“Back to China”: the Reverse Brain Drain in China

â€Å"Back to China†: the Reverse Brain Drain in China Every autumn, American students are busy with applying for undergraduate or graduate schools, so are an increasing number of Chinese students. Chinese get to realize the significance of being transnational. â€Å"Transnational† means involving in many countries. Now, human capital, especially those who have international experience, is significant to the development of a country in the internationalized world. However, plenty of overseas students from developing country tend to stay abroad for a better future, which is a great loss of developing countries.But, recently, more and more Chinese students go back to China after they complete their study, which is a good news to China. Looking through this new trend, there are three main factors that may drive overseas scholars to come back to China: the growth of economy in China, the support from the government to overseas scholars, and the bond between overseas scholar s and home land. Reverse brain drain is a term of migration. The definition of this term is the phenomenon that talented people who once studied or worked in developed country go to a less developed country which is developing in high pace.Recently, this has been common in developing countries, such as India, Brazil, and China (Llana, Ford, Marquand, Pflanz, & Ibukun, 2012). Conversely, in the past, People’s Republic of China (PRC) was not as open as it is now. PRC even ceased the communication in education with other countries once because of the Chinese Culture Revolution which lasted from 1966 to 1976 (Liu, & Li, 2010). Not until 1978 when China renewed the policy of international academic communication did China send students to go abroad (Yao, 2004).As China’s policy became looser, â€Å"outgoing tide† and â€Å"incoming tide† appeared (Zhang, 1997). â€Å"Outgoing tide† is a description of the phenomenon that plenty of students go abroad and the â€Å"incoming tide† means those students go back. Since 1978, according to China statistical yearbook 2011, more than 632,000 Chinese, or 33 percent of those who studied abroad, have returned home and both the rate of increase of overseas Chinese students and the rate of increase of returning Chinese scholars have grown sharply in recent years. For instance, in 1989, 3,329 went abroad to study.In 1990, the number of students who went abroad even decreased to 2,950 , only 1,593 scholars went back to China. In contrast, the total of students who studied abroad in 2010 increased to 284,700. In the same year, 134,800 students return after their study in foreign country, up 24. 7 percent from 2009 (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2011, 20-10). Statistics show that the reverse brain drain to China has already begun. In the past, the reason why the majority of overseas scholars chose staying abroad instead of returning was that they found there were obstacles blocking t heir way back to China.Those scholars were concerned about the factors linked with money, especially the living condition and career. Compared with working in China, it would be easier for scholars to have convenient places to live and earn relatively high salary when working abroad (Li, 1998). As for career, in China, when some young scholars applied for research funds, they were not able to get funded, which means they could only be assisted by institutions and companies abroad or study further overseas. Ruizhang Guan is one of the scholars who went abroad because of lack of fund.He did not have a Ph. D. at that time. He said, â€Å"It was difficult to get any funds without a Ph. D. , and without funding it was very hard to produce any results† (Yan, 1998, p. 59). Furthermore, Zweig, the chair professor of Social Science of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology who is known for his research on Chinese politics and political economy, pointed out in his paper â⠂¬Å"Competing for talent† (2006) that the economy of China was in poor condition, most of the institutes and research centers did not have enough money to update the facilities.Then scholars believed that they could not develop further in their fields with the deficient equipment in Chinese institutes. To have promising future, these scholars were willing to develop their careers in developed countries. It is undoubtedly true that there were many factors motivating the migration of scholar in that period. However, two decades have passed, and the living and working environment in China has changed dramatically, owing to the development in economy. The growing economy has given China opportunities to improve Chinese people’s living condition.And now when scholars consider the question whether to stay abroad or to go back to homeland, better living condition there can make life abroad less attractive. To illustrate the changes in living condition, Engel's coefficient is o ne of the index numbers. Engel's coefficient means the proportion of spending on food in total spending. A decreasing Engel's coefficient shows the average income has increased and life is getting better for a population. According to China statistical yearbook 2011 (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2011), Engel's coefficient there dropped from 54. in urban areas and 58. 8 in rural areas to 35. 7 and 41. 1 relatively (10-1). Also, the housing condition has been improved, for the rates of population with access to tap water and gas have increased to nearly 100% respectively and the per capita living space has been enlarged (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2011, 10-1). Although the living condition in China is still not comparable to that in developed countries, it is much better than what it was 20 years ago, and this is acceptable to returnees.When compared with the rapid growth of China’s economy, the financial crisis in other parts of the world has disappoint ed overseas students recently, in terms of employment and advancement opportunities. In developed countries, scholars’ work and life seemed the same as before, and hardly can the pattern of life and work be changed. Whereas, China usually presented a better appearance to overseas scholars every time they came back to China (Liu & Li, 2010). Usually, opportunities appear in changes. Therefore, scholars believe there are better and more opportunities in their career in China.For example, in the report on October 21st, 2012, Sophie Tao, an ex-fund manager in New York who went back to China to promote her career further, states, â€Å"China is one of the few bright spots in the world economy† (Ford, 2012). In China, many academic fields have not been explored enough yet, and some are even virgin lands. For this reason, those returnees, equipped with the experience and knowledge gained from abroad, can lay foundations in their own field in China. The possibility of success attracts scholar to do research in China (Engardio, & Engardio, 2009).In fact, the 2008-2009 financial crisis tested the economic stability worldwide and the harm caused by the global economic crisis still affects the economics of the rich nations (Llana et al. , 2012). Moreover, it increased the unemployment rate of immigrants in developed countries and it became difficult for overseas students to find a job there. According to Stephen Castle, a Research Chair at the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Sydney, the unemployment rate for immigrants increased by 3. 4% in the European Union in 2008. And that rate in the USA has increased by 4. % (2012, p1847). Chinese students found out that it was difficult for them to find a suitable job overseas. Then, they started to think about whether the developed countries were their only choice of destination, or whether their homeland would be a feasible choice. And China did not disappoint them. China entered World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. And in 2002-2009 international companies have invested 683. 5 billion in China (Wang, 2012). The main method of their investment is to start their branch offices in China. Furthermore, China had to compete with other countries in the world.As a consequence, the â€Å"golden time† for overseas students to go back to China began (Ye, 2000, p. 20). Returnees believe that they can have their own contribution to the development of China. Ma Jianghe, who gained his doctorate of Law in the United States, chose to develop his career in China after the agreement on China’s accession to WTO was signed. He believed: â€Å"After China joins the WTO, I will have a big advantage in China’s law service market. My good understanding of Chinese and American laws will convince businessmen from both countries to trust me. † ( Ye, 2000, p. 1) As Ma said, the abilities that returnees possess are what a country or a company needs to succeed i n international competition. Their multi-cultural background, their communication skills and their ability of adaptation in their own field make them outstanding among employees. Besides the economic factors, in the past, another reason that would stop overseas scholars from returning was the strict control of scholars made by the government. Because of the control, the most violent issue happened in 4 June 1989. Students died, for their political status went against the government.Scholars were afraid of being deprived of freedom, both physically and politically (Zweig, 2006). They thought once they went back to China, they could never go abroad again and hardly could they communicate with international scholars. Considering of the life in future, many scholars refused to return home. Indeed, policies at that time were not open enough. Chinese government noticed that China was confronted with a serious problem that plenty of overseas talents chose to stay abroad. Only 20% of Chines e overseas scholars thought they might go back home according to Zweig’s survey which was done in 1993 (Zweig, 2006).Facing this obstacle, the authorities decided to support overseas scholars to come back to home and began to create friendly environment to welcome scholars. To encourage returning, the government has provides financial support to scholars through plenty of programs in recent 20 years. To illustrate how those programs work, the â€Å"thousand talents program† that was launched in 2008 is an appropriate example. The aim of this plan is to lure overseas scholars to go back to China and help their homeland to â€Å"raise its global competitiveness† and become â€Å"an innovative society† (Ford, 2012, para. 0). The Chinese government launched it to bring top scientists and high-tech entrepreneurs back home in the next five to 10 years. In this plan, the government is going to grant 1 million Yuan (about $146,000) per person as salary and resear ch fund. Then the government offers them insurance, housing and pensions, too. Thanks to this plan, over 2000 experts in varied field have gone back to China to start a new career during the last three years(Zhang, 2012,para. 1).The financial supports make the returnees’ road back to China easier. Not only the central government but also the local government attempts to attract overseas scholars. â€Å"Enterprise incubators† have been set up to offer opportunity to returnees to start their own business since 1994 (Zweig, 2006, & Liu, & Li, 2010). An â€Å"Enterprise incubator† is a special zone that provides preferential policies and service for overseas entrepreneurs, which makes it an appropriate zone for overseas scholars to begin from.According to the statistics cited in â€Å"Zhongguo liu xue tong shi† (The history of Chinese student studying abroad, Liu, & Li, 2010), in 2003, there were over 110 such zones in China, more than 6000 companies were fou nded in those zones, and over 15,000 overseas entrepreneurs were attracted to those zones. The annual output value of 2003 was 32. 7 billion Yuan (about $5. 24 billion). The success in these enterprise incubators may lure more overseas scholars to go home. Cultural binding with homeland also lures overseas scholars to go back to China.In a foreign country, it is probable for someone to suffer from nostalgia, discrimination, and other problems. And they would miss home and return to their familiar culture to avoid those problems. Family is an essential part of one’s cultural background. As a consequence, it acts as a firm bond between overseas scholars and their homeland. First, Kellogg, a researcher working on international migration at UCLA, did a survey on the future plans of Chinese students in America in 2012. According to the survey, the top one reason why they want to return home is family (Kellogg, 2012).It is suffering to stay far away from relatives and friends for a long period of time. Furthermore, because of one-child policy, the only child is what parents can rely on except for the welfare and pension when parents get old. In Chinese traditional convention, children should take care of the elder family members (Smith, 1973). So parents and children would like to live together, at least live nearby each other (Settles, Sheng, Zang, & Zhao, 2008). This will lead to an increasing number of overseas students to come back to China.Moreover, China, a familiar environment, may comfort these scholars and give them confidence in their career, which is an attraction to scholars who stays abroad. Integration into the local society is a troublesome problem to Chinese students. In a survey done by a website named deyi which is a popular website among Chinese students in Germany (2007) about the students’ situation in the local society, only seven percent of students assert that they have no problem to join the main stream. Others encountered prob lems more or less (as cited in Liu & Li, 2010, p. 88-491) To evade this, some of them tend to limit their social contact to a small group of Chinese people and confine their career to lab when they graduate, which lead to the result that they have less communication with the main stream and it becomes more troublesome for them to integrate into