Good luck to all teams!

Good luck to all the Blue Bull and Shark supporters for tomorrow's Currie Cup Final!

Since my team is not in the final (Cheetahs), I will be cheering with my husband for the Bulls.

Edited on Monday - congrats to the Sharks!

Single Market for 26 African countries

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Leaders of the Tripartite Summit from 26 African countries belonging to the three regional economic blocs in the East and southern Africa on Wednesday resolved to merge the blocs into a single regional market.

The summit, bringing together leaders of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), have agreed to establish a free trade bloc and a single customs union, stretching from South Africa to Egypt and from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya.

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe who joined the leaders as SADC Chairperson said the launch of the free trade bloc will place the African continent in a stronger position to respond effectively to intensifying global economic competition.

The merger, he said, would lead to the creation of the largest free trade area in Africa, with a population of over 248 million people and a combined GDP of $650 billion.

The three blocs will have a single airspace within a year and an inter-regional broadband network for Internet. He said it would also help the continent to overcome the challenges posed by multiple memberships of regional organisations.

Read the full article

Nobel prize for Economic Sciences

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2008 this year has been awarded to Prof Paul R. Krugman from Princeton University "for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity".

The Prize Lecture will be held on Monday 8 December 2008, at the Aula Magna, Stockholm University. The lecture will be held in English and will be published on the Nobel site at a later date.

You can listen to an interview with Paul Krugman recorded immediately after the announcement of the 2008 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, 13 October 2008.

You can also read his blog at the NY Times.



The UJ Library has one title from Prof Krugman:

• International economics : theory and policy / Paul R. Krugman, Maurice Obstfeld.
  Publisher New York, N.Y. : HarperCollins, 1990. 2nd Edition
  EAST RAND OPEN SHELVES AT DFC EEE KRUG

Our databases also contain some of his articles:

EbscoHost

1. Crisis on the continent. By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 6/29/92, Vol. 112 Issue 25, p62, 1p,
2. Ignorance and inequality. By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 6/1/92, Vol. 112 Issue 21, p48, 2p
3. Disparity and despair. By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 3/23/92, Vol. 112 Issue 11, p54, 2p
4. No inflation threat. By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 11/25/91, Vol. 111 Issue 22, p58
5. The importance of housing. By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 11/25/91, Vol. 111 Issue 22, p58, 1/2p
6. Double-dip recession? By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 11/25/91, Vol. 111 Issue 22, p58
7. The painful cost of workplace discrimination. By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 11/4/91, Vol. 111 Issue 19, p63, 1p
8. Why the unemployment rate is surprisingly low. By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 10/14/91, Vol. 111 Issue 16, p62, 1p
9. Fractured market system. By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 9/30/91, Vol. 111 Issue 14, p75
10. America's reduced role. By: Krugman, P.R.. U.S. News & World Report, 9/30/91, Vol. 111 Issue 14, p75

