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Distance-learning MA in Publishing in development at Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Brookes The Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment — Sat, 25 May 2013 15:40:56 +0000

Over 75 international, European and UK students study Publishing at MA level annually within the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies, located in the School of Arts.

This successful and well-respected programme is now developing a distance-learning option which is searching for a new name to distinguish itself from campus-based courses, offering modules written specifically for online delivery.

The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) will focus mainly on marketing and digital publishing, and aims to develop and assess the processes in delivering this content with communities of learners providing support for each other. Support for the development of the materials and the programme has been obtained from the Workforce Development Programme and the Faculty of TDE.

Dr Sally Hughes, Prinicipal lecturer in Publishing, says

“I am delighted with the support from the Faculty that is enabling us to offer this exciting approach to Masters level studies in Publishing. There is already a lot of expertise in distance learning at Brookes and we are grateful for the generous advice we are receiving in taking this enterprise to completion. There remains a long way to go before we meet our first students, but we are clear what is needed to ensure Publishing continues to build on its reputation for delivering excellence.”

Publishing is aiming for validation in September, intending for the first cohort of students to start in January 2014. Following validation, applications will open in October through UKPASS for the initial student intake of 25 places, who will complete their part time studies in two years. Publishing have a database of over 120 enquiries and look forward to working with a diverse student group from many different countries.

Please contact Sally at shughes@brookes.ac.uk for more information.

For more information on Publishing courses at Oxford Brookes University visit the Oxford Brookes University website.

Suspected Kashmiri rebels kill 4 Indian soldiers

AP News — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:38:00 +0000

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Four Indian army soldiers and a suspected rebel were killed in fighting in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Friday, officials said.

Lt. Col. Ankur Vashist, an army spokesman, said suspected rebels ambushed and fatally shot three soldiers who were heading for Buchoo village following intelligence that some insurgents were hiding there.

Army reinforcements rushed and searched a nearby forest area and lost another soldier in an exchange of gunfire with suspected rebels, Vashist said.

Police officer Abdul Gani Mir said one suspected militant also was killed in the fighting 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Srinagar, the main city in the disputed Himalayan region.

The army was continuing its search for three more suspected militants believed to be hiding in the forest area, Vashist said.

No rebel groups fighting Indian rule have issued any statement on the fighting and it was not possible to independently verify the incident.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and the two have fought two wars over its control since they won independence from Britain in 1947.

Rebel groups have been fighting for Kashmir’s independence from India or merger with Pakistan since 1989. More than 68,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the fighting.

While the armed rebellion has largely been suppressed by Indian forces, anti-India sentiment runs deep in Kashmir and the resistance is now principally through street demonstrations.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the insurgents. Islamabad denies the charge, saying it gives only moral and diplomatic support to the rebels.

Foreign preacher takes rare turn on Vietnam stage

AP News — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:25:35 +0000

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The 25,000 people at the soccer stadium and the millions more watching at home waited 90 minutes before the Australian evangelical preacher got to the message he had come to Communist-ruled Vietnam to deliver.

“Do you know why I love God?” Nick Vujicic asked a young girl on stage who, like him, was born without arms and legs. “Because heaven is real. And one day when we get to heaven, we are going to have arms and legs. And we are going to run, and we are going play, and we are going to race.”

Nick Vujicic, a Serbian Australian evangelist who was born with no limbs, gives his speech to a crowd of about 25,000 students and young people at My Dinh national stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam. Vujicic, who is able to stand up and move around on his pelvis, shuffled round on a small table set up on a stage on corner of the field. In a talk laced with jokes, platitudes and attempts at Vietnamese, he spoke out against bullying and drinking; on the need for forgiveness and hope; and respect for family. All those themes resonate with Vietnamese and their leaders, one of whom - the vice president - was watching from the VIP area. (AP Photo/Na Son Nguyen)

The remark was Vujicic’s only direct reference to his faith in a night that was otherwise motivational. Most people in the audience were not Christians, but were attracted to Vujicic as a living example of overcoming adversity.

Yet Vujicic’s appearance is a sign of how a government that once severely restricted religion as a challenge to its authoritarian one-party rule is now taking a slightly more relaxed attitude. Those associated with Vujicic’s Vietnam tour said it was the first by a foreign Christian — and the largest gathering to be addressed by a foreigner in the country’s recent history.

For Vujicic (VOOY-CHEECH) and the 12 members of “Team Nick,” the mostly Californian crew organizing his Asian tour, it was another country to add to the long list in which he has spread the Gospel. His charity had revenues of more than $1.6 million last year, his YouTube videos have been watched millions of times and he has authored three bestselling books.

“We are a unique ministry. We can go on national TV where other Christians cannot,” Vujicic said backstage Thursday, his face and hair wet from a tropical downpour that almost cut short his appearance on a hot Hanoi evening. “Of course, in Vietnam there are limitations in how you can and can’t talk about your faith, but with wisdom we come in. Some places we go we have to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.”

Nguyen Dat An, a Christian who organized the trip, said he was surprised the state broadcaster didn’t cut off Vujicic’s speech when he brought up God and heaven.

Vujicic’s translator appeared to be caught unawares, and stumbled. “Come on man,” said the Australian, urging him to translate his words.

“This was a miracle in Vietnam,” said An. “God is the general director of this event.”

Vietnam is about 8 percent Christian and 16 percent Buddhist, while about 45 percent of Vietnamese belong to indigenous religions, according to the 2010 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Vietnam’s constitutions provide for religious freedom, but in practice it is regulated and in some cases restricted. Followers who speak up in favor of democracy face abuse, arrest and long sentences.

The U.S. State Department’s 2012 report on international religious freedom noted the restrictions but said there “were signs of progress.” The country is often compared favorably to China, its giant authoritarian neighbor, in discussions on religious freedom.

Vujicic was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Amid childhood bullying, he once tried to drown himself.

He credits Christianity with giving him the will to continue, and founded a California-based religious charitable organization when he was 19. Now 30 and married with one son, he has visited 47 countries as part of his global outreach.

Vujicic’s trip to Vietnam was organized by local Christians but sponsored by a large construction company headed by a Buddhist. The company said it had spent $1.7 million staging his eight events in two cities, recognizing the value of having its brand associated with a good-looking foreigner with a compelling tale of success and family values, not to mention eye-catching images of him surfing, skateboarding and playing golf.

Shares for the company, the Hoa Sen group, rose nearly 10 percent over the last four days, with Vujicic its only major recent publicity.

Hoa Sen’s sponsorship paid for a huge marketing campaign: billboards around major cities, social media buzz and his appearance on the front pages of most state-run newspapers when he arrived on Wednesday. It created a lot of the attention around his visit, but it was also clear his story struck a chord among many in Vietnam.

Tickets, given away by sponsors to those who registered, were being sold by touts for $10 outside the stadium, while young girls with “Love Nick” stickers on their cheeks checked pink cellphones and waited for friends to arrive. The crowd was larger than when the Vietnamese national soccer played regional rival Indonesia in the same stadium last year.

“I just want to see him in real life,” said 19-year-old student Tong Thi Nhung, who found out about Vujicic on Facebook. “He is amazing.”

