Fashion Power Tripping

There was a recent stir at the Golden Globe awards pertaining to Emma Thompson and high heels...
Interesting commentary article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/high-heels-make-sexist-men-feel-randy-9086394.html
What are your thoughts about this, guys?
 
As for me, I'm particularly more interested in the day when women rally against skirts and also get rid of symbols (such as toilet signs) that force this primitive/ inefficient garment on women to make them "sexy" even in winter and form sexual identities.

It might be worth doing a cross-cultural study to find a correlation between these signs/symbols and skirt prevalence. Now, the main challenge is obtaining a dataset to analyze, although I think Google images of symbols and sales figures from online stores (e.g. Amazon, E-bay) can be used. Anybody out there wanna collaborate for a paper on this one?

P.S. No offence meant to Kilt-wearing people 

Public Understanding of Science

Hi guys,

Please be sure check out my new article on environmental attitudes published in Public Understanding of Science. Thanks.

Cross-section analyses of attitudes towards science and nature from the International Social Survey Programme 1993, 2000, and 2010 surveys, doi: 10.1177/0963662513503261 

Abstract

This paper explores public attitudes towards science and nature in twelve countries using data from the International Social Survey Programme environment modules of 1993, 2000, and 2010. Analysis of attitude items indicates technocentric and pessimistic dimensions broadly related to the Dominant Social Paradigm and New Environmental Paradigm. A bi-axial dimension scale is utilized to classify respondents among four environmental knowledge orientations. Discernible and significant patterns are found among countries and their populations. Relationships with other substantial variables in the surveys are discussed and findings show that the majority of industrialized countries are clustered in the rational ecologist categorization with respondents possessing stronger ecological consciousness and optimism towards the role of modern institutions, science, and technology in solving environmental problems.
 

Pension Ponzinomics and Abenomics

If all of the pension systems of the world are Ponzi schemes,
(http://www.economist.com/node/21530106)

Is "Abenomics" a Ponzi scheme on top of a Ponzi scheme? This becomes extremely hairy when considering the ageing population and economic stagnation Japan is experiencing.

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10045933/Japan-is-adding-a-Ponzi-scheme-to-a-Ponzi-scheme.html)

The Lipstick Effect (Economics and Sociology related)

Interesting piece at the Huffington Post...

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/dr-raj-persaud/lipstick-effect-female-mating-strategy_b_3363955.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

My two cents on the matter...
Evolutionary psychology and sociology 101. Males offer survival value, women offer replication value.
The strongest, fastest, tallest, caveman or warrior alpha males get more partners as they offer better survival to their mates.
Kinda messed up even more during the industrial age, when survivability became equated with financial stability, property, and status. Now, fame and fortune are also factored in.
As it is understandable to see an athlete, soldier, or policeman to be attractive due to their physical prowess and command of violence, nowadays it is also very common to see old ugly millionaires with "sexy" trophy wives.

These are hardwired into societies over time, seen even in the way people clothe themselves... which is why skirts and dresses exists even when jeans and t-shirts already offer better features and protection. Think about it, what does the design of the skirt offer (or show)?
On the flip side, guns, big cars, and military uniforms are perceived to be qualities of survivability. Capacity to violence is also misinterpreted as a survivability trait: "if the guy can hurt me, he can hurt other bad people too, and will defend me" (c.f. Stockholm syndrome).

These things even bleed towards gender stereotypes and reinforce the patriarchy when attempts are made to mitigate/control it. Whenever the roles are reversed, societies see them as aberrations (e.g. Cougars, Matronas, Tomboys,repressed women, etc.).

Tsk,tsk. So people should start asking how the everyday things they do relate to the survivability/replication paradigm. Doing so however, will tend to lessen their chances to attract a (mainstream) partner. Ironic that people spout "being yourself" in the realm of dating and romance, but what really is happening is to become in line with thousands of years of societal programming and expectations.  

