New information released by SARB

The press release by the Registrar of Banks regarding the 2007 Annual Report of the Bank Supervision was released yesterday.

Highlights of the report involve five key messages:

1. Financial-sector regulators and market commentators are again, as in previous years, questioning the appropriateness of banking institutions’ incentive schemes.
2. The turmoil caused by the sub-prime mortgage market was a major development in financial markets during 2007. The Department requested a selection of South African banks to provide detailed reports on their exposure to the prevailing risks. The findings were that South African banks were not impacted directly, but indirect effects were observable.
3. The Department, in close co-operation with the Financial Intelligence Centre, continued to monitor banking institutions’ compliance with anti-money laundering and the combating of the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) legislation. Furthermore, the Department prepared for the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering’s (FATF) planned mutual evaluation of South Africa in 2008.
4. The process followed in implementing Basel II was a major exercise undertaken over several years. Prior to taking the decision to implement Basel II, the Department considered a range of preconditions that would facilitate the process. This process was characterised by its broad consultative approach; several quantitative impact studies and field tests; amendments to the regulatory and supervisory frameworks; and regular interaction with all South African banking institutions, since Basel II was to be implemented by all banks on 1 January 2008.
5. In 2007 regulatory approval was granted for the acquisition of a material shareholding in one of South Africa’s largest banking groups namely, Standard Bank Group Limited (the SBG), a bank controlling company, by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).
   

Other releases include:

1. Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
2. International economic data
3. Money and banking
4. Banks and mutual banks
5. Capital market
6. Economic indicators (seasonally adjusted)

Book Exhibition at APB/SWC

You are cordially invited to the 2008 Faculty of Management and Faculty of Economic & Financial Sciences Book Exhibition organised by the Library and Information Centre to be held on the Bunting Road and Soweto Campuses. The exhibition, which will offer a wide range of new publications in your specific academic field from various book suppliers, will provide you with an exciting opportunity to select and browse through new books to fill gaps and to develop your subject collection.

Date: 20 August APB
Venue: APB Library
Enquires: Goitsemang Ncongwane (Exhibition arrangements and order cards)
goitsemangn@uj.ac.za .
Tel.: X1381
Mpho Maroo
(Ordering and invoicing details)
mmaroo@uj.ac.za. Tel.: X2180

Date: 21 August SWC
Venue: Conference Hall foyer
Enquires: Fikiswa Mgengo (Exhibition arrangements and order cards)
fikiswam@uj.ac.za.
Tel.: X5668
Mpho Maroo (Ordering and invoicing details)
mmaroo@uj.ac.za.
Tel.: X2180

If your departmental funds have been depleted a written motivation to request additional funding should be sent to the respective Dean. (Most of the APK departments have spent large (80%+) parts of their budgets)

Spotlight on China

With the 2008 Olympics looming, the global eye has turned on China economically, sociologically and politically. Wiley-Blackwell would like to present a selection of key articles (please remember to check on the A-Z list if we have the journal the article was published in) from their premier list of Business and Management journals, with a spotlight on China and Chinese Authors.

Here are a few:

• Collective Consultation and Industrial Relations in China Simon Clarke, Chang-Hee Lee, Qi Li(British Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 42, Issue 2)
• Acquisitions of Chinese State-Owned Enterprises by Multinational Corporations: Driving Forces, Barriers and Implications for HRM Fang Lee Cooke(British Journal of Management, Volume 17, Supplement 1)
• Corporate Governance in China?Is Economic Growth Potential Hindered by Guanxi? Udo C. Braendle, Tanja Gasser, Juergen Noll (Business and Society Review, Volume 110, Issue 4)
• Going Public with Good Governance: evidence from China Larry Li, Tony Naughton(Corporate Governance, Volume 15, Issue 6)
• Managing Risk in a Transitional Environment: An Exploratory Study of Control and Incentive Mechanisms of Venture Capital Firms in China Justin Tan, Wei Zhang, Jun Xia(Journal of Small Business Management, Volume 46, Issue 2)

New Releases from Wiley

Wiley has just released their July the Corporate Finance, Accounting and Auditing catalogue which includes their new titles in:

• financial reporting
• corporate finance
• valuation
• M&A
• management accounting
• risk and corporate governance
• corporate governance, financial regulation and compliance
• auditing

Here is a screen shot of the Table of Contents (click on it to make it bigger):

Research Skills needed in 2008

ELearn had an interesting interview with Jane John, past president of the Association of Independent Information Professionals and founder of On Point Research, tells on how online instructors and students can be more successful at finding information online.

