and therefore, vinegar can be used successfully for food preservation. The discoveries and benefits of these observations led people to work on further improvement of the process. Ferm entation was such a powerful tool to improve their living conditions, even though they were ignorant about the principle behind it. One of the oldest examples of crossbreeding for the benefit of humans is Mule. Mule is an offspring of male donkey and a female horse. People started using mule for transportation, carrying loads and for farming when there were no tractors and trucks. Mule is easier to obtain than Hinny (offspring of a male horse and a female donkey). Mule and Hinny both have a chromosome number 63 unlike horse (64) and donkey (62). Classical Biotechnology The second phase for the evolution and development of biotechnology can be called as Classical Biotechnology. This phase did exist from 1800 to almost mid of 20th century. During this period various observation started pouring in with scientific evidences, they were all very helpful towards solving the puzzle/s of biotechnology. Each and every contribution from different individuals helped to solve the puzzle and pave the path for new discoveries. The basics for the transfer of genetic information are core to biotechnology. This was for the first time deciphered in plant i.e., Pisum sativum, commonly known as a Pea plant. These observations were deciphered by Gregor John Mendel (1822-1884), an Augustinian Monk. Mendel for the time presented laws of inheritance to the Natural Science Society in Brunn, Austria. Mendel proposed that invisible internal units of information account for observable traits, and that these factors-later called as genes are passed from one generation to the next. But the sad part of the story is that Mendel failed to get the due recognition for his discovery for almost 34 year later than his death, when other scientist like Hugo de Vries, Erich Von Tschermak, and Carl Correns validated Mendels in 1900. The reason why Mendels work remained unnoticed for such a long period of time was, at the same time the Charles Darwins Theory of Evolution was so talked about that it shadowed the significance of work do ne by Mendel. Almost the same time Robert Brown had discovered the nucleus of cells, while in 1868 Fredrich Miescher, a Swiss biologist reported nuclein, a compound that consist of nucleic acid that he extracted from pus cells i.e., White Blood Cells. These two discoveries became the basis of modern molecular biology for the discovery of DNA as genetic material and role of DNA in transfer of genetic information. 1n 1881, Robert Koch, a German physician described the bacterial colonies growing on potato slices (First ever solid medium). Walter Hesse, one of the co- workers in Kochs laboratory discovered agar when he asked her wife what kept the jelly solid even in high temperature of summer. Since then nutrient agar became the most acceptable and useful medium to obtain pure microbial culture as well as for their identification. In 1888, Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried Von Waldeyer-Hartz, a German scientist coined the term Chromosome, which is considered as an organized structure of DNA and protein pres ent in cells or a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Other discoveries during this period were vaccination against small pox and rabies developed by Edward Jenner a British Physician and Louis Pasteur a French Biologist. By this time the development and growth of biological sciences seemed to be reaching to the exponential phase. Principle of genetics in inheritance were redefined by T H Morgan who has shown inheritance and role of chromosome in inheritance using Fruit flies i.e., Drosophila Melanogaster. This landmark work of T H Morgan was named as The theory of the Gene in 1926. Before the publication of Morgans work, in 1909 the term Gene had already been coined by Wilhelm Johannsen (1857-1927), who described gene as carrier of heredity. Johannsen coined terms genotype and phenotype. Genotype was meant to describe the genetic constitution of an organism, while Phenotype was meant to describe actual organism. By this time genetics started gaining it importance, which lead to start of Eugenic Movement in USA in 1924. As a result this in 1924 U.S. Immigration Act was used to restrict the influx of poorly educated immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe on the grounds of their suspected genetic i nferiority. Almost the same time in Britain, Alexander Fleming a physician discovered antibiotics, when he observed that one microorganism can be used to kill other microorganism, a true representation divide and rule policy of humans. Fleming noted that all bacteria (staphylococci) died when a mold was growing in petri-dish. Later he found out penicillin the antibacterial toxin from the mold Penicillium notatum could be used against many infectious diseases. Fleming wrote, When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didnt plan to revolutionise all medicine by discovering the worlds first antibiotic, or bacteria killer. As a matter of fact vaccine and antibiotics turned out to be the best savior of humanity. Can we attribute to these two discoveries for ever increasing population as well ever ageing population of the world? Modern Biotechnology The Second World War became a major impediment in scientific discoveries. After the end of Second World War some very crucial discoveries were reported which paved the path for the modern biotechnology and its current status. In 1953, JD Watson and FHC