None of the marketing or media coverage mentioned Vujicic’s faith, though it is clear from a glance at his website that it is his central purpose in life. Of eight people asked at the concert, which was preceded by a local rock band, lucky draws and bubbling TV presenters, none were Christians or even aware of Vujicic’s religion.

Vujicic, who is able to stand up and move around on his pelvis, shuffled round on a small table set up on a stage on corner of the field. In a talk laced with jokes, platitudes and attempts at Vietnamese, he spoke out against bullying and drinking; on the need for forgiveness and hope; and respect for family. All those themes resonate with Vietnamese and their leaders, one of whom — the vice president — was watching from the VIP area.

Vujicic took the speech into potential sensitive territory with vague remarks about Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the country.

“Uncle Ho believed in Vietnam and here we are, but we must keep moving forward in liberty,” he said.

Many disabled people attended; some joined him on stage and embraced him. His message on the need to help and respect those with disabilities had extra resonance in a country where birth defects linked to Agent Orange defoliant sprayed by the U.S. during the Vietnam War are widespread.

The Rev. Peter Kham, the Roman Catholic deputy bishop of Ho Chi Minh City, welcomed the trip, saying he was “personally so happy to see a Christian preaching what he believes.”

In recent years, Vietnam has generally allowed large congregations to gather, churches and temples to be built and made it easier to register new denominations.

But Kham also said the country, which doesn’t celebrate any religious holidays as national holidays and has no televised religious programs, still has far to go.

“Even though our churches are filled with people, we can’t be involved in health care or in education. Everything belongs to the government. There is a political monopoly,” said Kham. “There is still friction, but there have been developments.”

Monk sets self on fire to protest cattle slaughter

AP News — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:17:08 +0000

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan police say a Buddhist monk has suffered serious injuries after setting himself on fire to protest the slaughter of cattle.

A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk identified as Bowatte Indrarathane walks after self immolating outside the sacred Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka, Friday, May 24, 2013. Indrarathane allegedly set himself on fire during a protest demanding an end to cattle slaughter, according to Press Trust of India. The monk was alive when he was hospitalized. (AP Photo)

Police spokesman Buddika Siriwardena says the monk set himself on fire Friday near the famed Temple of Buddha’s Tooth Relic in the central town of Kandy. He reportedly had told other monks that he was burning himself to protest the killing of cattle for meat.

The monk was brought to Colombo National Hospital in the capital with serious injuries.

Buddhism, Sri Lanka’s state religion, opposes the killing of any life. Nearly 75 percent of Sri Lankans are Buddhists. Many Buddhists in Sri Lanka do eat meat, but most avoid beef because they consider cows sacred.

China to seal free trade deal with Switzerland, first with a western economy

AP News — Sat, 25 May 2013 06:32:15 +0000

GENEVA (AP) — Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Switzerland to seal a free trade pact with the Alpine nation — the first comprehensive agreement his country has reached with a major western economy.

Li met with Swiss officials in Zurich on Friday to conclude three years of negotiations.

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang poses together with the Swiss yodel group ''Saengerrunde Zurich'' in Embrach, Switzerland, Friday, May 24, 2013. Li Keqiang is on an official visit to Switzerland until Saturday. (AP Photo/Keystone,Walter Bieri )

In an op-ed published Thursday by Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Li said the deal showed China was committed to free trade.

Trade between the two nations topped $26 billion last year.

Switzerland is the first European stop on Li’s inaugural trip abroad since taking office in March. He travels to Germany on Saturday for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Concerns have grown recently about a possible trade war between China and the European Union over solar energy products.

Switzerland isn’t an EU member.

As Burma opens, critical NGOs look in

Asia Sentinel — Sat, 25 May 2013 06:18:23 +0000

Some international organizations urge foreign businesses to stay out until conditions improve

Although Burma is still far from being open and transparent on many issues of business and financing, one consequence of the Thein Sein-led reforms is that the outside world is looking in more closely and critically.

Concerns over the effects of projects such as the Myitsone Dam, which raised many environmental questions, have prompted some organizations to caution against rapid investment in Burma. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

In the past few weeks alone, Burma’s business dealings have come under close scrutiny from several international organizations, even urging some foreign companies to reconsider doing business in Burma at all until conditions improve.

Most of these organizations are based in the United States, where President Thein Sein has just become the first Burmese leader to visit the White House for almost half a century.

The latest call for caution comes from International Rivers, a US-based environmental and human rights NGO, which today submitted a petition to shareholders of the giant Chinese hydroelectric project developer Sinohydro Corporation, whose annual meeting was held in Beijing.

Continue reading at Asia Sentinel.

NKorean envoy delivers letter to China’s president

AP News — Sat, 25 May 2013 06:02:29 +0000

BEIJING (AP) — A top North Korean envoy has delivered a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Chinese President Xi Jinping and told him Pyongyang would take steps to rejoin stalled nuclear disarmament talks, in an apparent victory for Beijing’s efforts to coax its unruly ally into lowering tensions.

A car, second from left, believed to be carrying North Korean envoy Choe Ryong Hae, is escorted by a convoy of cars as it leaves Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse Friday, May 24, 2013. Choe is on a fence-mending visit in China as a special envoy for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

North Korean Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae’s three-day visit was seen as a fence-mending mission after Pyongyang angered Beijing with recent snubs and moves to develop its nuclear program. Choe returned to North Korea late Friday.

The official China News Service said Choe delivered the handwritten letter from Kim to Xi at an afternoon meeting at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing. It gave no details about the letter’s contents.

North Korea is willing to work with all sides to “appropriately resolve the relevant questions through the six-party talks and other forms,” Choe was quoted as saying by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. He said Pyongyang was “willing to take active measures in this regard.”

In a report released early Saturday, North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency quoted Choe as telling Xi that the alliance with China “cannot be exchanged for anything,” but didn’t make any reference to his remarks on the stalled talks or Pyongyang’s nuclear arms development.

Choe offered no details on how North Korea planned to resume the talks, according to CCTV. North Korea walked away from the six-party nuclear disarmament talks in 2009 over disagreements on how to verify steps the North was meant to take to end its nuclear programs. Foreign observers often claim that North Korea has a history of raising tensions in an attempt to push its adversaries to negotiations meant to win aid.

Since its third nuclear test, in February, North Korea has repeatedly said that any future diplomatic talks would have to recognize it as a nuclear power. That’s at odds with the basis of the six-party talks and puts Pyongyang at loggerheads with Washington, which says it won’t accept North Korea as an atomic power and demands that talks be based on past commitments by the North to abandon its nuclear programs.

Still, Choe’s remarks seem to indicate an easing of tensions between North Korea and its communist neighbor.

John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul who specializes in China and North Korea, said the fact that Kim’s envoy “is being quoted as saying that North Korea is open to China’s suggestions already is a strong signal of kiss and make up.”

“This trip is moving things back to a regular strategic dialogue,” he said.

China has been under intense pressure from Washington to push North Korea into lowering tensions and resuming dialogue.

Xi reaffirmed longstanding ties between the communist neighbors, and urged all sides to “keep cool and exercise restraint.”

