International and Area Studies Commons^™

Vital Role Of Religion In The Calamitous World Of Today, Jovan Kovačić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

The Fall Of The Communist Party Of Thailand From The Chinese Perspective, Feng Cui

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The Communist movement in Thailand was part of the international communist movement. So Communism in Thailand was introduced from outside and also influenced by the outside world. The history of Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) was part of Cold War. In fact, the rise of the CPT and China's help were inseparably intertwined. Thai communists could not develop so fast without the help of China after the 1960s. However, the CPT finally failed in the 1980s due to its wrong strategy of development, internal divisions and struggles, the government's counterinsurgency, the loss of support from China, among other factors. There …

A New Multilateral Electricity Trading Model For Asean, Kevin Mark Lee

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The ASEAN Power Grid (APG) was initiated in 1997 as a means to achieve energy security in Southeast Asia in a sustainable manner. Two decades on, the APG project faces significant challenges to the development of both physical and institutional infrastructure. Many of these cannot be easily addressed due to the socio-political realities of the region. The ASEAN electricity exchange initiative (AEE), a proposal by the ASEAN Energy Market Initiative, may prove to be a more feasible approach for regional power sector integration, as it does not require complete domestic electricity market unbundling or privatization. This thesis analyzes regional electricity …

Spelling Errors In Thai Made By Chinese And Lao Students Speaking Thai As A Foreign Language, Peng Hou

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

When learning a foreign language, it is important to learn how to accurately spell as it is crucial for communication. To accurately spell in the Thai language is challenging for both native and foreign learners of Thai. However, there are few studies that address the spelling errors made by foreign learners of Thai. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the patterns and causes of spelling errors made by Chinese and Lao students speaking Thai as a foreign language. In order to gather data for this analysis, thirty Chinese students and thirty Lao students took part in a …

Factors Influencing Chinese Medical Tourists' Satisfaction With Medical Services In Thailand, Xiyuan Zhao

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Medical tourism is a new worldwide niche market, which generates apparent economic benefits. Chinese medical tourists are a significant consumer group in the medical tourism industry that many countries have begun to explore. This research aims to study the factors motivating mainland Chinese medical tourists to seek healthcare in Thailand and to assess their satisfaction with the medical services they received in this country. This research adopted both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings indicate that the key factors motivating mainland Chinese medical tourists to travel to Thailand to receive in medical services include recommendations and media advertisements, national policies, …

The Role Of Chinese Commercial Associations In Supporting New Chinese Sojourners In Bangkok : A Case Study Of The Thai-Guangxi Commercial Association, Zhong Jin Wen

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Thailand has always maintained friendly relations with China throughout long history, which include relationship in the cultural, political, economic, social and tourism areas, among others. In recent decades, especially following the development of the Chinese "one belt, one road" policy, more and more Chinese sojourners have chosen Thailand as their sojourning destination. However, looking back to the history, we will see that most old Chinese immigrants moved from China to Thailand to make a living as businessmen or labor force. During that period, commercial associations needed to be established, so that these Chinese immigrants could help each other, (such an …

The Contribution Of Eu Funds To Wellbeing And Sustainable Development In Central European Countries, Mirjana Kranjac, Uros Sikimic, Srdan Tomic, Jelena Vapa-Tankosic

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The European strategic goals are good standard of living, social and economic wellbeing and sustainability of the Planet Earth. Some of these requirements are contradictory. Often times, a successful economy exhausts nature well beyond its limits. Europe is achieving its goals by giving funds to many programs, thus enabling the elaboration of projects. The programs' and projects' goals and results must justify the global vision of European Union (EU) future, precisely defined in the document Europa 2020: to achieve a sustainable future. This paper is dealing with effects of the use of EU funds in Central European (CEE) countries. The …

How Crisis Managers Define Ethical Crisis Communication In Singapore: Identifying Organizational Factors That Influence Adoption Of Ethical Stances, Augustine Pang, Yan Jin, Benjamin Meng-Keng Ho

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study explores the veracity of the six ethical variables proposed in the contingency theory of strategic conflict management – the role of PR practitioner, the role of top management, nature of the crisis, the activism of stakeholders; government regulation/intervention; diversity to different cultures and exposure external business environments. In-depth interviews with 10 communication professionals in Singapore were conducted. In line with the patriarchal management structure, the top management plays a critical role in determining ethical stances, with practitioners playing important consultative positions. Also, the role of the relevant government almost predisposes the organization toward certain ethical stances. The study …