ProQuest

1. Asset Returns and Economic Growth/Comments and Discussion Dean Baker, J Bradford DeLong, Paul R Krugman, N Gregory Mankiw, William D Nordhaus. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Washington: 2005. p. 289 (42 pages)
2. Technology, trade and factor prices Paul R Krugman. Journal of International Economics. Amsterdam: Feb 2000. Vol. 50, Iss. 1; p. 51
3. It's baaack: Japan's slump and the return of the liquidity trap Paul R Krugman. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Washington: 1998. p. 137 (69 pages)
4. The Adam Smith address: What difference does globalization make? Krugman, Paul R. Business Economics. Washington: Jan 1996. Vol. 31, Iss. 1; p. 7 (4 pages)
5. International economics -- NAFTA: An assessment by Gary Clyde Hufbauer and Jeffrey J. Schott assisted by Robin Dunnigan and Diana Clark Krugman, Paul R. Journal of Economic Literature. Nashville: Jun 1995. Vol. 33, Iss. 2; p. 849
6. NAFTA: An Assessment Krugman, Paul R. Journal of Economic Literature. Nashville: Jun 1995. Vol. 33, Iss. 2; p. 849 (3 pages)
7. Leapfrogging in international competition: A theory of cycles in national technological leadership Brezis, Elise S, Krugman, Paul R, Tsiddon, Daniel. The American Economic Review. Nashville: Dec 1993. Vol. 83, Iss. 5; p. 1211 (9 pages)
8. What do undergrads need to know about trade? Krugman, Paul R. The American Economic Review. Nashville: May 1993. Vol. 83, Iss. 2; p. 23 (4 pages)
9. Target Zones and Exchange Rate Dynamics Krugman, Paul R.. The Quarterly Journal of Economics. Cambridge: Aug 1991. Vol. 106, Iss. 3; p. 669 (14 pages)
10. Debt Relief Is Cheap Krugman, Paul R. Foreign Policy. Washington: Fall 1990. p. 141 (12 pages)
11. Developing Countries in the World Economy Krugman, Paul R.. Daedalus. Boston: Winter 1989. Vol. 118, Iss. 1; p. 183 (21 pages)
12. U. S. Competitiveness: Beyond the Trade Deficit Hatsopoulos, George N., Krugman, Paul R., Summers, Lawrence H.. Science. Washington: Jul 15, 1988. Vol. 241, Iss. 4863; p. 299 (9 pages)
13. Krugman, Paul R. Strategic Trade Policy And The New International Economics // Review Krugman, Paul R. The Canadian Journal of Economics. Malden: May 1988. Vol. 21, Iss. 2; p. 434
14. Is Free Trade Passe? Paul R Krugman. The Journal of Economic Perspectives (1986-1998). Nashville: Fall 1987. Vol. 1, Iss. 2; p. 131 (14 pages)
15. The Persistence of the U.S. Trade Deficit; Comments and Discussion Krugman, Paul R., Baldwin, Richard E., Bosworth, Barry, Hooper, Peter. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Washington: 1987. p. 1 (55 pages)
16. The Problem of U.S. Competitiveness in Manufacturing Krugman, Paul R., Hatsopoulos, George N.. New England Economic Review. Boston: Jan/Feb 1987. p. 18 (12 pages)
17. Inflation, Interest Rates, and Welfare Krugman, Paul R., Persson, Torsten, Svensson, Lars E. O.. The Quarterly Journal of Economics. Cambridge: Aug 1985. Vol. 100, Iss. 3; p. 677 (19 pages)
18. Intraindustry Specialization and the Gains from Trade Krugman, Paul R.. The Journal of Political Economy. Chicago: Oct 1981. Vol. 89, Iss. 5; p. 959 (15 pages)

Google Scholar also has lists of his books and journal articles. Remember to check on the A-Z list if we have the journal and on the UJ Catalogue if we have the book.

The rich cheat more on their taxes

Copyright: vivre

A new study The Distribution of Income Tax Noncompliance reveals what we've all been suspecting - the rich hide their income come tax season.

The previously unreported study estimates that taxpayers whose true income was between $500,000 and $1 million a year understated their adjusted gross incomes by 21% overall in 2001, compared to an 8% under reporting rate for those earning $50,000 to $100,000 and even lower rates for those earning less.

In all, because of their higher noncompliance rates, those with true incomes of $200,000 or more received 25% of all income, but accounted for 40% of net under reported income and 42% of under reported tax in 2001, the new analysis finds.

The study was written by Joel Slemrod, an economics professor and director of the Office of Tax Policy Research at the University of Michigan's business school and IRS economist Andrew Johns. It has not been officially endorsed or even released by the IRS and seems sure to add fuel to the election season debate over whether those earning $250,000 or more should pay higher tax rates, as Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, has proposed.
The Slemrod/Johns analysis uses unpublished data from special research audits the IRS conducted on a sample of 45,000 individual returns filed for 2001. It was the IRS' first such research effort since 1988, and it led the agency to estimate the 2001 gross "tax gap" at $345 billion.

The main reason for the income-related cheating disparity: Higher income folks receive more of their income from sources that are easier to hide, including self-employment earnings; income from rents, partnerships and S corporations; and capital gains. (Forbes)

Looking into the future

Copyright:Marzie

Every year The Futurist makes some forecasts on changes and trends we can expect in the following year.

This year they have released an article: OUTLOOK 2009: Recent Forecasts from World Future Society for 2009 and Beyond .

The forecasts are not “predictions” of what the future will be like, but rather glimpses of what may happen or proposals for preferred futures.

So what can you expect? In a nutshell: more sex, fewer antidepressants; more religious influence in China, less religious influence in the Middle East and the United States; more truth and transparency online, but a totally recorded real life.

The forecasts is divided into sections:

• Business and Economics

China will most likely become the world’s largest economy within the next three decades.

Tourism is expected to nearly double worldwide, from 842 million international tourist arrivals in 2006 to 1.6 billion in 2020

Retirees in the United States will increasingly return to the workforce. (The report is large US-based, however, this is a global trend)

Socioeconomic disparities will become more pronounced in aging societies.Social safety nets will get cut. Governments across the industrialized world will pare down or scrap altogether their pension and health-care programs for retirees.

• Computers

Watch out! HAL from 2001 is on the way. Selfaware machine intelligence could be achieved by midcentury.

Search engines will become humanlike by 2050. With the “semantic” Web, AI-based search engines will comprehend users’ questions and queries just like a human assistant.

Rainbow traps may improve computing abilities.