The six-party talks, which include the Koreas, the U.S., Japan, China and Russia, should aim to end North Korea’s nuclear programs and “maintain lasting peace and stability on the peninsula and in northeast Asia,” Xi was quoted as saying.

The meeting followed an unusual half-year gap in high-level contacts during which Pyongyang angered Beijing by conducting rocket launches, a nuclear test and other saber-rattling — spiking tensions with South Korea and the U.S.

Beijing considered the moves an affront to its interests in regional stability and showed its displeasure by joining with the U.S. to back U.N. sanctions and cut off dealings with North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank.

North Korea also frustrated Beijing by refusing to agree to high-level meetings and incensed the Chinese public this month with the detention of a Chinese fishing crew.

“The relationship is rocky, so they will try to mend the relationship,” Cui Yingjiu, a retired professor of Korean at Peking University, said of North Korea. “Second, they also want to improve relations with the U.S. and need China to be their intermediary.”

North Korea has figured prominently in recent visits by Secretary of State John Kerry and other U.S. officials, and Choe’s visit to Beijing came ahead of a meeting in California early next month between Xi and President Barack Obama, as well as a planned trip to Beijing by South Korean President Park Geun-hye in late June.

China is North Korea’s last significant diplomatic ally and main source of trade and economic assistance. Ties between their insular communist governments have always been wrapped in secrecy and the contents of Kim’s letter to Xi may never be revealed.

China is believed to have agreed to Choe’s visit only after Pyongyang committed to returning to the process of negotiation, and required him to state that publicly twice before his meeting with Xi.

Pyongyang is thought to have a handful of nuclear bombs. It is unclear how far it has advanced in efforts to shrink a warhead down to fit on a missile, but many analysts believe that it hasn’t yet mastered that miniaturization technology for a missile capable of hitting the United States.

Earlier Friday, a top Chinese general told Choe that Beijing wanted a peaceful, denuclearized Korean Peninsula, in a reiteration of China’s established position that could also be seen as a rebuke to the North.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency quoted Fan Changlong as telling Choe that tensions surrounding the nuclear issue have “intensified strategic conflicts among involved parties and jeopardized the peace and stability of the peninsula.”

Xinhua quoted Choe as telling Fan that there is “no guarantee of peace,” but that his country was “willing to work with all sides to search for a method of solving the problems through dialogue.”

On Thursday, Choe told the ruling party’s fifth-ranked official that North Korea “is willing to accept the suggestion of the Chinese side and launch dialogue with all relevant parties.”

Brazilian Delegation Visit London Institute

Le Cordon Bleu Australia — Sat, 25 May 2013 05:00:47 +0000

Le Cordon Bleu News, 05/24/2013

In The News

Brazilian Delegation Visit London Institute
Government representatives from Rio de Janeiro visited our London Centre of Excellence as preparations for the opening of our first Brazilian campus continue
Le Cordon Bleu welcomed government delegates from Rio to our London Centre of Excellence on Thursday 16 May, to tour our award-winning facilities and meet with President André J. Cointreau.
Erly Junior, Gustavo Tutuca and Tande Vieira of the Rio government were joined by consultant Klaus Allers for discussions on developments to Le Cordon Bleu Rio. The new school – which is due to open in the spring of 2014 – will be Le Cordon Bleu’s first in Brazil and second in South America, joining our school in Lima, Peru.
The Rio school will provide world-class education to develop a new generation of culinary professionals in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, which will be held in the city.
In 2012, Mr Cointreau met with Rio Governor Sergio Cabral to sign the collaboration agreement which paved the way for the new school, where 20% of the annual intake will be full scholarship students from Rio’s underprivileged communities
This latest chapter in Le Cordon Bleu’s international expansion follows a number of successes in 2012. An agreement was signed in April with the government of China to open a school in Shanghai, and a partnership was agreed in July with the Özye?in University in Istanbul to deliver culinary arts and hospitality management education. In October 2012, Le Cordon Bleu also celebrated the opening of our first school in New Zealand.

For more information

Le Cordon Bleu London

london@cordonbleu.edu or use the online form

www.lcblondon.com

+44 (0) 207 400 3900

15 Bloomsbury Square
London WC1A 2LS

Find out more…

The London Campus

Campus Home
Apply Online
Contact Us
Our Programs
Visit the school
Brochure request

Watch our presentation video

Le Cordon Bleu London
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Link:

Brazilian Delegation Visit London Institute

Le Cordon Bleu Australia — Sat, 25 May 2013 05:00:47 +0000

Le Cordon Bleu News, 05/24/2013

In The News

For more information

Le Cordon Bleu London

london@cordonbleu.edu or use the online form

www.lcblondon.com

+44 (0) 207 400 3900

15 Bloomsbury Square
London WC1A 2LS

Find out more…

The London Campus

Campus Home
Apply Online
Contact Us
Our Programs
Visit the school
Brochure request

Watch our presentation video

Le Cordon Bleu London
Presentation Video

Related News

Superior Students Host World Cuisine Degustation Event
Our Superior Cuisine students prepared 33 dishes from five continents for fellow students at our London Centre of Excellence.

Award-Winning Authors Visit London Institute
Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt hosted a discussion on food culture in Gaza and their recently published book The Gaza Kitchen

Originally posted here:

Brazilian Delegation Visit London Institute

Abercrombie architects shortlisted for RIBA’s Regional Awards 2013

Oxford Brookes The Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:22:28 +0000

Design Engine, who are the architects of the Abercrombie extension and the new John Henry Brookes building, have been shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Regional Awards 2013.

The Abercrombie Building at Oxford Brookes University

Winchester-based practice Design Engine won the contract for the development of a new entrance building at Brookes against steep competition. The company proposed that rather than building a new building here and a new building thereto devise a radical master plan, get demolishing, and go back to first principles. The original campus at Brookes was designed in 1955 by city architect EG Chandler. The original plans defined generous courtyards, but additions over the years have obscured this clarity and reduced the open space available.

Design Engine’s vision returns to the 1950s plan and re-energises it with new buildings and a new circulation sequence. Their plan slides new buildings alongside the old, interlocking them together. By increasing the density of the built forms, it is possible to provide generous public spaces; either new spaces, as with the entrance piazza, or reconfigured spaces, as with the central courtyard.

Key to the design is the new John Henry Brookes Building which will serve as the new main entrance to the campus. The building will contain a modern library, a 300-seat floating lecture theatre and a learning space dubbed the ‘Forum’. The open space will include informal ‘touch down’ areas for the laptop working and group discussion that now form a key part of modern universities’ facilities. It will also become the new home of Student Services and Oxford Brookes Students’ Union.

Richard Rose Casemore, a Partner at Design Engine, is also a design tutor in the School of Architecture.

For more information on studying Architecture at Oxford Brookes University, visit the School of Architecture website.

