Showing papers on "Ingenuity published in 2009"

From a blame culture to a just culture in health care.

Abstract: Background A prevailing blame culture in health care has been suggested as a major source of an unacceptably high number of medical errors. A just culture has emerged as an imperative for improving the quality and safety of patient care. However, health care organizations are finding it hard to move from a culture of blame to a just culture. Purpose We argue that moving from a blame culture to a just culture requires a comprehensive understanding of organizational attributes or antecedents that cause blame or just cultures. Health care organizations need to build organizational capacity in the form of human resource (HR) management capabilities to achieve a just culture. Methodology This is a conceptual article. Health care management literature was reviewed with twin objectives: (a) to ascertain if a consistent pattern existed in organizational attributes that lead to either blame or just cultures and (2) to find out ways to reform a blame culture. Conclusions On the basis of the review of related literature, we conclude that (a) a blame culture is more likely to occur in health care organizations that rely predominantly on hierarchical, compliance-based functional management systems; (b) a just or learning culture is more likely to occur in health organizations that elicit greater employee involvement in decision making; and (c) human resource management capabilities play an important role in moving from a blame culture to a just culture. Practice implications Organizational culture or human resource management practices play a critical role in the health care delivery process. Health care organizations need to develop a culture that harnesses the ideas and ingenuity of health care professional by employing a commitment-based management philosophy rather than strangling them by overregulating their behaviors using a control-based philosophy. They cannot simply wish away the deeply entrenched culture of blame nor can they outsource their way out of it. Health care organizations need to build internal human resource management capabilities to bring about the necessary changes in their culture and management systems and to become learning organizations.

Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution

Abstract: Winner of the 2010 Royal Society Prize for science books Powerful new research methods are providing fresh and vivid insights into the makeup of life. Comparing gene sequences, examining the atomic structure of proteins and looking into the geochemistry of rocks have all helped to explain creation and evolution in more detail than ever before. Nick Lane uses the full extent of this new knowledge to describe the ten greatest inventions of life, based on their historical impact, role in living organisms today and relevance to current controversies. DNA, sex, sight and consciousnesses are just four examples. Lane also explains how these findings have come about, and the extent to which they can be relied upon. The result is a gripping and lucid account of the ingenuity of nature, and a book which is essential reading for anyone who has ever questioned the science behind the glories of everyday life.

Financial bootstrapping and social capital: how technology-based start-ups fund innovation

Abstract: Innovation requires more than technological expertise. It is a time consuming activity requiring access to a range of resources including finance. Yet, innovators involved in start-ups rarely have direct access to significant financial resources. Instead, they turn to a variety of forms of financial bootstrapping. Defined as access to resources not owned or controlled by the individual innovator, bootstrapping involves imaginative and parsimonious strategies for marshalling and gaining control of resources. This paper reports on research into bootstrapping using case studies, drawn from biographies of well-known innovators. The study found that bootstrapping was widespread and innovators showed great ingenuity in obtaining finance without recourse to conventional financial institutions. Not only were ranges of bootstrapping techniques employed, the study also provided valuable insights into the importance of social capital, in the form of networks of friends, colleagues and other contacts, in providing innovators with access to bootstrapping finance.

Traditional foods and beverages of Ladakh

Abstract: Ladakh, truly described as high altitude cold-arid desert is one of the far most eastern regions of J&K state, India. Because of unfavourable and hostile environment prevailing over the region, cultivation is limited to a very less scale (both time and place). Under these conditions, one of the major reasons behind human habitation is the ingenuity of local people, who has devised new and sustainable way of living. One major product of this ingenuity is the traditional foods and beverages, which over the time has been evolved (through outside influence and local resources available) and established in the fooding system of

Sustaining Drug Courts in Arizona and South Carolina: An Experience in Hodgepodge Budgeting

Abstract: Douglas and Hartley provide data that indicates that drug courts face budgetary and resource hurdles in their effort to become institutionalized reforms to courts. Drug courts commonly adopt what the authors call "hodgepodege budgeting" strategies where ingenuity, opportunity, and luck seperate those programs that succeed from those that fail. They also note the challenges that hodgepodge budgeting presents to those who hope to institutionalize drug courts and other court reforms.

