International and Area Studies Commons^™

American Ways: A Course In Contemporary U.S. Culture For International Students, Christopher D. Fitch

Capstone Collection

International student populations are increasing in large proportions at universities across the United States. The onset of culture shock and difficulty communicating and relating with their new peers compounds an already difficult situation. Universities and colleges need a method to accommodate these students and help facilitate their transitions into a completely new academic and social environment.

“American Ways: A course on Contemporary American Culture for International Students” is a semester-long university level course designed to give knowledge and understanding of “American” culture to international students attending U.S. higher education institutions. It will cover topics surrounding U.S. culture that …

The Journey Home From Ecuador: A Reentry Guide For Tandana Foundation Volunteers, Heidi Bohn

Capstone Collection

The Tandana Foundation is a small, non-profit organization that works with communities nestled in the Andes of northern Ecuador, providing service-learning opportunities for students and professionals in the Otavalo region. The Journey Home from Ecuador: A Reentry Guide for Tandana Foundation Volunteers (The Journey Home) is a self-directed guide that serves to prepare interns and volunteers with the Tandana Foundation (Tandana) in Ecuador for reentry after their work abroad with the organization. In addition, it introduces the concept of reverse culture shock and provides tools and resources for a successful transition home. Living in rural Ecuador generally between …

Smu Launches Livelabs To Enhance Singapore’S Capability In Consumer & Social Analytics, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Officiated by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security, Minister for Home Affairs and Chairman of the National Research Foundation (NRF), and witnessed by over 300 guests comprising the academia, industry partners and senior representatives from private and public sector organisations, SMU and StarHub jointly launched two Interactive Digital Media (IDM) initiatives - LiveLabs Urban Lifestyle Innovation Platform (LiveLabs) and SmartHub, on 5 November 2012. Both city-scale test-beds aim to strengthen Singapore’s standing as a preferred location for innovation and research, particularly in the area of consumer and social analytics. LiveLabs is SMU’s newest research …

The Impact Of Water On Girls' Formal Education: A Study Of Kenyan Secondary Schools, Jennifer Emick

Master's Theses

This study applies a human rights lens to view how the lack of access to potable water in Kenya’s rural areas impacts girls’ education. This research is intended to serve as a baseline for iteration and expansion, with the long-term goal of developing a greater understanding of the ways in which water development projects and the smarter provision of basic resources can be used as strategies for achieving gender equality in both education and civic participation.

Wmu International News Fall 2012, Haenicke Institute For Global Education

WMU International News

In this issue, read about a WMU professor and international researcher who backpacks two-and-a-half weeks in the Himalayas to reach a cliff cave research site for a project partially funded by the National Geographic Society; our new Buddy Abroad program that welcomes incoming exchange and Study Abroad @ WMU students; our full-service Immigration Services team; and much more.

Engaging Students In Higher Education Through Mobile Learning: Lessons Learnt In A Chinese Entrepreneurship Course, Thomas Menkhoff, Magnus Lars Bengsston

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This evaluative-exploratory case study reports pedagogical experiences with using mobiles phones, wikis, and other mobile learning approaches such as podcasts and walking tours as educational tools in the context of an undergraduate course on Chinese Entrepreneurship and Asian Business Networks taught at a university in Singapore. Conceptualized as mobile learning, the paper argues that information and communication technologies (ICT) devices used by Gen Y students as part of their everyday life such as hand phones in combination with social media platforms such as course wikis and other proven pedagogical methods such as mini lectures, field visits, and walking tours can …

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2012: Q2 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) computes customer satisfaction scores at the national, sector, sub-sector, and company levels. The CSISG serves as a quantitative benchmark of the quality of goods and services produced by the Singapore economy over time and across countries. This is the sixth year of measurement.

William W. Cobern, Margaret Von Steinen

International Faculty Researchers

Dr. William W. Cobern, Distinguished University Professor of Science Education and Biological Sciences as well as director of the Mallinson Institute for Science Education, spent five months in Turkey beginning in September 2011 conducting research and giving lectures on methods for effective instruction for the teaching of science.