Burma: Kachin want more international observers in peace talks

Zin Linn — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:37:07 +0000

A series of skirmishes have taken place in Kachin and northern Shan State despite government officials declaring that war has been stopped between government troops and the ethnic armies in those areas. Local sources reported that reinforcements of government troops and transportation of military supplies to frontline areas have continued in recent weeks. The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Burma government’s Peace Making Committee will meet at Myitkyina this Tuesday, May 28, to resume peace talks, though there has been ongoing dispute about whether or not international observers will be allowed.

After government airstrikes on positions of the KIO, hostilities between the KIO and Burmese government armed forces have decreased in number considerably since January. However, clashes between the two sides have still frequently occurred in many areas of Kachin and northwest Shan state, as reported by the Kachin News Group.

The government and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) have agreed to go on with their incomplete talks on a lasting ceasefire. During the last meeting, which was held in the Chinese border town of Ruili on 11 March 2013, the two sides discussed the situation between the two armies. The negotiations of the two parties in China lead to a helpful progress for continuation of ceasefire talks. The government’s peace delegation was led by Union Minister Aung Min and Lt-Gen. Myint Soe. The KIO team consisted of Central Committee Member Sumlut Gam and Deputy Chief-of-Staff Brig-Gen Gum Maw.

Peace talks resume between representatives of Kachin Independence Organization and the Burmese government peacemaking team in Shweli, China-Myanmar border in China’s Yunnan Province on Monday, March 11, 2013. (Photo: U Ye Htut / FB)

It was said that more talks were supposed to be held before the end of April. However, due to a variety of reasons, particularly continual disagreement over the insertion of third party observers, the talks took additional time to put in order.

“Recently, the Myanmar peace talks in Thailand were sponsored by the Japanese; while the meeting at Ruili, China, opposite Muse in Shan State, a border town of Sino-Burma, Chinese was directly involved. According to some reports, Chinese even interfered[in] the internal affairs. Japanese and Chinese are rivalry. If these two major powers take a leading role in the peace process, I doubt about if it goes smooth. In order to balance the two influential [sides], the U.S should consider taking a leading role for Myanmar’s peace process” Khuensai Jaiyen, editor-in-chief of the Shan Herald Agency for News, said at a press conference in Bangkok on March 18, which was arranged by Burma News International (BNI).

“As Chinese officers were present at the Ruili meeting, some of the decision could not be made: for instance, humanitarian [assistance] and ceasefire monitoring. If those items were included in the agenda, NGOs from the west would flood in; this seems to make the Chinese nervous. So, if Chinese and Japanese pull the string on each side, the peace process would go nowhere; it may take longer than necessary,” Khuensai Jaiyen said, according to Shan Herald Agency for News.

According to KNG, the next round of peace talks between the government peacemaking team and the KIO peace delegation will take place in Myitkyina, the Kachin state capital, on 28 May, according to Kachin sources familiar with the negotiation procedures. It will be the first time that talks between the two sides take place in territory under the central government since fighting resumed in Kachin state in June 2011. Previous rounds of talks took place in the Chinese border town of Ruili as well as in Mai Ja Yang, the KIO’s second largest town in Kachin state.

The UN’s Special Adviser on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, will attend the May 28 peace talks between the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Burma government’s Peace Making Committee at Myitkyina, said Kachin peace broker San Aung, according to Mizzima news. Even though the KIO wanted to invite observers from the US, Britain, China and the UN, the government rejected all except the UN.

Despite the goodwill expressed by the government’s chief delegate Aung Min with his advisers from the EU funded Myanmar Peace Center, there has been minor advancement during several rounds of talks between the government and the KIO.

On 22 May, the Kachin National Consultative Assembly (KNCA) issued a press statement on the political and military conflict in Kachin region. The Assembly highlights its 4 main demands in the statement as follow:
(1) Equal ethnic rights, justice and peace
(2) Self-rule over our traditional territories
(3) Full rights of self-determination and autonomy
(4) Establishment of a genuine Federal Union

The KNCA also says in its statement: “Meetings were not as successful as they could be because of a lack of appropriate international monitoring groups involved. Therefore, there is a need to include appropriate international monitoring groups in future meetings as witnesses and mediators. For example, we believe that best result will come out if the UN, UK, China and USA will serve as witnesses and mediators.

Abe on 1st trip to Burma by Japan PM in 36 years

AP News — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:20:02 +0000

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is traveling to Burma for a three-day trip, the first visit to the country by a Japanese leader in 36 years.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Pic: AP.

Abe is expected to show Japanese support for reforms in Burma after decades of military rule and to boost economic ties.

Traveling with a delegation of business leaders, Abe was to arrive in Yangon Friday evening and meet with President Thein Sein on Sunday in Naypyitaw, officials from his office said.

About 35 Japanese investment projects are under way in Burma, including plans to develop a 2,400 hectare (5,900 acre) special economic zone near the capital that is being led by Mitsubishi Corp., Marubeni Corp. and Sumitomo Corp.

Roadside bomb kills 5 soldiers in southern Thailand

AP News — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:15:06 +0000

HAT YAI, Thailand (AP) — Five soldiers have been killed and one wounded by a roadside bomb in Thailand’s insurgency-plagued south.

Police Col. Jeera Setdao-ngerntrakul said Friday that Muslim insurgents were suspected of detonating the bomb in Saiburi district in Pattani province as a pickup truck carrying the six soldiers passed by.

He said the soldiers were on their way to assist security forces providing safety for Buddhists traveling to local temples on a religious holiday.

The improvised bomb was hidden under the road surface and wired to a trigger hidden in a bush.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in Buddhist-dominated Thailand’s three southernmost, Muslim-majority provinces since an Islamic insurgency erupted in 2004.

Attacks occur almost daily despite recent government efforts to hold peace talks with the militants.

Police: Suicidal jumper’s fall kills SKorean girl

AP News — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:30:50 +0000

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police say a suicidal man jumping to his death killed a 5-year-old girl by falling on her as she walked with her parents outside the apartment building.

A police official said the 39-year-old man died immediately after he jumped Wednesday from the 11th floor of the building in the southeastern port city of Busan. The girl died later from brain damage and broken bones.

The official who spoke Friday declined to be named because the case is still under investigation.

The official says it’s unclear why the man jumped. He says witnesses saw the man jumping but there was no suicide note.

South Korea has the developed world’s highest suicide rate.

Nepal: 5 climbers feared dead on world’s 3rd highest peak

AP News — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:14:19 +0000

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A Nepalese official says five climbers are missing and feared dead on the world’s third highest mountain.

The five disappeared Monday on Mount Kanchenjunga, and bad weather was preventing a rescue helicopter from reaching the base camp.

Mountaineering Department official Dipendra Poudel said Friday the climbers were descending from the summit when they were believed to have slipped at 7,900 meters (25,900 feet) altitude.

Two climbers are Hungarian, two are Nepalese and another is Korean.

Kanchenjunga is 8,586 meters (28,162 feet) high.

2 former sex slaves cancel Japan mayor meeting

AP News — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:56:21 +0000

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Two Korean former sex slaves have canceled a meeting with an outspoken Japanese mayor who last week said Japan’s wartime practice of using many Asian women as prostitutes was necessary to maintain military discipline.

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, also co-leader of a nationalist party, has enraged Japanese neighbors with his comments about so-called comfort women.