the society (Miller, 1992 & Liu & Li, 2010). On the other hand, their situation in China is different from that abroad. An overseas scholar has both a native knowledge of his or her homeland and the ability to use Chinese fluently.That is the basis of overseas scholars’ confidence. When they strike root in their homeland, they gain confidence. Chaoyang Zhang, the CEO of sohu (Sohu is one of the most successful Internet companies in China. )and a returnee, shares his experience: â€Å" When I was an official at MIT, I met Zhangliang Chen (He is a famous experts of tropical botany in China and he studied in Washington University in St. Louis. ) once. From his expression and the look in his eyes, I could see the authority and firmness that he gained during the years when he was in China.His confidence and pride are what overseas students and successful overseas scholars do not have. That is result of striking root in homeland. The difference is so enormous to make me shocked, which strengthen my determination to go back to China. † ( Liu & Li, 2010, p. 587) The confidence based on living in homeland cannot usually be gained elsewhere. On the other hand, the cultural binding with homeland may be a disadvantage of Chinese scholars when they live abroad. Chinese scholars and those who have already mmigrated to foreign country may experience discrimination from others. The glass ceiling exists, which according to Joseph Tsien, a American neuroscientist from China, is â€Å"an unspoken truth† (Mervis, 2005, p. 607). A glass ceiling means that a certain barrier blocks the advancement to a relatively high pos ition faced by minority in a society. Because of culture gap and language barrier, most of the scholars from China find they can not totally understand the foreign culture (Liu, & Li, 2010).As a result, many of them can have fame and achievement in their own field as scientists but only a few of them can get a job of senior management in their field (Mervis, 2005). Alice Huang, a successful virologist who came from mainland China to America when she was 10 years old, encountered the barrier in her application to a high- level job in New York University in 1991. During her interview, she found out that what the committee was searching for is a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) candidate and the committee set barriers to make Huang give up that position. In the end, she lost that position (Miller, 1992).Since evaluation, which may be subjective, is a key step in process of promotion, one, not belonging to the main stream, may be afraid of the unequal judgment done by the evaluating committee which consists of the majority. Scholars want to prove their value and be accepted by the society. But the existed barriers prevent scholars from getting higher positions and realize their plans. Under this condition, scholars would believe that they will be minority and nearly impossible to be integrated to mainstream, which may hurt scholars and drive them to go home (Liu, & Li, 2010).However, the racial discrimination to those overseas scholars will be eliminated in their homeland. They will be honored in China. Experiences of studying and working abroad are called â€Å"paint a little gold† (du jin) in Chinese (Zweig, Chen, & Rosen, 2004, p. 736), which means returnees are regarded precious in China. To conclude, the three keys to Chinese reverse brain drain are dramatic growth in the economics, proper policies that encourage overseas scholars to return and a cultural environment that can give returnees a sense of belonging.Through the success of China’s alluring scholars back, power plays a significant role. To encourage more overseas scholars to go back, the authorities should concentrate on developing the economy to gain more hard power. Moreover, an open political environment is necessary, for overseas scholars have experienced freedom in political status. Furthermore, for moving the trend of returning further, the government should not only concentrate on the quantity of the returnees but also the quality of the returnees. Reference: Alsop, R. (2007). TRACK: More Chinese Graduates Return Home.The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 14, 2012 from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB11737448221373 4773. html Castles, S. (2012). Cosmopolitanism and freedom? Lessons of the global economic crisis. Ethnic & Racial Studies, 35(11), 1843-1852. doi:10. 1080/01419870. 2012. 715662 Confucius, C. (2006). â€Å"Lun yu† ming yan =: Aphorisms From LUNYU. Di 1 ban. Jinan: Qi lu shu she. Engardio, P. ,& Engardio, P. (2009). China's Rev erse Brain Drain. BloomberBusinessweek. Retrieved November 14, 2012 from http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/ 09_48/b4157058821350. tm Ford, P. (2012). Reverse brain drain: China engineers incentives for â€Å"brain gain†. Christian Science Monitor, Retrieved from http://www. csmonitor. com/World/Global-Issues /2012/1021/Reverse-brain-drain-China-engineers-incentives-for-brain-gain International Rankings and Chinese Higher Education Reform. (2006). World Education News and Reviews. Retrieved November 14, 2012 from http://www. wes. org/ ewenr/06oct/ practical. htm. Jianshu, Z. (2000). Students Returned from Abroad in the 1990s. Chinese Education & Society, 33(5), 8. Kellogg, R. (2012).China's Brain Gain? : Attitudes and Future Plans of Overseas Chinese Students in the US. Journal Of Chinese Overseas, 8(1), 83-104. doi:10. 1163/179325412X634319 Liu, J. , & Li, X. (2010). Zhongguo liu xue tong shi: Zhongguo liuxue tongshi. Di 1 ban. Guangzhou: Guangdong jiao yu chu ba n she Llana, S. , Ford, P. , Marquand, R. , Pflanz, M. , & Ibukun, Y. (2012). Reverse brain drain: Economic shifts lure migrants home. Christian Science Monitor, N. PAG. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2011). China statistical yearbook 2011. Beijing: China Statistics Press.Settles, B. , Sheng, X. , Zang, Y. & Zhao, J. (2008). The one child policy and its impacts on Chinese families. Research Committee on Family, 12-13. Smith, D. (1973). Confucius. London: Temple Smith. Wang, Z. (2012). Ten years of international companies since China entered WTO. International Financing. Retrieved November 14, 2012 from http://www. zcom. com/ article/51886/ Yan, J. (1998). My heart turns toward the homeland. Chinese Education & Society,31(2), 57. Ye, L. (2000). Overseas students coming back at a golden time. Beijing Review, 43(6/7), 20. Zhang, Y. (2012).Thousand Talent Program brings more pros. China Daily, Retrieved from http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/bizchina/2012-04/28/content_15168335. htm. Zweig, D. , Changgui, C. , & Rosen, S. (2004). Globalization and transnational human capital: Overseas and returnee scholars to china. The China Quarterly, 735-757. Zweig, D. (2006). Competing for talent: China's strategies to reverse the brain drain. International Labour Review,145(1), 65-0_6. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. library. wisc. edu/docview/224008850? accountid=465 ———————– 1 â€Å"Back to China†: the Reverse Brain Drain in China â€Å"Back to China†: the Reverse Brain Drain in China Every autumn, American students are busy with applying for undergraduate or graduate schools, so are an increasing number of Chinese students. Chinese get to realize the significance of being transnational. â€Å"Transnational† means involving in many countries. Now, human capital, especially those who have international experience, is significant to the development of a country in the internationalized world. However, plenty of overseas students from developing country tend to stay abroad for a better future, which is a great loss of developing countries.But, recently, more and more Chinese students go back to China after they complete their study, which is a good news to China. Looking through this new trend, there are three main factors that may drive overseas scholars to come back to China: the growth of economy in China, the support from the government to overseas scholars, and the bond between overseas scholar s and home land. Reverse brain drain is a term of migration. The definition of this term is the phenomenon that talented people who once studied or worked in developed country go to a less developed country which is developing in high pace.Recently, this has been common in developing countries, such as India, Brazil, and China (Llana, Ford, Marquand, Pflanz, & Ibukun, 2012). Conversely, in the past, People’s Republic of China (PRC) was not as open as it is now. PRC even ceased the communication in education with other countries once because of the Chinese Culture Revolution which lasted from 1966 to 1976 (Liu, & Li, 2010). Not until 1978 when China renewed the policy of international academic communication did China send students to go abroad (Yao, 2004).As China’s policy became looser, â€Å"outgoing tide† and â€Å"incoming tide† appeared (Zhang, 1997). â€Å"Outgoing tide† is a description of the phenomenon that plenty of students go abroad and the â€Å"incoming tide† means those students go back. Since 1978, according to China statistical yearbook 2011, more than 632,000 Chinese, or 33 percent of those who studied abroad, have returned home and both the rate of increase of overseas Chinese students and the rate of increase of returning Chinese scholars have grown sharply in recent years. For instance, in 1989, 3,329 went abroad to study.In 1990, the number of students who went abroad even decreased to 2,950 , only 1,593 scholars went back to China. In contrast, the total of students who studied abroad in 2010 increased to 284,700. In the same year, 134,800 students return after their study in foreign country, up 24. 7 percent from 2009 (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2011, 20-10). Statistics show that the reverse brain drain to China has already begun. In the past, the reason why the majority of overseas scholars chose staying abroad instead of returning was that they found there were obstacles blocking t heir way back to China.Those scholars were concerned about the factors linked with money, especially the living condition and career. Compared with working in China, it would be easier for scholars to have convenient places to live and earn relatively high salary when working abroad (Li, 1998). As for career, in China, when some young scholars applied for research funds, they were not able to get funded, which means they could only be assisted by institutions and companies abroad or study further overseas. Ruizhang Guan is one of the scholars who went abroad because of lack of fund.He did not have a Ph. D. at that time. He said, â€Å"It was difficult to get any funds without a Ph. D. , and without funding it was very hard to produce any results† (Yan, 1998, p. 59). Furthermore, Zweig, the chair professor of Social Science of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology who is known for his research on Chinese politics and political economy, pointed out in his paper â⠂¬Å"Competing for talent† (2006) that the economy of China was in poor condition, most of the institutes and research centers did not have enough money to update the facilities.Then scholars believed that they could not develop further in their fields with the deficient equipment in Chinese institutes. To have promising future, these scholars were willing to develop their careers in developed countries. It is undoubtedly true that there were many factors motivating the migration of scholar in that period. However, two decades have passed, and the living and working environment in China has changed dramatically, owing to the development in economy. The growing economy has given China opportunities to improve Chinese people’s living condition.And now when scholars consider the question whether to stay abroad or to go back to homeland, better living condition there can make life abroad less attractive. To illustrate the changes in living condition, Engel's coefficient is o ne of the index numbers. Engel's coefficient means the proportion of spending on food in total spending. A decreasing Engel's coefficient shows the average income has increased and life is getting better for a population. According to China statistical yearbook 2011 (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2011), Engel's coefficient there dropped from 54. in urban areas and 58. 8 in rural areas to 35. 7 and 41. 1 relatively (10-1). Also, the housing condition has been improved, for the rates of population with access to tap water and gas have increased to nearly 100% respectively and the per capita living space has been enlarged (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2011, 10-1). Although the living condition in China is still not comparable to that in developed countries, it is much better than what it was 20 years ago, and this is acceptable to returnees.When compared with the rapid growth of China’s economy, the financial crisis in other parts of the world has disappoint ed overseas students recently, in terms of employment and advancement opportunities. In developed countries, scholars’ work and life seemed the same as before, and hardly can the pattern of life and work be changed. Whereas, China usually presented a better appearance to overseas scholars every time they came back to China (Liu & Li, 2010). Usually, opportunities appear in changes. Therefore, scholars believe there are better and more opportunities in their career in China.For example, in the report on October 21st, 2012, Sophie Tao, an ex-fund manager in New York who went back to China to promote her career further, states, â€Å"China is one of the few bright spots in the world economy† (Ford, 2012). In China, many academic fields have not been explored enough yet, and some are even virgin lands. For this reason, those returnees, equipped with the experience and knowledge gained from abroad, can lay foundations in their own field in China. The possibility of success attracts scholar to do research in China (Engardio, & Engardio, 2009).In fact, the 2008-2009 financial crisis tested the economic stability worldwide and the harm caused by the global economic crisis still affects the economics of the rich nations (Llana et al. , 2012). Moreover, it increased the unemployment rate of immigrants in developed countries and it became difficult for overseas students to find a job there. According to Stephen Castle, a Research Chair at the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Sydney, the unemployment rate for immigrants increased by 3. 