We've Got NERVE: A Call to Arms for Neuroscience Education

Abstract: Are we neuroscientists doing our part to help revive science education, to stimulate teachers' ingenuity, and diversify the intellectual capital among the next generation of scientists? Certainly we support progressive initiatives, including a major international Brain Awareness Campaign, local

Outside Looking In: Understanding the Role of Science in Regulation

Abstract: When Rachel Carson took on the task of defining environmental health advocacy in the early 1960s, she made the business of government oversight look simple and straightforward. “Much of the necessary knowledge is now available, but we do not use it,” she wrote in her 1962 book Silent Spring. “We train ecologists in our universities and even employ them in our government agencies, but we seldom take their advice. We allow the chemical death rain to fall as though there were no alternative, whereas in fact there are many, and our ingenuity could soon discover more if given opportunity.” Carson would likely be dazzled by the extent to which governments of all stripes have since called on scientific experts to help populate a regulatory galaxy that extends from the humblest of municipal bailiwicks to the global economy. Nevertheless, the unfolding of this new world of prevention and protection has been neither tidy nor consistent. The scientific community generates volumes of data about potential hazards to human health, but the process of interpretation—resulting ultimately in the development of policy—is often heavily shaped by political, economic, and even cultural interests, which can vary dramatically from one hazard to the next, as well as from one jurisdiction to the next. The outcome of any regulatory deliberation can therefore be unexpected and downright frustrating. A given agent might be labeled a toxic threat in one place while being tolerated without prejudice somewhere else, even as the architects of each policy looked at the very same data. That prospect might puzzle many thoughtful and earnest observers who believe definitive scientific findings should yield equally definitive responses. Daniel Sarewitz recalls his early days as a Congressional Science Fellow in 1989. “The scales fell from my eyes after about a week of being [in Washington, DC],” he says. “When you’re a scientist working in academia, what you see is scientists arguing about difficult problems to try to arrive at the truth. When you’re on the Hill, you realize what’s really going on is these problems are complicated both in terms of the science and in terms of the values. It’s possible to bring many different scientific lenses—interpretations of data, choices of what data to use, what theories to use—to any given complex problem. Not surprisingly, those choices end up mapping onto value preferences and political preferences.” Today Sarewitz is director of the Consortium for Science, Policy, & Outcomes, which, in its own words, seeks to enhance the capacity of public policy to link scientific research to beneficial societal outcomes. But Sarewitz says the consortium faces resistance in moving these perspectives into open public debate. The difficulty, as he outlined in an article in the October 2004 issue of Environmental Science & Policy, stems from a common desire of both advocates and opponents of any given regulation to invoke science to make their respective cases. The former will insist that current knowledge warrants doing something, while the latter point to uncertainties in that same knowledge as justification for doing less, or perhaps nothing.

Prioritising People: Outline of an Aspirational Engineering Ethic

Abstract: One of the greatest challenges for engineering is the development of an aspirational ethical foundation in the profession that redresses the present imbalanced prioritisation of technical ingenuity over helping people. This article presents an analysis that seeks to provide a basis for such reprioritisation. It begins with a brief account of ethical analyses that have traditionally been applied to engineering. Some salient aspects of medical ethics and business ethics are then considered. An aspirational engineering ethic needs to overcome the limitations of the traditional ethical views and to learn from the analysis of ethics in these other professions. The present outline is based on two philosophical sources. Firstly, writings that lie somewhat outside what is conventionally regarded as the mainstream of ethics, especially those of Buber and Levinas, but which contain profound ethical insights that can provide an important balance to prevailing views. Secondly, recent writings that build on the philosophical mainstream in especially imaginative and useful ways, especially MacIntyre’s concept of a practice. Specific outcomes of the proposed aspirational engineering ethic for both individual engineers and engineering institutions are identified.