William W. Cobern's website

Entrepreneurship Education Policies In Singapore, Wee Liang Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.

To Asia With Love: Toward Experiential Asian Studies At Csb/Sju, P. Richard Bohr

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

Inauguration Of Smu-Tcs Icity Laboratory, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

The Singapore Management University (SMU) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading IT services, business solutions and consulting firm, inaugurated the SMU-TCS Intelligent City Laboratory (“iCity Lab”) on 9 May 2012 (Wednesday). The inauguration ceremony was held at the iCity Lab Experience Centre located at the SMU School of Information Systems (SIS). Equipped with interactive technology, this Experience Centre will serve as a venue for city managers and urban planners to experience the new ideas and technologies which the Lab will be developing. This collaboration initiative was announced on 5 August 2011, which aimed to develop, as well as establish …

In Search Of A Different Accounting Graduate: Entry-Point Determinants Of Students’ Performance In An Undergraduate Accountancy Degree Programme In Singapore, Poh Sun Seow, Gary Pan, Joanne Tay

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This study investigates the association of prior academic achievement, admission interview, critical thinking, mathematical aptitude, gender and age with successful academic performance in an undergraduate accountancy degree programme at a Singapore university. The purpose of revisiting the determinants of academic performance is twofold: firstly, university accounting education in Singapore has changed greatly since Koh and Koh’s earlier study (1999), so this study examines if determinants previously identified as significant continue to be so in the new setting; secondly, the study tests the usefulness of admission interview in identifying applicants who achieve subsequent academic success. All the data on students’ performance …

Honduras: Local, Regional And Global Partnerships To Improve Health In Olancho, Lisa Kennedy Sheldon, Hasan Bailey, Carlo Najera, Mary Roy

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Honduran Mission Team-New Hampshire (HMT-NH) in partnership with the Olancho Aid Foundation (OAF), works in the Olancho department to improve the health and education of the Honduran people. The HMT-NH 2012 Healthcare Team included UMass Boston faculty and a nursing student working with American and Honduran doctors and nurses to provide culturally-appropriate healthcare and collect data about the needs of the Honduran people in Olancho.

Wmu International News Spring 2012, Haenicke Institute For Global Education

WMU International News

In this issue:

• Globally engaged aviation program helps developing countries spread wings
• Homeland development key outcome for Afghan degree-seeker
• German-born American new CELCIS activities coordinator
• Growing global programs is key mission for WMU international administrator
• Georgian tennis ace scores on and off the court
• International activity converges in Global Business Center

A Comparative Analysis Of A Game-Based Mobile Learning Model In Low-Socioeconomic Communities Of India, Paul Kim, Elizabeth Buckner, Hyunkyung Kim, Tamas Makany, Neha Taleja, Vallabhi Parikh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study explores the effectiveness of a game-based mobile learning model for children living in underdeveloped regions with significant contextual variations. Data for this study came from a total of 210 children between the ages of 6-14 years old from six marginalized communities in India. The findings reveal that children with little or no previous exposure to technology were able to not only figure out the given mobile learning technology, but also solve a series of incrementally challenging problems by playing math games without specific intervention or instruction by adults. The study also found that various factors, including gender and …

Oral History Interview With John Niland: Conceptualising Smu, John Niland

Oral History Collection

The interview covered: first involvement with SMU, SMU's Board of Trustees, early priorities of the Board of Trustees, the Academic Affairs Committee, the tenure process at SMU, Finance and Remuneration Committee, admissions criteria, early days at SMU, the role of QAFU, the role of the International Academic Advisory Panel, looking ahead, Singapore's public policy in guiding universities, personal impact, advice for students.

Biography:

Deputy Chairman, SMU Board of Trustees (2000-2012)

Professor John Niland joined SMU Board of Trustees in 2000 and has been closely involved with SMU's growth and development since then. He served as the Chair of the Finance …

The Worth And Values Of Education, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Singapore’s education minister Heng Swee Keat surprised parents and educators when he indicated last September at his first major policy address a desire for education in Singapore – which has come under criticisms for its emphasis on grades- to return to the basics of moulding students’ characters.