Storm in a bamboo cup

The current row between the Philippines and Taiwan is an example of the kind of problems that Le Miere(2011) and Holmes (2012) foresaw with the rising use of paramilitaries in the South China/West Philippine Sea. I can also understand why Taiwan is quite concerned, as coast guards shooting fishermen and going "unpunished" sets a bad precedent that the 5 Dragons of China will be more than willing to exploit in future skirmishes.
These armed escalations spell trouble for all those with claims in the region, but will offer an advantage to those who already have immense maritime paramilitary fleets at their disposal.

Even if countries paint all of their navy ships white and call them coast guard, they would still be vastly outnumbered by the 5 dragon (un)armada (plus fishing fleets).

This ongoing conflict must be quickly de-escalated and a pragmatic code of conduct for paramilitaries within the region to be immediately adopted. Otherwise, this might turn out to be another "War of Jenkin's Ear" or "Cod War". Dunndunndunndunn!

Earth System Governance

Here's the abstract of the draft paper I presented at the United Nations University last February during the Earth System Governance conference:

This paper explores the relationship between environmental attitudes, governance discourses, and drivers of environmental politics. Data from the International Social Science Program (ISSP) environmental modules from 1993 and 2000 contain discernible patterns among countries for items dealing with ecocentric and pessimistic environmental attitudes broadly related to the DSP and NEP.

A proposed conceptual model is utilized to interpret the results of the ISSP datasets, through a bi-axial dimension scale: Ecological consciousness together with epistemological commitment, to indicate the environmental knowledge orientation of the respondents among four archetypes. Attitudes of people and changes over time are relat ed to overarching environmental discourses, such as ‘green governmentalism', ‘ecological modernization', and ‘civic environmentalism' through movements within the typology. Moreover, drivers of environmental politics that include: Political opportunity structures, environmental NGOs, natural disasters and conditions, and cultural dynamics, may also be considered in order to understand specific contexts of different regions and countries.

Initial findings show that majority of industrialized countries are clustered in the rational ecologist categorization with respondents possessing strong ecological consciousness and optimism towards the role of modern institutions, science, and technology in solving environmental problems. Though certain countries such as Japan and those from the developing world seem to have varying propensities within their respective populations, the general disposition for most of the respondents in the ISSP datasets may be interpreted as conducive to principles and approaches of green governmentalism and ecological modernization. 

Off with their hands :-)

Off with their hands!
A long time ago, some colleagues of mine were discussing over lattes about the "Hudud" and "Maliki judicial school of thought", particularly on how criminals who commit offences such as theft etc. would have their arm(s) amputated as punishment. Many of my friends immediately denounced it as barbaric and inhumane. As for me, I though that it was indeed cruel, but did however serve certain functions if done properly and justly... in the physical aspect it would not allow thieves to use their hands (now gone) to steal, and in the psychological and social sense it would both deter potential thieves due to the gravity of the consequences, and also immediately allow identification and ostracization of the offender.

As such, I thought of how it can related to elections in the Philippine context. I am always frustrated to see politicians spouting countless promises to the voters during campaign periods. Promises that would never happen. These not only insulted one's intelligence if one did not buy the pitch, but at the same time spat at concepts of honor and even basic decency for those who naively believed the trapos (traditionally corrupt politicians). If amputation could be used as punishment in the most mundane cases of petty theft, would it not be more appropriate to apply it to those who not only blatantly steal from the coffers of the country, but also rob the country's youth of the future and the chance for better governance by better candidates?

However, in the real world, one cannot expect the amputation of hands of these corrupt scoundrels to ever happen (notwithstanding human rights issues)... the most corrupt of politicians are already entrenched in the legal and judicial systems, they make the laws. Even if they are caught breaking the law they personally know people in high (and low) places, and pay enough people to become above it. Plus the fact that they can afford the big time lawyers and firms that are also well-connected.

