Pharmacology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pharmacology - Assignment Example Potential issues in the system in which a mistake could be made includes staff not understanding the orders given. This could lead to patients being given the incorrect drugs, which could means disastrous effects to the health of the patient. This however can be prevented by an RN through double checking drugs that are of high alert through making independent calculations. Medications referred to as high-alert drugs are those that have a very high chance of causing disastrous effects on the patients when used in error. In addition, the RN could take their time off in between rechecking the calculations. This will give them time to relax and recheck the drugs when they are not fatigued to ensure they take the correct orders. There is a significant effect of food on drugs prescribed by health professionals to their patients. Food might have an effect on the extent and rate of absorption of the drugs particularly after oral administration (McLachlan & Ramzan, 2006). Being able to fully comprehend what kind of effect food has on different types of medicines helps health professionals be able to give patients the correct advice of whether to take the medicines with food or not. Generally, taking food together with medicine usually delays absorption of the drugs; nevertheless, the effect depends on the drug, the kind of food and its formulation. There are those drugs that come with strict guidelines of whether they should be taken with meals or not. Food especially that has high fat content usually slows down the emptying of the gastric, which might delay absorption of the drug. This means that if there is a delay of the drug going to the small intestine absorption into the systemic circulation becomes difficult. The effect food has is determined by the pharmacokinetic and physicochemical features of the drug (McLachlan & Ramzan, 2006). An example is the antiretroviral drug saquinavir, which is very poor in dissolving in water; therefore health professionals advice t heir patients to take it with food in order to allow enhancement of bile to dissolve it aiding absorption. Absorption of saquinavir works much better after having a heavy breakfast; taking it on an empty stomach could result to therapeutic failure. Food also has an effect of drug toxicity especially when they are mixed. For example, when it comes to blood pressure and MAO inhibitors drugs, taking them with chocolate or peanut butter could be disastrous (American heart organization, 2013). Other foods like grapefruit also interfere with certain prescription drugs and therefore should not be taken with drugs meant to lower blood pressure. This is because grapefruit juice can lead to an increase of the medicines in the body causing negative side effects. When it comes to timing of meals, there is also an effect especially when comes to foods containing dairy products. Dairy products contain calcium and minerals which when taken with some certain medicines reduce absorption into the blo od from the gut. Therefore, this can only be prevented by time spacing. Patients are advised to take dairy products an hour before or some two hours after taking the medication. Patient aged 42 years is suffering from high blood pressure and is put under blood pressure medication. The doctor has prescribed

Building Information Modeling (BIM) Research Paper

Building Information Modeling (BIM) - Research Paper Example Created models (BIMs), are usually files, which can be either networked or exchanged by professionals, with the aim of enhancing decision-making processes. These files are not necessarily in proprietary formats, nor do they contain proprietary data, but are visual representations of developed ideals and conceptions of a given place. Thus, utility is wide-ranging, from individuals and firm-entities, to government agencies; BIM softwares are vital in the planning, design, construction, and the eventual operation and maintenance of varying infrastructure. Essentially, it has and continues being utilized in diverse infrastructure such as roads, ports, bridges, communication utilities, waste disposal facilities to housing, warehouses and prison construction amongst others (American Institute of Architects, 2006). Historically, the BIM concept traces its roots to the 1970s with the first mentioning being in a 1992 paper by Tolman F. P and G. A. van Nederveen. The eventual popular use of the concept was only realized after the release of a white paper by Autodesk, entitled – Building Information Modeling. Afterwards, it was through Laiserin’s aid, which helped standardize and popularize the term; with regard to facilitating both the inter-operability and exchange of digitized data formats. As a digital representation of contemporary building processes, it was akin to: - the Integrated Project Models of Bentley Systems; Vectorworks/ Autodesk’s BIM, or Graphisoft’s Virtual Building concepts. Definitions do vary, with the National Building Information Model Standard Project Committee (NBIMSPC) providing the best description. Pertinently, BIM regards a representation, digitally formatted; of the functional and physical characteristics of a given utility space or place. As a concept, it pertains to the collective knowledge source of specific information/data about an existing facility. It further provides a reliable basis on which decisions are

Contemporary Organisational Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Contemporary Organisational Design - Essay Example 2007). Overall, previous studies on organizational design serve as an important first step in understanding how organizational designs are used to manage internal control systems in multiple markets. For example, Rodriguez (2006) focuses on organizational culture change from a longitudinal perspective. In the study, the researcher examines how an organization (Brazilian Telecommunication Company) changed from a condition of integration to one of fragmentation and differentiation. Chakrabarti & Varman (2004), in their study of "Contradiction of Democracy in a workers Cooperative" postulate that, organizational democracy has become a key issue in current change management set-ups such as in situations of restructuring, total quality management and enterprise resource planning. According to the researchers, democracy faces significant odds even in those companies that have been expressly initiated for democratic functioning. To the researchers, organizational democracy is an evolving reality. Walton, (2005) draw inspirations from Weber's writing on bureaucracy. The researcher in his study uses meta-analytical techniques to estimates the general relationships amongst key aspects of bureaucratic control removing the effects of statiscal artefacts. The current focus on organizational design is on change within the context of an... To the researchers, organizational democracy is an evolving reality. Walton, (2005) draw inspirations from Weber's writing on bureaucracy. The researcher in his study uses meta-analytical techniques to estimates the general relationships amongst key aspects of bureaucratic control removing the effects of statiscal artefacts. The current focus on organizational design is on change within the context of an organization, and change within accounting as a subject. This paper attempt a critical analysis on three peer review selected articles published within the last five years in Science direct within the context of organisational design and change. We believe, after our critical review of these articles, there will be ample opportunity for future research to examine how firms use other aspects of organizational design and internal controls such as standardization, internal reporting. The articles we are focusing on in this review are:- 1. Rodrigues, B.S., (2006). The Political Dynamics of Organizational Culture in an Institutionalized Environment. Organization Studies 2006; 27; 537 originally published online Jan 9, 2006; DOI: 10.1177/0170840605059454 2. Chakrabarti, M. & Varman, R., (2004). Contradictions of Democracy in a Workers' Cooperative Organization Studies 2004; 25; 183 DOI: 10.1177/0170840604036913 3. Walton, J.E., (2005). The Persistence of Bureaucracy: A Meta-analysis of Weber's Model of Bureaucratic Control. DOI: 10.1177/0170840605051481 My review will be based on the following structure. Firstly, I will review the various articles in their general parts and point out the strong and weak sides of each. There after, I will look on