4% in the European Union in 2008. And that rate in the USA has increased by 4. % (2012, p1847). Chinese students found out that it was difficult for them to find a suitable job overseas. Then, they started to think about whether the developed countries were their only choice of destination, or whether their homeland would be a feasible choice. And China did not disappoint them. China entered World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. And in 2002-2009 international companies have invested 683. 5 billion in China (Wang, 2012). The main method of their investment is to start their branch offices in China. Furthermore, China had to compete with other countries in the world.As a consequence, the â€Å"golden time† for overseas students to go back to China began (Ye, 2000, p. 20). Returnees believe that they can have their own contribution to the development of China. Ma Jianghe, who gained his doctorate of Law in the United States, chose to develop his career in China after the agreement on China’s accession to WTO was signed. He believed: â€Å"After China joins the WTO, I will have a big advantage in China’s law service market. My good understanding of Chinese and American laws will convince businessmen from both countries to trust me. † ( Ye, 2000, p. 1) As Ma said, the abilities that returnees possess are what a country or a company needs to succeed i n international competition. Their multi-cultural background, their communication skills and their ability of adaptation in their own field make them outstanding among employees. Besides the economic factors, in the past, another reason that would stop overseas scholars from returning was the strict control of scholars made by the government. Because of the control, the most violent issue happened in 4 June 1989. Students died, for their political status went against the government.Scholars were afraid of being deprived of freedom, both physically and politically (Zweig, 2006). They thought once they went back to China, they could never go abroad again and hardly could they communicate with international scholars. Considering of the life in future, many scholars refused to return home. Indeed, policies at that time were not open enough. Chinese government noticed that China was confronted with a serious problem that plenty of overseas talents chose to stay abroad. Only 20% of Chines e overseas scholars thought they might go back home according to Zweig’s survey which was done in 1993 (Zweig, 2006).Facing this obstacle, the authorities decided to support overseas scholars to come back to home and began to create friendly environment to welcome scholars. To encourage returning, the government has provides financial support to scholars through plenty of programs in recent 20 years. To illustrate how those programs work, the â€Å"thousand talents program† that was launched in 2008 is an appropriate example. The aim of this plan is to lure overseas scholars to go back to China and help their homeland to â€Å"raise its global competitiveness† and become â€Å"an innovative society† (Ford, 2012, para. 0). The Chinese government launched it to bring top scientists and high-tech entrepreneurs back home in the next five to 10 years. In this plan, the government is going to grant 1 million Yuan (about $146,000) per person as salary and resear ch fund. Then the government offers them insurance, housing and pensions, too. Thanks to this plan, over 2000 experts in varied field have gone back to China to start a new career during the last three years(Zhang, 2012,para. 1).The financial supports make the returnees’ road back to China easier. Not only the central government but also the local government attempts to attract overseas scholars. â€Å"Enterprise incubators† have been set up to offer opportunity to returnees to start their own business since 1994 (Zweig, 2006, & Liu, & Li, 2010). An â€Å"Enterprise incubator† is a special zone that provides preferential policies and service for overseas entrepreneurs, which makes it an appropriate zone for overseas scholars to begin from.According to the statistics cited in â€Å"Zhongguo liu xue tong shi† (The history of Chinese student studying abroad, Liu, & Li, 2010), in 2003, there were over 110 such zones in China, more than 6000 companies were fou nded in those zones, and over 15,000 overseas entrepreneurs were attracted to those zones. The annual output value of 2003 was 32. 7 billion Yuan (about $5. 24 billion). The success in these enterprise incubators may lure more overseas scholars to go home. Cultural binding with homeland also lures overseas scholars to go back to China.In a foreign country, it is probable for someone to suffer from nostalgia, discrimination, and other problems. And they would miss home and return to their familiar culture to avoid those problems. Family is an essential part of one’s cultural background. As a consequence, it acts as a firm bond between overseas scholars and their homeland. First, Kellogg, a researcher working on international migration at UCLA, did a survey on the future plans of Chinese students in America in 2012. According to the survey, the top one reason why they want to return home is family (Kellogg, 2012).It is suffering to stay far away from relatives and friends for a long period of time. Furthermore, because of one-child policy, the only child is what parents can rely on except for the welfare and pension when parents get old. In Chinese traditional convention, children should take care of the elder family members (Smith, 1973). So parents and children would like to live together, at least live nearby each other (Settles, Sheng, Zang, & Zhao, 2008). This will lead to an increasing number of overseas students to come back to China.Moreover, China, a familiar environment, may comfort these scholars and give them confidence in their career, which is an attraction to scholars who stays abroad. Integration into the local society is a troublesome problem to Chinese students. In a survey done by a website named deyi which is a popular website among Chinese students in Germany (2007) about the students’ situation in the local society, only seven percent of students assert that they have no problem to join the main stream. Others encountered prob lems more or less (as cited in Liu & Li, 2010, p. 88-491) To evade this, some of them tend to limit their social contact to a small group of Chinese people and confine their career to lab when they graduate, which lead to the result that they have less communication with the main stream and it becomes more troublesome for them to integrate into the society (Miller, 1992 & Liu & Li, 2010). On the other hand, their situation in China is different from that abroad. An overseas scholar has both a native knowledge of his or her homeland and the ability to use Chinese fluently.That is the basis of overseas scholars’ confidence. When they strike root in their homeland, they gain confidence. Chaoyang Zhang, the CEO of sohu (Sohu is one of the most successful Internet companies in China. )and a returnee, shares his experience: â€Å" When I was an official at MIT, I met Zhangliang Chen (He is a famous experts of tropical botany in China and he studied in Washington University in St. Louis. ) once. From his expression and the look in his eyes, I could see the authority and firmness that he gained during the years when he was in China.His confidence and pride are what overseas students and successful overseas scholars do not have. That is result of striking root in homeland. The difference is so enormous to make me shocked, which strengthen my determination to go back to China. † ( Liu & Li, 2010, p. 587) The confidence based on living in homeland cannot usually be gained elsewhere. On the other hand, the cultural binding with homeland may be a disadvantage of Chinese scholars when they live abroad. Chinese scholars and those who have already mmigrated to foreign country may experience discrimination from others. The glass ceiling exists, which according to Joseph Tsien, a American neuroscientist from China, is â€Å"an unspoken truth† (Mervis, 2005, p. 607). A glass ceiling means that a certain barrier blocks the advancement to a relatively high pos ition faced by minority in a society. Because of culture gap and language barrier, most of the scholars from China find they can not totally understand the foreign culture (Liu, & Li, 2010).As a result, many of them can have fame and achievement in their own field as scientists but only a few of them can get a job of senior management in their field (Mervis, 2005). Alice Huang, a successful virologist who came from mainland China to America when she was 10 years old, encountered the barrier in her application to a high- level job in New York University in 1991. During her interview, she found out that what the committee was searching for is a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) candidate and the committee set barriers to make Huang give up that position. In the end, she lost that position (Miller, 1992).Since evaluation, which may be subjective, is a key step in process of promotion, one, not belonging to the main stream, may be afraid of the unequal judgment done by the evaluating committee which consists of the majority. Scholars want to prove their value and be accepted by the society. But the existed barriers prevent scholars from getting higher positions and realize their plans. Under this condition, scholars would believe that they will be minority and nearly impossible to be integrated to mainstream, which may hurt scholars and drive them to go home (Liu, & Li, 2010).However, the racial discrimination to those overseas scholars will be eliminated in their homeland. They will be honored in China. Experiences of studying and working abroad are called â€Å"paint a little gold† (du jin) in Chinese (Zweig, Chen, & Rosen, 2004, p. 736), which means returnees are regarded precious in China. To conclude, the three keys to Chinese reverse brain drain are dramatic growth in the economics, proper policies that encourage overseas scholars to return and a cultural environment that can give returnees a sense of belonging.Through the success of China’s alluring scholars back, power plays a significant role. To encourage more overseas scholars to go back, the authorities should concentrate on developing the economy to gain more hard power. Moreover, an open political environment is necessary, for overseas scholars have experienced freedom in political status. Furthermore, for moving the trend of returning further, the government should not only concentrate on the quantity of the returnees but also the quality of the returnees. Reference: Alsop, R. (2007). TRACK: More Chinese Graduates Return Home.The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 14, 2012 from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB11737448221373 4773. html Castles, S. (2012). Cosmopolitanism and freedom? Lessons of the global economic crisis. Ethnic & Racial Studies, 35(11), 1843-1852. doi:10. 1080/01419870. 2012. 715662 Confucius, C. (2006). â€Å"Lun yu† ming yan =: Aphorisms From LUNYU. Di 1 ban. Jinan: Qi lu shu she. Engardio, P. ,& Engardio, P. (2009). China's Rev erse Brain Drain. BloomberBusinessweek. Retrieved November 14, 2012 from http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/ 09_48/b4157058821350. tm Ford, P. (2012). Reverse brain drain: China engineers incentives for â€Å"brain gain†. Christian Science Monitor, Retrieved from http://www. csmonitor. com/World/Global-Issues /2012/1021/Reverse-brain-drain-China-engineers-incentives-for-brain-gain International Rankings and Chinese Higher Education Reform. (2006). World Education News and Reviews. Retrieved November 14, 2012 from http://www. wes. org/ ewenr/06oct/ practical. htm. Jianshu, Z. (2000). Students Returned from Abroad in the 1990s. Chinese Education & Society, 33(5), 8. Kellogg, R. (2012).China's Brain Gain? : Attitudes and Future Plans of Overseas Chinese Students in the US. Journal Of Chinese Overseas, 8(1), 83-104. doi:10. 1163/179325412X634319 Liu, J. , & Li, X. (2010). Zhongguo liu xue tong shi: Zhongguo liuxue tongshi. Di 1 ban. Guangzhou: Guangdong jiao yu chu ba n she Llana, S. , Ford, P. , Marquand, R. , Pflanz, M. , & Ibukun, Y. (2012). Reverse brain drain: Economic shifts lure migrants home. Christian Science Monitor, N. PAG. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2011). China statistical yearbook 2011. Beijing: China Statistics Press.Settles, B. , Sheng, X. , Zang, Y. & Zhao, J. (2008). The one child policy and its impacts on Chinese families. Research Committee on Family, 12-13. Smith, D. (1973). Confucius. London: Temple Smith. Wang, Z. (2012). Ten years of international companies since China entered WTO. International Financing. Retrieved November 14, 2012 from http://www. zcom. com/ article/51886/ Yan, J. (1998). My heart turns toward the homeland. Chinese Education & Society,31(2), 57. Ye, L. (2000). Overseas students coming back at a golden time. Beijing Review, 43(6/7), 20. Zhang, Y. (2012).Thousand Talent Program brings more pros. China Daily, Retrieved from http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/bizchina/2012-04/28/content_15168335. htm. Zweig, D. , Changgui, C. , & Rosen, S. (2004). Globalization and transnational human capital: Overseas and returnee scholars to china. The China Quarterly, 735-757. Zweig, D. (2006). Competing for talent: China's strategies to reverse the brain drain. International Labour Review,145(1), 65-0_6. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. library. wisc. edu/docview/224008850? accountid=465 ———————– 1