Ua12/2/2 Talisman, Vol. 83, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

2012 Talisman:

• Couch, Drew. Life Inside the Suit – Big Red
• Waggoner, Tabitha. Mike Nichols
• Plunkett, Amber. Rememberng 9/11
• Cherry, Lauren. Understanding Each Other
• Brown, Bianca. East Meets Western – Confucius Institute
• Heyne, Richard. Cage the Elephant Comes Home
• Clements, Kristin. Never Solo – Track & Field
• Spees, Monica. Out on the Water - Hilltopper Bass Club
• Simmons, Natasha. Kentucky’s Miss America – Ann-Blair Thornton
• Alleyne, Zirconia. The Hungriest Fans – Football
• Wood, Shane. The Making of a Game – Football
• Duke, Alex. Building Confidence – Football
• Henye, Richard. Clearing the Air – Cheerleading
• Florence, Sara. Two-Wheeled Freedom – Bicycling …

Singapore Management University Report To Stakeholders 2012 - 2013, Singapore Management University

Report to Stakeholders

The report features an article written by our chairman, Mr Ho Kwon Ping. Entitled ‘The Challenges Ahead’, he shares his thoughts on the future of SMU – the transformational change it must embrace, and the serious deliberation it must undertake if it were to develop into a small and comprehensive university. SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer in his State of the University Address 2013 gave a thorough update on the outstanding achievements of our students, faculty and staff, noting that the "want something, do something” culture he had encouraged a year ago is gaining strong momentum. Looking ahead, he …

Predictors Of Chinese College Students’ Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Deana Andrade

Undergraduate Review

Historically, filial piety has been a fundamental tenet in Chinese culture. Respecting older adults was expected in society and is an important principle of China’s filial piety responsibility within its culture. However, demographic transformation and economic and social changes in rapidly modernizing societies challenge traditional values. Very little empirical research has examined the factors which influence the attitudes toward older adults among Chinese college students. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that predict attitudes of Chinese college students toward the aging population.

Education Reform In Rwanda: Impacts Of Genocide And Reconstruction On School Systems, Jay Mathisen

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study is an historical dissertation on the topic of education reform in the East African nation of Rwanda. Determining the impact of the Rwandan genocide of 1994 on three reform initiatives that followed is the central aim of the study. The framework of the study is assembled as a three-­‐part timeline upon which three initiatives of education reform are overlaid for analysis, 1) student-­‐centered instruction, 2) language and 3) enrollment developments. Focusing on those three initiatives in the context of a timeline that details each in the decades prior to the genocide, and in the years that followed it, …

Biochemical Research On Mongolian Lichens, Bryophytes And Vascular Plants – In Memoriam, Dr. Siegfried Huneck (1928–2011), Hans D. Knapp

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Dr. Siegfried Huneck, biochemist and lichenologist from the Institute for Biochemistry of Plants in Halle/Saale, died on September 9, 2011. He was a world wide leading expert on lichen substances. An obituary with curriculum vitae and a complete list of publications was published by Stordeur et al. (2011)

A Study Of Primary Schools In The Elias Piña Province On The Dominican Haitian Border: Immigrant Haitian Access To Education In The Dominican Republic In The 2010 Post-Earthquake Era, Matthew D. Kaye

Mission & Culture Publications

The research question of the study asked "In the post 2010 earthquake, what are the conditions faced by Haitian immigrants in accessing primary public education in the Dominican Republic"? Within the context of primary education, the study takes place in the town of Comendador, the capital of the Elías Piña province in the Dominican Republic. Using a mixed methods approach, incorporating ethnographic methods and database analysis, the study documents the voices of Haitian and Dominican parents, Dominican school personnel, non-governmental organization (NGO) officials and community stakeholders. Within the construct of access, there are six areas of focus: educational policy, curriculum …

Becoming "Black" In America: Exploring Racial Identity Development Of African Immigrants, Godfried Agyeman Asante

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This qualitative study critically examined how African immigrants experience racialization and the process of developing Black racial consciousness. Focus group interviews were conducted to sample the collective racial experience among African immigrants. Thematic analysis was used as the basic methodology for analyzing the data. It was discovered that the participants "become African" and also "become Black" during the process of racial identification. "Becoming African" and "Becoming Black" constituted two sets of processes that simultaneously shaped the identity of African immigrants as they assimilated into the United States. From the study it became evident that there was tension between ethnic identification …