Centralised organisation Essay Example for Free

Centralised organisation Essay â€Å"Outline the main ways in which a large centralised organisation might achieve a more flexible organised structure. Using examples, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing greater organisational flexibility† â€Å"The structures that organisations adopt are usually aligned to one of five generic organisational structures. These are the simple structure, the functional structure, the divisional structure, the holding company structure and the matrix structure. (Capon, C. (2009) the business environment. Chapter 4: Inside organisations. This essay will explain the various ways of how a large centralised organisation achieves a more flexible structure through de-centralisation. This essay will analyse the benefits and drawbacks of the matrix structure and the functional structure. A flexible structure allows staff to take part in decision making thus making them feel more valued and motivated, this favours the organisation because efficiency and communication is improved. Centralised structures are often referred to as bureaucracies and have a long chain of command and a narrow span of control. They are tall structures designed so that directors, owners and management can achieve maximum control. Decision making is isolated within the top part of the hierarchy with a very autocratic style of management (none/very little shared decision making with employees further down the hierarchy). Centralised structures allow benchmarks and certain procedures to monitor quality closely. A clear path can be seen by employees in terms of promotion which often aids in motivation, in turn improving the productivity of staff. However there are some downsides to a centralised or bureaucratic structure, such as the fact that it’s time-consuming for decisions to be made because the decision has to come from the top of the organisation (CEO’s/Directors) all the way to the bottom through many levels before the employees actually get told what they need to do; because of this it is difficult for companies with a tall structure to quickly react to changes in the market that they operate in. In tall organisations there is a tendency for ‘red tape’ or excessive regulation which also slows down many processes within a business. Another problem with tall organisations is that there is a divide between the top managers and regular employees, which means that the workers lower down in the hierarchy feel excluded and less valued. This In turn leads to workers becoming less motivated. Because of all these difficulties big organisations are constantly attempting to increase flexibility by changing their structure. Decentralisation provides higher subordinate satisfaction and a quicker response to problems and may give workers a sense of ownership and greater levels of motivation in their work† (Ray French, Charlotte Rayner, Gary Rees and Sally Rumbles – (2008) Organizational behaviour ). De-centralised structures are desirable because they allow flexibility within a business, it is essentially a democratic management style of running an organisation, and this means that there is more feedback and input from staff regarding decision making. With a shorter chain of command, due to the flat hierarchical structure, and increased motivation of staff production can increase. The functional structure is relatively restrictive of flexibility, it is fairly rigid and centralised. The managers of the departments are given the responsibility to manage day-to-day problems and take part in decision making only in the short term. Decision making and power in the long term rests very much within the board of directors, thus slowing down communication within the organisation. The functional structure is mainly used by small businesses; large organisations tend to move away from this structure in the search for more flexibility. The reason for this is because of product or service diversification and larger target markets. The functional structure tends to have poor career prospects, high pressure on senior managers , quality monitoring is very difficult and there are skills shortages in the sense that job roles are set so skills cannot be shared within the departments. The matrix structure integrates two structures together, often geographical and multi product structures. For example, a company may have a department for a product A in Europe and for Product A in Asia. One of the advantages of the Matrix structure is the convenience of experts simplifying the sharing of knowledge between the goods. Another advantage of the matrix structure is intra-team communication, this allows ease of communication between the different functional product groups within the same organisation, and similarly there is less pressure on managers, quality monitoring is easier and skills are interchanged within departments of the same function thus improving efficiency. In the early 90’s the majority of IBM and the business press were convinced decentralisation would aid the company in terms of â€Å"flexibility, speed and entrepreneurial motivation†. They believed splitting up IBM into smaller companies would speed up processes and promote and enhance efficiency, which can be true of decentralisation. Lou Gerstner was appointed CEO of IBM in 1993. He was convinced IBM should remain centralised and to â€Å"use its unique size and capabilities to help customers integrate the diverse components of their information technology (IT) systems†. In the end IBM was loosened up but not completely decentralised. This worked tremendously well with IBM’s stock price rising by almost a factor of ten. (Thomas W. Malone Harvard Business School Archives (29/3/2004): Making the decision to decentralise. )From this we can conclude that de-centralisation improves organisational flexibility by speeding up the process of decision making, improving efficiency and communication and increasing job satisfaction for employees. Pursuing greater organisational flexibility could be complex in the sense that the organisation may become less efficient due to the change in structure and managerial span of control. Nonetheless changing from a tall centralised structure to a flat decentralised structure favours the organisation because there are fewer levels of hierarchy and a shorter chain of command which enables better communication. â€Å"Decentralisation, in theory, provides greater potential for motivating employees and, because decisions are taken nearer the place of work, the organisation can react faster and smarter†. Ian Brookes (2009): Organisational behaviour – individuals, groups and organisation 4th edition). However not all flat structures are decentralised; take for example the functional structure, despite being flat it is a rigid and centralised structure. The Matrix structure would enable a large organisation to achieve greater organisational flexibility because one of its main strengths is allowing ease of communication.