What are the skills one uses to do research?
The top skills needed to conduct good research are an ability to think broadly in order to frame the research goals, and an awareness of the many information sources, both free and paid, that might match those goals. The skills used by independent information professionals—people making a business by doing research for hire—are marketing and business skills, not only the basic research and information skills.

What research skills do you believe students need to be successful?
Probably the most critical research skill for students to develop is the ability to evaluate the information they find online. There is so much information available that a student can retrieve doing a basic keyword search on a Web browser or in a library catalog. But while some of it is highly accurate and high quality, other information can be incorrect, partial, or old.


If it is statistical data, does it come from a reputable publisher or organization? Is it from the original source, or has it just been repeated and "passed off" as new? Are the views and opinions expressed in a report balanced—or does the writing present just one side of an issue? How recent is the information? As students go deeper into researching a topic, they also need to cultivate the skill of also seeing the big picture-synthesizing disparate trends or data, bringing in observations from other fields.

What research skills to you believe teachers need to be successful?
I tell my business clients to spend as much time on framing their question as they do on seeking the answer. (this is so true, the clearer you are in your mind on what you need, the easier it is for me to help you. svdw) Before jumping on the Web and punching keywords into Google or Yahoo, think carefully about why you want to find certain information, who else has a reason to want the same answers, and what you will do with the information you find.
Do you need historical information, the current state of affairs, or forecasts for the future? Do you need a scientific approach or a persuasive political view? How accurate does the information need to be? Is a major business decision or the ability to patent a new process dependent on the answer, or will a general idea be adequate?

How PC are you?

According to a study The Social and Political Views of American Professors,” released in 2007 51.2% of Economics professors at US universities are politically incorrect, Accounting is slightly better with 40% of their professors not toeing the PC line, but Finance is the worst with a whopping 34.3% of professors surveyed being un-PC.
2,958 professors were surveyed regarding a wide range of social and political attitudes and views of the university, as well as a full complement of sociodemographic questions.

Here is what Inside Higher Ed had to say:

"The new study was produced by Solon Simmons, co-author of last year’s report and an assistant professor of conflict analysis and resolution at George Mason.

The first thing that Simmons does in the study with the database — which covers a range of disciplines and institution types — is to identify a politically correct cohort, reflecting largely common views on a set of issues that are seen as defining political correctness. He finds a set of issues that produce this cohort.

The views are the belief that gender gaps in math and science fields are largely due to discrimination; support for affirmative action; and belief that discrimination is a key cause of racial inequities in American society. Generally, members of this cohort see race and gender as fundamental — and share that belief much more than beliefs about the curriculum or scholarship, such that the study says that “multiculturalism trumps postmodernism.”In an interview, Simmons acknowledged that many people use “politically correct” to imply more than just shared political beliefs, but also an intolerance of other views.

He said that his definition did not attempt to group people together beyond their shared political beliefs.Then Simmons analyzes disciplines, and finds sharp differences — largely consistent with previous studies about disciplines and political leanings. Humanities and social science fields tend to have higher politically correct rankings, while professional and science disciplines do not."

Download a song, download a textbook?

Students in the USA are getting fed up with the high prices of college/university textbooks. Their Gen Y solution?

Scan the textbook and make it available to everyone freely on The Pirate Bay (a websites which distributes unlicensed copies of copyrighted material) . Students call it liberation - publishers (and others) call it stealing. For more on the story click here .

University news from Africa

AFRICA: New initiative to boost science Three networks of universities in sub-Saharan Africa have been named as the first to benefit from a new partnership initiative to build scientific capacity in Africa. The Regional Initiative in Science and Education, RISE, will provide grants - each worth $800,000 - over two-and-a-half years to the three networks which are based in South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania but also involve universities in eight African countries.