“Serious gaming” will help train tomorrow’s health workers.

• Demography

Urbanization will hit 60% by 2030.

Workforces on the move will exacerbate social conflicts. Increased migrations of workers from developing countries to developed countries will help offset worker shortages in host countries.

• Energy

Access to electricity will reach 83% of the world by 2030.

Architects will harness energy from the movement of crowds.

Pursuit of alternatives to oil could help stabilize gas prices.

• Information Society

Everything you say and do may be recorded. By the late 2010s, ubiquitous unseen nanodevices will provide seamless communication and surveillance among all people everywhere.

Identity theft and other Internet crimes will increase at a faster pace.

You’ll have more friends whom you’ll never meet, and cyberfriends may outnumber real-life friends. (This has already happened in places like Facebook and MySpace, even perhaps Linked-In?)

• Technology and Science

The Internet will become more factually reliable and more transparent.

TV in 3-D.

Optical clocks may enable us to measure time much more precisely.

• Transportation

The car’s days as king of the road may soon be over.

Mobility is becoming a priority to more people in rising economies: More people will travel farther faster. Personal mobility is increasing in rapidly expanding economies.

Research labs are coming closer to “beaming” us up.

Star Trek–type transporters may soon be possible for data transmission, but not for sending people places.

• Values and Society

People will have more sex. With women’s growing economic power around the world, arranged marriages are becoming less likely. As a result, women will feel freer to express their sexuality.

U.S. cultural hegemony may be over. The days of U.S. and First World dominance over the world’s culture and economy may soon be over.

New generations, new values. Self reliance and cooperation will become prevalent societal values as Generation X and Generation Y replace the baby-boom generation.

More people will consume ethically.

• Work and Careers

Succeeding in future niche careers may mean choosing an unusual major.

Tomorrow’s high-tech cowboys will telecommute.

Professional knowledge will become obsolete more quickly.

• World Affairs

The world’s legal systems will be networked. The Global Legal Information Network (GLIN), a database of local and national laws for more than 50 participating countries, will grow to include more than 100 counties by 2010.

Militaries will use neuroscience breakthroughs to win future wars.

Climate change is already spurring armed conflict.

University news from Africa

US-AFRICA: Donors re-commit to African higher education Karen MacGregor
The seven big United States donors that comprise the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa have announced that they will continue support for universities across the continent beyond their original 10-year commitment - but the form of their collaboration after 2010 has still to be firmed up. By then the Partnership will have made grants worth $350 million to universities, institutions and programmes in nine African countries.


CAMEROON: New university part of tertiary reforms Emmanuel T Nwaimah
The latest of Cameroon's public universities opens this month at a temporary site while construction work continues on its main campus. The University of Maroua was created by a presidential decree on 9 August and is located in the city of Maroua in Far North Province. It represents the continuation of a process of decentralising the country's public university system away from the capital Yaoundé under higher education reforms that began in 1993.


SOUTH AFRICA: OECD urges university funding changes Karen MacGregor
A just-published review by the OECD of South African education has praised "impressive forward thinking" and reform post-apartheid, but has also called for improved management of change in higher education and a reappraisal of university funding. It suggests studies into factors affecting student performance in the face of high drop-out rates, a proactive approach to preparing and integrating new students, and pedagogical training for junior academics.


ZIMBABWE: Desperate universities launch income projects Clemence Manyukwe
The Zimbabwean government last week cancelled the academic year as universities and schools found it impossible to continue operating with the collapse of the country's economy. At the University of Zimbabwe, the country leading tertiary institution, a notice on a faculty building told students lectures would begin "on a date to be advised". But university vice-chancellor Levy Nyagura was quoted as saying the university had no water, no electricity and no funds

ZIMBABWE: Nursing education abandoned Clemence Manyukwe
Zimbabwean nursing colleges have abandoned specialised training for students because of a lack of medical equipment and poor funding. The latest development is likely to have a catastrophic effect on the country's health delivery system, itself currently in the intensive care unit arising from the 'brain drain' and poor salaries for medical practitioners.


ALGERIA: Start of new academic year
Nearly 1,160,000 students have started the new academic year in Algeria, including 260,000 freshers, according to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. But despite the assurances of the Minister, Rachid Haraouabia, La Tribune of Algiers questioned whether universities had the capacity to cater for so many students.


NIGERIA: Top medical college rejects PhD directive Tunde Fatunde
The governing council of Nigeria's National Postgraduate Medical College has rejected moves by the National Universities Commission to undermine its autonomy on the issue of academics needing doctoral qualifications. Many lecturers at the country's only postgraduate medical college possess post-degree fellowship qualifications from the institution rather than PhDs.

University news from the West

Culture and Decisions in Higher Ed Scholar explains themes of his new book on why colleges and universities function as they do.