Traditional and Transitional TVET Systems

Abstract: Human ingenuity, supported by an instinctive urge to explore and learn, manifests itself in dynamic creativity. It transforms itself into a mechanism for transferring 'acquired' knowledge and accumulated experience to future generations. The whole process of acquisition and evolution of knowledge and its transfer is covered by the term 'education'. It also covers various transitions, reforms and adaptations that are taking place more frequently in the current context. The fast pace of development is driving even 'established' societies to conduct a process of continuous review and reforms. With respect to technical and vocational education and training (TVET), throughout the world countries are constantly trying to adapt it to a new economic and social order. However, whatever is transitional today may become a tradition in times to come, and something that had been a tradition may again find a place in transitional and futuristic systems. Tradition need not be discarded without scrutiny; similarly, transition cannot be delayed or deferred. Yet it needs to be viewed and discussed in the local context with in-built reference to the global scenario. It is relevant to carry out an overview of the manner in which education systems evolved in different societies. For the purpose of this chapter, the focus will be on TVET systems.

How to Think about the Future: History, Climate Change, and Conflict

Abstract: History is our only laboratory for the future. But examining history reveals two apparently contradictory messages. First, history repeats itself. The first quote above is not from some contemporary political analyst in Afghanistan, Georgia, Iraq, or Colombia, though it could well be—It is from the Roman historian Tacitus, describing the Roman invasion of Britain, and was written nearly 2,000 years ago. Second, only charlatans and bookies predict the future. Complexity and human ingenuity combine to make the future inherently unpredictable. It is possible to make projections or educated speculations, but few true predictions.The second quote is from a former chief executive of the Digital Equipment Corporation, one of the pioneering computer companies in the USA. The future is the past, with new wares and bits replaced. The problem is in predicting which parts will stay and what the innovations are going to be.The biggest mistake organizations make is in assuming an either/or future: no change—business as usual, or all change—a brave new world. Neither ever will be true. Understanding how to think about and prepare for a complex and uncertain future is going to be the key challenge for humanitarian agencies during the next decade. Those that adapt and are nimble will be able to provide service to the disaster-affected of the world. Those that don’t, won’t.

Reflections-Energy Efficiency Policy: Pipe Dream or Pipeline to the Future?

Abstract: In recent years, the amount of both private and public money dedicated to promoting energy efficiency has increased a great deal. Is this a good investment? This “Reflections” article examines the potential for further investment opportunities, the case for government intervention, and the evidence on the effectiveness of the various forms of intervention. The evidence suggests that the challenge of breaking down the barriers is more difficult than conventional wisdom would have us believe. Internalizing externalities and assuring an adequate flow of information is helpful, but not likely to be sufficient. The significant challenges posed by these barriers suggest that policy makers must recognize an expanded set of barriers and respond with some ingenuity in applying an expanded set of available instruments.

Portable Inspiration: The Necessity of STEM Outreach Investment.