ALGERIA: More universities, more freshers, fewer teachers As Algeria completes a five-year university expansion plan, more than half the candidates who took the baccalauréat this summer passed the examination which entitles them to a place in higher education.

BURKINA FASO: Student hardship after housing closed Students in Ouagadougou faced severe hardship following sudden eviction from their halls of residence and closure of canteens at the end of June, reported L'Observateur Paalga and Le Pays of Ouagadougou. Dangers to which they were exposed included criminal attack, disease, hunger, rain and being forced into prostitution.

CÔTE D'IVOIRE: Bouaké teachers work to rule Teachers at the University of Bouaké have gone ahead with their decision to work to rule, and are demanding back payments owed to them since 2006-07 before they will resume extra teaching duties, reported Notre Voie of Abidjan (see "Academics feeling the pinch" , University World News, 6 July 2008).

SENEGAL: Minister promises university increased funds Moustapha Sourang, the new Minister for Higher Education, visited the University of Ziguinchor this month with promises of substantially increased funding - but found himself greeted by the boos of protesting students, according to several sources. Meanwhile, three of Dakar's higher education institutions have signed an agreement to harmonise research and develop teacher exchanges.

University news from the West

Here is a quick snapshot of university news from around the US, UK and Europe:



THE PROFS THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'
Will the retirement of aging baby boomers usher in an era of moderate politics on campus?
ALREADY GONE
Sick of mediocre students and feeling stuck on the job, a professor turns to music to self-medicate.
WE'RE NOT YOUR NEW COLLEAGUES
Why adjunct faculty members don't feel they are part of their academic departments.
UNDISCIPLINED
The trend of teaching masters of Western thought, like Freud, Hegel, and Marx, outside their home disciplines represents a flight from history, writes Russell Jacoby.
STUDENTS UNDER WATCH
Online-education institutions are trying new technologies to ensure that the people enrolled in their courses are the ones doing the work.
BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE
In online education, students and professors can lose important connections to each other, writes Suzanne M. Kelly.
WHAT THEY'RE READING ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES:
A list of the best-selling books.
SHIFTING SANDS IN THE MIDDLE EAST Two campuses in the United Arab Emirates, one successful and one not, offer examples and warnings to American institutions on setting up branches abroad.


I can help you change your life
No, not the claim of many a self-help guru, but increasingly the mantra of modern academics. Matthew Reisz finds out why they are dipping their toes in the genre, despite its lack of scholarly kudos
After the gold rush
Ireland's economic boom brought equally impressive growth in higher education enrolment. But in a chillier fiscal climate, what awaits the Celtic Tiger's universities? Hannah Fearn reports
Wondrousgames of logic
Mathematician Robin Wilson's enthusiasm for Lewis Carroll stems from a shared delight in the brain-teasing and magical world of numbers. Matthew Reisz reports