HR at a Global University As colleges set up branch campuses abroad, how do these outposts change the institutional role as employers? Experts say many institutions have yet to grapple with the legal and equity issues involved.


UWN is a year old and carries some reflective articles in the new issues, one of which asks the question: What effect would a higher education story in one part of the world have on someone in another country's university system?

It also carries a special report on: Trends in higher education a report back on the international conference: Enhancement of Knowledge on Higher Education and its Dissemination hosted by Babes-Bolyai Univ in Romenia.
UNIVERSITIES: The information revolution
Universities are generally stable institutions but they are buffeted by new developments, such as rankings exercises and the 'world class university' concept that have grabbed the attention of academics, politicians and the media. Other new realities are a massive growth in research output and a digital revolution that is changing higher education's relationship to information and knowledge, says Dr Jan Sadlak, Director of Unesco's Bucharest-based European Centre for Higher Education.

PUBLISHING: World's 200+ higher education journals
A study by Unesco's European Centre for Higher Education has identified 210 journals on higher education worldwide, though the number fluctuates and could be an under-count. Half of the journals were published in North America while Europe produced 23% and Asia-Pacific 19%, according to Melanie Seto, editor and programme specialist for Unesco-CEPES. Among them were 17 'international' higher education publications.

GLOBAL: Trends in higher education studies
The field of higher education studies is growing, driven by the practical needs of a post-school system that is expanding worldwide. Professor Philip Altbach, director of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College in the US, predicts that the field will spread into more countries, and will increasingly focus on the process of teaching, learning and assessment and on training of university administrators. It will remain interdisciplinary but, unfortunately, large-scale research will be limited by lack of funds.

INTERNATIONALISATION: A research agenda
The position of higher education and its international dimension in the global arena are more dominant than ever before, says Dr Hans de Wit, editor of Journal of Studies in International Education. In a 2006 International Association of Universities survey, 73% of institutions gave internationalisation high priority, 23% medium priority and only 2% low priority. But despite an increase in studies on internationalisation, research on the topic is struggling to find a disciplinary, conceptual or methodological 'home'.

MEDIA: Higher education in the news Karen MacGregor
In most countries mass media reporting on higher education is primarily the preserve of newspapers, not of television or radio. Newspapers - print and electronic - report on news and developments in higher education, provide a platform for debate, and reflect current issues concerning the public, students, academics, tertiary organisations and governments - and, through this coverage, themselves influence the higher education agenda.

In other news:
GLOBAL: Revealed: best producers of top universities
John Gerritsen*
New Zealand, Finland, Ireland and Australia are the most efficient producers of top universities, according to a University World News analysis of the latest THE-QS ranking of the world's top 500 universities.
CHINA: Record numbers studying abroad
Jane Marshall
The number of students from China enrolling for the first time at universities in other countries is estimated to reach a record 200,000 this year compared with 144,500 who went abroad in 2007. That latter number represented a 170-fold increase on the 860 students who opted to go offshore 30 years ago. Since then, more than 1.2 million students have left China to study abroad although only 320,000 returned home after completing their studies.

US: New clearing house for ranking systems
The Institute for Higher Education Policy in the United States has launched an online global resource centre pulling together information on university rankings systems worldwide. The IHEP Ranking Systems Clearinghouse, it says, "provides a road map of the complex ranking landscape for more than 30 countries", and includes links to national and international rankings systems and a collection of thousands of rankings-related publications.

GERMANY: Chinese Minister awarded doctorate
Mike Gardner
China's Minister of Science and technology, Professor Wan Gang, has been awarded the title of an Honorary Doctor by Berlin's Technical University. Wan Gang, who was President of Shanghai's Tongji University from 2004-07, has played a leading role in the development of environmentally friendly cars in China.

UK: Commonwealth scholarships restored
Commonwealth scholarships will be available to students in all Commonwealth countries to study in Britain next year. This follows a new partnership between British universities and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills after a cut in funding by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in March meant that students in more developed Commonwealth countries would have been no longer be eligible to apply for the scholarships.


Fight or flight Universities tried to stop further education colleges gaining the power to award foundation degrees. Hannah Fearn reports on the tension between the two sectors and asks whether their formerly close relationship will be ruined by a fight...


Why No Academic Freedom For Adjuncts steven bell
Although the use of adjuncts has increased, one thing remains the same: Adjuncts are still treated like stepchildren and orphans on their campuses. But the one insult that an increasing number of adjuncts across the nation cannot abide is the continued lack of academic freedom. Based on my personal experiences and based on reports of recent trends, adjuncts increasingly are being fired and not being rehired because administrators do not like catching flak for what their part-timers say in the classroom.

What's in a (domain) name?

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