Toru Hashimoto. Pic: AP.

Supporters of Kim Bok-dong and Kil Won-ok, both in their late 80s, said Friday that the former sex slaves had nothing to talk about because Hashimoto has showed no remorse over his remarks.

Their supporters say they are demanding that he apologize and resign as mayor.

Hashimoto, 43, also angered the U.S. by suggesting American troops based in southern Japan should patronize legal adult entertainment establishments to reduce sex crimes there.

Taiwan botches an international incident

Asian Correspondent — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:42:34 +0000

Taipei’s misguided response to shooting of fisherman by Philippines Coast Guard speaks of bigger problems at home, writes Michael Turton

The May 9 killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippines Coast Guard in waters near the Philippines sparked a row between Taiwan and Philippines that is only now beginning to ebb as negotiations have begun.

The fishing boat had hardly arrived back in port in Taiwan before the authorities there began heaping blame on Manila. Within a week Taipei had rejected Manila’s attempts to apologize as “insincere” and President Ma Ying-jeou was claiming that the killing was a cold-blooded murder. Taiwan representative offices abroad even sent around a press release making that argument. Within days the Taiwan government issued a 72-hour ultimatum and then imposed sanctions on Manila, ordering naval exercises as a display of force, which it now denies.

Protesters and lawmakers burn Philippines flag outside the Philippines representative office in Taipei, Taiwan. Pic: AP.

It is not hard to see why the government in Taipei reacted so strongly. President Ma’s approval ratings are below 20% and have been for months. Foreign disputes represent a welcome distraction from the government’s failure to make much progress on the domestic front with Taiwan’s sluggish economy, along with the deeper problems of income stagnation and rising income inequality.

Surprisingly, the killing appeared to strike a deep chord among Taiwanese at home, who are almost totally ignorant of the way Taiwanese fisherman are viewed outside Taiwan. Social network sites were filled with posts and videos that gave simplistic views of the event, and thousands of Taiwanese who had never cared about fisherman, EEZs, or the Law of the Sea suddenly found themselves filled with a strong certainty about them.

On a deeper level the public’s response represented the constant search, especially among the young, for social issues that transcend the fundamental Blue-Green divide in Taiwan. J Michael Cole, a Taiwan-based writer, identified
this surge in domestic feeling as an important driver of the government’s bungled response to the killing. By accepting the
Philippines’ apology “to the people of Taiwan”, he says, the government could have resolved the issue quietly. After all, the Ma government knew perfectly well that Manila’s adherence to Beijing’s One China policy would not permit it to make a “state to state” apology. Cole observes:

What happened? How did Ma’s diplomats lose control of the situation? The principal reason is that Taipei allowed itself to be carried away by the domestic indignation over the slaying of an unarmed Taiwanese (we should furthermore note that a similar incident in 2006 remains unresolved). Given Ma’s low popularity ratings, he would understandably seek to ride the wave of nationalism that, almost spontaneously, had taken over the whole of Taiwan.

Cole is half right, there was a wave of something akin to nationalism, but it was not spontaneous. Rather, the government had adopted an intransigent position from the beginning, helping to push the public and guide its response. Taiwan’s legislators from both sides of the partisan divide, sensitive to the demands of their fishermen constituents, also adopted tough positions and threw around tough rhetoric.

The absurdity of the government’s “You accept blame and then we’ll investigate after that” position was illuminated in a series of widely circulated comments from a Taiwanese law professor in the United Kingdom: “Sadly, denied statehood way too long, Taiwan doesn’t understand how sovereign states interact with each other in the postwar international legal system.” Indeed, an insightful Bloomberg piece contended that part of the public’s anger was a reaction to the fact of Taiwan’s exile from the international system.

Philip Bowring, the astute Hong Kong-based commentator, argued that there is another, darker driver of the reaction in Taiwan: Han Chauvinism – the feeling that the Han people are superior to all others, but especially to brown-skinned peoples. He noted:

For the Han chauvinists, an apology from the president of the Philippines is not enough. The Filipinos must grovel, and be reminded that they, like Malays generally, are the serfs of the region.

In a way, Taiwan’s treatment of brown-skinned Filipinos and the resources in their waters mirrors its treatment of its aborigines and their resources at home. Han Chauvinism and its step-cousin, Chinese nationalism, are also present in another way: Chinese nationalists in the KMT have long attempted to get the Taiwan citizenry to identify with China’s expansionist claims to the South China, the Senkakus and other neighboring territories. To date, the public, which largely sees itself as Taiwanese, not Chinese, remains cold to this campaign.

With the two sides in talks over participation in each other’s investigations, things have begun to cool here in Taipei. As Cole observed, the Ma government threw away its moral high ground when it decided to reject Manila’s apologies. What kind of footing it will be able to find at home and abroad remains to be seen.

About the author
Michael Turton is a writer, blogger, and teacher based in Taichung, Taiwan. He comments on Taiwan affairs from his well-known blog, The View from Taiwan.

Love, thy name is ‘Ducky’

Asia Sentinel — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:05:48 +0000

A giant inflatable duck, somehow, makes Hong Kong a better place, writes Asia Sentinel’s John Berthelsen

It is difficult to say just what made Hong Kong, of all places, fall absolutely in love with the Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s giant yellow rubber ducky, which was towed into Victoria Harbor three weeks ago. But fallen in love it has.

Indeed there was a palpable sense of loss when the 16.5 meter creation went flat a week ago, a victim not of disaster but routine maintenance. The deflated duck left children crying and even a few adults pushing back tears. It was a sad time around the harbor.

Ducky's back. Pic: AP.

But there was relief on Tuesday. Hundreds of people cheered when the duck returned to its place of honor on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. The walkway off the Star Ferry was so crowded with ducky devotees that it was difficult to walk in the area. The duck, strange as it seems, somehow makes the city a better place.

The duck arrived in Hong Kong on May 2, following visits to Osaka, Sydney, Sao Paolo and other parts of the world. And even after three weeks as an adopted fowl of Hong Kong, it is still almost impossible to get close to it because of the thousands of people who line the dock, gazing at a big bobbing duck that after all does nothing more than its regular-size counterpart does in a child’s bathtub. At 9 am Thursday, a businessman who got off the Star Ferry to walk to work in a nearby office building said he was stunned by the number of people who were just standing there, looking at the duck.

“What are they doing? Are they a bunch of hillbillies?” he asked, apparently too busy to get the whole duckgeist.

Despite one suit’s sour mood, Hofman appears to have been right to have created the duck. He said he came up with the inflatable creature “to amplify the healing power of the classic bath buddy. Its playful presence revives the happiness of life’s simple pleasures, beyond the usual barriers of language and culture.” It seems to work. A duck craze has taken over, the latest of many periodic fads to inundate Hong Kong –but it is different. It is gratuitously nice, and fun, for no discernible reason, a near miracle in this city.

Little yellow ducks have sold out across the city. Restaurants (“Have a quack bite”) have made up duck recipes. Ducky cookies are selling at Al Molo and BLT Steak in Harbor City. Strawberry Forever is selling ducky-shaped ice cream. People are wearing yellow duck accessories. Thousands of miles away, an Australian shop that sells baby accessories online has reported a Hong Kong-fueled boom in rubber duck orders, with people buying them by the dozens.