Crick for the first time cleared the mysteries around DNA as a genetic material by giving a structural model of DNA popularly known as Double Helix Model of DNA, this model was able to explain various phenomenon related to DNA replication and its role in inheritance. Later, Jacob and Monad has given the concept of Operon in 1961, while Kohler and Milestein in 1975 came up with the concept of cytoplasmic hybridization and produced first ever monoclonal antibodies. By this time it seemed like worlds scientific community had almost all the basic tools available to them for their applications along with majority of basic concepts have been elucidated, which has fast forwarded the path for important scientific discoveries. Dr. Hargobind Khorana was able to synthesize the DNA in test tube, while Karl Mullis added value to Khoranas discovery by amplifying DNA in a test-tube thousands time more than the original amount of DNA. Using this technological advancement other scientists were able to insert a foreign DNA into another host and were even able to monitor the transfer of foreign DNA in to next generation. The advent of HIV/AIDS as a deadly disease has helped to improve tremendously various tools employed by life-scientist for discoveries and applications in various aspects of day-to-day life. In the mean time Ian Wilmut an Irish scientist was successful to clone an adult animal using sheep as model and he named the cloned sheep as Dolly. Craig V enter in 2000 was able to sequence Human Genome; the first publically available genome is from JD Watson and Craig Venter, itself. These discoveries have unlimited implications and applications. In 2010, Craig Venter was successful to demonstrate that synthetic genome can replicate autonomously, should that be considered as a new possibility for creating a life in test-tube, which can be planned and designed by a human using pen, pencil, computer and bioinformatics as a tool. Biotechnology has brought humanity to this levels of comfort, the next question is where it will it take us? Biotechnology has both beneficial and destructive potential. It is WE who have to decide that how to use this technology, so it should be there to help humanity rather than destroying it. Legend to Figure Some of the important biotechnology discoveries have been plotted in this graph, with a possibility for its unlimited growth in future.

Autism Essay -- Teaching Education

Autism â€Å"We start with an image—a tiny, golden child on hands and knees, circling round and round a spot on the floor in mysterious, self-absorbed delight. She does not look up, though she is smiling and laughing; she does not call our attention to the mysterious object of her pleasure. She does not see us at all. She and the spot are all there is, and though she is eighteen months old, an age for touching, tasting, pointing, pushing, exploring, she is doing none of these. She does not walk, or crawl up stairs, or pull herself to her feet to reach for objects. She doesn’t want any objects. Instead, she circles her spot. Or she sits, a long chain in her hand, snaking it up and down, up and down, watching it coil and uncoil, for twenty minutes, half an hour--- until someone comes, moves her or feeds her or gives her another toy, or perhaps a book.† Excerpted from â€Å"The Seige† Autism—â€Å"a mysterious world where the unknowns still outnumber the knowns. A syndrome whose manifestations are many and whose etiology is suspected of being multi-causal†. â€Å"The word autism still conveys a fixed and dreadful meaning to most people—they visualize a child mute, rocking, screaming, inaccessible, cut off from human contact. And we almost always speak of autistic children, rarely of autistic adults, as if such children never grew up, or were somehow mysteriously spirited off the planet, out of society. Or else we think of an autistic â€Å"savant† a strange being with bizarre mannerisms and stereotypies, still cut off from normal life, but with uncanny powers of calculation, memory, drawing, whatever—like the savant portrayed in Rain Man. These pictures are not wholly false, but they fail to indicate that there are forms of autism which do not incapacitate in the same way, but may allow lives that are full of event and achievement, and a special sort of insight and courage too† (Grandin, 12). Autism was first identified as a disorder in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner. It was widely accepted that a child’s autistic condition was the result of extremely, cold distant, rejecting and overly intellectual parenting. The child’s extreme withdrawal was viewed as a refusal to engage in social or physical contact, rather than inability. The assumption therefore was that the familial environment being hostile was the cause of the child’s refusal to become enga... ...sm- perhaps even before a child is born. That day remains but doctors have recently made great strides in the field of brain research, both using psychology and through highly sophisticated technology. It’s anyone’s guess, though how long it will take them to unlock the secret of this fascinating syndrome†. â€Å"We start with an image—a tiny, golden child on hands and knees, circling round and round a spot on the floor in mysterious, self-absorbed delight. She does not look up, though she is smiling and laughing; she does not call our attention to the mysterious object of her pleasure. She does not see us at all. She and the spot are all there is, and though she is eighteen months old, an age for touching, tasting, pointing, pushing, exploring, she is doing none of these. She does not walk, or crawl up stairs, or pull herself to her feet to reach for objects. She doesn’t want any objects. Instead, she circles her spot. Or she sits, a long chain in her hand, snaking it up and down, up and down, watching it coil and uncoil, for twenty minutes, half an hour--- until someone comes, moves her or feeds her or gives her another toy, or perhaps a book.†