Hence, one may resort to the only place where magical things can happen... No, not Disneyland. The Internet. Here are some possibilities for those who wish to visually express the "Maliki judicial school of thought" without breaking the law (libel/slander/internet laws etc., which are mostly made to protect the trapo scoundrels).

1) Obtain a picture of your favorite trapo waving during campaign period. (You should own the rights to the photo or use Wikimedia commons etc.)
2) Go through the promises of your trapo during their election campaign and number them from one to ten. Include these in the side of the picture as captions.
3) For each promise that he/she failed to keep cut off one of his/her fingers (by Photoshop airbrush,silly)
4) Post and share that nice composite picture of the trapo waving his mangled hand, symbollizing dishonesty and dishonor in Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler etc.
Who knows, it may become a viral thing...

Hopefully two things may happen: The trapos stop promising bogus things; or people realize how crummy their candidates are and stop voting for them. A picture paints a thousand words, now start MSpainting and try to make elections better.

PhD positions at Stockholm University

Might be of interest for some...

Doctoral studies in Political Science and/or International Studies at Stockholm University

The Department of Political Science at Stockholm University announces three PhD positions – two positions within the regular PhD program and one position within the Stockholm University Postgraduate School of International Studies (SIS). Deadline for applications: April 15, 2013. For more information, follow the link below.

http://www.statsvet.su.se/english/research/phd-studies/application/apply-for-phd-positions-at-the-department-of-political-science-1.127725

No more ginger! a.k.a. my Tori-Kamameshi recipe

Tori Kamameshi - Quick 'n' Easy

Ingredients:

Rice-
4 cups rice (Japanese Long Grain Sticky or Jasponica)
3 cups water (or 3.5 cups, depending on the rice)

100 ml. Japanese (Kikkoman) Soy Sauce
2 tsp Mirin, 2 tsp Teriyaki Sauce
1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp Salt or AjiSho

Meat and Toppings-
500 g chicken breasts diced
1/2 cup Shiitake mushrooms sliced (you can also add Maitake)
1 large carrot cut into thin strings (think twice of Piknik size)
1/2 cup asparagus cut into small stems
2-3 bulbs onion
1 tsp garlic minced
1 tsp onion leeks small slices (Negi)

Instructions:

1) Wash rice thrice with cold water, pick out husks etc. to ensure rice is clean

2) Mix in all the ingredients together, but make sure to put the toppings last 

3) Cook in rice cooker, or use medium-low heat with a THICK pot(to avoid too much burned rice due to hotspots) for 20-30 minutes. Mix the pot after the rice cooks to ensure flavor is distributed evenly.

ENJOY :-)  Itadakimasu!

Defamation and Slander by Romeo P Gajadien the fraudster

It has come to our attention that the fraudster criminal, Romeo P. Gajadien, who stole 2,500.00 Euros from us had created a blog website that defames and slanders me and my wife.

Check it out:


http://charisse-nacionales-reyes.blogspot.com/


It's a shame that this criminal is in hiding from the authorities and that I cannot file a civil lawsuit against him as of yet. But as long as the website is up though, it will still be within the statute of limitations. When this guy surfaces or gets out of jail for his other crimes, I will definitely bring his slanderous and thieving transgressions to court.

Here's the article from the Netherlands Authority for Financial Markets about one of his crimes: http://www.afm.nl/nl/professionals/afm-actueel/nieuws/2008/sep/lod-gajadien.aspx

*********UPDATES *********

Seems like this guy was also arrested in the Netherlands by the Vlaardingen Police for stealing (from a retirement home). What a scumbag.

http://www.opgelichtopinternet.nl/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1218550803


Anyway, just by looking at the bad quality of his fake blog - "My Man the Cheater" is already indicative of the kind of person this twisted sociopath scam artist actually is. He even made another bogus blog about me that he basically copy-pasted from another blog that describes his own crimes. Not only is this guy a fraudster, but he even resorts to plagiarism. What a pathetic excuse for a man. At least he's getting what he deserves for all his misdeeds.

http://josephtheswindler.blogspot.nl/2012/06/joseph-swindles.html

If you come by other sites or scams this guy is trying to pull off, drop me a line - or contact your local police or responsible authorities.