There is nothing wrong with being ignorant as long as you are contented Essay Example for Free

There is nothing wrong with being ignorant as long as you are contented Essay b) â€Å"There is nothing wrong with being ignorant as long as you are contented† Dicuss. This discussion topic is one that is regulary debated by philosophers and people in general. Surely if we asked ourself the question – if we can live in peace and happiness why should it matter if we live in ignorance or not? Surely we would just be jepodising our happiness for the â€Å"real† truth? Then again some may argue that how can we know what happiness really is if we are actually living in ignorance, because that happiness were feeling wouldnt actually be real. Platos stand on this evident; he believes that by living in ignorance you are living far from the truth. As a philosopher Plato argues that you should always question the world that you live in, whether you are contented or not. His attitude was simple: how can you be content with something thats not possibly real? His famous teaching was the analogy of the cave. In this he taught others that there was once a cave, and in that cave lived a group of prisoners who had lived there all their lives. One day one of the prioners decided to break free and walk along the path of unknown, towards the sunlight. Plato continued this story of saying that the prisoner was finally â€Å"englightened† by the real truth, and then returned to tell his fellow prisoners of what he had learnt. This evidently shows us that Plato did in fact agree with breaking free of ignorance, as it is the whole meaning of the analogy of the cave. Plato also believed that we as humans are ignorant, in the sense that we believe the real world is the Empirical world, and that no other worlds exist. Which Plato thought was complete and utter nonsense, because there is the world of forms: the Metaphyical world. If humans didnt believe that the Metaphysical world was not the world where all perfect forms lie, then we are all in fact ignorant. Plato b melieved that we all need to open our minds to all the possibilties and not be blinded by our ignorance. We also know, due to Platos theories, that in the question where it says, â€Å"there is nothing wrong with being ignorant,† we know for a fact that Plato would disagree with this. Stating that there is nothing wrong with something, from the Empirical world, was absurd in his eyes, unless in was in the Metaphysical world where everything is in its perfect form. However, some philosophers such as Aritotle (student of Plato), believed that the Empirical world was all that there was so therefore there is no ignorance to live in because the Empirical world is the world that exists. So in a way we can say that Aristotle would agree with this statment because his attitude is that we dont live in ignorance we live in this world, and this world alone. However some may also say, Aristotle is still a philosopher, he still questions this world. So for example, if he did think that we were living in ignorance, would Aristotle say that we should be content with that or should we question what content was? If we looked at another philosopher, Hereclitus, we can see how some of her ideas and theories may actually link to an idea that would agree with this statement. Heraclitus once said â€Å"reality is unstable†, surely if reality is unstable then ignorance must be bliss? Heraclitus also said that â€Å"you can never step in the same river twice†, teaching people that reality is ever-changing and is constantly in the process of change, therefore things go out of existance. Then surely, if Heraclitus is right, who would want to live in a reality that is unstable? Wouldnt you just prefer to live in a more stable world even if it was in ignorance? At least then you knew where you stood with the world rather than exprecting the Empirical world to always change. Therefore, this shows us that there was a philosopher that disagreed with Platos words and that ignorance should be aceepted if you are content with a stable world. Although in the film â€Å"The Matrix†, aired in 1999, it has a situation in the film which would apply to this statement. In the film the Morpheus tells the main characters Neo and Cypher that they have a decision to make. Do they take the blue pill which allows them to remain in the city where they live and live in blissful ignorance, or do they take the red pill, which would lead them to escape the city and to go into the â€Å"real† world, where they would embrace the sometimes painful truth of reality? The characters choose the red pill. They risk their happy life to understand the real truth. However, we soon see that they start to regret their choice. They wish they had taken the blue pill, even if it was living in ignorance. So even though at first it shows the characters disagreeing with the statement and that all humans, when faced with the decision of knowing the truth, they accept. It turns out that ignorance won in the end. It shows that though humans do like to know the truth, the majority of us are content with our lives and would rather live day by day and see where it takes us, rather than constantly questioning what is content? What is living in ignorance? Another example that we can discuss this statement on is: animals in captivity. Animals that are born in captivity are more likely to live longer than animals living in the wild. There a vets at the ready incase one of the animals get hurt and there are no fearful preditors about. The animals are completely safe. However, some argue that an animals natural habitat is the wild and that is where they should be living. Not in a confined cage. Many say that animals get stressed and its completely un fair for them to be living under the influence of humans. But surely, if the animal was born into capivity, they wouldnt know any different? No animal would know that their natural climate was maybe in the south of Africa (essentially the wild.) Really were saying should they be living in ignorance, where they are safe to bring up their young and can live a long, good life? Or.. are we saying that reality is better? Where animals could get hunted down before they even grow to be an adult? How are the animals supposed to know whether theyre living in ignorance or reality if they dont know any different? Linking this back to the statement, for me i think in this certain situation living in ignorance would be better than living in the harsh realities of the unknown wilderness. To conclude with, I believe that those who wish to live ignorance as long as they are content with it should do so. I can completely understand where they are coming from if they live a happy life. Why would you want to change that when reality may be bleak? Even though Plato said that we are blinded by this Empirical world and that we should widen our knowledge to venture into the Metaphysical world, the â€Å"real world†, my belief is that Plato took his theories a bit too far and that maybe he was questioning a bit too much and should just accept that this world is the only and real world there is. When we hit our head, it hurts. How can this not be the real world? I believe that an ignorant world does not exist, but a ignorant state of mind does. But as long people are content with that then why should it matter? Were not living their lives so it has no influence on us.