Abstract: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Running a successful technology education lab and delivering curriculum in today's educational environment can be busy, misunderstood, and downright exhausting. Keeping up with growing and emerging technologies, educating the school and community on what your program is really all about, and running after-school technology and engineering clubs leaves precious little time for anything else. On top of all of that, investing in a STEM outreach program isn't even close to feasible, right? Even if it's far more feasible than one might think, to suggest that such a program is a "necessity" is downright foolish, isn't it? Not in our opinion. In fact, Pennsylvania Standard 3.8.12 mandates that students "apply the use of ingenuity and technological resources to solve specific societal needs and improve the quality of life" (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2002). Further, Standards for Technological Literacy (STL) Standards 4, 5, 6, and 13 all relate to the impacts of technology on the environment and society in general (ITEA, 2000/2002/2007). Whether through a school's technology education curriculum, through a cocurricular STEM-related club, or a combination of both, it would seem that investment in an outreach program is a compelling way to address perhaps the most important standard charged to technology educators across the commonwealth today. Our Example, But By No Means Our Idea Originally developed as an extension of the Lower Merion High School Technology & Engineering Club's FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team in October of 2007, Portable Inspiration was designed to expose students, educators, and communities to the experience of engineering and the design process. The program is fueled by a passion to provide others with opportunities to learn about the excitement and benefits of STEM, robotics education, and competition through hands-on experiences. There are also clear benefits for those LMHS students who spend time planning and executing these outreach events in our community and others. Students in our club ate developing leadership and communication skills while engaging in meaningful and relevant community service. While Portable Inspiration was born and planned for at Lower Merion, the idea to perform outreach is something we cannot take any credit for. As a participant in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology), the national nonprofit that operates FRC, we've been encouraged to spread the word of STEM and FIRST's ideals of Coopertition and Gracious Professionalism, two terms that promote the coexistence of cooperation and competition while emphasizing acting with integrity. Veteran FIRST participants learn to focus upon the ultimate goal of transforming the culture in ways that will inspire greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology. At Lower Merion we've broadened that effort to include all students in our Technology & Engineering Club whether they are affiliated with FIRST, VEX, TSA, or all three. With a strong ethos behind the effort, we then planned for and developed the Portable Inspiration package by consulting STEM-focused clubs and robotics programs that conduct similar outreach in VA, PA, DE, and as far away as Ontario, Canada. From there, we took the best of what each example had to offer while considering what would best meet the needs of our community. Creating Win-Win Scenarios From the onset, when creating our outreach program, we realized that we needed to conserve resources (especially time and human capital, as these are always scarce) as well as keeping an eye on cost--both initial and recurring. In short, we needed a very engaging concept that was flexible and portable for varying audiences and environments that didn't cost a lot or take a tremendous amount of time to create of maintain. With creating "win-win" scenarios for participants and student presenters/experts in mind, we settled upon the use of the VEX Robotics Design System rather quickly because of its price point and for the fact we were already invested in VEX in both the Tech Ed curriculum and with our after-school competitive robotics efforts. …

IED Cleanup: A Cooperative Classroom Robotics Challenge--The Benefits and Execution of a Cooperative Classroom Robotics Challenge

Abstract: "Students used to ask, 'Why don't you just give us something to analyze?' What we really want to hear is, 'Show us someone who needs help.' [In order for that to occur] culture shift is required." Dr. Woodie C. Flowers MIT Pappalardo Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2005) Introduction Real-world problem solving, addressing societal needs, and improving the quality of life are all synonymous with technology education and its standards. In Pennsylvania, standard 3.8.12 encourages students to, "Apply the use of ingenuity and technological resources to solve specific societal needs and improve the quality of life" (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2002). At the national level, Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology (STL) Standards 4, 5, 6, and 13 all relate to the effects and impacts that development and use of technology have on the environment and society in general (ITEA, 2000/2002/2007). However, the problem for the classroom teacher lies within the creation of those engaging, current, and relevant STEM-related problem-solving activities that will have the most impact on students. In our program, we have recently developed an activity that addresses the above stated standards but also has strong interdisciplinary connections. The following classroom challenge was created to incorporate a humanitarian project with the use of the Vex Robotics Design System to remove simulated IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) to a detonation zone within a specified amount of time. The relevance of this activity to students is obvious given the deluge of war coverage in the news media. Some of this media coverage may actually be used as an anticipatory set and as part of the research phase of the design process. Wired Magazine's article titled, "The Baghdad Bomb Squad" (Shachtman, 2005) documents a true humanitarian need for smart machines that can save the lives of soldiers and civilians in a combat zone. Throughout this activity, named "IED Cleanup," students work in pairs to design and build robots to perform appropriate tasks. However, the entire class works together to develop a strategy, a set of complimentary designs, and a collective plan for implementation to safely dispose of the IEDs. There within lies one of the unique aspects of this activity. Rather than competing against one another, teams of students are cooperating together to solve a problem. They quickly learn that the success of the team/class is dependent upon efforts and communication skills of each individual, which are real-world life skills that apply to college, work, and life within our global society. Most importantly, students are learning the overarching goal of STEM and technology education, which is to use one's skills and knowledge to improve the world in which we live. Robots in the classroom are not a new idea, and it's true that projects involving the creation of these multisystem creatures can consume entire semesters in a heartbeat. However, our experiences have revealed to us that robotics projects and challenges in the classroom just might be one of the best ways to deliver meaningful STEM instruction and address standards while purposefully helping to develop a more socially conscious student. We're not building toys; we're designing and building complex systems that serve an intended purpose, a humanitarian purpose! And best of all, a diverse range of students is "getting it." They see the interdisciplinary connections of math, science, engineering, and the value of effective communication and strategy. They see the need and "role of society in the development and use of the technology," and the "effects of technology on the environment" as stated in STL 6 and STL 5, respectively. In addition, students quickly come to realize that personal biases and differences are of no use in solving the problem at hand; they must work together. In order to invite the culture shift that Dr. …