“Alien World” Essay

Zaitchik is a freelance journalist who is affiliated with Poverty Law, a U.S. organization that supports ethnic and racial tolerance. Zaitchik’s article attempts to convey the idea that Mexico’s economy is forcing people to take desperate measures in order to survive. He uses his experience with a border crossing simulation as a way to lure the reader into the article. Zaitchik then proceeds to use statistical evidence to enlighten the reader about Mexico’s economic dependency on migrant workers. Zaitchik travelled to Mexico to learn about and participate in the border crossing simulation. He effectively uses his experience with the border crossing simulation, its participants, the Otomi people and his knowledge of the Mexican economy to effectively present his argument. Zaitchik’s personal experience and knowledge of the Otomi’s plight supplement his argument. He provides a series of facts and anecdotal evidence to show the emergence of a border crossing simulation in Mezquital Valley as a prelude to a bigger problem, Mexico’s economic dependency on migrant workers. Zaitchik states that the Otomi, the indigenous people of Mezquital Valley, lost 90% of their working class to migrant workers (258). Many of the Otomi migrant workers make the trip north to work seasonally, but many are unable or unwilling to return (259). The author’s use of these facts establishes that the Otomi were left with a population that would not be able to sustain their local culture or the community’s economy. This forced the remaining population to tap into a new form of ecotourism by starting the border crossing simulation. Zaitchik’s simulation shows how illegal immigrants face a great number of challenges as they attempt to enter through a foreign country’s borders. Each participant has paid $125 for two days camping and a midnight â€Å"border crossing† experience in central Mexico. The staged run, 700 miles from the actual U.S. border, covers a bruising adventure course that winds through the valley of Alberto Eco Park. Zaitchik says, â€Å"It all adds up to the world’s most elaborating simulation of the Mexican migrant experience† (259). His knowledge of the border crossing  simulation reinforces how the Otomi were forced to adapt or face extinction. One of those who left and returned is Laura Basuado a fresh faced- 27- year- old park employee who crossed the border when she was 17. She states, â€Å"The night walk is not even 1 percent of what it’s really like.† Her own journey to the U.S. involved a four-day walk through the sonoran desert. This comparison serves to further clarify that there is a gap between the middle class and the poor, emphasizing that the participants do not see this experience as an act of unifying the Mexican people. After luring the reader with the Otomi’s plight and experience on the simulation, Zaitchik’s asserts that the Mexican government tolerates and even encourages the trip up north. He gives the following as the reason, â€Å"Mexicans living in the U.S. send more than $25 billion dollars in annual remittances to their relatives south of the border† (262). $25 billion dollars is a substation amount of money for any government to give up willingly without having a means of replacing the income. The cotton industry in West Texas fears that there will be a struggle in finding field workers if the border is closed. Other regions of the country that depend on agricultural workers to pick their product in time for the market would also be affected. (O’Donnell 26). It has been proven that it is extremely important for the agriculture business to have enough migrant workers to work the fields and in turn provide an economic impact to the region. Agriculture’s need for Mexican workers is very large, but it is also a seasonal job which sometimes will cause the migrant worker to move from the West Coast to Texas, or other agricultural states. This kind of migration is seen less and less since some states have been enforcing or enacting their own immigration laws which prevent most illegal immigrants from going and providing an econo mic impact to the region. Ask any struggling Mexican if U.S. plans for a high-tech border fence will stop the flow, and he will tell you the idea is fanciful, that you cannot deter the desperate. â€Å"If you build a wall, they will build taller ladders and dig deeper tunnels,† says Del Plan. â€Å"If the entire border becomes clogged with armed guards, they will take boats, as the Cubans and Haitians do.† Indeed, this shift is already happening (262). As you can see O’Donnell and Zaitchik agree that the agriculture businesses require the migrant workers, and that increased border security will not deter illegal immigration. According to the Pew Research Hispanic Center, (Young) there is no net zero migration  from Mexico to the U.S. for the first time in decades. Increased border patrol, stricter laws in the U.S., rising smuggling fees, violence in the desert and the struggling U.S. economy are keeping more Mexicans at home and even have some people returning to Mexico from the U.S. Th erefore, â€Å"The media sees we are trying to build understanding and create jobs, and they support us says, Eduardo Del Plan, a park employee who scripts much of the simulation based on his own multiple trips across the border†. Therefore, Zaitchik states â€Å"that we have become an example of an indigenous community standing on its own feet, trying to stop the bleeding to the north† (262). (Maribel Garcia from HERE AND NOW) says it’s difficult to show how effective the night walks are for our visitors, but as the parks tourist offerings are expanding, and the number of visitors slowly growing, she says that the walks will generate enough income to encourage more of the community’s residents to stay put. However,† Bausado eventually found her way to Minnesota, where she stayed four months before deciding she’d rather be poor and jobless in Mexico than poor and marginally employed in the U.S., living in constant dread of arrest or deportation† (260). Zaitchik’s article attempts to convey the idea that Mexico’s economy is forcing people to take desperate measures in order to survive. He uses his experience with a border crossing simulation as a way to draw the reader into the article. Zaitchik then proceeds to use statistical evidence to enlighten the reader about Mexico’s economic dependency on migrant workers. Overall Zaitchik experienced a memorable border crossing adventure. Work Cited From http;//www.usatoday.com. Hanson,H.G. and Council on Foreign Affairs. â€Å"The economic logic of illegal immigration.† USA: Council on Foreign Relations, 2007. From http;//hereandnow.wbur.org fake-border-crossing Here & Now with Robin Young and Irina Zhorov