GLOBAL: Future of higher education research /Diane Spencer
Higher education around the world has expanded massively in recent decades so that its character and performance have significant implications for all members of society, not only economically but for social cohesion, equity, mobility and integration, says a new report by the European Science Foundation . The report says more needs to be known about how universities and other higher education institutions are changing in the 21st century. It says that expansion of the sector has implications locally, nationally and globally, as well as how it shapes the lives of individual citizens.
EUROPE: Higher education's global role / Alan Osborn
As a demonstration of how the top higher education people from across the world can meet, debate, agree and disagree without ever losing sight of their common goals as academic leaders, you would find it hard to better the four-yearly conference of the UNESCO-based International Association of Universities .
EUROPE: First Mediterranean university launched / Keith Nuthall
A new Euro-Mediterranean University based in Slovenia has been launched with higher education courses that will focus on issues of importance to European, African and Levantine countries bordering the sea. Creation of the new institution was part of a joint declaration issued by heads of state and government from 43 countries at a Paris summit establishing a Mediterranean Union organisation.
EUROPE: Raising education standards / Alan Osborn
The 27 EU member states will have to speed up their educational progress if they are to meet a range of self-imposed targets deemed necessary if the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs is to be successful by 2010. A report by the European Commission* acknowledges that progress has been made in five key areas (though not in low achievement in reading) and that long-term reform processes have been launched. "Although progress towards... targets is slow, it is mostly going in the right direction," said Ján Figel, Commissioner for Education. "But much work still needs to be done," he warned
EUROPE: Forum calls for easier technology transfer/ Rebecca Warden
Europe must get serious about technology transfer. This was one of the conclusions of From the lab to the market, a special programme looking for ways to bridge the gap between industry and academia at the EuroScience Open Forum in Barcelona from 18 to 22 July (www.esof2008.org). Researchers, heads of university technology transfer offices and R&D managers from industry discussed what changes universities needed to make to ease the pathway from the laboratory to the marketplace.
FRANCE: More super-campuses announced / Jane Marshall
Valérie Pécresse, Minister for Higher Education and Research, has announced the four remaining locations for Operation Campus - a plan aimed at making French universities internationally competitive through substantially increased funding for a selected few. While Paris was conspicuously absent among the first six projects chosen at the end of May, three of the four new campuses will be situated in the capital or the surrounding Ile-de-France region. But a decision has been postponed on which of two inner Paris proposals will go ahead.
FRANCE: Big budget increases - and big job cuts / Jane Marshall
Academics and researchers reacted with alarm to an announcement by French Higher Education and Research Minister Valérie Pécresse that their institutions faced significant losses of tenured posts next year. They accused the government of endangering French research by replacing permanent jobs with short-term contracts, and of striking "heavy blows" against scientific employment.
AUSTRALIA: International quality assurance / David Woodhouse
As universities around the world internationalise their curricula and their research links, or offer courses abroad or enrol foreign students, these activities should be subject to internal quality assurance. By the same token, external quality assurance agencies must be able to assess the nature and effect of these internal processes. This is the "QA of internationalisation".

EIU online survey

The EIU is conducting an online survey regarding Operating in emerging markets.

Emerging markets are well recognised as a major source of new business growth for many companies. However, less is known about how companies actually operate in these markets. What are the key factors for success in these markets? How have firms handled their pricing and talent strategies? What do they look for when seeking to collaborate with another firm?

This survey, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by BT, seeks to answer these and many other questions, focusing specifically on the top three markets within each major emerging market region of the world, based on forecast FDI inflows over 2008–2012. These are intended to represent the major emerging markets that multinational companies are currently operating in, or planning to enter soon.
To access the survey, click here.

To show their appreciation, all respondents will receive a free copy of the survey results and the choice of a gift book: Emerging markets, Pocket world in figures 2008, or Going Dutch in Beijing from Profile Books.

University News from Africa

NIGERIA: Nearly 300,000 denied university places /Tunde Fatunde

More than a million N igerian youngsters wrote qualifying tests conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, hoping to clinch a university place. But universities can accept only 153,000 out of 448,000 successful candidates, meaning that 295,000 qualified would-be students will be denied admission to higher education when the 2008-09 academic year begins in October.Full report on the University World News site

ZIMBABWE: Students look east /Clemence Manyukwe

Zimbabwean students are turning to Asian universities following Australia’s decision to deport eight youngsters whose fathers are accused of propping up the government of President Robert Mugabe – and more students might yet be deported. The United States has also said five students involved in “anti-democratic” activities would be deported, but has not said when or given their names. Unlike in the past, local papers are now awash with advertisements offering students places at Asian universities, mostly in Malaysia.Full report on the University World News site

Student faces death for alleged coup plot /Clemence Manyukwe
A University of Zimbabwe student appeared in the Harare High Court last week on charges of plotting a coup against the government of long-time ruler President Robert Mugabe. Rangarirai Mazirofa, 21, a second year agriculture student, was arrested in May last year with six other men for allegedly plotting to assassinate the ageing despot with the help of the security forces. He has been tortured in prison. The men all face a death sentence.Full report on the University World News site

MOZAMBIQUE: New research institutions planned / Charles MangwiroMozambique is planning to increase the number of scientific institutions as part of a strategic bid to enable better use of trained staff and to fight grinding poverty currently affecting half of its 20 million people. The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Heath have formalised a five-year memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting science and technology research. Full report on the University World News site