Continue reading at Asia Sentinel

HIV/AIDS an ongoing issue in Burma

Casey Hynes — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:20:58 +0000

The news that comes out of Burma generally doesn’t fall in the optimistic category. Anti-Muslim violence, flare-ups between the Burmese government and ethnic armies and reports of activists and dissidents being jailed paint a grim picture of the political and human rights situation.

A piece of encouraging news, however, is that Burma’s HIV/AIDS infection rate is on the decline. But this, like so many other promising stories coming out of the country, is tainted by deeper, related, concerns. HIV/AIDS is still the number one disease of concern in the country, followed by malaria and tuberculosis. Burma has one of the highest HIV rates in Asia, and a scarcity of medicine means this continues to be a very real problem in the country.

Those who have HIV struggle to access treatment and medication, often until their condition is quite advanced. A lack of anti-retroviral (ART) drugs in the country means that people must wait until they are so sick their quality of life begins to deteriorate before they might even have a chance at getting medicine.

A guide at the Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand, which provides free health services to Burmese migrants in Thailand and those who cross the border simply for medical care, said that while clinic staff can test for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, they do not have the resources to treat those infected. In many cases, she said, those who are diagnosed with these diseases are sent back to Burma. However, the number of medications there are so limited that only those in advanced stages can access treatment.

According to the Myanmar National Strategic Plan 2011-2015, only 28 percent of those infected with HIV were receiving treatment as of 2009. The report stated that a large number of those infected were sex workers, which highlights the risk of having such a low treatment rate, as these sex workers are likely to be sleeping with high numbers of clients and potentially passing on the infection. The other two major at-risk groups are men who have sex with men and intravenous drug users.

The Global Post reported in 2012 that in addition to the scarcity of ARTs, gaining access to those medicines is further complicated because only two hospitals in the country distribute them. The Global Post writer also noted that ART distribution is limited to people living in certain townships, making it even more difficult for those in need to get them.

UNAIDS estimated that in 220,000 people in Burma were infected with HIV/AIDS, that 16,000 died from the disease and 74,000 were orphaned because of it.

While a small segment of the population is infected, the problems are serious. The fact that so little medication is available is a veritable death sentence for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS. Because they don’t get treatment before the disease advances, they have an increased likelihood of transmitting the virus, perpetuating the problem.

Nonetheless, in 2012, the Burmese government declared that it aims to have an HIV-free generation of children by 2015. This can be achieved through providing early treatment to pregnant mothers who have the virus; getting them anti-retroviral treatment early in the pregnancy can reduce the risk of passing the virus on to the child to five percent, according to UNAIDS. The organization reported that in 2011, “84% of the estimated 3700 pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral prophylaxis to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies.” They went on to note, however, that less than one third of pregnant women in the country are tested for HIV, which means large swaths of those preparing to give birth could be at risk of passing it on.

As part of its plan to eliminate HIV in children, the government plans to broaden its reach with testing services to more women.

Burma’s Minister of Health, Professor Dr Pe Thet Khin, has been quoted as saying that his department believes that by 2015 children in Burma can be born free of HIV and their mothers can remain healthy to raise them, according to UNAIDS.

But there is reason for skepticism with these goals. A lack of funding has been a consistent problem when it comes to getting HIV/AIDS patients the medicines they need, and a lack of information also contributes to its spread. If the Burmese government wants to rid their country of AIDS, these things will need to be addressed as fundamentals in the fight against this disease.

And as is the case for HIV/AIDS patients around the world, there is also the issue of social stigma that comes with the virus.

Reuters reported last year on the loneliness and abandonment many face when their conditions become known.

Leading postgraduate programs for Asian students

Asian Correspondent — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:24:56 +0000

There was a time when a bachelor’s degree was the gold standard of professional success and marketability. Today’s employers appear to have shifted priorities, and some commentators (including the New York Times) have been so bold as to suggest that the master’s is the new bachelor’s degree.

Actually, it may not be that bold of a suggestion. Last year, the periodical GradEdge published data collected by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, projecting increased employer demand for employees with master’s degrees and doctorates by margins of 20 and 22 percent, respectively, by the year 2020. This data is representative of the US market, but trends like this are cropping up all over the world.

University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School, Scotland

With movements like this in motion, Asian students enrolling in postgraduate programs today are positioning themselves to ride the leading edge of employability in the next few years. This is a single, albeit very compelling reason for Asian students to pursue postgraduate credentials, but there are plenty more. Consider the following three factors motivating students around the world to continue beyond the undergraduate benchmark:

Ongoing studies
This is a purist’s motivation, but it’s also one of the most compelling reasons to pursue postgraduate credentials. When you really love what you’re doing, it’s natural to want to take it to the next level. If passion for the subject matter is what’s motivating you, then you can more or less guarantee that you’ll be glad you went in for a master’s degree or PhD. And if it just so happens that you secure a better-paying job or more highly respected position in the process – well, that’s icing on the cake.

Enhanced employability
Opposite the purist’s pursuit is the pragmatist’s way of thinking. Today’s international job market is more competitive than ever before, and every additional certification and credential that you add to your resume gives you that much more of an edge over the average candidate.

Pic: University of Wolverhampton.

This can play out in a number of ways. In some cases, a candidate may be more or less qualified for a given position, save for a particular credential. In this case, a postgraduate diploma or certification course may be all that’s required to put that candidate in the running. A full degree course will take this a great deal further.

Career shift
It’s not a particularly encouraging thought to entertain, but there are times when a person’s undergraduate area of specialty just isn’t what they expected. The good news is, a postgraduate specialization allows you to change gears and take your career in a new (and often dynamic) direction. Take, for example, the possibilities that open up when you add an MBA to an undergraduate engineering degree, or when you layer a master’s in law on top of a biomedical degree. A candidate can easily come the most attractive and sought-after professional in two very different sectors.

For those contemplating further study, the following are among the leading postgraduate programs for Asian students:

UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW ADAM SMITH BUSINESS SCHOOL
The University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School offers relevant, research-led education in a friendly, supportive and internationally focused environment. Anchored in the intellectual tradition of Adam Smith, the business school offers an educational experience that is enhanced by history and innovation, by traditions of scholarship and creativity and by the combination of leading edge research and practical achievement. Read the full profile here…

Pic: University of Glasgow Business School

UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON
The University of Wolverhampton is one of those rare universities that can foster a thriving academic environment without foregoing the fundamentals of employability. It turns over stellar research findings, attracts strong interest in industry partnerships and generates millions of pounds’ worth of public funding – all without losing sight of its students’ bottom-line reasons for seeking further education. In short, this is a university that creates and transforms careers. Read the full profile here…

Pic: University of Wolverhampton postgraduate programmes.

UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON
Recently singled out by The Guardian University Guide as London’s leading university, the University of West London plays host to more than 3,000 international students in a given year. A 150-year history, world-class facilities and a reputation for groundbreaking research make this a leading choice for postgraduate study.