Is the Government doing the right thing? :: essays research papers

Is the Government doing the right thing? The statement made by Honorable Jess A. Helms seems to be pretty clear when he says that the government, instead of giving sources to save the country, is actually providing freedom for crime rates to increase. â€Å"You can stand on the Capitol steps and almost throw a rock into neighborhoods where you cannot walk at night because of the violence that takes place nightly† (Helms 1). From this statement it is possible to understand why Helms is criticizing the government politics that are only spending money to combat violence, instead of spending money to prevent it. So as a possible solution for the violence problem, Helms defends the reinstitution of the prayer in public schools. He finds support for it on three main arguments: first is the fact that the government is spending huge amounts of money and it is not solving the violence problem; second because people agree with it and actually want it back to schools, and finally because the freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution. Throughout his arguments becomes to see that instead of spending that amount of money to combat the crime, it is cheaper and better effective to use God and religion as a weapon against violence. Honorable Helms criticize the fact that since he got into US Senate a lot of money have been spent on violence combat, specially on motions described by the term â€Å"crime bills after crime bills† (Helms 1). He criticizes this attitude because it is not been efficient, since The United States has right now a higher crime rate than ever. â€Å"†¦ we have been passing crime bill after crime bill almost since I came here in 1973. And what has been the result?† (Helms 1). Helms also believes that the senators are feeling that their job is done. They think that they â€Å"†¦really took care of it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Helms 1), but the real fact is that crime rates are still going up, what proves that their job is not even close to be done. It is time to start looking for different alternatives to solve the problem. Seeing that all the money spent on the direct combat of crime is not working as well as expected, Helms starts to analyze a different approach to solve the problem. Seeking for the right move Helms find a possible solution on the article published by Reader’s Digest called â€Å"Let Us Pray† that defends the reinstitution of prayer classes to public schools.

An analysis of the relationship between the hospitality culture and employees in China :: Business, Organization

According to Adelman et al. (1994); Bitner(1990); King (1985); King and Garey (1997),former research on service management have not considered the influence of culture on provide the service from staff. Tsang (2011) state that hospitality culture were focused on researches in recent years in China. Hospitality culture is not only very important for the hospitality industry, but also very significant for employees. In addition, hospitality culture is involved four factors: materials culture, behaviors culture, spiritual culture and rules culture. The key point of hospitality culture is spiritual culture, because this can determine the value of other cultures in the hospitality organization. Why hospitality culture so significant? There is some evidences to prove that hospitality culture is significant to the hotel organization. The First aspect, hospitality culture can improve the hotel services level and increase the turnover level. Mattila (1999) and Stauss and Mang (1999) argued that the customer estimate the service would depend on hospitality culture.The hotel has strict discipline to manage the staff, and staff must comply with the institutions during their working time. According to Martin and Lundberg(1991), Bennigan's is a America restaurant chain, it created research to find out why consumers did not come to their restaurants. The consequence is that only 15 per cent of consumers did not satisfied with the food, but 67 per cent of the consumers are dissatisfied with the staff's attitude. For instance, customers receive satisfying services, so they will remember these services and want to receive those services again next time. Although this is not enough to evaluate the results of a hotel service, it can make a good impression in customers’ minds. Secondly, it is not easy to fail the hotel have good culture in the strong competition of the hospitality industry. Nowadays, more and more businesses are focusing on hotels, so the hotel industry is face with fierce competition. When hotels have the same level of facilities,and hotel culture is the key point to estimate the hotel services. In addition, hotel culture can improve the position in the same industry. Hospitality culture and employees influence on each other. On the one hand, hospitality culture has some advantages and disadvantages to affect employees. At first, it can promote the skills of employees, because the hospitality lay out to train the employees’ skills. Shames and Glover (1988) claimed that human interaction and communication are involved in service experience as same as a social experience.