Junior Research Fellow International Development at the University of Oxford, UK

Dearest Friends,

Might be of interest for those in the IR/ID field ...

----------------------------------------------------

Junior Research Fellowships (2 posts)
University of Oxford - Oxford Department of International Development

Oxford Department of International Development, 3 Mansfield Road, Oxford
Grade 7: Salary £29,249 - £35,938 p.a.

The Department of International Development seeks applications for two Junior Research Fellows in International Development. These full-time positions are fixed-term, tenable from 1 October 2012 until 30 September 2014. The postholders will be required to conduct independent research in the field of International Development. Specific tasks include adapting existing and developing new research ideas, preparation of publications, participation in conferences, and teaching graduate students. Each Fellow will work closely with a senior member of academic staff, under the overall direction of the head of department.  The Fellowship is intended to be the first step as an independent researcher for an early-career scholar, whose previous experience has been as a doctoral student.

We are looking for the candidate who most fully meets the following criteria: completed doctorate in an appropriate discipline (e.g. international development, anthropology, economics, politics, international relations, sociology, geography or modern history) with specific focus on developing countries; fieldwork experience in one or more developing countries (or international development institutions); evidence of carrying out independent research and of  developing a track record of high quality publications in highly ranked, peer-reviewed academic journals and/or major presses, excellent communication skills and the ability to teach at a postgraduate level.

Applications for this vacancy are to be made online.  You will be required to upload a supporting statement and CV as part of your online application.

Only applications received before noon UK time on Thursday 24 May 2012 can be considered.
Online application platform: https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk/pls/hrisliverecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form

Back to back baking

Having access recently to an oven has allowed me to practice my baking skillz and come up with some righteous recipes again. So for today, I share with  you my recipe for Drunk Banana Cake, which I used to do in Europe during our travels. Enjoy.


Drunk Choco-Banana Cake (Serves 10) best with Jello-Shots ;-)

Ingredients:


5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup full cream milk
3 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
1/3 cup REAL butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon banana extract

4 large eggs (or 6 medium)

---Choco-element---
1/4 cup cooking cacao powder
1/2 cup cooking chocolate
1 shot gin
1 shot vodka
1 shot schnapps
1 shot brandy

Sift flour, corn starch, sugar, baking soda and powder in a bowl.
Prepare buttermilk by mixing milk with lemon juice in a shaker.
Beat eggs, then put in the bowl along with other ingredients.
Mix well use a mixer if available.

Prepare chocolate-liquor element separately, use blender until thick consistency.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F (or arnd 180 C). Apply butter/lard coating to baking pan/dish.
Pour cake mixture into pan evenly.Then pour chocolate element into desired pattern.

Let bake for 35-40 minutes. Take out oven and let cool for 1 hour before putting on cream/icing.
(Note: most of the alcohol will evaporate during the baking process, so if you want an extra kick for this cake, you can top this with a Jello-shot glaze along with sliced bananas and icing). Bon apetit or cheers :-D

How to "Cacciatore"

I have been trying to "level-up" my culinary skills lately and came up with a Euro-Asian dish.
So far, most of my guests (read: guinea pigs) have enjoyed it :-)

Hence it is with great satisfaction that I present my recipe that I have named...

CATCH-A-TORI ORIENT EXPRESS (Serves 4-6)

The whole dish takes about 30-50 minutes to prepare, depending on the setup of your kitchen and equipment.
I do however recommend cooking with gas or radiant burners in order to have a relatively uniform distribution of heat for your pots and pans.

Now let us begin...