The Internationalization Of Higher Education Education Essay

The Internationalization Of Higher Education Education Essay This study on the internationalization of higher education pursues this objective. Provide a brief overview of the nature and development of internationalization in the higher education system. This will shed light on relevant concepts and strategies from a global, European and domestic perspective and provide background information for an in-depth analysis of the objectives and organizational measures of studies for foreigners in United States and studies abroad for American students. Results of the Study The following overview will give the reader a brief summary of the results of the survey. Internationalization Strategies Internationalization of higher education is guided by the ideals of academic universality, the humanitarian objectives of social developmental aid work abroad, and the incentives of securing economic productivity at home. In the age of globalization, international mobility is increasingly used to boost USAs competitiveness as a place to study. The market orientation of internationalization and the social dimension of international student mobility are two conflicting aspects of higher education that require corrective policies to bring them into balance. United States continuous attractiveness as a place to study has to go hand in hand with reforms of the structure of higher education studies and measures to improve the general social conditions of students. The market orientation of studies for foreigners involves targeting specific groups of students. SUMMARY As the number of high school graduates in the United States levels off, the competition for international students is getting fiercer as universities attempt to meet their enrollment goals. U.S. universities however are not competing only with each other, but institutions from other countries as well. Rapidly increasing numbers of students in foreign countries have boosted international mobility, resulting in 2.7 million students who study abroad every year. The main countries of origin for foreign students are China, India and South Korea. Industrial countries are the destination of these mobile students. Data shows that the U.S. currently has the largest share of international students worldwide; In terms of absolute numbers, the USA is the worlds leading host country. Mobile foreign students represent 3.7% of the total student population in the USA. However this market share is decreasing due to increased competition from other countries and a perception that international students are not wanted in the U.S. after more stringent visa policies were instituted in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 making it much harder to obtain a student visa. Having more international students enrolled in U.S. universities benefits both the universities and the U.S. government, hence there must be a more coordinated effort between the two in order for the U.S. to recoup its lost market share and maintain its rank as the top destination country for international students. In this paper I will attempt to show that the current U.S. policy of attracting international students to this country cannot sustain the demand of U.S. universities, nor effectively compete with the policies and efforts of other countries; instead international education, including curricular integration, study abroad and student exchange must be central to a new, USA High Education System Strategic Planning for the 21st century. As a result of this national strategy, the students will need to work successfully and comfortably in multiple cultural contexts with people who hold values and viewpoints which vary significantly; Students will be the future leaders and educators in an environment which increasingly requires an international perspective; What exactly is the Internationalization of higher education? Internationalization has become an important issue in the development of higher education. Sven Groennings (1987) describes it as one of the most powerful substantive development in the history of American higher education (p/2). It is perceived as one of the laws of motion propelling institutions of higher learning (Kerr 1990, 5); as a major theme for the next decade (Davies 1997, 83); and as one of the most important trends of the last decade (Teichler 1999, 6), if not of the past half century (Altbach 2000c, 2) De Wit (2002) uses three terms to highlight the complexity of defining internationalisation, namely international dimension, international education and internationalisation of higher education, each referring to a specific phase of the development. He uses three interrelated arguments in which (i) he sees the international dimension of higher education, prior to the 20th century as more incidental, than organised; (ii) states that this international dimension as an organised activity, referred to in general by the term international education, is a product of the 20th century introduced first mainly in the United States for reasons of foreign policy and national security. (iii)The third argument is that around the end of the Cold War, this international dimension evolved into strategic processes, referred to as the internationalisation of higher education and became increasingly linked to globalisation and regionalisation of our societies and the impact of this on higher education. He further argues that with the development of globalisation, the international dimension will evolve into an integrated element of higher education and move away from its present position as an isolated set of activities, strategies and processes. This is manifested in a shift in emphasis from more traditional forms of international education to strategies that are more directly related to the core functions of the university, and in a shift in emphasis from political to economic rationales. The implications of these shifts are the increasing importance of quality assessment of internationalisation strategies, the emergence of English as the common language of higher education, the increasing relevance of international networks and strategic alliance, and the gradual acceptance of the internationalisation of higher education as an area of research. De Wit points out the need to relate the internationalisation of higher education in todays world to the general roots of the university, and to place the present developments in historical perspective. His work (2002) makes a useful contribution to the unfolding of this phenomenon in the European and American higher education systems. Another study (De Wit et al., 2005) examined the internationalisation of higher education in the Latin American context. Related issues and concepts It is interesting to take a look at the third Global Survey Report on Internationalization of Higher Education, which was recently released by (IAU 2009).   