The Making Of A Successful Analytics Master Degree Program: Experiences And Lessons Drawn For A Young And Small Asian University, Michelle L. F. Cheong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Singapore Management University’s School of Information Systems is a young school within a young and small university in Asia. Being young and small, establishing a successful analytics master degree program required extensive landscape research, assessment of its own strengths and weaknesses, having a committed team, and having a clear vision to meet the ever-changing needs of the industry. The Master of IT in Business (Analytics) program, established since 2011, has grown from an annual intake of 16 to 128 students in six years. This article attempts to describe the design process, challenges faced, decisions made, and the key actions taken, …

The Obama Pivot To Asia: An Analysis Of The Fundamentals, Christopher Willis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Obama Administration’s Pivot to Asia policy was a grand shift in focus for U.S. foreign policy and sought to lay the foundation of U.S. policy in the region for the future. This paper derives three fundamental assumptions that the Pivot policy was based upon, from the articulations of the main architects of the Pivot Policy: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon. These assumptions are as follows, pivoting to the Asia-Pacific will be beneficial to the U.S., engagement with China is central to the Pivot policy and the policy is not an effort …

Property Tourism And The Facilitation Of Investment -Migration Mobility In Asia, Koh Sin Yee

Asian Review

This paper examines the ways through which real estate developers and their agents facilitate the investment-migration mobility of middle-class investor-migrants in Asia. Drawing from ongoing research conducted in Brunei, Singapore and Iskandar Malaysia, this paper argues that the property marketing industry can be conceptualised as a transnational mobility industry. Th is is because this intermediary industry (1) exposes potential investor-migrants to the idea of transnational investment-migration; and (2) educates and facilitates the investment-migration of its clients and their capital, especially through the use of subtle marketing strategies such as social activities and exploratory property tours – what I call “property …

Japanese Fdi To Thailand: Mobility And Harmony, Saikaew Thipakorn

Asian Review

Japan has been the top investor in Thailand since the end of WWII. In 1972, following violent protests against Japanese investment, the Japanese government established the Japan Foundation as the main agency to take care of cultural diplomacy. Though under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japanese business community financially contributed to its establishment from the beginning. In addition, Japanese business in Th ailand continuously cooperated with the government in its cultural diplomatic activities. Th eir daily operation created an atmosphere for human exchange which led to understanding between peoples of different cultures. Japanese investment promoted the …

Encountering The New "Other": Domestic Tourism In Thailand, Jelka Günther

Asian Review

In Thailand, one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, Thais are no longer merely “hosts” to foreign tourists but also to their compatriots who have become tourists themselves. The rising significance of domestic tourism reveals the need to critically rethink notions of the familiar and the strange in tourism studies. Based on ethnographic fi eldwork in Northeastern Thailand, I argue that Othering is not limited to transnational host-guest-interactions. In the small town I studied domestic tourist encounters were similarly embedded in power relations, namely in the dominant discourses of urban-rural relations in contemporary Thailand. Nostalgic feelings have opened up the …

Literature In Transmigration: The Rama Story In Southeast Asia, Frederick B. Goss

Asian Review

The story of Rama, known as Ramayana in the Indian subcontinent where it originated, has migrated and spread to nearly every culture and society in Asia. In each place the story has been introduced, it has been adopted, adapted and absorbed into the local culture. Given the universal themes in the tale, the basic outline of the story has shown a remarkable flexibility to be able to sustain change and adaption, both in interpretation and interpolation. This article examines and compares the presence of the Rama story in various cultures and societies of Southeast Asia, showing how the tradition has …

Investigating The Utility Of Rapid Assessment Process For Environmental Development Work Of Peace Corps Master’S International Students, Mariah Maggio

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) students engage in international development when they assume the role of Volunteer and graduate researcher. Michigan Technological University had the largest PCMI program in the country, with many Volunteer assignments involving environmental problem solving opportunities. Unfortunately some PCMI students have experienced “failed projects,” something not un-common to international development approaches. This research design supports institutional interdisciplinary efforts aimed at preparing PCMI students to engage in productive community development that avoids historic pitfalls of international development efforts. In order to contribute to this effort, the Rapid Assessment Process (RAP) approach was identified as a potential tool …

Risk Mitigation Through Diversified Farm Production Strategies: The Case In Northern Mozambique, Olivia C. Caillouet, Lawton L. Nalley, Amy L. Farmer

