Tag Archives: Globalization

A Tool for Global Activism and a Puzzling Question

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I’ve recently learned of a new site, the Boycott Toolkit, which is a user based tool for organizing consumer based protests.  Organized according to issue, the site both provides links to companies to boycott and producers to support, providing direct links to information for both.  It is an impressive tool, maintained by a user community.

I must say, though, that in this age of global, corporate capitalism, I am often puzzled by how one orchestrates and effective boycott.  We live in an era in which big, multinational corporations own dozens of companies which in turn control dozens of brands.  And brands are now a commodity in themselves,  licensed to companies that have no relation to the product originally associate with it.  If Coca-Cola manufactured or controlled every product that is sold bearing its logo with legal license to do so, it would have to have to have business in virtually every industry available, from clothing to toys and sports equipment.

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Higher Education, Collaboration, and Education for the 21st Century

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TALIM

In a few days I am off to Morocco for a seminar at TALIM on higher education and employment in Morocco. But the job market in the United States is also very challenging of college graduates right now, and American educators may well be asking themselves if higher education in this country is adequately preparing students to enter the work force of the global era.

We still function in terms of national economies, but those economies are increasingly connected so that a crisis in one affects many others.  We also live in a world in which graduating students in America compete for employment, directly or indirectly, with their peers in Mexico, Morocco, India and Taiwan. And the whole lot of them are also competing with graduating students in Pakistan, Costa Rica, Tunisia, Israel and Poland. Continue reading →

NITLE Programs This Week and Next

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NITLE

NITLE

This is the NITLE Professional Development News that went out today. It focuses on my programs for the coming two weeks. They are going to be be keeping me busy. But they are interesting programs, so they should be fun.

Dear Colleagues,
As campuses continue to respond to the challenges of globalization as well as on-going economic restraints, I wanted to take a moment to call your attention to three upcoming NITLE programs relevant to both situations.

Using media elements with an international perspective to introduce complex issues such as research ethics can offer a new dimension to the lab-based science class, stimulating and enriching discussion. Faculty members in the natural and social sciences who want to integrate an international perspective into lab-based curricula in this way are encouraged to sign up for “Science and International Perspectives.” Continue reading →

Project 10^100: Vote for the idea you believe will help the most people

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Google says:

Project 10^100 is a call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible.
You submitted more than 150,000 ideas.
We chose a handful of finalists.
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You tell us.


Saudi Arabia Inaugurates New R&D University, American Scholars Plan for Muslim College

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Visualization Center at KAUST

Visualization Center at KAUST

Two similar, yet very different items about higher education came to my attention today. The first, from the Chronicle of Higher Education, is about two men who want to establish a four-year, fully accredited Muslim college and the challenges they face.

Sheik Hamza Yusuf and Imam Zaid Shakir share a vision for the next step in the evolution of Islam in America: creating the country’s first four-year, accredited Muslim college.

The two men, American scholars of Islam and leaders in the Muslim community, are criss-crossing the country building support for an institution they call Zaytuna College, which they plan to open next fall. The college will serve the nation’s growing Muslim population, blending traditional Islam and American culture and establishing a permanent place for the religion in American society.

Before any of that can happen, Zaytuna’s founders face steep challenges. They must hire a staff, establish a curriculum, develop admissions policies, and raise at least $5-million just to open their doors—all during a particularly trying time for college fund raising. At the same time, government scrutiny has put a chill on Muslim philanthropy.

Estimates are that there are more than 2,000 mosques and growing number of Islamic schools across the country. The founders plan to train the leaders of these institutions. Currently most of these institutions bring their leadership and teachers from overseas, whereas graduates from the college will be more familiar with American culture and traditions.

While this college is still in the idea stage, ArabCrunch reports a major new research university opened its doors today in Saudia Arabia, streaming its inaugural ceremonies live.