This comprehensive survey is the largest of its kind worldwide, and includes responses from 745 institutions in 115 countries. For purposes of analysis, the results were clustered in the following regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East, and North America (the U.S. and Canada). Even though the survey is on its third edition, it still has limitations which fortunately are acknowledged and explained in the document. According to this survey, the top five reasons for internationalizing an institution are, in order of importance, to improve student preparedness; internationalize the curriculum; enhance the international profile of the institution; strengthen research and knowledge production; and diversify its faculty and staff. However, when the information is analyzed by regions, interesting variations are found. For instance, both North America and Latin America give much more importance to international preparedness of students than Europe. Interestingly, institutions in Africa consider as the more important internationalization rationale, to strengthen research and knowledge production. The Middle East gives the highest importance equally to improving student preparedness and also strengthening research. Results suggest also that institutions in North America are not bothered with the notion of increasing their international profile.   For them, this is placed at a distant fourth level of importance in comparison with, for instance, Europe where it is the second most important rationale. I wonder if this can be explained by some degree of insularity, or a somewhat egocentric perspective of the regions status in the world of higher education. Surprisingly, all regions gave an extremely low importance to internationalizing the campus with the idea of diversifying sources of income or in response to public policies. When asked about the most important benefits of internationalization, the top three reasons at the global level listed in order of relevance were: increasing international awareness of students; strengthening research and knowledge production; and fostering international cooperation and solidarity. The only significant difference in this otherwise very consistent pattern was offered in the IAU Survey by institutions in North America for which international cooperation and solidarity was not considered as beneficial as it was in the rest of the regions. This factor placed a worrying 5th in North America Another puzzling finding of the survey has to do with to which geographic region higher-education institutions are turning their eyes for their internationalization work. The aggregate results show that no major shifts have happened in the last five years. And the winner is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Europe! (Asia-Pacific region was placed second.) The bronze medal goes to North America. Nevertheless, the analysis by region should be a matter of concern for policymakers in some parts of the world. For instance, in the Asia-Pacific region the first geographic priority for the internationalization policy in the majority of their institutions is Asia-Pacific, followed by Europe. For European institutions the first priority is placed on Europe itself and the second one on Asia-Pacific. For North America the first priority is Asia-Pacific, followed by Europe. Latin America and the Middle East consider Europe as the key regional priority. Sadly, the only region considering Africa as the principal pr iority is precisely Africa, but aside from that, none of the regions even consider Africa as a second or third priority. THE FIELD OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION International education has a somewhat unusual position in higher education. While recognized as an important sphere of activity, it tends to be handled by administrative offices at the top of departments of languages and literature and international affairs. The scholars involved in international education usually have their primary involvement in other teaching and research. This leads to four distinctive characteristics particular to the field of international education: 1. There is little consensus concerning the guiding theme of the field as well as its scope. Should the field stress internationalization, transnationalization, or globalization (Barrows, 2000; Committee for Transnational Competence, 2000; Hilary, 2000) 2. International education is not a prominent feature of the contemporary higher education experience. Using enrollment in foreign languages as an indicator, 16 percent of all U.S. college students were enrolled in foreign languages in the peak period of the 1960s; the proportion is currently down to 8 percent (Hayward, 2000, p. 6). 3. There is imbalance in regional coverage. The regions and languages covered at a particular institution are a function of idiosyncratic patterns of faculty recruitment. Nationally, there is reasonable coverage of Western Europe and Latin America and most European languages compared to limited coverage of Africa and the Middle East. For students enrolled in foreign languages, Spanish is the most popular followed by the other major languages of Western Europe; 6 percent enroll in Asian languages. Languages of the Middle East make up only 2 percent (1.3 being Hebrew and .5 percent Arabic). The languages of Africa constitute only 0.15 percent of enrollments. 4. Because international education is not a primary concern of most scholars in the field, research is somewhat sporadic, non-cumulative, and tends to be carried out by national organizations as part of advocacy projects (e.g. Lambert, 1989; Brecht and Rivers, 2000). The most recent example is the American Council of Educations (ACEs) Internationalization of Higher Education: A Status Report. (Hayward, 2000). Historical data Following the events of September 11, the total number of international students studying in the United States leveled off and even dropped slightly after 2002, though enrollment numbers have recently rebounded. (See fig. 1.) According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), the decline in the number of international students attending U.S. higher education institutions between 2003 and 2006 was the first drop in over 30 years. While the United States continues to be the leading destination for international students, the U.S. share of international students worldwide dropped-from 26 to 20 percent between 2000 and 2008.  [1]  (See fig. 2.) According to the Pew Global Attitudes Project, since 2002 the United States image has declined in both the Muslim world and among many of Americas oldest allies. In the wake of September 11, the United States also tightened its immigration policy and made it more difficult for foreign nationals, including international students, to a pply for a visa. As we previously reported, these changes, made to help protect our nations security interests, may have contributed to our declining share of international students and the perception that the United States was an unwelcoming place for international students. (GAO 2007) The U.S. government seeks to improve global attitudes toward America through diplomatic and development assistance efforts, which include funding higher education for international students in the United States. (GAO, 2008) Nine weeks after September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush said (Bush, 2001): We must also reaffirm our commitment to promote educational opportunities that enable American students to study abroad, and to encourage international students to take part in our educational system. By studying foreign cultures and languages and living abroad, we gain a better understanding of the many similarities that we share, and learn to respect our differences. The relationships that are formed between individuals from different countries, as part of international education programs and exchanges, can also foster goodwill that develops into vibrant, mutually beneficial partnerships among nations. Americas leadership and national security rest on our commitment to educate and prepare our youth for active engagement in the international community. On February 27, 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell reaffirmed the State Departments support for foreign students: The Departments policy on student visas is based on the democratic values of an open society and the perception that foreign students make an important contribution to our nations intellectual and academic climate, as well as to our nations economy. We must continue to nurture these vital relationships even as we improve the security of our borders. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ American values, including democracy, economic freedom, and individual rights, draw students from many nations. As these students and scholars from other countries gain from our society and academic institutions, they also serve as resources for our campuses and communities, helping our citizens to develop the international understanding needed to strengthen our long-term national security and enhance our economic competitiveness. The professional partnerships and lifelong friendships that are created through international education are important for a secure, prosperous future, not only for our own country but also for th e world as a whole. The New York Times, in a September 24, 2002, editorial, suggested that our efforts to spread our influence and understanding of our culture should be stepped up, not abandoned. Cautioning that government policies must not impede legitimate exchange, the editorial said, Higher education is one of the best methods we have of spreading the word about who we are and of exposing our citizens to non-Americans. Bringing foreign students onto our campuses is among the best favors we can do ourselves. While the federal government provides funds for the education for international students to achieve public diplomacy and development objectives, the vast majority of students who come to the United States to study do not receive funding from the U.S. government. According to the Institute of International Educations Open Doors 2008 report, 623,805 students came to the United States to study during the 2007-2008 academic year and nearly 9 out of 10 international students reported their primary source of funding for education as coming from either personal and family sources or from their host college or university in the United States. Who are the main players in the international market for students? In order to have a genuine perspective on the reality of the competitors that the U.S higher education institutions face, it is useful to have a look at what the international outlook has in store. According to the Institute of International Education, the number of international students in U.S. higher education institutions has increased in most years since 1955. According to IIEs Open Doors 2002, the authoritative source of data on international student enrollment for academic year 2001-2002, This years 6.4 percent increase in international student enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities equals last years increase, which was the largest increase in the past 20 years. This continues a trend of substantial growth in foreign student enrollments that began in 1997, after a four-year period of minimal growth. It is quite evident that although the absolute numbers are increasing, U.S. market share is decreasing. According to IIE, the U.S. share of internationally mobile students-the proportion of all international students who select the United States for study-declined by almost ten percent from 1982 to 1995, the last year that IIE did the calculation (39.2 to 30.2 percent). In itself, that is not an alarming statistic. U.S. market share is still healthy, and the argument could be made that our nearly 40 percent market share was unsustainable. It is what lies behind that statistic that is alarming. Merely the existence of fiercer competition is not the only reason for the declination of U.S. market share. at least two other factor can be noted. First, it is reflects aggressive recruitment efforts by the competitors of the USA-the usual suspects, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and more recently China and others-who have determined that they want to reap more of the foreign policy, economic, and educational benefits those international students bring. Combined with the distinctive absence of such a conclusion on the part of the United States, which apparently assumes that international students will always come because they always have such complacency risks the loss of this countrys leadership in international education, with the accompanying negative ramifications for our security, foreign policy, and economy. Second, the declination U.S. market share does not appear to reflect any decline in international demand for U.S. higher education. Demand is still strong. The problem is access. While competing nations seek to remove disincentives to study in their countries, U.S. policy ignores-and sometimes exacerbates-the disincentives to study here. The problem lies not in the internationally popular product, nor in the highly motivated customer, but rather in market imperfections that keep the two from finding each other. Those imperfections are all subject to the control or the influence of American public officials. If they continue to ignore these factors, the market share that the American high education currently enjoys, will continue to be eroded out to the competition. Ultimately, whats wrong with this picture is the absence of a strategy to