The changing nature of competition within the global pharmaceutical Assignment

The changing nature of competition within the global pharmaceutical - Assignment Example The nature of the competition in this field has also been in a constant state of revolution along with its changing entities. While, in the 1960’s regulatory controls were held on a lighter end, due to rapid expansion of the industry along with the medical practitioners insensitive to the price entity; on the other hand, the industry demographics shifted in the 1970’s following a series of events, to constitute an environment that was ruled by strong regulatory bodies and increased patent protection. This is just the example of how industry shifted over a period of two decades alone. Over this period the competition started to get a boost through introduction of generic medicines competing on price. This entity of generics had a major impact on the level of competition in the pharmaceutical industry in terms of providing incentives and a race to market. In other words switching to generics is one of the most common and convenient ways to save cost. They are even being u sed as fist line treatment options with patent drugs used only once they fail. This also presents with it increased rivalry and competitiveness within the industry. Such challenges have been attempted by the organizations to counter using various strategic responses such as disease management initiatives or demonstrating added value offerings of the drugs in terms of various related entities. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis: Threat of Substitutes: When it comes to the pharmaceutical industry, the primary threat that the companies is faced with is of Generic Brand Medication. However, they may be countered through the factor of patents. Other than that, companies in the pharmaceutical industry can also be faced with threats from Complementary Alternative Medicine and alternative medicine which could serve as substitutes; with alternative medicine would serve as a substitute even more so based on the fact that it is not influenced by the pharmaceutical industry (What is CAM?). Th reat of New Entrants: The pharmaceutical industry is an industry that has exponentially high barriers to entry making the threat of new entrants as being relatively low. A few of such barriers are the great costs required to enter the industry, extremely high Research and Development investments, costly and time consuming production process, which combined with strict government regulations and patents makes it really hard for anyone to initiate an entity in this field be it even the big bees. Also, the established firms in this industry are strong enough and well differentiated along with having a loyal customer base making it extremely hard for anyone to develop a brand name and get it recognized (Pharma: Through Porter's Eyes, 2004). Bargaining Power of Suppliers: In terms of the supplier side of the pharmaceutical industry, we see that it constitutes of various entities such as raw material producer and suppliers, local- co-marketing partners, internal labour and even the patien ts for clinical trials etc. When it comes to the threat presented by the supplier side in terms of their bargaining power we see that though all the suppliers present with themselves varying degrees of threat, but it is no more bigger than the threat presented by any such suppliers in other industries either. So, we can say that though there is some extent of threat present, but it is not that exponentially high. Bargaining Power of Buyers: The biggest buyer of the pharmaceutical industry is the government sector and it is one that can impose pressures on the pharmaceutical companies to achieve their own purpose. In addition to that, big hospitals and drug stores can pressurize the company to lower its prices provided

Business Skills & Employability Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Skills & Employability - Case Study Example Further, J Sainsbury also faces the threat of interest groups that seek to ensure profound production and distribution comprehends consumer welfare appropriately. Researches implement that the corporation operates at least 1,106 supermarkets in the UK, and other leading economies. The tally also includes a broad chain of convenience stores that the company runs at a global perspective (Cunningham & Harney, 2012, p. 47). Its analysts argue out that the customers are of salient value to the longevity and growth in performances thus all its investment initiatives focus on that fact. J Sainsbury Company elevates its chain stores to ensure that its products aim at the right consumer groups in order to achieve a profitable market share, and growth on a global perspective. The UK based supermarket operates on a global platform with standardized practices while targeting a broad customer network with divergent needs and wants. Secondly, the company’s 480 retail outlets based in the UK have been of significant importance to the entire organization in maintaining its second position and challenging TESCO, the country’s market leader (Hensmans, Johnson, & Yip, 2013, p. 88). Despite its global targeting approaches, the grocery chain has continuously accrued beneficial outcomes, and profitable performances in all its segments, a factor that is evident in the over 20 countries of operations at the global platform. The chain store’s forecasts ensure that it has gradually diversified competitively and profitably over its local and foreign competitors. Informative survey shows that the company’s market operations face contests since the global grocery industry comprises of both local and international competitors and it is evident that some of them exceedingly operate in broader segments (Cunningham & Harney, 2012, p. 67). The following discussion seeks to establish J Sainsbury’s business practices and its SWOT analyses, with the recommended a pproaches to restructure its strategic plan (Wied & Ebers, 2007, p. 133). Sainsbury’s business environment The corporation founded in early 1869 by UK nationals, John and Mary Sainsbury and it grew proficiently throughout the 19th, 20th, and is currently turning into a global icon after pausing at the second largest chain in the UK, and further as the most profitable grocery company. The adventurous global market production and sales approach emanates from the company's sustainability strategy, which entails the salient measures observable before the purchase of groceries and other consumer products. Statistics reveal that Sainsbury strategic planning contributed to its profitable outcomes whereby the management reported pretax revenue of over ?400 million. Sainsbury’s economic precision extends towards growth in the market since its product portfolio includes the requirement of enticing and outsourcing on producers in order to reduce the expenses articulated to produc ing and packaging some of the company’s consumer goods (Zentes, Morschett, & Schramm-Klein, 2011, p. 244). The company’s coherent integration of the varied political systems enables it to win economic gains throughout the target markets. The use of technology and innovation stimulates competition, and Sainsbury displays the ability to prosper competitively in the global market. J Sainsbury’s SWOT analyses Strengths The company’s credentials and its success in the grocery industry emanate from the long-range objectives and

Evaluate one aspect of care that you have experienced during the Essay

Evaluate one aspect of care that you have experienced during the course that has changed since you left Nursing Practice in 1999. The practice of urinary cathet - Essay Example Urinary tract infection related to the use of urinary catheter is often associated with the increase rate of morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. (Tal et al., 2005) Therefore, it is necessary for health care professionals to continuously improve the hospice and palliative care. To enable the readers to fully understand the subject matter, a list of related definition of words will be provided followed by discussing the main purpose of urinary catheterization and evaluating the impact of using urinary catheter on terminally ill patients who are admitted in a hospice environment. As part of evaluating the practice of using urinary catheter on terminally ill patients, a literature review will be gathered to examine the health benefits of using urinary catheter in terms of promoting dignity and comfort on terminally ill patients. Contrary to the health benefits of using the practice of catheterization, the associated risks of infection and ways to prevent infection among the patients will be thoroughly discussed prior to conclusion. Hospice Care – special care given to terminally ill patients which aims to improve the quality of life by relieving their pain and other symptoms during the last few days in a person’s life. (Avert, 2009a) Overactive bladder (OAB) – â€Å"a form of urinary incontinence in which sudden, involuntary contractions of the muscle surrounding the bladder produce an urgent need to urinate – often so sudden that the person with the condition is unable to make it to the bathroom in time (a condition known as urge incontinence)† (UCLA, 2009). There are a lot of urinary problems which normally occurs when a person reaches the old age. In some cases, illnesses and physical injuries may also contribute to urinary problems. In general, â€Å"the human organs, tubes, muscles, and nerves function together in

History of Modern Science, Galileo and Newton Essay

History of Modern Science, Galileo and Newton - Essay Example Here in this paper, both are discussed; compared and analyzed in a deep manner as per their respective works which brought about a significant change within our modern day luxuries that mankind has in the present times. Galileo was born on 15th February 1564 and is widely regarded as an Italian physicist, astronomer, mathematician and philosopher of repute. He had a major hand in bringing about the scientific revolution within history. His name is synonymous with the very best in the world of innovators, physicists and thinkers since he was, is and will always remain a genius. Mankind owes a lot of gratitude to the personality of Galileo and hence the reason that he is still remembered as a hero notwithstanding a great amount of time has passed since he died – on 8th January 1642. Galileo brought to the fore his achievements in the line of improvements that he made towards the working domains of the telescope as well as the consequent astronomical observations with added support for the sake of Copernicanism. Without a doubt, this formed the basis as to why he was regarded as the "father of modern observational astronomy", the "father of modern physics", â€Å"the father of Modern Scienceâ €  and the "father of science." Galileo studied the motion of uniformly accelerated objects which is usually there in all school and college curricula. The physics courses have special mention of such objects and it comes especially under the heading of kinematics. Galileo made contributions towards the field of observational astronomy which has entailed within it the discovery of the four largest satellites that Jupiter has and named as the Galilean moons. This was so done to give him honor and respect for his work. He also studied the sunspots, firstly made an observation regarding them and then analyzing them in the end. Further, he worked tirelessly towards the related fields of applied science and technology. (Shea & Artigas, 2003) On the other hand, Sir

The Various Employment Theories and The Overall Changes in Employment Assignment - 2

The Various Employment Theories and The Overall Changes in Employment Relations Since the 1970s - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that the relation between the management and employee in the workplace is a subject that attracts many people’s attention. Work is a part of people’s lives and so a lot of time is spent dealing with work-related issues. How the society views work today is different from the views of people from in the past due to the changing environments. Employment relation explains the management and regulation of the employment relationship between the worker and the employer. The study of employment relations has led to several theoretical perspectives that have helped explain the nature of employment relations. The following is some of the perspectives draw. The first is Unitarianism, a perspective based on workplace conflicts between the employees and the manager. This theory explains that conflicts in the workplace are inevitable, and they should be seen as a unifier and not a dissolvent. In the organization, the employee carries the s ame interest as the manager and that is to see the organization thrive. In case of disagreement, the two parties agree to disagree for the benefit of the organization. The main cause for conflicts according to Bryson is a clash of personality, promotion, lack of communication skills and dissidents deviation. This can be easily solved by the management through finding the problem and solving it. In Taylor’s scientific management theory he states that employees have limited ambitions and tend to act immature and avoid their responsibilities whenever they can. Companies that choose to subscribe to Taylor’s theory set clear roles and directives on assignments undertaken at work. The approach here gives management an upper hand because it has great authority on the workers. The other theory applicable in this case is the human relations theory where workers are viewed as individuals who are self-motivated and have a sense of self-fulfillment in the organization. In this the ory, workers are granted the autonomy to operate in a manner that they feel the job satisfaction. Organizations that adopt this approach create a self-governing environment and allow employees to govern themselves. The second set of assumption is pluralism and unlike Unitarianism pluralism believes that work conflict is necessary and healthy for the organization. Businesses are made up of different complex groups with each group carrying different interests.