Education In Juticalpa, Honduras : Analyzing Nonprofit Education's Impact On Socio-Cultural Reproduction, Eric Macias

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This Master's project explores education's impact on socio-cultural and economic reproduction in Juticalpa, Honduras. Utilizing comparative analysis, I investigate the education system in Juticalpa employing a public, private, and a nonprofit school as analytical lenses to illustrate how schools reproduce certain existing inequalities and create new ones in this city. The purpose in the following pages is three-fold. First, I conceptualize and explain the neoliberal education discourses on the need to create alternatives to public education, such as private and nonprofit education institutions. Secondly, after contextualizing these education discourses, I use social reproduction theory to investigate how schools reproduce existing …

A Postcolonial Comparative Study Of Secondary Education And Its Ideological Implications For West Indian Communities In Puerto Limon, Costa Rica ; Bluefields, Nicaragua ; And Old Providence Island, Colombia, Raquel Sanmiguel

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The present study sets out to identify the ideological implications that the current national systems of secondary education have for West Indians who ended up living in the “"buffer zone"” between Latin American and Anglophone Caribbean histories: Raizales in Old Providence Island, Colombia; Afrolimonenses in Limón, Costa Rica, and Creoles in Bluefields, Nicaragua. The axis of examination is the school curriculum both as practice and as a set of pre-determined content and goals that teachers have to follow. It is a critical analysis of the ideologies that inform education, supported by an inquiry into the historical and cultural factors that …

A Survey Of Leadership Standards For Professional Preparation Of Public School Principals In Kuwait, Amal Eehe Alansari

Dissertations

Problem. Over the last decade, the Ministry of Education in Kuwait undertook the responsibility of reforming the Kuwaiti education system. While it noted the importance of school principals in this reform process, it has not yet focused on the development of school leaders through formal preparation. There were no standards set to guide school leadership development programs in Kuwait. The purpose of this study was to survey Kuwaiti educators to identify the professional educational program standards they believed were needed and important for public school principals. It surveyed their suggestions on which institutions would be best at providing training in …

The Derivative Action In Asia: A Complex Reality, Dan W. Puchniak

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This Article uses the derivative action in Asia as a lens for re-evaluating the foundational theories of Asian and comparative corporate law. It begins by demonstrating that the cultural theory of “Asian non-litigiousness” provides scant explanatory or predictive value for either the evolution or function of the derivative action in Asia’s leading economies. As such, this Article suggests that the theory of Asian non-litigiousness should be relegated to the dustbin of academic history. Without the black box of Asian culture to erroneously explain away potential differences between “Asian” and “Western” derivative actions, the reality of the derivative action in Asia’s …

Portraits Of Empowerment Exhibited By One Million Signatures Campaign Activists, Manijeh Badiee

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Iranian women have shown themselves to be anything but victims (Afkhami, 2009; Price, 1996; Shiranipour, 2002). Although they live in an oppressive regime (Nafisi, 1999; ―Symbolic annihilation,‖ 1999), grassroots efforts of their One Million Signatures Campaign transformed gender politics in Iran (Khorasani, 2009). The Campaign has become international, and Iranian Americans have played a prominent role in furthering its message (Tohidi, 2010).

Iranian women‘s struggles reflect the global phenomenon of women‘s movements (Ferree, 2006). Empowerment is used to conceptualize such movements, but few studies have explored individuals from the Middle East (e.g. Dufour & Giraud, 2007).

The present study addressed …

Hyphenated Identities As A Challenge To Nation-State School Practice?, Edmund T. Hamann, William England

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This chapter concludes the edited volume Hyphenated Identities and affords a chance to juxtapose how transnational students negotiate school and identity with how school systems in turn view such students, and then it allows the examination of two different strategies -- situational ethnicity versus the assertion of hyphenated identity -- as a glimpse into the cosmology of transnationally mobile students as they come into adulthood.