Comparative Study on Singapore vs Indian Higher Education System Essay

Abstract: In the world of globalization almost every country in the world wants their education system to be the best, so their students can obtain the necessary skills and knowledge taught by the schools/universities that meets the challenges of the 21st century. The present article explores how Singapore and Indian way of higher education system works; in which way both the countries differ and how they are leading in the field of higher education and it also highlight the different pathway that leads to the student’s progression from their nursery to doctorate degree. 1. 0 Indian education system: The University Education Report had set goals for development of higher education in the country. While articulating these goals Radakrishnan Commission on University Education, 1948-49 put it in following words: â€Å"The most important and urgent reform needed in education is to transform it, to endeavor to relate it to the life, needs and aspirations of the people and thereby make it the powerful instrument of social, economic and cultural transformation necessary for the realization of the national goals. For this purpose, education should be developed so as to increase productivity, achieve social and national integration, accelerate the process of modernization and cultivate social, moral and spiritual values. † India’s higher education system is the third largest in the world, after China and the United States. The main governing body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission (India) is a statutory organization established by an Act of Parliament in1956 for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. Apart from providing grants to eligible universities and colleges, the Commission also advises the Central and State Governments on the measures, which are necessary for the development of higher education. Central Government is responsible for major policy relating to higher education in the country. It provides grants to University Grants Commission (UGC) and establishes central universities in the country. The Central Government is also responsible for declaration of Education Institutions as ‘Deemed to be University’ on the recommendation of the UGC. Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by 12 autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission. At the end of the third year of XI Plan (2009-10), the number of Universities has gone up to 493 (42 Central, 130 Deemed and 316 State Universities and 5 Institution established under Special State Legislature Acts) and the number of Colleges to 31,324, thus registering an increase of 36% in the number Universities and 48% in the case of Colleges in comparison to the figures at the end of X Plan (31. 03. 2007). During the academic year 2009-10, there had been 146. 25 lakhs (provisional) students enrolled in various courses at all levels in universities/colleges and other institutions of higher education as compared to 136. 42 lakhs in the previous year, registering an increase of 7. 2 per cent. Out of 146. 25 lakhs, 60. 80 lakh had been women students, constituting 41. 6 per cent. The comparative trend of total students enrolment and enrolment of women students, among states during 2009-10 had been increased. The enrolment of women students, in terms of absolute numbers, had been the highest in the state of Uttar Pradesh (8. 4 lakhs), followed by Maharashtra (7. 8 lakhs), Andhra Pradesh (6.1 lakhs), Tamil Nadu (5. 2 lakhs) etc. In terms of percentages, Goa accounted for the highest percentage of 59%, followed by Kerala (57%), Punjab and Meghalaya (51%) etc. indicating the dominance of girl students over boys in these states and A&N Islands (52%), Chandigarh (51%), Puducherry (50%) among the Union Territories. (Annual Report, University Grant Commission (UGC, 20092010)). The enrolment position in the academic year 2009-10 reveals that majority of students in the higher education system had been enrolled for a variety of courses at the under-graduate level. The students at this level constitute provisionally 86. 55 per cent of the total number of students in colleges and universities put together. The percentage of students enrolled for Master’s level courses had been 11. 49 per cent while a very small proportion i. e. 0. 89 per cent of the total number of students had been enrolled for research. Similarly, only 1. 15 per cent of the total number of students had been enrolled in diploma/certificate courses. As regards the distribution of student’s enrolment between universities and affiliated colleges, the largest number of students in the higher education system had been enrolled in affiliated colleges. About 90. 24 per cent of all the under-graduate students and 70. 83 per cent of all the post-graduate students had been enrolled in the affiliated colleges, while the remaining had been in the universities and their constituent colleges. (Annual Report, University Grant Commission (UGC, 2009-2010)). 115 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 There has in fact been considerable improvement in the higher education scenario of India in both quantitative and qualitative terms. In technical education, the IITs, and in management, the IIMs have already marked their names among the top higher educational institutes of the world. Moreover the Jawaharlal University and Delhi University are also regarded as good higher educational institutes for doing postgraduates courses and research in science, humanities and social sciences. As a result, students from various parts of the world are coming today for higher education in India. Apart from these higher education institutes there are several private institutes in India that offer various professional courses in India. According to the Department of higher Education, government of India, there are total enrolment of students (146. 25 lakhs), 42. 01% students had been in the faculty of Arts, followed by 19. 30% in Science and 17. 83% in Commerce/ Management. Thus, 79. 14% of the total enrolment had been in the three faculties of Arts, Sciences and Commerce / Management while the remaining 20. 86% had been in the professional faculties indicating the highest percentage in Engineering. /Technology (10. 33%), followed by Medical courses (3. 48%), etc. In the academic year 2009-2010, the total number of teachers in universities and colleges had been 6. 