(The) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is opening now. KAUST inauguration is very significant because it is the biggest technology R&D center and university in the Arab world and is supported by a multi-billion dollar endowment (Islamic Waqeef), thanks to the great support of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The University which is open to men and women from around the world offers degrees in 9 fields of study:

1. Applied Mathematics and Computational Science (AMCS)
2. Bioscience (B)
3. Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE)
4. Computer Science (CS) 5. Earth Science and Engineering (ErSE)
6. Electrical Engineering (EE)
7. Environmental Science and Engineering (EnSE)
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9. Mechanical Engineering (ME).

The state-of-the-art university will focus on key research fields:

* Resources, Energy and Environment;
* Biosciences and Bioengineering;
* Materials Science and Engineering;
* Applied Mathematics and Computational Science.

The university is a state of the art facility and the first coed institution in Saudi Arabia. It will bring together scholars from many cultures around the world, thus counteracting the rising tide of extremism.

“Humanity has been the target of vicious attacks from extremists, who speak the language of hatred,” King Abdullah said at the inauguration. “Undoubtedly, scientific centers that embrace all peoples are the first line of defense against extremists. And today this university will become a house of wisdom … a beacon of tolerance.”

Oil Minister Ali Naimi hailed the university’s opening as a pivotal step forward in the oil-rich kingdom’s quest to strengthen its economic base.

“With all the natural resources that God has endowed us, the kingdom is keen to diversify its sources of income for the future,” Naimi said in remarks carried by state media.

So far 817 students representing 61 different countries are currently enrolled, with 314 beginning classes this month while the rest are scheduled to start in the beginning of 2010. The aim is to expand to 2,000 students within eight to 10 years.

-via Saudi Arabia inaugurates its first coed university

NITLE – Internationalizing Curricula in the Sciences

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This is the description for a program I have organized to take place in our multipoint interactive videoconferencing system (Elluminate) on September 10.  I’m quite looking forward to it.  At the risk of sounding like a broken record, a global education is more important than ever, and technology provides is invaluable tools to help provide it, right across the curriculum.  Places were still available when last I checked, so if you are interested, more details and registration information is here.

While an understanding of ones place within a global community is increasingly considered a core value of a liberal arts education, students in the sciences are less likely to participate in study abroad programs and take fewer electives outside their major or related disciplines. The reasons for this are varied and complex, but the problem must be addressed. In this presentation Mark Stewart, chair of the department of psychology, Willamette University, and Stas Stavrianeas, professor of exercise science, Willamette University, will present their strategies for helping students better understand other cultures and increasing the number of students opting to pursue study abroad, strategies that rely heavily on increased ease of access to global media, interactivity of new technology and innovative pedagogical strategies.

Cure Alzheimer Disease: Taking ginseng panax quinquefolium roots daily for almost 12 weeks can help to cure mental disabilities of people suffering cialis free shipping http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/fishbowl/ from Alzheimer disease. Reason 1) Most annual medical check-ups involve the physician cialis 20mg no prescription ordering only routine blood tests, if blood tests are ordered at all. A disease becomes invasive when not treated properly under a specialis 10 mg cute-n-tiny.comt’s advice. In that long period of time, doctors learned much about cholecystectomies and their effects on cute-n-tiny.com viagra generic discount patients. This event is part of the series, “Special Topics: Teaching Tools for the Global Age,” a sequence of interactive discussions delivered online via MIV. Participants are invited to join these lively discussions from the convenient location of their campus offices. This program series runs from March through November 2009, with instances scheduled monthly excepting the vacation month of July. If you have questions regarding this series, or if you would like to propose a topic for presentation, please contact Michael Toler at michael.toler@nitle.org.

via NITLE – Internationalizing Curricula in the Sciences .

Special Topics: Teaching Tools for the Global Age

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National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education

National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education

Special Topics: Teaching Tools for the Global Age
National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education

This series addresses a critical challenge for higher education: to prepare graduating students to cope in a world that is at once increasingly globalized and increasingly fragmented. To meet this challenge, colleges and universities must help students understand other languages, cultures, and societies, as well as the relationships that connect them. International education is an expensive and complex undertaking; however, technology–the harbinger and engine of modern globalization–offers a number of cost-effective tools that can be used in the classroom to facilitate teaching about the peoples of the world and the relationships between and among them. Each session listed is priced at 1 program unit.