Constructures: supporting human ingenuity in software

Abstract: Existing media authoring software programs are generally regarded as offering little support for the earliest stages of the creative process, which have characteristics and needs that are distinct from the later stages As a step toward addressing this, we present our constructural design philosophy: a set of principles that can be applied to software in any creative medium and under which we believe effective, early-stage creativity tools can be created We then illustrate the application of these principles with Wheelsong, a complete, constructurally designed, early-stage music composition exploratorium and discuss a selection of musical sketches resulting from its use

Ingenuity and innovation.

Abstract: The Oxford English Dictionary defines ingenuity as “capacity for . . . construction; skill or cleverness in contriving or making something.” The same source defines innovation as “the alteration of what is established by the introduction of new elements or forms.” In surgery, both of these characteristics tend to gather around the most difficult problems. The ingenious surgeon may orchestrate a new combination of known strategies as a solution. The innovative surgeon may attempt to solve a problem with some entirely new technique or material. Thumb reconstruction is a great example of these 2 dimensions of problem solving. In its day, the elegant staged strategy of bone graft, transferred skin flap, and neurosensory island flap was an ingenious way to make a thumb by utilizing a number of established procedures in a sophisticated pattern. Microsurgical toe-to-thumb transplantation brought a truly new combination of tissues and techniques to thumb reconstruction. In this issue, 2 papers present ingenious strategies for the solution of some problems caused by severe facial burns. These surgeons elaborate the potentials of temporal fascial flaps and forehead flaps. They therefore demonstrate how the ingenious surgeon can extend and refine established procedures. What will be a definitive innovation in the treatment of such severe facial injuries? Increasingly, the strategy of facial transplantation appears to be a feasible and functional innovation. Such transplantations innovatively address the complex magnitude of the destroyed face, restoring critical function and socially viable appearance with new strategies of surgery and biology. Plastic surgery has always been a specialty of ingenious and innovative surgeons. The innovation of composite tissue allotransplantation promises to also engage the specialty’s ingenuity for the management of technical details, biological strategies, and secondary procedures. Probably no other specialty in the history of medicine has been better prepared to undertake such a remarkable transformation in patient care.

Work Hard, Play Hard - A Work Ethic Forged in the Group Oppolzer.

Abstract: The author gives an account of his work as post-doc at the University of Geneva in the group of W. Oppolzer, putting emphasis on scientific rigour and ingenuity.

Introduction The Responsibility to Protect

Abstract: If reason and conscience ruled the world, extreme forms of violence would not so frequently be the means to an end. The twentieth century and its share of mass atrocities are painful reminders that despite all the decent people who inhabit this planet, mankind too easily resorts to the most destructive patterns to achieve political, economic, or religious gains. On the other hand, drastic improvements have been witnessed in nearly every type of human activity during the last hundred years. Scientific discoveries, technological advances, economic development, as well as social and political changes attest to the ingenuity of mankind. As a result, virtually every aspect of our lives has been affected, often in a positive way. Man has stepped onto the moon. The number of liberal democracies stands at an all-time high. Slavery, a long-time practice, has been abolished. Mortality has dramatically declined, and smallpox has been eradicated. And while all this progress was achieved, too many parts of our world were plunged into the abysses of hell and mass murders. Obviously, such carnage has not been confined to the past hundred years, but this last century has proved extremely deadly in comparison, with hundreds of millions of individuals lost to war or victims of mass atrocities.