99 lakhs as compared to 5. 89 lakhs teachers in the previous year. Out of 6. 99 lakhs teachers, 86% teachers had been in Colleges and the remaining 14% in University Departments / University Colleges (Annual Report, University Grant Commission (UGC, 2009-2010)). accounting, teaching, medicine, law, agriculture, veterinary, polytechnic and others. 1. 2 The Current Scene: India is today one of the fastest developing countries of the world with the annual growth rate going above 9%. In order to sustain that rate of growth, there is need to increase the number of institutes and also the quality of higher education in India. Therefore the Prime Minister of India has announced the establishment of 8 IITs, seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and five Indian Institutes of Science, Education and Research (IISERs) and 30 Central Universities in his speech to the nation on the 60th Independence Day. The outlay for education during the 11th Five Year Plan, which runs from the current fiscal to 2012-13, represents a four-fold increase over the previous plan and stands at Rs 2500 billion. 1. 3 Advantages of Indian higher education: With India emerging as a global hub for commercial R&D (India Today International, 3 Oct 2009), R&D within the scope of Higher Education has gained greater importance. Now, the country is fast emerging as a major centre for cutting-edge research and development (R&D) projects for global multinationals such as Microsoft and Motorola as well as Indian firms. More and more companies in industries ranging from IT and telecommunications through pharmaceuticals and biotech are setting up ambitious R&D projects, in part to serve the Indian market, but also with an eye to delivering new generations of products faster to the global market. It has been stated that 150 international firms have set up R&D centers in India and in 2004 US patents office granted over 1000 patents to Indian units of US companies. India has developed one of the largest systems of Higher Education in the world with over 493 universities and 6500 vocational colleges catering to about 10 million students. India provides a big market and playing field for private initiatives at both the national and international levels. It is very rich in human resources, in terms of quantity as well as quality. Statistics from the Indian census bureau shows, over 35% of our population is below the age of 20. By 2020, it is expected that 325 million people in India will reach working age, which will be the largest in the world. This will come at a time when the rest of the developed world will be faced with an ageing population were as India with its bourgeoning middle class people who are willing to invest in quality higher education will be an asset for India’s growth in education. No wonder that foreign universities from the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore are vying for students from India. India, too, is trying to attract students from neighboring countries. It is also willing to cater to the needs of the Indian Diaspora. Many non-resident Indians are now sending their wards to India for professional education in the fields of medicine, engineering, and business management. For them, higher education in India is both cost-effective and culturally rich. 1. 1 Pathway of learning in Indian education system: The Indian Education System is comprised of six stages: nursery, primary, secondary, higher secondary, graduation & post-graduation. Schooling prior to university lasts 12 years. Higher education in India starts after passing the higher secondary education or the 12th standard. However, there are considerable differences between the various states in terms of the organizational structures within these first 12 years of schooling. The government is committed to ensuring universal elementary education (primary and upper primary) education for all children aged 6-14 years of age. These various stages of Education, set by the Indian Education Ministry, are instrumental in an individual’s growth. Thus to ensure consistency in the overall development of the individual, first 12 years of education are made basic for all. Graduation and Post Graduation though depends upon person’s academic interest. Depending on the stream, doing graduation in India can take three to five years. Postgraduate courses are generally of two to three years of duration. After completing post graduation, scope for doing research in various educational institutes also remains open. (See the table 1. 0 for details) Education system in India covers almost all kinds of careers right from health services, management, mass media, legal services, social science, home science, fine arts to environmental science, administrative services, fashion courses, vocational courses, engineering, technology and 116 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 If TeamLease Services were to be believed, by 2025 India will be proud possessor of a workforce equivalent to a quarter of the world’s human resource capital. This positive forecast comes with a rider. A study conducted by the staffing firm, TeamLease Services, suggests India has to harness the latent talent of its young and productive population to achieve this goal. As per the ‘India Labour Report 2009’ released by Teamlease Services in collaboration with IIJT Education, the India can achieve a per capita income of USD 4,100 (approximately Rs 187,554 at an exchange rate of Rs 45. 74 per dollar). The report says this is not impossible if a labourfriendly atmosphere is in place. The study suggests some drastic reforms in the labour policy. The report says, â€Å"If we harness this dividend by 2025, India will not only have 25 per cent of the world’s total workforce, but our per capita income will be USD 4,100. † The report further adds: â€Å"This would rise to USD 9,802 in 2040 and USD 20,836 in 2050. This will finally put poverty in the museum it belongs. † higher education. The pro-high technology policy of the government has invited billion of dollars of foreign investment in the fields of biotechnology, IT and research. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is responsible for controlling the development and administration of the schools and various government-funded educational institutions. In case of private schools, the MOE plays a crucial supervisory and advisory role. Education mainly revolves around the interests of the students. The teaching and pedagogical system follows a flexible approach that helps the students in developing their potentials and aptitudes. † [Source: Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore] The Singapore education system aims to provide students with a holistic and broad-based education. Given the multi-cultural and multi-racial characteristics of Singapore, the bilingual policy is a key feature of the Singapore education system. Under the bilingual policy, every student learns English, which is the common working language. Students also learn their mother tongue language (Chinese, Malay or Tamil), to help them retain their ethnic identity, culture, heritage and values. The mission of the MOE is to mould the future of the nation, with a vision of Thinking Schools, Learning Nation. Since 2003, Singapore has also focused on nurturing a spirit of Innovation and Enterprise (I&E) among students and teachers. â€Å"Teach Less, Learn More† (TLLM) was a call for all educators to teach better, improve the quality of interaction between teachers and students, and equip students with the knowledge, skills and values that prepare them for life [Yearbook of Statistics Singapore, 2011]. For both public and private schools there are variations in the extent of the autonomy in their curriculum and the scope of government aid and funding. Students in primary school do not pay school fees, while students at secondary and Pre University levels pay subsidized school fees. The Ministry of Education aims to help their students to discover their own talents, to make the best of these talents and realize their full potential, and to develop a passion for learning that lasts through life. They have been moving in recent years towards an education system that is more flexible and diverse. The aim is to provide students with greater choice to meet their different interests and ways of learning. Being able to choose what and how they learn will encourage them to take greater ownership of their learning. They are also giving their students a more broad-based education to ensure their all-round or holistic development, in and out of the classroom. Singapore currently has three autonomous universities, with a fourth slated to open in 2012. They are the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU). The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) will be Singapore’s fourth autonomous university. It is developed in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Zhejiang University. SUTD’s mission is to advance knowledge and nurture technically grounded leaders and 1. 4 Issues for Indian Higher education: India is being projected as a would-be super-power by the year 2020; at the same time, higher education, which is growing at the rate of 20% per annum worldwide, is being counted as one of the most important ingredients in knowledge-based economies. India therefore faces a big challenge in achieving its goals in this respect. Private initiatives in higher education are not only feasible, but also desirable, if India is to meet the target of 20% of its youth in the age group of 17-23, as against 7. 2% today. The government has not been able to attain the desired level of literacy during the last 65 years. At the time of independence, the literacy level was just 14%; India’s target is a 100% literacy rate by 2020. At present there are 300 million adult illiterates in India and only 60 million out of 170 million children at the primary school level are able to make to secondary education. Out of these 160 million, only 9 million make it to post-secondary education. According to a recent report by Asian brokerage and investment group CLSA, India’s education and training market is valued at $40 billion and is growing rapidly. It is expected to be a $70 billion industry by 2012. Primary education (K-12) makes up about half of the market. However, India continues to face challenges. Despite growing investment in education, 35% of the population is illiterate and only 15% of the students reach high school [Source: India still Asia’s reluctant tiger, by Zareer Masani of BBC Radio 4, 27 February 2008]. As of 2008, India’s post-secondary high schools offer only enough seats for 7% of India’s college-age population, 25% of teaching positions nationwide are vacant, and 57% of college professors lack either a master’s or PhD degree[Source : SPECIAL REPORT: THE EDUCATION RACE, by Newsweek, August 18–25, 2008 issue] 2. 0 Singapore Education System: â€Å"Apart from enjoying a status of famous shopping and tourism destination, Singapore is also emerging as a place for pursuing 117 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No.1, 2012 innovators serve societal needs. This will be accomplished with a focus on Design, through an integrated multidisciplinary curriculum and multi-disciplinary research. The university is expected to open its doors in April 2012, with its campus constructed by 2015. A graduate medical school, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, was also created through a partnership between Duke University School of Medicine and NUS to increase Singapore’s capacity to develop a vibrant biomedical hub. Specialized institutions have also sprung up, both local and international. For instance, well-known business schools University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and INSEAD, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) provide specialized education in the arts, and the Digipen Institute of Technology focuses on world-class technology education. In addition, polytechnics were also set up to train middle-level professionals and their main aim is to educate and nurture their students to excel in work and in life, and to equip young as well adult learners with skills and knowledge to enhance their employability in the market. A total of five polytechnic schools (Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, and Republic Polytechnic) were established in Singapore to cater to students those who passed the secondary school and those who are interested in learning more technical subjects with hands on training. Most of the diplomas offered are three years duration and their course curriculum is designed to meet the industry needs. Last, but not the least; the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) was established as a post-secondary technical institution of excellence. The basic purpose of