UNIVERSITY OF BOLTON
Bolton University dates to the 1820s, but it’s the university’s most recent developments that are capturing students’ attention today. The amount of investment that has gone into the campus over the past few years is staggering, and strong links with schools in Singapore, Malaysia, China and Sri Lanka ensure that Bolton remains a promising postgraduate candidate for Asian students.

University of Wolverhampton

Asian Correspondent — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:54:59 +0000

Pic: University of Wolverhampton campus.

The University of Wolverhampton is one of those rare universities that can foster a thriving academic environment without foregoing the fundamentals of employability. It turns over stellar research findings, attracts strong interest in industry partnerships and generates millions of pounds’ worth of public funding – all without losing sight of its students’ bottom-line reasons for seeking further education. In short, this is a university that creates and transforms careers.

This sort of record attracts global attention. There are currently more than 2,500 international students enrolled, representing 100 different countries. They come for the chance to participate in world-leading research and enhance their own job prospects. Of course, they’re also drawn to the university’s position in the heart of England, which offers affordable cost of living and easy commutes to Birmingham (20 minutes), Manchester and London (both 90 minutes).

Pic: University of Wolverhampton.

Enhanced employability
The University of Wolverhampton’s reputation for equipping its students for dynamic career prospects doesn’t just attract undergraduates. With more people around the world pursuing undergraduate degrees than ever before, postgraduate credentials are an increasingly important means of setting yourself apart. Every year, more than 4,000 postgraduate students convene across the university’s four campuses to hone their skills and knowledge.

The University of Wolverhampton is on the leading edge of the trend toward postgraduate specialisation, and it has increased its part-time course offerings to cater to professionals looking to boost their career prospects.

In all, more than 120 postgraduate taught courses are on offer across eight overarching subject areas:

Applied Sciences
Art and Design
Education
Health and Wellbeing
Law, Social Sciences and Communications
Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure
Technology
Business

Pic: University of Wolverhampton postgraduate programmes.

World-leading research
The research conducted at Wolverhampton has caught the eye of the public and private sectors, alike. To begin with, seven out of eleven of the major research areas on campus were recognised as world-class in the UK’s most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Every school has its own strengths when it comes to research, thanks to the oversight of the university’s research institutes and centres.

This growing reputation for research and job creation is drawing serious funding. The government recently awarded £25 million to work on knowledge transfer partnerships that are intended to support growth of business and commerce in the UK. And the private sector is also taking notice. Since the university opened the Science Park in 1993, more than 100 companies have set up shop inside. Research and development carried out on site covers a range of fields including engineering, healthcare, business support services, environmental management and software development.

Connect with the University of Wolverhampton and learn more about its postgraduate programmes via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

How to celebrate World Turtle Day Down Under

Graham Land — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:53:33 +0000

May 23^rd is World Turtle Day. Oh, you didn’t know? What, have you been hiding your head like a tortoise?

Okay, I didn’t know either until the day actually arrived and I discovered it by surfing the World Wide Web in search of environmental stuff to blog about. There simply was not enough time to prepare for the festivities.

You may be surprised to know that World Turtle Day has only been observed for 24 years. It was founded by American Tortoise Rescue way back in 1990, before most of you had heard about Tamagotchis, Nirvana or the Internet. Since then WTD has gone global.

Naturally, our Antipodean friends have taken World Turtle Day to heart.

Sea turtle, Queensland. Pic: Boris Bialek (Flickr CC)

In Queensland’s waters, home to 6 of the world’s 7 marine turtles, the Quoin Island Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is spreading the word about the plight of sea turtles and what the Centre does to help them. Listen to details of their work on ABC Brisbane breakfast radio.

Meanwhile, Australian Geographic has announced its dedication to saving the endangered Mary River turtle. A small activist organization Tiaro Landcare Group will receive help from the AG Society in their efforts to protect the nests of the Mary River turtle. AG will raise funds for Tiaro Landcare by selling cute little Mary River turtle magnets.

Elsewhere in Oz, marine biologists were joined by Environment Minister Andrew Powell in their annual health check of the turtle population of Moreton Bay. Read more about that here.

In New Zealand, a more feel-good anecdote about a little turtle who was suffering from floating syndrome and couldn’t dive. Locals rescued the tiny flatback turtle, christened him Leroy, and took him to the Reef HQ Aquarium turtle hospital in Townsville for treatment. He should be fine in a few months.

There is also a lesson to be learned from Leroy’s floating syndrome, which is often caused by turtles eating plastic bags or fishing hooks.

From AAP:

People need to minimise their use of plastics and plastic bags, but more importantly if they do use them they need to recycle them

–Reef HQ director Fred Nucifora

So… Happy World Turtle Day! (Better late than never)

Flatback turtle hatchlings. Pic: MacKay Region Natural Environment (Flickr CC)

The University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School

Asian Correspondent — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:27:03 +0000

The University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School offers relevant, research-led education in a friendly, supportive and internationally focused environment. Anchored in the intellectual tradition of Adam Smith, the business school offers an educational experience that is enhanced by history and innovation, by traditions of scholarship and creativity and by the combination of leading edge research and practical achievement.

Pic: Adam Smith Business School

Research conducted through the business school has broad, international applications, and some of the most compelling projects have been made possible through partnerships with organisations in Asia. This includes research conducted by Dr Arjunan Subramanian, an economist who is investigating the benefits of providing Internet access to farmers in rural India. The University of Glasgow has also developed partnerships with Sichuan University and Tsinghua University for research, executive education and joint programmes.

Postgraduate programs
The University of Glasgow is part of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive UK universities. More than 110 academic staff and 120research students operate under the Adam Smith Business School, and nearly 90 percent of the research they carry out was classed as of international quality – and 15 percent world-leading – during the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

Furthermore, the Adam Smith Business School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) and the Glasgow MBA is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA). The School is also home to research of international and national excellence that contributes to theoretical advancement and is relevant to practice.

Pic: Adam Smith Business School.

These are the main areas of study, under which Adam Smith Business School offers taught and research postgraduate programmes:

Accounting and Finance
The Accounting and Finance unit was founded in 1925, which makes it one of the longest-established divisions of its kind in the UK. Strong connections with the business community enhance the teaching. Accounting and Finance-related research at Glasgow earned a top-five ranking in the UK’s latest Research Assessment Exercise.

Management
Management coursework at the business school launched in the 1950s and focuses on personal development and the advancement of career prospects. Students benefit from close links with other disciplines, an emphasis on developing learning communities and a learning experience with an international dimension.

Economics
Glasgow has a one-of-a-kind stake on global economics. The ‘Father of Economics’ – Adam Smith – is also the business school’s namesake. He taught at the University of Glasgow 300 years after its foundation and pioneered theories that remain pillars of economic thought to this day. Programmes in economics are offered through two university teaching centres: the Centre for Development Studies and the Centre for Economic and Financial Studies.

Pic: University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School, Scotland.

World-spanning alumni network
Today’s postgraduate students are poised to join the ranks of more than 8,000 alumni registered with the Adam Smith Business School. This network represents more than 114 different countries and dozens of well-known multinational companies, as well as central banks, governments, charities and universities.

