Mahidol University International College

About: Mahidol University International College is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Tourism & Corporate governance. The organization has 240 authors who have published 485 publications receiving 6095 citations.

Co-adaptation in a Handwriting Recognition System

Abstract: Handwriting is a natural and versatile method for human-computer interaction, especially on small mobile devices such as smart phones. However, as handwriting varies significantly from person to person, it is difficult to design handwriting recognizers that perform well for all users. A natural solution is to use machine learning to adapt the recognizer to the user. One complicating factor is that, as the computer adapts to the user, the user also adapts to the computer and probably changes their handwriting. This paper investigates the dynamics of co-adaptation, a process in which both the computer and the user are adapting their behaviors in order to improve the speed and accuracy of the communication through handwriting. We devised an information-theoretic framework for quantifying the efficiency of a handwriting system where the system includes both the user and the computer. Using this framework, we analyzed data collected from an adaptive handwriting recognition system and characterized the impact of machine adaptation and of human adaptation. We found that both machine adaptation and human adaptation have significant impact on the input rate and must be considered together in order to improve the efficiency of the system as a whole.

Muay Thai Diplomacy: Thailand’s Soft Power Through Public Diplomacy

Abstract: Public and cultural diplomacy are tools for states to enhance their soft power in international affairs. Sports diplomacy is becoming an increasingly important arena for states to enhance their image among foreign publics and increase their country’s visibility via the attractiveness of their cultural asset. This article explores Thailand’s cultural diplomacy by the support given by the Thai state in order to make Muay Thai (Thai boxing) an official Olympic sport. The role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Muay Thai athletes will be examined to find how the Thai state is attempting to increase its soft power by cultural sport diplomacy.

Geography and CEO luck: where do CEOs tend to be lucky?

Abstract: CEOs are ‘lucky’ when they receive stock option grants on days when the stock price is the lowest in the month of the grant, implying opportunistic timing (Bebchuk et al., 2010). We extend Bebchuk et al. (2010) by investigating the geographic peer effects of CEO luck. Our evidence shows that a CEO is significantly more likely to be lucky when other CEOs in the surrounding area are not lucky. It appears that a CEO tends to practice opportunistic timing of option grants when such a practice is less prevalent and thus less noticeable in the nearby area, probably in order to avoid detection. We estimate that the marginal geographic effect on a given CEO’s luck is 18.36%, which is both statistically and economically significant. Our results suggest that regulators should look for corporate opportunistic behaviour where it is not expected.

Arab Gulf Cities: Competing Identities of Cosmopolitanism vs. Localism

Abstract: Arab cities in the Gulf have changed rapidly and massively within a very short period. Historically, their economies were based on trade, and they have always been cosmopolitan, maintaining a delicate balance between inclusion and exclusion of various ethnic and religious groups. In the post-oil world, many factors combined to tilt the balance toward exclusion. We examine the traditional balance, and key factors that have upset that balance. These include the shift in the economic foundation of the city, vastly increased scale of migration, shifting relations between the political elite and the major merchant houses, and changing interaction between the city and tribes people of the local hinterland.