the institute is â€Å"To Create Opportunities for School Leavers and Adult Learners to Acquire Skills, Knowledge and Values for Lifelong Learning in a Global Economy† [Mission statement: ITE]. The Institute of Technical Education campuses were reorganized under the â€Å"Collegiate system† into 3 major colleges around the island, ITE College Central, ITE College West, ITE College East. You may also choose to send your children to one of the over 300 private education institutions in Singapore. Private schools offer a large variety of courses, including language and professional programmes. When choosing a private school, do make sure it has proper accreditation. The EduTrust for Education and Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organizations are two hallmarks of quality implemented in Singapore. Under the MOE, The Higher Education Division (HED) oversees the provision of tertiary and technical education in Singapore as well as registration of private schools. It oversees nine statutory boards — five Polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), the Science Centre Singapore (SCS), the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) and the Council for Private Education. HED also oversees the development of four autonomous universities (the National University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University, the Singapore Management University and the Singapore University of Technology and Design). (See the table 1. 0 for details) More details can be found in MOE website. 2. 2 The current scene: The proposed vision of Singapore education is to develop a self-sustaining education ecosystem offering a diverse and distinctive mix of quality educational services to the world, thus becoming an engine of economic growth, capability development and talent attraction for Singapore. Education ecosystem refers to a cluster of mutually reinforcing, complementary education institutions which vary in terms of student enrolment numbers, country of origin, cultural environment, nature of activity, academic level, academic discipline/subjects, research interests and price. This network of institutions will raise education standards, create more choice for Singapore students and enrich the overall student experience. Singapore has placed an essential emphasis on education. This can be seen from the fact that education spending forms at least 20% of the budget of Singapore. Primary education has become compulsory for all the citizens of Singapore and if parents fail to enroll their children into school, it is considered a criminal offence. Singapore’s public schools maintain high standards of teaching and learning. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2009/2010, Singapore was ranked 1st internationally for the quality of our educational system. Singapore was also rated as one of the world’s best performing education system, with an excellent teaching force, according to the McKinsey & Company 2007 report How the World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out on Top. Enrolment in educational institutions, see table below [Yearbook of Statistics Singapore, 2011] 2. 1 Pathway of learning in Singapore education system: According to the system, students in Singapore generally undergo six years in primary school and four to five years in secondary school. They can then enroll in post-secondary institutions, pre-university courses, or move on to the polytechnics. Eligible students are subsequently given the opportunity to enroll in the universities. [Source: Ministry of Education, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic,118 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 Temasek Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, National Institute of Education, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University and Singapore Institute of Technology. Note: Data for primary, secondary and junior college exclude private schools. 2. 3 Advantages of Singapore higher education: Singapore has several competitive advantages that position it well as a global education hub. These include a strategic geographical location, reputation for educational excellence, a vibrant business hub (which presents opportunities for institutional-industry collaboration), and a safe and cosmopolitan environment. Singapore can capture a larger share of the global educational market (estimated at US$2. 2 trillion), and increase educational services’ contribution to GDP from the existing 1. 9% of the GDP to a projected 3 to 5% in 10 years. [Source: Executive Summary – Developing Singapore’s Education Industry Prepared by the Education Workgroup]. About 120 of the 353 primary and secondary schools in Singapore have some form of exchange programmes which allow students to visit overseas schools. In 2005, the Ministry of Education set up a SGD 4. 5 million School Twinning Fund to facilitate 9,000 primary and secondary school students to participate in these exchange programmes, particularly in ASEAN countries, China and India. [Source: Forss, Pearl (2005-10-13). â€Å"Education Ministry sets up $4. 5m fund to facilitate student exchange programmes†. Channel News Asia]. Singapore Government aims to increase the numbers of foreign students studying in Singapore from the current 97,000 to 150,000 by 2015. Based on current statistics, approximately one-fifth of those applying through UCAS are third-country nationals mainly from mainland China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore is aggressively moving forward to become an education service provider in the region, the Economic Development Board has also continued to pursue brand-name foreign universities to set up specialized campuses to serve an international market from Singapore. The number of students studying for foreign qualifications in-country – Transnational (TNE) programmes – was 36,700 in 2001. According to latest HESA TNE data for 2009/10 the number of students studying for a UK qualification in Singapore is 42,715 – The majority of these are delivered in partnership with local private institutions. According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) done in 2006, cited by MOE in a 2007 survey by the Fraser Institute, Singapore was ranked fourth among 45 education systems. Dr Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS, also proudly claimed that educational leaders around the world are flocking to Singapore to copy