If you have questions about this series or would like to propose a topic for presentation, please contact Michael Toler at michael.toler@nitle.org.

* Technology and Less-Commonly Taught Languages, March 19, 2009, 4:00 – 5:15 p.m. Eastern. Featuring Hiroyo Saito (Director of the Language Learning Center, Haverford College) and Rachid Aadani (Assistant Professor of Arabic, Wellesley College). Registration Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2009.
It is the only ED drugs which act for such cipla tadalafil price a considerable duration. In some cases, purchase viagra in canada such as bone fractures, not taking an x-ray could put patients at risk for further injury if I treated them with a standard chiropractic manipulation. With this drug, you can delight in harder and additional touchy cialis online cialis erections for around four to six hours. Many younger generation are likewise experiencing this because of many reasons such as: – Physical cause 1. generic cialis online * Virtual Voyages: Using Technology to Convey a Sense of Place, April 9, 2009, 4:00 – 5:15 p.m. Eastern. Featuring Martyn Smith, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Lawrence University. Registration Deadline: Friday, March 27, 2009.
* Faculty Development Abroad: Connecting Campus and Community via Online Writing Tools, May 14, 2009, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Featuring Shila Garg (Dean of Faculty) and Joe Benfield (Instructional Technologist), both of The College of Wooster. Registration deadline: Friday, May 1, 2009.
* Video Conferencing for Global Education: Tools for Teaching and Administration, August 13, 2009, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Featuring Todd Bryant (Language Technology Specialist, Dickinson College), and David Clapp (Director of the Office of International Students and Off-Campus Studies, Wabash College). Registration deadline: Friday, July 31, 2009.
* Internationalizing Curricula in the Sciences: Uses of Media and Technology, September 10, 2009, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Featuring Mark Stewart (Chair of the Department of Psychology) and Stas Stavrianeas (Professor of Exercise Science), both of Willamette University. Registration deadline: Friday, August 28, 2009.
* Models for Collaborative Teaching in Cultural Studies: Working Across Campuses, October 8, 2009, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Registration deadline: Friday, September 25, 2009.
* Global Knowledge through Gaming: Teaching about the Real World through Virtual Ones, November 12, 2009, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Featuring Chris Boyland, Director of the Language Learning Center at Bryn Mawr College. Registration deadline: Friday, October 30, 2009.

NITLE Event: Video Conferencing for Global Education

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Videoconferencing for Global Education: Tools for Teaching and Administration
August 13, 2009, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM. EDT.

This session considers the uses of real-time audio and video communication tools in higher education, for both pedagogical and administrative purposes, with a particular focus on the widely used, free internet videoconferencing application, Skype. Todd Bryant, language technology specialist at Dickinson College, will discuss uses of the tool for the instruction of language, and present the Mixxer, an online application he developed for finding conversation partners for language learning. David Clapp, director of the Office of International Students and Off-Campus Studies at Wabash College, will discuss the use of Skype by his office to connect with students in advance of, during, and after programs, and the impact its use has had on recruitment for programs, student satisfaction, administrative effectiveness, and the costs of running programs.

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Registration Deadline, Friday, July 31st.

New iPhone Hardware Encryption Not Even Close to Hack Proof

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Don’t loose your iPhone if you have sensitive data on it.  According to this blog post,

The new iPhone 3GS includes hardware-based encryption, giving the impression that your data is more secure than on previous models. A well-known iPhone security expert shows, however, that the data is just as easy to grab using simple hacking tools.

The good news is that it is still vulnerable to common “jailbreak” programs like purplera1n or redsn0w which make it possible to use your phone on networks other than that with which you originally had a contract.  Just remember, you void your warranty by using such programs.
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via New iPhone hardware encryption not even close to hack proof – Ars Technica.