sustain the number of foreign students coming to the USA. For a generation after World War II, the United States had a strategy of promoting international student exchange as a means of waging the Cold War and promoting international peace. But now more than ever, the U.S. government seems to lack overall strategic sense of why exchange is important-and, therefore, of what U.S. interests are at risk by not continuing to foster exchanges. In this strategic vacuum, At the most basic-and encouraging-level, the problem is not one of weakness. The United States has every resource it needs to be successful in attracting international students-and, indeed, has been successful at it. The United States has more higher education capacity than our major competitors combined, the high quality of U.S. higher education is universally recognized, and the United States is a magnet for many throughout the world. The problem is not how to make the United States and its higher education system more attractive, but how to make them more accessible. A strategic plan is needed to address them. The principal barriers to access are: (1) The absence of a proactive, coordinated effort to recruit international students; (2) Burdensome U.S. government regulations, which often effectively cancel out recruitment efforts. (3) The cost of U.S. higher education, (4) The complexity of American higher education system. All of important powers have historically used education for international students as a tool to advance diplomatic, development, economic, and other objectives, often simultaneously. In the survey of GOA 2009 titled HIGHER EDUCATION Approaches to Attract and Fund International Students in the United States and Abroad (GOA 2009), the approaches of several countries have been analyzed. For example, Australian officials said that international higher education helps Australia achieve economic goals. Education was Australias third largest export and contributed $15.5 billion in Australian dollars (about $13 billion in U.S. dollars) to its economy in 2008. International students also help Australia meet its foreign relations and diplomatic goals. According to Chinese officials, providing international educational opportunities to foreign students is part of their strategy for promoting cultural, scientific, and technological exchanges between the East and the West. China develops exchanges with other countries in the fields of education, science, and technology to strengthen friendship and understanding between the Chinese people and people around the world and to promote modernization in China. China reported that its collaboration with foreign universities and educational institutions helps to develop an exchange network that allows it to send the best students to study in the best universities under the supervision of the best advisers, mutually benefiting institutions and countries. Officials from Germanys national agency that supports international education, stated in the GOA report that international students help Germany advance several goals, including increasing the international appeal of German universities and promoting the academic, economic, and democratic development of developing countries. German officials said that their ability to advance several goals simultaneously is an important strength of international education. For example, international students studying in science and technology help advance German research and innovation goals while also advancing public diplomacy goals by returning to their home countries as unofficial ambassadors for Germany. Officials in the United Kingdom (UK) reported that international education contributes to building a high-skilled workforce, helps build relationships with people from around the world, enhances understanding about each others cultures, and opens doors to trade, investment, and political influence. The European Union (EU) also seeks to advance several international education goals, including promoting intercultural understanding through cooperation with non-European countries as well as ensuring that education and training are accessible to the global community. To promote their higher education systems internationally, countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia have developed broad marketing strategies with a focus on outreach to international students. These marketing strategies include developing a national brand through the use of logos and slogans to promote higher education systems among international communities, much as a corporation would promote a commercial brand, as shown in figure 3. The financial outlook. Internationalization of higher education is good business for the U.S. economy. While this is not in the most important reason for reaching out to such students, it is nevertheless one the basic driving force leading competitor countries to adopt proactive strategies for attracting them. NAFSA (Association of International Educators) estimates that international students and their dependents spent nearly $18.78 billion in the U.S. economy in the 2009-2010 academic year, which makes international education a significant U.S. service-sector export. (NAFSA 2003) This economic benefit is shared by schools, communities, states, and the U.S. economy as a whole. According to the Institute of International Education, more than 70 percent of undergraduate international students pay full tuition and receive no financial aid, thus allowing schools to offer more financial assistance to American students. The Statistical Analysis of The Economic Benefits of International Education to the United States for the 2007-20010 Academic Years estimates that foreign students and their dependents contributed approximately $15.54 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2007-2008 academic year; approximately $17.6 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2008-2009 academic year; And approximately $18.78 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2009-2010 academic year. Every higher education institution has more or less received ample financial benefits. For example at New Yorks Columbia University, international students accounted for 21 percent, or about 7,000, of the student body in the 2008-2009 school year. These students funneled almost $250 million to Columbia in tuition and living expenses, according to a report by its international student office. (Laya 2010). At South Florida University for example in-state U.S. citizens pursuing undergraduate studies pay $5,100 in tuition annually, out-of-state students; including those from foreign countries, pay about $15,900, more than three times as much. (Fischer 2010. Chronicle of Higher Education) For schools like South Florida, increasing the number of international students also means increased revenue. But this is not the only benefit that international students bring. United States has relied on undergraduate and graduate students from other countries as important sources of innovation and productivity in our increasingly knowledge-based economy. Such students who remain in the country after completing their studies have brought needed research and workforce skills and strengthened our labor force. For example, international students have earned about one-third or more of the degrees at both the masters and doctoral levels in engineering, math and computer science, and the physical sciences. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, says U.S. visa curbs on immigrants with special skills in science, math or technology must be overhauled.If we dont, American companies simply will not have the talent to innovate and compete, Gates said in testimony to the House Committee on Science and Technology on March 12, 2008. (Laya 2010). In addition, U.S.-educated students take home preferences for Am erican products, and business students in particular take home an education in U.S. business practices. By any measure, international education makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy. Is there a correlation between the role nations to play in the international scene and the internationalization of their universities? Our ability to relate to and interact with those whose cultural backgrounds differ from our own will be among the determining factors for the future of our societies. For most people, regardless of whether they aim for international careers or life in their local communities, intercultural dialogue will become a fact of life rather than an option. Education will need to play a key role in developing the ability to conduct intercultural dialogue, which is an integral part of developing democratic culture. A panel of leading experts in national security, higher education, and foreign policy made a strong case for the need to place international education at the heart of Americas public diplomacy efforts, at a policy forum November 16, 2006. The speakers were Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Distinguished Service Professor at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; Ambassador Cresencio Arcos, Director of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Sanford J. Ungar, President of Goucher College; and the Honorable Jim Kolbe, United States Congressman (R-Ariz.). (NAFSA 2005) Joseph Nye stated that the presence of foreign students in American universities is a tremendous resource for American soft power.'   He told a story about the influence of educational exchanges on reform and dissident elements in the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and noted that while hard power is necessary, it is [also] essential to get our story out, and the best way to [do that] in terms of winning hearts and minds, the best emissaries are really people who have been [to] American universities and return home. Nye acknowledged improvement in the visa process but said we have quite a long way to go to ensure that we keep the doors open and remain an attractive destination for international students. Goucher College President Sanford J. Ungar focused his remarks on the importance of promoting study abroad among American college students. Goucher recently instituted a new policy that requires all of its students to study abroad before graduation. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Ungar stressed that the international education of todays students must be an urgent matter of public policy and an important component of public diplomacy. Representative Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), the final panelist, (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) spoke specifically about his efforts and those of Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) to urge the establishment of an international education policy for the United States, most recently through their introduction of House Concurrent Resolution 100.   Tying together the comments of the other panelists, Kolbe said: We cant lead in a world that the American people dont understandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We cant have a successful foreign policy with out internationally educated and aware citizens who support that foreign policy and who understand, relate and interact with the people of all countries that we are engaged with. Andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a successful foreign policy depends on our being able to educate future leaders from around the world about our way of life, our system of government, our culture, our political sy

Jupiter Research Essay -- Papers

Jupiter Research Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet in our solar system. This gas giant has a thick atmosphere, 17 moons, and a dark, barely-visible ring. Its most prominent features are bands across its latitudes and a great red spot, (which is a storm). Jupiter is composed mostly of gas. This enormous planet radiates twice as much heat as it absorbs from the sun. It also has an extremely strong magnetic field. It is slightly flattened at its poles and it bulges out a bit at the equator. Size: Jupiter's diameter is 88700 miles (142800km). This is a little more than 11 times the diameter of the Earth. Jupiter is so large that all the other planets in the solar system could fit inside it (if it were hollow). Mass and Gravity: Jupiter's mass is about 1.69 x 10(27) kg. Although this is 318 times the mass of the Earth, the gravity on Jupiter is only 254% of the gravity on Earth. This is because Jupiter is such a large planet (and the gravitational force a planet exerts upon an object at the planet's surface is proportional to its mass and to the inverse of its radius squared). A 100-pound person would weigh 254 pounds on Jupiter. Length Of A Day And Year On Jupiter =================================== It takes Jupiter 9.8 Earth hours to revolve around its axis (this is a Jovian day). It takes Jupiter 11.86 Earth years to orbit the sun once (this is a Jovian year). Jupiter is made of gases and liquids, so as it rotates, its parts do not rotate at exactly the same velocity. It rotates very rapidly, and this spinning action gives Jupiter a large equatorial bulge; it looks like a slightly flattened s... ...ogen molecules move freely from molecule to molecule (like the electrons of a metal; that is what allows the electrical and heat conductivity. Core: At the centre of the planet is a molten rock, which is many times bigger and more massive than the entire Earth. It is 20,000*C, about three times hotter than the Earth's core. Internal Heat: Jupiter is a heat source; it radiates 1.6 times as much energy as it receives from the sun. Magnetic Field: Jupiter has a very strong magnetic field. The magnetic field is probably generated as the planet spins its deep metallic-hydrogen layer with electrical currents. Spacecraft Visits: Jupiter was first visited by NASA's Pioneer 10, which flew by Jupiter in 1973. Later fly-by visits included: Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Voyager 2, Ulysses, and Galileo.