---First we start with the chicken---
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
100 ml water
1 teaspoon salt
1/6 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 crispy bread crumbs  OR tempura breading mix
4-6 pieces chicken breast (filet optional)
3 cups corn oil (or sunflower oil if not available)

Beat egg, mix in flour, salt, pepper, and water to create smooth batter. Dip chicken into batter, and then cover with breading mix. Deep fry chicken for 5-7 minutes in order to create a very crispy exterior and tender-juicy
interior. Strain excess oil and place over napkin or newspaper to drain residual oil.

---Now for the sauce and base.---
1 can (approx 400g) chunky tomatoes
1 cup white wine (dry)
300 g Shiitake mushrooms
100 g champignon mushrooms (button)
40 g black olives (pitted)
100 g yellow bell peppers (big slices-1" length at least)
100 g green bell pepper(big slices)
100 g Zucchini (small slices)
1 medium bulb onion (ring slices)

Put everything except wine in a pot, bring to boil, then transfer to a slow cooker(or rice cooker) and let simmer

for 30 minutes.

---Finally for the rice,---
1 pack(200 g) mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots)
2 teaspoons Kikkoman soy sauce
1 teaspoon mirin or white vinegar
1 stick of onion leek(10 g)
2 cups of long-grain parboiled rice, or 1 1/2 cup Japanese rice
2 cups of water

Put everything into a pot. Let rice cook. Prepare table...call your friends...drink all the remaining wine

in the bottle by yourself before they arrive. Remove apron, chef's hat, and sweaty shirt...change into something fresh.

---Time to eat---
Place rice and chicken in a dish or large Japanese bowl then top with the sauce. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese. Place in a pre-heated oven for 5 minutes if you want it to have a crunchy layer on top.
ENJOY.


Final note about the name: "Catch a tori" is a play on words from the Italian dish "cacciatore" and the Japanese word for bird/chicken "Tori".
Chicken cacciatore is a classic Italian dish, also referred to as hunter’s stew. Early recipes may have been made with rabbit or chicken, and each recipe was adapted for those who might be traveling or hunting for several days and would require an easy to prepare recipe for outside cooking.
Orient Express is meant not only to hint an Euro-Asian fusion cuisine but
also to serve as irony on how long actually it takes to complete the dish, similar to the time it takes that one would experience riding the real orient express.

Compliments to my assistant chef: Mr. Teething Putty

-Joseph

NASA Scholarship

A colleague forwarded me this. Might be of interest for some ...

NASA Accepting Applications for Aeronautics Scholarship Awards
NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate will begin accepting scholarship applications on Sept. 1, 2009, for the 2010 academic year. The application deadline is Jan. 11, 2010.

"These scholarships are a fantastic way to support our brightest students and encourage them to finish their education, expose them to NASA's research programs and inspire them to pursue a career in aeronautics," said Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASA expects to award 20 undergraduate and five graduate scholarships to students in aeronautics or related fields. Undergraduate students entering their second year of study will receive up to $15,000 per year for two years and the opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend by interning at a NASA research center during the summer
. Graduate students will receive up to $35,000 per annually for up to three years, with an opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend interning at a NASA research center up to two consecutive summers.

Students who have not committed to a specific academic institution or program still may apply. However, if accepted, they must be admitted by fall 2010 into a suitable aeronautical engineering program or related field of study at an accredited U.S. university. All applicants must be U.S. citizens. Scholarship money may be used for tuition and other school-related expenses.

NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate conducts cutting-edge, fundamental research in traditional and emerging disciplines. The intent is to help transform the nation's air transportation system and to support development of future air and space vehicles. Goals include improving airspace capacity and flexibility; aviation safety and aircraft performance; reducing overall noise, engine emissions and fuel usage.

For details about this scholarship program, including how to apply, visit:

http://asee.org/nasaasp

PhD Scholarships in Germany

PhD Scholarships in Interdisciplinary Research, Ruhr-University Research School, Germany

Ruhr-University Research School – Germany´s Excellence Initiative
12 PhD Grants

10 PhD Grants from Ruhr-University Bochum
1 PhD Grant from Alfied Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation
1 PhD Grant from Schäfersnolte-Gedächtnis –Stiftung in the field of cancer research

The Research School promotes top-level postgraduate education throughout Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany, offering unique interdisciplinary research opportunities in Germany.