A survey of the business school’s successful graduates reveals a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Take Vishal Jhamb and Rishika Sitlani as an example. They each earned Master of Science degrees through the International Business and Entrepreneurship programme, and then went on to found a start-up in the garment business. They had this to say about their experience:

“We established a partnership firm [with the goal of offering] many lines of clothing, including sportswear, formal / occasion-wear and a line of exclusively designed clothing. We decided that, instead of having one brand and adding new product lines to that, we would establish a different brand for each product line. We thought that this would help consumers identify with each brand and make segmentation easier. Now we are looking to obtain more orders. We have already applied for an export / import license and have received our IEC number and we can approach companies outside of India for orders.”

Connect with the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School and learn more about its postgraduate offerings via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Australian Greens join protests against dams in Sarawak

Rowena Dela Rosa Yoon — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:20:56 +0000

Former Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown flew to Kuching, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, this week to give his backing to a large group of local communities opposing the controversial mega dam projects in the region.

Former Greens Senator Bob Brown addresses the 'alternative' conference organized by SAVE Rivers.

More than 300 local indigenous people held a rally in Kuching amid the International Hydropower Association’s (IHA) biannual conference – the IHA World Congress on Advancing Sustainable Hydropower - which runs from May 20-25.

The congress is the world’s largest gathering of dam builders and financiers to discuss industry issues. It is also a venue to share practical experiences, policies, and solutions to climate, water, and energy challenges.

Australian-owned Hydro Tasmania (HT) is involved in the controversial dams and is also a sponsor of the event.

HT joined the project as a technical adviser to Sarawak Energy, the dam-building authority of the multi-billion Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE). The project involves 12 highly controversial dams projected to produce 28,000 MW of power.

Ex-Senator Bob Brown poses with indigenous and local people in Sarawak.

SAVE Sarawak Rivers Network (SAVE Rivers), which organised an alternative conference, said the dams would affect tens of thousands of indigenous people and flood over 2,000 square kilometres of rainforest.

The project is said to be lacking environmental impact assessments despite repeated demands from the affected communities. SAVE Rivers also says that China’s Three Gorges Corporation “began construction on the 944 megawatt Murum Dam in 2012 before its environmental impact assessment had even commenced, leaving affected communities with no option to negotiate resettlement outcomes.”

SAVE Rivers said the dams would be the energy backbone of the Sarawak government’s SCORE Initiative, the plan to rapidly industrialize the state primarily through the expansion of aluminium smelting facilities, palm oil plantations, and other commodity sectors.

Brown, accompanied by Jenny Weber of the Huon Valley Environment Centre, addressed the SAVE Rivers’ alternative conference while HT Chair David Crean and CEO Roy Adair are taking part in the IHA conference.

At the alternative conference, indigenous communities were given a voice to oppose the dams being built on their land. On Wednesday, they arrived carrying banners saying ‘Respect Native Rights’, ‘Stop Baram Dam’, ’IHA Stop Collaborating With Corrupt Regime’, and ‘No More Dams,’ among other signs.

Indigenous and local communities arrive and flash banners at the IHA Congress in Kuching.

The dams are project of the Sarawak state government of Abdul Taib Mahmud who is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission after amassing a fortune of billions of dollars while in office.

Brown said in a statement: “Hydro Tasmania’s senior officers are addressing this conference of the world’s biggest dam builders on ‘sustainability’ while the indigenous people of Sarawak are protesting outside and while HT has four consultants working on these megadams which international organizations have condemned as involving gross corruption.”

In 2011, the IHA launched a voluntary auditing tool for dam builders to assess their social and environmental performance, called the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP). Zachary Hurwitz, Policy Program Coordinator at International Rivers, said HSAP may be useful to guide dam builders and governments on sustainability. However, he admits the risk that “dam builders could use it to greenwash the worst dams, especially given such a context of heavy-handed repression and corruption.”

More protesters at the IHA Congress

In December last year, Peter Kallang, chairman of the SAVE Rivers group of Sarawak Indigenous leaders and James Nyurang, village headman from the Baram River Region, led a tour to Australia and called on Hydro Tasmania to pull their support out of the controversial dams. Related article HERE.

Japanese climber, 80, becomes oldest to conquer Everest

AP News — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:52:16 +0000

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — An 80-year-old Japanese man became the oldest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest on Thursday — although his record may last only a few days. An 81-year-old Nepalese man, who held the previous record, plans his own ascent next week.

Yuichiro Miura, who also conquered the 29,035-foot (8,850-meter) peak when he was 70 and 75, reached the summit at 9:05 a.m. local time, according to a Nepalese mountaineering official and Miura’s Tokyo-based support team.

80-year-old Japanese adventurer Yuichiro Miura, right, and his son, Gota, rest on their way to a camp at 6,500 meters on Mount Everest. Pic: AP.

Miura and his son Gota made a phone call from the summit, prompting his daughter Emili to smile broadly and clap her hands in footage shown by Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

“I made it!” Miura said over the phone. “I never imagined I could make it to the top of Mount Everest at age 80. This is the world’s best feeling, although I’m totally exhausted. Even at 80, I can still do quite well.”

The climbers were going to take pictures at the summit before starting to descend, Miura’s office said.

Nepalese mountaineering official Gyanendra Shrestha, at the Everest base camp, confirmed that Miura had reached the summit and was the oldest person to do so.

The previous oldest was Nepal’s Min Bahadur Sherchan, who accomplished the feat at age 76 in 2008, just a day before Miura reached the top at age 75.

Sherchan, now 81, was preparing to scale the peak next week despite digestive problems he suffered several days ago. On Wednesday, Sherchan said by telephone from the base camp that he was in good health and “ready to take up the challenge.”

Sherchan’s team leader, Temba, who uses one name, said that he would congratulate the new record holder once he returned to the base camp and that Sherchan would not turn back until he completes his mission.

Sherchan’s team is also facing financial difficulties. It hasn’t received the financial help Nepal’s government announced it would provide to it. Purna Chandra Bhattarai, chief of Nepal’s mountaineering department, said the aid proposal was still under consideration.

On his expedition’s website, Miura explained his attempt to scale Everest at such an advanced age: “It is to challenge (my) own ultimate limit. It is to honor the great Mother Nature.”

He said a successful climb would raise the bar for what is possible.

“And if the limit of age 80 is at the summit of Mount Everest, the highest place on earth, one can never be happier,” he said.

Miura conquered the mountain despite undergoing heart surgery in January for irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, his fourth heart operation since 2007, according to his daughter. He also broke his pelvis and left thigh bone in a 2009 skiing accident.

Miura became famous when he was a young man as a daredevil speed skier.

He skied down Everest’s South Col in 1970, using a parachute to brake his descent. The feat was captured in the Oscar-winning 1975 documentary, “The Man Who Skied Down Everest.” He has also skied down Mount Fuji.

It wasn’t until Miura was 70, however, that he first climbed to the top of Everest. When he summited again at 75, he claimed to be the only man to accomplish the feat twice in his 70s. After that, he said he was determined to climb again at age 80.