Intercultural communication training respectful of learners' characteristics: a pedagogical model for social promotion of intercultural communication, expertise and skills

Abstract: The escalating immigrant presence in Europe highlights certain issues of diversity in terms of language, para-language, religion, territoriality, class, and ethnicity. The reality today more than ever is that ‘most, if not all nation States are differentiated polyethnic States…’ (Gundara 2000: 24). This calls for the strengthening of intercultural communication competencies and skills in particular within institutions that are professionally in contact with mobility. This paper presents a training methodology for intercultural communication training, developed within the framework of lifelong learning, Grundtvig 1.1. This paper also proposes that in order for such training to be successful one needs to respect participants’ different pathways that “work within each of us to create a system of learning based upon stimulus processing, the use of memory, and the pattern-driven ingenuity of our human capacity to respond” to the learning experience (Grundtvig Let Me Learn Training Module 2005).

Projections towards resolving ingenuity gaps for complex learning societies: Prerequisites for sustainable development?

Abstract: “It isn't that they can't find solutions, it is that they don't see the problem” Gilbert K.Chesterton (1874–1936) Critical destabilized resource uses that endanger individual and societal life require gap reductions between what is and what ought to be. In a genuine “learning organization” (Peter Senge) and society, the progressive narrowing of “Ingenuity Gaps” (Thomas Homer-Dixon) is likely assured with prevention of a Tragedy of the Commons (Garrett Hardin). What retards and prevents learning for innovations? Paradoxically, one primary obstacle relates to the most successful and entrenched applied solutions that can permeate societies. Such cultural patterns have been historically documented as “progress traps”(Ronald Wright), with consequences of societal decline and collapse. A systemic analytical approach may provide the means to discern what disconnects interacting flows within The Essential Tension (Thomas Kuhn) between an innovative potential and an actual solution, more specifically between “descriptive and prescriptive technologies” (Ursula Franklin). A “Boolean Dynamic”(Stuart Kauffman) as a conceptual navigational tool might serve to advance means for unlocking gridlocks for optimizing requirements, like human-centric and techno-centric balancing as paradoxical contraries to sustain progressive development for complex societies. “Without paradox no progress”, Niels Bohr (1885–1962).

'Necessity the mother of invention' - a reflection on the requirements for successful innovation in the metallurgical industries

Abstract: The complexities that exist in the nature of the basic feedstock to the metallurgical process call for a high degree of ingenuity from the extractive metallurgist in seeking the best possible treatment method for a particular ore Drawing from personal experience the author presents four case studies that demonstrate the value of creative thinking in addressing the challenges typically encountered by the extraction metallurgist It is concluded that creative expression most often occurs in response to a perceived strong need within an organization By deliberately laying down meaningful challenges management can stimulate innovative thinking and achieve extraordinary results