We provide wide prospects for an individual research project in an attractive and international research environment.

Grants include:
-1.000 € per month (max. 36 months)
-in addition support for consumables and travel
-special support service for foreign students
-state-of-the-art research facilities
-structured scientific programme
-transdisciplinary Science College
-training of transferable skills
-supervision
-and mentoring arrangements
-career guidance

Deadline for application October 31, 2009

Details on admission procedure can be obtained at:
http://www.research-school.rub.de/application

KATSE 2010 call for papers

I guess its a hectic time for the academic community...my inbox is bursting with calls for papers and scholarships. Here's a gem...enjoy

For those who can read Finnish and are interested in IR developments, Tapio sent the following...

Call for Papers
Kansainvälisten suhteiden tutkimuksen seuran kolmanteen
kansalliseen konferenssiin 15.-16.1.2010

Kansainvälisten suhteiden seura (KATSE) pyytää kolmivuosittaiseen
tieteelliseen konferenssiinsa ehdotuksia papereiksi, jotka käsittelevät
kansainvälisten suhteiden tutkimuksen eri osa-alueita niin empiirisestä kuin
teoreettisestakin näkökulmasta. Konferenssin tavoitteena on antaa
mahdollisimman kattava, ajantasainen ja monitieteinen kuva suomalaisesta
kansainvälisten suhteiden tutkimuksesta sekä kerätä yhteen niin tutkijoita
kuin kansainvälisten suhteiden parissa työskenteleviä tai niitä muuten
harrastavia.

Konferenssi järjestetään yhteistyössä puolustus- ja ulkoasiainministeriöiden
sekä Ulkopoliittisen instituutin, Ulkopolitiikan tutkimuksen säätiön sekä
Helsingin yliopiston Eurooppatutkimuksen verkoston kanssa. Konferenssi
pidetään Siuntion Hyvinvointikeskuksessa 15.-16.1.2010:
http://www.siuntionhyvinvointikeskus.fi/

Paperiehdotusten deadline on 30.10. Lisätietoja sekä ohjeet paperiehdotuksen
lähettämiseksi löytyvät osoitteesta http://www.protsv.fi/katse/ajank.htm

Lisätietoja:

Hiski Haukkala
Puheenjohtaja
hiski.haukkala@formin.fi

Mikko Tyrväinen
Sihteeri
Mikko.Tyrvainen@helsinki.fi

Southeast Asia Fellowship Program

Another interesting one...

Southeast Asia Fellowship Program
East-West Center
Website: www.eastwestcenter.org
Deadline: 15 October 2009

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The East-West Center (EWC) is accepting applications from scholars and analysts who wish to undertake policy-relevant research and writing in one of the following areas: 1. International relations of Southeast Asia; 2. Political change in Southeast Asia; and 3. ASEAN integration and community-building efforts.

WHO MAY APPLY
Applicants with or without a Ph.D. will be considered. Applicants without a Ph.D. will be considered based on their relevant professional experience. Applicants must be nationals of a country within the scope of their Fellowship or the United States and eligible to receive a fellowship stipend.

REQUIREMENTS
Successful applications will include a completed fellowship application form, cover letter, a full CV, two letters of reference, and a policy-relevant research proposal of ten pages (double spaced). The proposal should discuss the policy problem or issue to be examined, tentative hypothesis and arguments, a review and short bibliography of the relevant literature, plans for fieldwork (if any), and project time frame. If field research funds are sought, please briefly explain why and how they are to be used.