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Mozambique, like many other parts of the low-income world, faces perennial challenges with food security. With a rapidly growing population and arable land on the decline, sustainable agriculture is vital to managing the already depleted natural resources of Sub-Saharan Africa more effectively while increasing food security. Food security issues for subsistence farmers in most low-income countries are a product of endogenous (crop yields) and exogenous (currency fluctuations as many agricultural inputs are imported) factors. In Mozambique the value of the local currency, meticals, has decreased by approximately 50% since January 2015 compared to the U.S. dollar. While this makes exporting …

From Brain Drain To Brain Train – A Transnational Case Analysis Of Nigerian Migrant Health Care Workers, Sheri Adekola

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study involves a micro-analysis of the experience of Nigerian-trained health professionals in Canada and is designed to understand the experiences of these skilled migrants, the impact of their migration, and how further migration might be stimulated or reduced through engagement in transnational activities with workers still in Nigeria. The research questions asked, (a) Which discourses of skill exchange are most meaningful to Nigerian health care workers in Canada? (b) How is this process of value exchange and extraction structured by transnational connectivity? (c) How does this research contribute to current concepts regarding skilled migration?

Framed by the Integrative Model …

The Political Ecology Of Water Justice: A Case Study Of Tripoli, Lebanon, Fatima Sidaoui

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite the continuous efforts of the international community to address water scarcity, millions of people continue to lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation services. Water problems are often explained as natural phenomena or the result of technical failures, overlooking the fact that in many cases, water crises are those of socio-political inequalities rather than of scarcity. Examining water inequities, as political ecologists maintain, requires paying attention to the underlying power structures that perpetuate those injustices, and the agency available to people. My case study, located in Tripoli, Lebanon, attempts to understand those dynamics, specifically in relation to the …

China's Administrative Hierarchy: The Balance Of Power And Winners And Losers Within China's Levels Of Government, John A. Donaldson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The China that Chairman Mao Zedong ruled was primarily agrarian. Mao’s party, consistent with the ideas of Lenin on which it was partially based, pursued planned industrialization by promoting state-owned manufacturing. This endeavor involved all sectors of society in the push to catch up with the West – even to the point of imploring rural residents to smelt steel in backyard furnaces. These efforts showed some success – by 1978 manufacturing’s share of GDP had risen from the 28 percent it held in 1949. Yet even after three decades, manufacturing still represented less than half of GDP, while the country’s …

Curial Deference In Singapore Public Law: Autochthonous Evolution To Buttress Good Governance And The Rule Of Law, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Central to the separation of powers and the rule of law, judicial review empowers the courts to examine the exercise of discretionary power. While there is no general doctrine of deference, judical review in Singapore emphasises the green-light approach in facilitating good governance, and is sensitive to the political, socio-cultural and economic context. However, the jurisprudence also indicates a nuanced and robust approach to better regulate the decision-makers' latitude. A categorical approach towards justiciability is eschewed, and judicial scrutiny adopts varying intensities of review, taking into account the rights of the individual vis-a-vis the fair and just protection of governmental …

The Evolution Of Ownership Structure In Japanese Firms (1962-2012), Jungwook Shim, Toru Yoshikawa

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this chapter, we investigate the evolution of ownership structure and corporate governance in Japanese firms based on the entire population of listed firms from 1962 to 2012.

Speaking Out & Speaking Up: Xinjiao Perspectives, Eng Fong Pang, Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Contents: A Singaporean in Xinjiang by Wong Ee Vin; Sex for Sale and Second Wives by Xue Jiarong; Singapore Families: Mixed Salad or New Rojak? by Darren Lim; Singaporean-Burmese, Burmese-Singaporean or Both? by In Jin Zaw; Foreign Workers: Seen but not Heard by Mohammad Muzhaffar & Rohith Misir; Wheel You Ride? by Khew Pei Xuan; Gaelic Kallang Roar by Kate Whyte; Gaming Virtual Reality, Seriously by Lin Junkang & Low Kai Loon; Cyber Vigilantes: Mobs or Cops? by Timothy Lim & Hermanth Kumar; Online Dating: Waiting for the Stars to Align by Alex Cherucheril & Muhammed Ismail; Tying the Knot, …

Making Sense Of Life @ / & Smu: A Partial Guide For The Clueless, Eng Fong Pang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This volume provides unexpectedly heartwarming and heartbreaking insights into the interior lives and thoughts of SMU business graduates. It is both a paean to and an indictment of Singapore’s education system and its excessively powerful formative impact on individual lives, family relationships, and Singapore society as a whole. The youthful contributors overwhelmingly accept life aspirations imposed by the expectations of family, society and self, which they themselves recognise are uniform and limiting. Their intensely personal reflections, unleavened by humour, lay bare the contradictory liberating and homogenising effects of an undergraduate business education (not peculiar to SMU or Singapore only), while …