Analysis of Financial Statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Financial Statements - Essay Example The suite that I choose for the ratio analysis was the Wagner suite. The reason I choose this suite was based on the fact that the suite provides better balance in comparison with the StuarMason. The StuartMason ratio suite places too much importance on sales turnover. The greatest weight in the Wagner suite goes to sales growth which is a great indicator of the progress the company has made through the passage of time. As far as the ratio analysis the company that rated better overall was Lambda. The profitability, sales turnover, liquidity, and capital structure of Lambda are superior. One of the few metrics in which Coral received a better rating was sales growth. The second analysis that was performed to compare the two businesses been considered for a joint venture was an analysis of the notes to the financial statements. The accounting practices of Lambda are more aligned with the requirements of Panorama. As far as inventory Lambda utilizes First In First Out inventory system (FIFO). FIFO provides advantages such as providing a more accurate valuation of the total inventory. Coral has some pending lawsuits yet to be resolved that could inhibit the financial status of the company in the future. Both companies are weak as far as its stock option disclosures due to the fact that they do not mention the actual amounts of stock options outstanding. The third analytic tool utilized in the simulation was an evaluation of the non-financial information of the company. The non financial metrics of the pair of companies seem to indicate that Lambda is a superior choice. Lambda has a lower employee turnover ratio which is a positive sign. A low employee turnover ration represents money savings since it reduces initial training expenses and it allows for a company to create value in the form of human capital. Lambda has a better array of products and higher revenues from the introduction of new products. Lambda

International Business Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Business Management - Assignment Example The following report talks about the McDonald’s corporation, its inceptions, values and international expansion. Then, the theories are applied and McDonald’s strategies are analyzed in light of these theories. Later, the issues McDonald’s faces as a corporation as it expands particularly in the developing countries are discussed, followed by specific examples of the challenges, from the past, the external environment has posed on the fast food chain. The McDonald’s corporation, whose international division was established in the year 1969, today is the largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants in the world, and serves around 70 million customers on a daily basis in 118 countries. In the 1940 when the company began its operations in the United States under Richard and Maurice (Mac) McDonald, it was a barbeque restaurant. It wasn’t untilm1948 that they decided to reorganize the business as a hamburger joint based on the principles of production line. In 1954 when the milk-shake mixer sales man, Ray Kroc, saw an opportunity in this market and joined the business as a franchise agent in 1955. Ray Kroc negotiated the deal with the brothers and ended up making a franchise deal that gave him the exclusive rights to franchise in the USA. Kroc offered a McDonalds franchise at a price of $950, and took home a service fee of 1.9% of sales. The McDonalds brothers eventually sold out for $2.7million in 1961. The corporation’s first international venture was in Canada in 1969. International expansion in McDonald’s was accomplished through three different means 1) McDonald’s and its foreign subsidiaries, 2) franchisees and 3) Affiliates. Franchising played a major role at McDonald’s. A major factor contributing to the rapid and successful international expansion for McDonald’s has been the way its franchise system has operated. Over the years the corporation has given immense importance to the training and

Tupac Shakur Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tupac Shakur - Research Paper Example Tupac Shakur developed a rap group called Strictly Dope with the help of his friends, Ray Luv and DJ Dize (Predoc 1). In the year 2001, the album "the lost tapes† was released on the name of Tupac Shakur. From the beginning, Tupac Shakur was making music with group members but at the end, he moved into solo career due to some individual reasons (Scattergood 1). In the year 1991, the solo debut album of Tupac Shakur was released which was entitled as â€Å"2Pacalypse now† (Covey, 81). The release of his debut album made Tupac Shakur one of the most famous controversial rappers in the hip-hop industry. The released album got the huge accolade from the public music lovers. Some of the hit singles from the debut album of Tupac Shakur are â€Å"Brenda got a Baby† and â€Å"Trapped† which rapidly made him popular among the music lovers (Beatty 61). Next album of Tupac Shakur was â€Å"Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.† It was the masterpiece of music and lyrics. The album was related to the controversies that were surrounded by him. The album had the special appearance from other controversial rappers, such as Ice Cube and West Coast rappers. Similar to his first album, this particular album of Tupac Shakur was at number four on the chart of R & B. In the course of the later stage, Tupac Shakur was involved in several conflicts with other members of record-label and rappers. In the year 1996, Tupac Shakur was shot several times in the shooting during driving (Assata Shakur 1).  

College vs. High School Essay Example for Free

College vs. High School Essay Many students, especially those who do not have a family member who has been to college, think college is pretty much like high school, only bigger. But there are some very big differences. Many students who did not do well in high school blossom in college. Much of how college will differ depends on you. To be prepared, it helps you to know what differences lay ahead. Though academic requirements and student life vary depending on the college you attend, there are basic differences that apply in almost every case. One key step to a successful transition from high school to college is to anticipate and be prepared for the differences between the two settings. This is especially true for students with disabilities. In addition to dealing with the same transition issues that all students face, they also have the added challenge of changes in how support services are requested and arranged. In college, students must play a more active role and assume more responsibility. Because you will probably be over 18 years old in college, you will be treated like an adult. This is because you will be an adult. As an adult, you will have to make sure you do what you’re supposed to do, you will be responsible for the way you live, and you will have to meet greater expectations from others. Generally, there are fewer rules and regulations imposed by others in college. You will be expected to make and stick to your own schedule, as well as keep up on all your work. Professors expect you to be in class to learn. And whether or not you learn is your responsibility. Many students, after a brief period of adjustment, will settle into a balanced lifestyle of work and play. Those who don’t usually do not make it through their first year. In college, you will take on more responsibility for your decision, actions, and lifestyle. This is part of being on your own. Professors and administrators will probably not give you a hard time about your clothes, your hair, or your general behavior. But do be prepared to be held accountable for your behavior. There is no one to blame for not waking up on time, not eating properly, or not washing your clothes. People will expect more of you and expect you to develop in your own unique way in college. In high school, you are often expected to behave or perform to a minimum standard. Some people will expect you to go beyond minimal performance in college, so you can grow and develop as a person. You will also begin to realize what a great effect you can have – both positive and negative – on yourself, on others, and on the world around you. This can be both exciting and frightening. In college, you will be free to explore numerous paths and interests that were simply not open to you in high school. There are more foreign languages, arts, and sciences offered in college. Subjects like philosophy and religion are also taught at college but probably not in high school. Some subjects are taught differently in college. In high school, for instance, history may have been mainly names, dates, and places. You had to memorize facts and figures. In college, those facts are not nearly as important as why certain events and actions happened. In college English, less time may be spent on grammar and spelling (it is assumed you have mastered these) and more on writing creatively and criticizing literature. Many classes will be organized differently from the traditional high school lecture class. Some will be big lecture classes followed by small discussion groups. Some professors will have you read books, write papers, and discuss both in class. You may even have the chance to read independently with a professor or design your own research projects. Grading will be different, too. In some classes, you will have nothing but essay tests. In other, your entire grade will be determined by a single large paper or project. You may even have classes in which a group project is the primary grade. High school is a place you go to seven or eight hours a day, less than half the days of the year. Many colleges are set up to be your home – you will eat and sleep there, spend time off there, make new friends there, even do your laundry there. Therefore, chances are good that college will have an even greater effect on you than high school did. In fact, it will be a time in your life like no other.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Expansion Politics Essay