FUNDING
Fellowships will include a monthly stipend of US$2,500 to $4,500 (dependent upon experience) while in residence at EWC in Washington and round trip airfare to Washington, D.C. Residency at the Center will start in September 2010. Additionally, at the discretion of the Director, a small grant to cover field research, in Asia only, may be available. Fieldwork in the region will be completed prior to residence at the East-West Center in Washington.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
15 October 2009

CONTACT INFORMATION
Southeast Asia Fellowship Program
East-West Center in Washington
1819 L St., N.W., 2nd Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036-3866
email: washington@eastwestcenter.org

PhD Fellowships in HK

My buddy Pei Jan forwarded me this recently... Hong Kong is really nice this time of the year he says, gotta visit him sometime when I'm not too busy.

PhD Fellowship in Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme - Knowledge Management - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Description:

Established in 2009 by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme aims at attracting the best and brightest students in the world to pursue their PhD programs in Hong Kong’s institutions.

Eligibility

Those who are seeking admission as new full time PhD students in UGC-funded institutions of Hong Kong, irrespective of their country of origin and ethnic background, should be eligible to apply. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability / potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.

The Fellowship

The Fellowship provides a monthly stipend of HK$20,0001 and a conference travel allowance of HK$10,0001 per year for the awardees for a maximum period of three years. 135 PhD Fellowships will be awarded for the 2010/11 academic year2.

1US$1 = HK$7.8 (rate for reference only)

2Academic year in Hong Kong normally starts in September.

Review Panels

Applications, subject to their areas of studies, will be reviewed by two Selection Panels with experts in the broad areas, one for science, medicine, engineering and technology and another one for humanities, social science and business studies.

Selection Criteria

While the academic excellence is of prime consideration, the Review Panels will take into account, but is not limited to, the four yardsticks below for the selection of candidates:

1. Academic excellence;
2. Research ability and potential;
3. Communication, and interpersonal skills; and
4. Leadership abilities.

Application Process

The Scheme will call for application in early September 2009.

Each applicant may choose up to two programs in one or two institutions for PhD study when applying for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship. Application should be made through the Online Application System (OAS) which will be available in early September 2009. The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship application is also regarded as a formal application for admission to the PhD program(s) offered by the institution(s) concerned. Applicants are therefore required to fully comply with the admission requirements of their selected institutions and programs except the application deadline, which should strictly follow the stipulated deadline for the Fellowship scheme. Admission requirements of individual institutions are as follows:

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

(http://www.polyu.edu.hk/ro/hkphd-fellowship/)

In parallel to the Fellowship application, each application will be processed by the relevant institution(s) as a normal application for PhD admission. Individual institutions may conduct interview with applicants where necessary. Institutions may also admit candidates not selected for the Fellowship Scheme and offer them with postgraduate studentship of the institutions if they are considered to be qualified.

Postgraduate Studies in Hong Kong

For more information on postgraduate studies in Hong Kong, please visit the Joint Institutions homepage at http://www.grad.edu.hk/grad/.

Enquiries

For enquiries about the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, please address your questions to HKPF@ugc.edu.hk.

For enquiries about the PhD programmes and admission requirements, please contact the respective institutions directly. The contacts of each institution are as follows:

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Research Office,
Room M501, Li Ka Shing Tower,
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Telephone number: (852) 3400 3635
Fax number: (852) 2355 7651
Email: roro@polyu.edu.hk

Interested candidates please contact Dr. Patrick S.W. Fong bspafong@polyu.edu.hk, Department of Building & Real Estate of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University for discussions on possible topics/proposals in Knowledge Management.

Vienna - Oh MittelEuropa

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things




When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

Mouthlessnesssssss

There was a comment I heard once from a good friend in Japan and coincidentally from another person in Finland, that childhood cartoon characters such as Sanrio's Hello Kitty
or the Moomin were well-liked and persistent because of the lack of mouths. Hmmm... could be something sociological or goes with the old saying...children should be seen not heard :-)
Kind of contrasting with the flamboyant and "big-mouthed" Barney... and of course all-mouth Pacman. Heeheehee (^_^)