Remembering 1965: Indonesian Cinema And The 'Battle For History', Espena Darlene Machell

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Using four films to probe the transformations in Indonesia’s historical memory, this paper examines how the Indonesian society remembers, interrogates, and comes to terms with one of their nation’s most traumatic episodes: the widespread communist purge that followed the failed coup on 30 September 1965. It also demonstrates how they reflect various perspectives on the 1965 killings that are—to an extent—part of the “Battle of History” (van Klinken 2001) in postSuharto Indonesia, wherein different historiographic traditions introduce new actors, reveal the nuances, and challenge longstanding dominant understandings of 1965.

A Model For Understanding The Complexity Of Repatriation Into Organizations: A Systems Approach, Nancy Hennigar Reisig

Student Articles, Chapters, Presentations, Learning Objects

The expatriation/repatriation cycle is a complex system, only parts of which have been studied. Repatriation occurs within a larger system that includes the employee, his or her family, the organization’s business dynamic and Human Resources practices, and its culture. This article examines this system, reviewing key organizational factors affecting repatriation, including organizational design, development, and culture, as well as the neglected role of Human Resources management. Theories around professional employee turnover that link to the repatriate experience are also explored. The author proposes a model for understanding the complexity of repatriation. Gaps in current understanding are discussed as a basis …

Back To Africa In The 21st Century: The Cultural Reconnection Experiences Of African American Women, Marcia Tate Arunga

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experiences of 18 African American women who went to Kenya, East Africa as part of a Cultural Reconnection delegation. A qualitative narrative inquiry method was used for data collection. This was an optimal approach to honoring the authentic voices of African American women. Eighteen African American women shared their stories, revelations, feelings and thoughts on reconnecting in their ancestral homeland of Africa. The literature discussed includes diasporic returns as a subject of study, barriers to the return including the causes of historic trauma, and how Black women as culture bearers …

Spiritual Journeys: A Study Of Ifá /Òrìṣà Practitioners In The United States Initiated In Nigeria, Tony Van Der Meer

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand the culture of one of the newest branches of traditional Yorùbá Ifá/Òrìṣà practice in the United States from practitioners born in the United States that were initiated in Nigeria, West Africa.The epistemology of the Ifá/Òrìṣà belief system in the United States has been based on the history and influence of Regla de Ocha or Santeria that developed out of Cuban innovation and practice.This is an ethnographic and auto-ethnographic study that pulls from participant observation, field notes, interviews, and photos as data.The central question of this dissertation is what are the challenges and …

The Application Of Western Models Of Psychotherapy By Indian Psychotherapists In India: A Grounded Theory, Gurjeet Sidhu

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The following study explored the experience of Indian psychotherapists applying Western psychotherapy to Indians. Charmaz’ (2006) Grounded theory methodology was utilized. Seven Indian psychotherapists were interviewed. Interview data yielded the theory of Modification as Resistance. Modification as Resistance captured Indian psychotherapists' attempts to modify Western psychotherapy to resist the erosion of local ways of healing due to the dominance of Western science. Results add to existing critiques of Western psychotherapy applied to Eastern populations. Recommendations based on results are offered to facilitate evidence-based practice (American Psychological Association [APA], 2006) with diverse populations. This dissertation is available in open access at …

Introduction: Understanding Central-Local Relations In China, John A. Donaldson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

How do we understand the evolution of central-local relations in China during the reform period? This book addresses this question by focusing on eight separate issues in which the central-local relationship has been especially salient – government finance, investment control, regional development, administrative zoning, implementation, culture, social welfare and international relations. Each chapter introduces a sector and the way the center and various local governments have shared or divided power over the different periods of China’s reform era. The balance of power is gauged dynamically over time to measure the extent to which one level of government dominates, influences or …

Political Dynamics In Land Commodification: Commodifying Rural Land Development Rights In Chengdu, China, Qian Forrest Zhang, Jianling Wu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Commodification of land is at the forefront of the re-casting of rural China by the spread of capitalism. This study examines a market-based program of land development rights trading in Chengdu, China. The program was made possible by a change in the central government’s land-use regulation that shifted the policy goal from ‘no net loss’ of farmland to ‘no net gain’ of construction land. We detail how local governments at multiple levels work together to construct land development rights as a commodity and build market institutions to foster its trading, illustrating land commodification as an inherently political process. A unique …