Reaching the beauty within

Abstract: If you think of yourself as a 'city mouse', no doubt you relish the fast pace of life, the hum of the streets, and unpredictable interactions with strangers that can leave 'country mice' bemused or horrified. This buzz is a large part of the attraction, and the reason why cities tend to be hotbeds of innovation and creativity. But beware: city-living may not be all good for your brain. Recent studies suggest the very stimulation that helps foster ingenuity can result in a kind of cognitive overload, when the effort required to phase out unwanted distractions reduces our capacity for things such as memory formation, attention and self-control. Being surrounded by nature, on the other hand, appears to be highly beneficial. Researchers have shown, for example, that hospital patients recover more quickly when they can see trees from their windows; that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder show fewer symptoms when surrounded by animals or trees; and that the degree of domestic violence is reduced in apartments with views of greenery. Findings such as these are encouraging urban architects and planners to design places that reflect the restorative effects of nature. More than that, they have spawned a whole new academic discipline in which neuroscientists and architects are collaborating on ways to influence people's behaviour, mood and health through design. The idea is to improve quality of life by building places that reflect the way our brains work. The approach has already led to revolutionary new designs in neo-natal units for premature babies and care-homes for Alzheimer's patients, and is causing architects to rethink the way they design schools, offices, homes, prisons, museums and urban outdoor spaces. John Zeisel is a visiting professor at the University of Salford who has used insights from neuroscience to design care homes for Alzheimer's patients and is planning to do the same for schools and offices. He calls the influence of neuroscience "potentially revolutionary" for architecture. "It's a major shift from thinking about the environment as merely the context for behaviour, to environments having a direct influence on people's behaviour, perception and attitudes via the brain".

Idealism/Idealist Human Geography

Abstract: The idealist approach to human geography discussed here is based on the philosophy of history expounded by the English philosopher R. G. Collingwood. It draws upon elements of the Kantian tradition of German idealism, but has little in common with the better-known absolute idealism of G. W. F. Hegel and his followers, who emphasized the power of great ideas in generating the historical transformation of society. The human geographer working within a Collingwoodian idealist tradition aims at understanding the thought of specific people and groups as this thought relates to the way they live or have lived on and off the land they inhabit. A scholar can observe what people do and measure the level of their physical activities in the environment, but will not be in a position to understand these activities unless he or she can uncover and comprehend the thought that generated them. The thought of any specific people will be a function of their cultural and historical experiences and needs to be understood in terms of the categories and beliefs they have developed to understand themselves and their environments. The idealist geographer is challenged to get inside the minds of the people being studied and to rethink their thought using any and all clues or evidence that might be available to accomplish this task. An action is explained when the thought contained in it has been uncovered and understood. This procedure is not an exercise in mind reading, but a critical, investigative activity that relies on empathy, detachment, and scholarly ingenuity.

Entrepreneurship and Growth

Abstract: In recent Latin American history, economists have advanced many different recipes to promote the region’s economic growth. Given these differences of professional opinion and the region’s on-again, off-again development, populism and political instability have been frequent responses to economic setbacks in many countries. That economic growth continues to be discussed as a mystery seems, in any case, surprising to us. A convincing argument can be made that economic growth is intimately related to the development of productive entrepreneurial activities in the context of an appropriate institutional setup. Historical evidence shows that the great improvements in standards of living achieved during the past two centuries have been associated with the development of personal resourcefulness and ingenuity under a system of private-property rights and contractual liberty (Landes 1999; Baumol 2002). To be sure, entrepreneurship may take various forms, and certain forms are antithetical to economic growth, so we must bear this fact in mind as we develop our arguments here. In this article, we examine the evolution of entrepreneurship in Latin America as presented in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) studies. These studies

priorities in engineering education in 1404 (2025 A.D

Abstract: In this work, we will discuss priorities in engineering education in year 1404 (2025 A.D.) based on some of the attributes of an engineer in 2020 as discussed in “The Engineer of 2020,” and new priorities such as environment, society, and energy by extrapolating the current socio-economic conditions. Moreover, the manner that engineering education in Iran can realize those characteristics is also discussed. Some of these characteristics, such as “strong analytical skills” are being actively promoted in Iran but others such as “practical ingenuity,” and “Creativity (invention, innovation, thinking outside the box, art),” requires fundamental changes in engineering education in Iran. Given the uncertain and changing character of the world in which 1404 engineers will work, engineers will need something that cannot be described in a single word. It involves dynamism, agility, resilience, and flexibility. This requires basic changes in how engineering education is perceived and more importantly assessed so that the linkage between a quality undergraduate program and strong graduate and research programs can be established. Engineering education in 1404 also includes a solid relationship with industry and society. Requirements for such a link are also discussed. In order to deliver such attributes, the proposed structure should also include an effective program evaluation with a focused learning assessment components.