Singapore’s successful educational model. He said that some North American schools are even using similar textbooks as those used in Singaporean schools. While Singapore is clearly proving to be a popular destination for students from Asia, small numbers of students from Europe, the United States, and Australia are also choosing to study in Singapore. Many international students consider Singapore to be a comfortable introduction to Asia, providing both the chance to get a Western education at a leading institution and become familiar with Chinese language and business practices as well closer to their home country. Moreover, most MNCs have their regional base here and with Singapore positioned as the business and commercial capital of the region, job opportunities for graduating students are aplenty. Given the better job prospects that Asia currently offers as compared to the US and Europe, it is likely that Asian students will continue to pursue their higher studies within the region and more specifically in Singapore. This is a win-win situation for all – the students, Singapore’s education industry and the companies based in the city-state. [September 22, 2009, in Doing Business in Singapore] 2. 4 Issues for Singapore Higher education: Critics of the education system, including some parents, state that the education system is too specialized, rigid, and elitist. Often, these criticisms state that there is little emphasis on creative thinking, unlike education systems in other societies, such as those in the States. Those defending the current education system point out that Singaporean student have regularly ranked top when competing in international science and mathematics competitions and assessments. Detractors believe this is more an indication of students’ skills in using rote to prepare for a certain style of competition or examination than of their ability to think critically. There have also been complaints about excessive educational streaming at a young age. A popular local film, I Not Stupid, highlights the competitiveness of the system and the social stigma that students struggling with studies have to face. The best students are streamed into the best and normal classes, while the others are streamed into the foundation class, where teachers usually allow them to get worse, since they are part of the â€Å"ungifted† class [Source:http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Education_in_Singapore# Development_and_future_plans]. â€Å"Singapore’s Ethnic Education Problems† The problem is a serious and persistent one. Figures from the Education Ministry show that while Singaporean exam results have increased across the board over the last decade, the stark disparities between the city-state’s main three ethnic groups remain. In 2008, just 59. 3 percent of Malay students achieved 5 passes at O-level, the exams taken by 15 and 16-year-olds, compared to 86. 2 percent of Chinese and 73 percent of Indians. [Source: Written by Ben Bland, Feb 2, 2010 in http://www.asiasentinel. com] 119 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 Overview of the Singapore vs. Indian Education System Table 1. 0 Conclusion: I understand that I have different ways of thinking and different mindsets compared with most people. My comments only show my perspective, not an absolute authoritative assessment of the situation. I admit to have a certain level of subjectivity due to my previous involvement in the system and my limited set of experiences. Progression pathway for the students might be different from county to county but what is the key in higher education is who provides better service with high quality education at affordable rate is in high demand worldwide. 120 IRACST- International Journal of Research in Management & Technology (IJRMT), ISSN: 2249-9563 Vol. 2, No. 1, 2012 REFERENCES [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Blackwell, Fritz (2004), India: A Global Studies Handbook, United States of America: ABC-CLIO, Inc. , ISBN 1-57607-348-3. Vrat, Prem (2006), â€Å"Indian Institutes of Technology†, Encyclopedia of India (vol.2) edited by Stanley Wolpert, 229231, Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31351-0. Department of Education, Government of India, http://www. education. nic. in/higedu. asp http://www. indiaedu. com/education-india/higher-education. html Annual Report Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India 2006-2007. Draft Report of Working Group on Higher Education for the XI Plan, Planning Commission, Government of India (2007) Selected Educational Statistics 2004-2005 (as on September 2004), Ministry of Human Resource Development Government of India (2007) Agarwal, P (2006), Higher education in India: The need for change. New Delhi, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations. URL: www. icrier. org/publication/working_papers_180. html. Higher Education in India-Restructuring for increased innovation, Document prepared for the World Bank, June 2006. [10] UGC: Chairman’s Nehru Memorial Lecture, University of Mumbai, Nov. 24, 2006 (available on the Web) [11] UGC Annual Report 2004-05, 2006-2007, 2009-2010 [12] Wikipedia, (2008). [13] Educationworld, [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Content_analysis† The Human Development Magazine, www.educationworldonline. net Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore (www. moe. gov. sg) Singapore Education (2010), Government of Singapore, http://www. singaporeedu. gov. sg Crescent Achievements (2006) Co-Curricular Activities – Singapore found at http://www. crescent. edu. sg/achievements/cca. htm Ministry of Education, (2004) A Broader Picture of School’s Performance in Academic and Non Academic Domains found at http://www. moe. gov. sg/press/2004/pr20040924b. htm Contact Singapore,(2010) http://www. contactsingapore. sg/investors/live/education/ http://www.channelnewsasia. com/stories/singaporelocalnews/vi ew/294891/1/. html. http://www. asiasentinel. com/index. php? option=com_content&ta sk=view&id=2318&Itemid=195 AUTHORS PROFILE NaganathanVenkatesh obtained his Degree and a Master degree in Computer Science from University of Madras, India as well he also holds another Masters Degree in Human Resource Management and presently he is pursing PhD in Computer Science & Engineering from University of Madras, India. As Research Scholar, from NITTTR(National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research.