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Expansion Politics Essay This paper will examine North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Expansionlooking at the real benefit of NATO growing. Does it provide leverage that shapes the political and economic development of European countries where democracy and free markets are not yet taken for granted or still growing? As discussed in our regional studies elective on Europe NS 2206, in order to win a NATO membership, the candidate countries must agreed to long agendas of reforms, ranging from ensuring free press and fair elections to protecting minorities and acting against drug trafficking and corruption. Currently NATO is comprised of twenty-eight members, with additional candidates awaiting approval (i.e. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro). NATO had twelve founding member nation they were the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, France, Iceland, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Norway. Although membership in to NATO is rather difficult to achieve, NATO has added new members through six expansions since its founding in 1949. Throughout NATOs history it has established different programs with the intent to create greater regional cooperation between NATO and its neighbors. These programs include the Partnership for Peace, the Mediterranean Dialogue initiative, and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. From these programs NATO has established relationships that have led to new NATO members. With the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, NATO has experienced something of an identity crisis. NATO was originally conceived as a military alliance to deter Soviet expansion into Western Europe, the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union forced NATO to reassess its once clear objective. A former Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Joseph Ralston once said that, For most of NATOs history the strategic problem was easily defined: we could predict where we might fight and under what conditions.But today we have a much different problem. We do not know who the enemy might be, and we do not know where we will fight.  [i]  As the political and military circumstances changed in Europe, many member nations believed that NATO should adapt and reflect these changes. In 1995, the NATO Alliance published the results of a Study on NATO Enlargement that considered the merits of admitting new members and how they should be brought in.  [ii]  It concluded that the end of the Cold War provided a unique opportunity to build improved security in the entire Euro-Atlantic area and that NATO enlargement would contribute to enhanced stability and security for all.  [iii]  The Study further concluded that enlargement would contribute to enhanced stability and security for all countries in the Euro-Atlantic area by encouraging and supporting democratic reforms, including the establishment of civilian and democratic control over military forces; fostering patterns and habits of cooperation, consultation, and consensus-building characteristic of relations among members of the Alliance; and promoting good-neighborly relations.  [iv]  The Study also concluded that enlargement would strengthen the Alliances ability to contribute to European and internat ional security, strengthen, and broaden the transatlantic partnership.  [v]   In 1997, the United States Clinton Administration led efforts to invite three former Eastern bloc communist countries, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland to join NATO. Since their invitation in 1997, there have been a number of further invitations for membership to newly democratized states seeking membership into one of the greatest military alliances in the world. After this fourth enlargement in 1999, the desire to become a member of NATO spread rapidly both into the Baltic and seven East European countries and they lobbied for NATO membership. Seven of these countries joined in the fifth enlargement in 2004. Albania and Croatia joined in the sixth enlargement in 2009. This pushed NATOs boundaries further east than they had ever imagined. In November 2010, NATO members adopted a new Strategic Concept at the Lisbon Summit. They reaffirmed the Alliances commitment to keep NATOs door open to any European country in a position to undertake the commitments and obligations of membership, and contribute to security in the Euro-Atlantic area.  [vi]   This NATO expansion is accomplished by each new potential member nation through a Membership Action Plan (MAP) mechanism. This is a procedure where the current members review new members formal applications. The mechanism was approved in the 1999 Washington summit. A nations participation in MAP entails the annual presentation of reports concerning its progress on five different measures: (1) willingness to settle international, ethnic or external territorial disputes by peaceful means, commitment to the rule of law and human rights, and democratic control of armed forces; (2) ability to contribute to the organizations defense and missions; (3) devotion of sufficient resources to armed forces to be able to meet the commitments of membership; (4) security of sensitive information, and safeguards ensuring it; and (5) compatibility of domestic legislation with NATO cooperation.  [vii]   The question of NATO enlargement has not been made without it debate by its member nations. They have debated the arguments for and against expansion. An expanded NATO, they argue, may provide the military security and political integration necessary to aid the development of these young democracies.  [viii]  Furthermore, these experts contend that enlargement will help secure a more stable and peaceful future for Europe, which is crucial for U.S. interests.  [ix]  Critics of expansion contend that enlarging NATO risks diluting both its military effectiveness and capabilities. They argue that the new alliance will lack the cohesion and clearly defined purpose that made NATO in its previous incarnation the most successful military alliance of modern times.  [x]  Opponents of expansion also insist that the economic price of enlargement far outweighs its benefits. Furthermore, these experts fear that an enlarged NATO threatens to divide the world into coalitions, not to ment ion the very real possibility of isolating Russia and fanning the flames of the hard-line forces that still threaten Russias democratic development.  [xi]   The six large expansions have made NATO change policies and organizational structure in order to accommodate the newly added states. Some members nations as well as members of the United States Congress have asked what will further expansion cost; who will pay for the costs; is it necessary; how should enlargement be conducted; what is an expanded NATOs purpose? Mr. Sarwar A. Kashmeri tries to answer these questions in his new book NATO 2.0: Reboot or Delete? He provides some insights stating, America has underwritten the security of Europe for over sixty years. It is not a state of affairs that I believe the increasingly pressured American taxpayer will look upon favorably any more. Especially considering that the European Unions gross domestic product now exceeds Americas and the combined defense budget of the Member States of the European Union of around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200 billion (over $300 billion) is not appreciably smaller than Americas defense budget after removing the expe nses of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and subtracting the expenses of Americas world-wide responsibilities, a global role that Europeans seem to have no desire to underwrite or assume.  [xii]   These costs are in effect a return on NATOs investment in these new member countries. The NATO alliances enlargement has promoted stability in Europe by providing a secure environment for new members for further consolidation of democracy and open markets. The progress made in a few years by the latest members to NATO such as Albania and Croatia have been impressive and deserves reward. These countries spent more than eight years in rigorous preparation for NATO membership. Today, Croatia has the most impressive economic performance, and real estate prices, of any country in southern Europe.  [xiii]  In recent years, Albania has contributed more soldiers to missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and international peacekeeping than most NATO allies.  [xiv]  These new members have made the trans-Atlantic alliance stronger. Philip H. Gordon, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at Brooking Institute, said it best in his statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 11, 2008 when he stated, that NATO enlargement has contributed to security and prosperity in Europe. The incentive of NATO membership has led aspiring countries to reform their political systems, liberalize their economies, root out corruption, resolve territorial disputes with neighbors, rationalize their military establishments, and improve minority rights. Once in the alliance new members have contributed troops for vital NATO missions in the Balkans and in Afghanistan and many sent forces to join the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. In turn, NATO membership has reassured their populations of political and military solidarity with the United States and members of the European Union, enabling them to focus on improving the well-being of their citizens rather than worrying about the types of military threats they had lived with fo r centuries.  [xv]  

Ethical Issues in Surrogacy

Ethical Issues in Surrogacy Introduction: Surrogacy is a term used when a woman agrees to carry a pregnancy as a surrogate mother for another person, who will claim the parental rights of the child. The parental rights holding person acts as the legal guardian who has the authority to care for the child born from the surrogate mother. There is no definite set of laws or rights in Ireland to cover the legal issues arising due to surrogacy and the maternity rights in Ireland also favors the male parent for the child. In this essay, the ethical issues due to surrogacy and maternity rights are explained in detail with a high court case where a Woman loses maternity benefit claim over surrogacy which was published in Irish Times on Tuesday, 7 Jul 2015. Regarding surrogacy, there is no definite ethics and legislation in Ireland regarding surrogacy where is an upsurge in the cases regarding surrogacy. Questions regarding the societies concern for a woman being used as a paid breeding tool. Questions regarding the societies concern for exploitation and commodification, of a woman being used to becoming pregnant and deliver commissioning couples child. Questions about contracting a woman for surrogacy, Is it more like contracting for employment or labor or prostitution or slavery?. Questions regarding the motherhood of the child where Is genetic mother the actual mother or the gestational mother the actual mother? and much more. These major ethical issues are faced in Ireland regarding the maternal rights and legal guardianship for the child which were born through surrogacy. The problems that arise regarding the surrogacy is due to the unrefined Irish legislation which doesnt cover the legal issues arising from surrogacy. High Court Cases regarding surrogacy: Woman loses maternity benefit claim over surrogacy: The commission on assisted human reproduction released a report in the year 2005 which recommended that the parental rights should be given to the commissioning parents and not to the surrogate mother. A regulatory body is suggested for the regulation of assisted human reproduction, including surrogacy was also recommended by the commission. However, still there is no regulating body for the assisted human reproduction. According to the commission on assisted human reproduction, the surrogate mother is the childs guardian and legal mother. The legal maternity is important for documents such as birth certificate, citizenship, etc. By the Status of Children Act 1987 under Section 46 the surrogates husband is considered as the childs father, and if she is not married, she is the sole guardian. The woman had an emergency hysterectomy due to a serious cancer illness during her pregnancy which left her unable to carry a pregnancy. She and her husband came to a decision that they were going to use surrogacy to give birth to their baby. A surrogate entered into an agreement in the US, where she was implanted by the woman and man genetic material fertilized via in-vitro fertilization treatment. A daughter was born through the surrogacy process in the US by the surrogate where every arrangement was legalized. The couple became the legal guardians and the biological parents by the registration in the birth certificate of their daughter. The woman was allowed to avail leave for maternity by her employer, but the pay maternity leave allowance was not agreed by the employer. She also applied to the Department of Social Protection for the State allowance which replied that she is not eligible. The woman claimed the refusal of maternity leave allowance through the court by discriminating in breach of the Equal Status Act. However, in the judgment, Ms. Justice Iseult OMalley disagreed the womans claim by stating that the Equal Status Act cannot be taken into consideration in the case of surrogacy where is an absence of legislation. The judgment also included that the maternity leave allowance is for the woman who carries the baby during her pregnancy. The woman was denied her maternity benefits due to the reason that the child was born through surrogacy. Landmark High Court surrogacy case adjourned: According to the commission on assisted human reproduction, the surrogate mother is the childs guardian and legal mother. The legal maternity is essential for documents such as birth certificate, citizenship, etc. By the Status of Children Act 1987 under Section 46 the surrogates husband is considered as the childs father, and if she is not married, she is the sole guardian. However, the man commissioning the surrogacy can also apply for the childs guardianship if he is the genetic or biological father under the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964. The position is not clear for the surrogate who carries the embryo of the commissioning couple, but if the surrogate uses her ova to conceive the child, the Irish court will hold her as the legal guardian for the child. In the Landmark High Court surrogacy case the parents who commissioned the surrogacy discovered that they had no genetic link to the child which was born using the surrogate. It was believed to be the first case of its kind to come to the courts hearing. Since the parents could not establish a genetic link to the child and the child was allowed into Ireland. The parents applied to make the child as a ward of the court where an interim order was granted, and the couples were appointed as the interim guardian for the child in September. Further DNA testing was ordered by Senior Counsel Gerard Durcan to the President of the High Court Justice Peter Kelly, which can be used to establish the parentage of the child. The judge ordered that further clarification and confirmation is required and the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) has no concerns regarding the welfare. The full hearing of the case would proceed in the month of January. Surrogacy can also be Good: In the developing world, there is both good and bad for every decision made in the peoples life. Surrogacy came into existence due to many reasons; two major are difficulty in adoption and infertility. 11.3% of people are infertility in the US which is the statistics given in the year 2013. Infertile people who want their children who can fulfill the wish of the family has no other option rather than surrogacy so that there is a possibility for living out the dream. Not just infertility people goes for surrogacy, the people who are married to the same sex also has no other option rather than surrogacy. In these cases, surrogacy might not be bad though adoption is suggested and it is a very complicated process and takes a longer time to adopt a child than surrogacy. The legal paperwork involved along with the psychological evaluations and the waiting list etc. may take many years. On the cons, it debated that the surrogate mothers are well aware and conscious of their choice to carry someone elses child. The woman involved in the surrogacy is perceived as an altruistic gesture, and most of them have a positive experience and feel satisfied with the surrogacy process. Conclusion: Surrogacy has both the aspects of good and bad in Ireland it is not well defined which is double edged sword both for the people commissioning surrogacy and to the government. In the first court case of surrogacy, the woman was affected due to the denial of her maternity benefits and the second court case of surrogacy; the court got affected by taking the child as the ward of the court. Clear rules and legislation for the process of surrogacy should come into existence in Ireland. A governing body should be allotted for resolving the problems involving the surrogacy and the problems arising from surrogacy. The government body should have the power decide whether the couple is allowed to commission a surrogacy or to adopt a child if there is a possibility for adoption. According to the commission on assisted human reproductions report released in the year, 2005 should be taken into clear considerations, and a panel should be arranged to decide the power to be allocated to the governin g body.

Why People Nerf :: essays research papers

Why People Nerf Why do you nerf? The common response would be, â€Å"Because it’s fun.† Nerf is an exhilarating sport; there is something about running around shooting foam at people that is loads of fun. Problem solved, people do it because it is fun. There are a lot of different aspects that go into defining the fun in Nerf. Nerf is a war game, and thus has to be treated uniquely in defining the psychological rewards it gives so many people. Like real war, Nerf invokes a rush of adrenaline and a ‘battle mentality’ (which will be discussed later). Like a game, there is a sense of lightheartedness and a sport-like physical and mental aspect, in which injuries are not meant to occur. Nerf rewards humans on an almost uncountable number of levels. Many animals, and almost all mammals, play war games. Cubs, puppies, kittens and the like are known to wrestle, bite, chase and surprise. Through these examples, we see that even the most primitive subconscious aspects of the human psyche are satisfied in mock battle. On a more modern level, Nerf allows for participants to engage in combat without the physical aptitude required by the military, the consequences of death, or the moral significance of taking another life. In fact, I kill the same four people every weekend, and they kill me. The modification of Nerf guns satisfies the scientific urge to take apart, examine, and rebuild. Although most members of the nerfing community follow the modifications and innovations of a small percentage of this group, every person will go about modifying in a slightly different way. Even following mod instructions is a mental exercise. This lands us upon another of the important rewards of Nerf: the community. Belonging to a community is one of the most basic needs of humans. Because this community exists in a bundle of electrons it includes many people who wouldn’t normally consider themselves social; but get them to a Nerf war, and they are ‘just one of the guys’. After this general analysis of the rewards of nerfing, I would like to go into further detail in relation to two of the most prominent facets of Nerf. The Battle Mentality The battle mentality that Nerf causes in people is comprised of many different behaviors. Because Nerf is just a game, the behaviors mentioned should all be looked at through a filter of fun and sport.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein :: essays research papers

The Hobbit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book began with Biblo Baggins smoking a pipe after breakfast. This is one of his favorite things to do and he feels good in doing it. He is middle-aged, and lives in a burrow in the ground. One morning Gandalf, a wizard stops by to talk with Biblo. He tells Biblo that he is looking for someone to go on an adventure with him. Although Biblo is tempted he decides not to go, but invites Gandalf for tea the next morning. The next day Biblo hears his doorbell and he remembers inviting Gandalf for tea, but instead of finding the wizard at the door, he finds 13 dwarves. Thorin son of the dwarf king starts to make a plan on how to regain the treasure stolen by the dragon Smaug. Biblo is shocked that these plans involve him. He then realizes that Gandalf has tricked him by writing on his door that he was a burglar looking for an exciting job. With all the talk of quests and glory Biblo decides to join the group on their adventure. Gandalf reveals a key and a map of th eir journey to the Lonely Mountain. It is there, that Smaug guards the treasure of Thorin's ancestors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The journey begins and the group meets at the Green Dragon Inn. From there they travel into the Lone-lands. As heavy rains begin to fall, Biblo sees that Gandalf is missing. When it starts to pour they stop to investigate a light. Their Biblo finds three trolls grumbling about food. Biblo decides to live up to title of burglar and tries to pickpocket one of the trolls. However they quickly catch him. The dwarfs see what's going on and try to save Biblo but all of them except Thorin are caught. Thorin creates a plan to free them but fails. Gandalf returns and keeps the trolls attention till dawn, and then they turn into stone. The group takes the two swords and a knife that the trolls were carrying.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The travelers come across the Secret Valley. There they stop at Elrond's Last Homely House. Elrond tells them the only way to use the key that Thorin has is to wait where the thrush knocks and the setting sun will shine up on the keyhole. The next morning the group heads toward the Misty Mountains. A storm has caused them to look for shelter in a cave.

Hatchet :: essays research papers

Within reading the first few pages of Hatchet, I knew I was going to enjoy the book. Hatchet was a story about bravery, courage, and strength. I enjoyed reading this great novel by Gary Paulsen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins when Brian, a thirteen-year-old boy, is traveling on an airplane. Brian is from the city, and is traveling to Canada to visit his Father. The setting is in the Canadian wilderness and is most important because Brian’s adventure would have been impossible in a city. Brian was very upset about his parents separation, but was excited to be visiting his father. However â€Å"The Secret,† as Brian refers to it, is always in the back of his mind. Brian has seen his mother with another man. He wants desperately to tell his father, but knows his father would be crushed. I think that this situation is something that could happen in real life. Brian is totally distraught. If I were in his place, I would be also. But instead of worrying about telling my father, I think I would be worrying about confronting my mother with the situation. I would feel I needed to stop the affair before my father did find out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brian’s trip is very unexpectedly interrupted, when the plane’s pilot has a heart attack. Brian tries to continue the flight, with help from men over the radio. Unfortunately, the radio dies, and the plane runs out of gas. I think this part of the story, is very unrealistic. If the plane were supposed to make it all the way to the destination, why would it suddenly run out of gas? Also, why would the radios suddenly become broken? I realize this was the whole point of the novel but it doesn’t seem realistic.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brian then spends exactly Fifty-four days by an L-shaped lake. He faces many conflicts. He is put in a situation like the â€Å"Survivor† television show. He needs to find a way to survive, unlike on the show, by himself. He needed protection from the weather, so he built shelter. He was hungry, so he hunted for food. He discovered how to catch fish, rabbit, and discovered bushes of nuts. He also had a bad encount er with â€Å"Poison berries,† as he called them, which made his stomach sick. Brian also had encounters with wild animals, such as, a porcupine, and a moose. Brian needed warmth, so he made fire, without any matches.

Personal Philosophy of Teaching Essay

â€Å"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.† – Chinese Proverb I came across this quote back in secondary school when I was bringing the books to my Chinese teacher’s desk. Never would I have thought it would relate to me so closely. As an early childhood educator, our aim is to provide quality education and care to the preschoolers in our care. Children are the future of our country, therefore comes the importance of education. I believe that children are born a â€Å"blank slate† (Locke, 1704) , and they behave like sponges, therefore they will retain and retrieve as much information that are passed to them. There is a pre set standard that is set for each educator for each level, but beyond that , my main goal as an educator is to provide an environment for constant learning and discovery for both the children and myself. Through instilling a love of learning in every student, i hope to ignite their love for learning both in and beyond the classrooms. Building relationships is the first step to everything. Not only can I gain the trust of the children, but the parents as well. When I gain the trust of the child and the parents, not only will it allows me insights of their family environment and beliefs, it also opens a window of conversation with the child. I can get to know more about the child’s hobbies, likes and dislikes and learning styles. This would allow me to approach the child in a more appropriate manner or revise the curriculum to cater to his/her needs. When a child is comfortable in the classroom because they know that they are in safe hands, they would in turn open up more and share more ideas. This also makes the child feel respected. Parental involvement is an important aspect building relationships. Having an idea of what are the parents expectations and addressing a clear stand of my expectations of the children, yet being open to their thoughts and feedbacks would be crucial especially to a new teacher like me. Also, updates, newsletters and calls help the parents to have an idea of the child’s performance in school, and these are usually doubles as record of  the development of the child. Literacy and language are skills that I feel are essential to everyone. The ability to achieve the different levels of reading and writing not only helps indicates the child’s developmental milestone, but also contributes to the child’s social skill. Social skills are life skills that the children take with them out of the classrooms and into society. Experimental learning is another vital life skills that I believe all children should possess. Therefore I strive to make all the learning in my classrooms as relatable to real life as possible. The authentic learning allows the children to have hands on experience with the subjects as they grow and learn to engage themselves in the real world. Being able to make connections by linking the things they learn in the class to the society is important, but making the classroom a conducive place for their classmates is too. Such social and emotional skills are difficult to impart as they are rarely textbook based but rather being felt, therefore cooperative play is highly encouraged in the classroom as well. Meaningful learning experiences cannot happen without a properly equipped classroom. Excellent classroom managements like the inclusion of routines, procedures and also the use of positive reinforcements not only help to maintain order in the classrooms but allow children to feel safe and valued. Indeed, teaching a man to fish an last him for a life time. Likewise, instilling the love of learning within the children will inspire them to continue the lifelong pursuit of wisdom and knowledge even after the educational process has been completed. Though these beliefs are the essence of my philosophy as an early childhood educator, but to cater to the constant change and ever-evolving of the needs of society, the philosophies are reviewed from time to time to help better evaluate personal progress and achieve goals. References Mouner. M (2013) http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2279.html Burns,M.S, Johnson R,T & Assaf M,M (2011) Preschool education in today’s world: teaching children with diverse backgrounds and abilities(USA, Baltimore) Meggitt, C (2012) Teach Yourself , Understanding Child Development (London) Feeney, S, Christensen,D & Moravcik, E (2006) 7th Edition – Who am I in the lives of children: An introduction to early childhood education.(Upper Saddle River, New Jersey) Pearson Education Inc. Ministry of Education (2012) Nurturing early learners, A curriculum framework for kindergartens in Singapore.(Singapore, Singpore) Asian International College (2011) Principles and practices in early childhood care and education : ECE 101 The Gale Groups (2008) Encyclopaedia of children and childhood in history and society: John Locke ( http://www.faqs.org/childhood/Ke-Me/Locke-John-1632-1704.html)