EGYPT: Research plagued by plagiarism / Ashraf Khaled

Mohamed Abdel Moneim, a lecturer in the faculty of commerce at the southern Egyptian University of Beni Sueif, was shocked when he came across a book carrying the name of a fellow lecturer – it had the same title as a book he had authored dealing with purchase and warehouse management. “That was not all. The alleged author had plagiarised a large chunk of my book,” Moneim recalls. His case was one of many instances of plagiarism that have been uncovered in recent years, and which experts say have come to plague research in Egypt.Full report on the University World News site

World Trade Report 2008 - Trade in a Globalizing World

The World Trade Organisation released the World Trade Report 2008 last week.

The theme of this year's Report is “Trade in a Globalizing World”. The Report provides a reminder of what we know about the gains from international trade and highlights the challenges arising from higher levels of integration.

It addresses a range of interlinking questions, starting with a consideration of what constitutes globalization, what drives it, what benefits does it bring, what challenges does it pose and what role does trade play in this world of ever-growing inter-dependency.

The Report asks why some countries have managed to take advantage of falling trade costs and greater policy-driven trading opportunities while others have remained largely outside international commercial relations.

It also considers who the winners and losers are from trade and what complementary action is needed from policy-makers to secure the benefits of trade for society at large.

In examining these complex and multi-faceted questions, the Report reviews both the theoretical gains from trade and empirical evidence that can help to answer these questions.

OECD report on South Africa released

The OECD’s first Economic Assessment of South Africa has been released on Tuesday 15 July and it looks at the reforms needed to create jobs, tackle poverty and allow growth to catch up with the most dynamic emerging economies.

Unfortunately UJ is not subscribed to the OECD databases, however A Policy Brief with the main conclusions of the survey is freely accessible in pdf format (in English and French) on the OECD’s web.

Here are some of the highlights of the Economic Assessment of SA:

Chapter 1: Achieving Accelerated and Shared Growth for South Africa
This Chapter presents an assessment of South Africa’s development strategy, the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA).

Chapter 2: Reforming goods and services markets in South Africa
This chapter examines the potential role of competition policy in enhancing long-term productivity growth in South Africa. It also investigates the role of regulatory and institutional reform in reducing barriers to entry, exit and growth. More precisely, it uses the OECD's methodology to calculate an indicator of Product Market Regulation (PMR) to assess the degree to which government regulation in markets for goods and services promotes or inhibits competition.

Chapter 3: Realising South Africa's employment potential
Unemployment in South Africa is extremely high and very unevenly distributed, being concentrated among young less-skilled blacks. The sharp increase in unemployment in the 1990s was driven by a surge in the supply of less-skilled labour, accompanied by a failure of labour demand to keep pace. Growth of the working-age population and the release of pent-up pressures for labour force participation in the majority black population explain the big increase in the supply of less-skilled labour, while negative demand shocks in labour-intensive sectors were an important factor in the slow growth of demand. The combination of these factors means that market-clearing would have required a substantial fall in real wages in the decade after 1994, especially for less-skilled workers.

Earlier in the year the OECD has also released their African Economic Outlook 2008 report which focuses on Technical Skills Development. It also presents a comprehensive analysis of the economic, social and political developments on the continent.

New issues in SAePublications

The new issue of TaxTalk (Issue 10) is available in SAePublications

1.Readers' forum Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 3
2.The tax implications of getting divorced Authors: Simpson, Mandy; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 4
3.Seize & forfeiture Authors: Van Dyk, Johan; Wessels, Rooth; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 6-7
4.Small Claims Courts - how do they work? Authors: Delbridge, Clive; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 8-9
5.Summaries of the interviews broadcast on Summit TV. Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 10
6.First National Tax Conference held in Midrand : SAIT news Authors: Klue, Stiaan; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 11
7.Expatriate benefits taxed Authors: Arendse, Jackie; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 12-13
8.Why SARS won't pay your travel allowance Authors: Krause, Steve; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 16-17
9. Capital reconciliation : the deadly weapon of Revenue Services Authors: Van Deventer, Hennie; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 18
10.Plan and strategise now for hassle-free year-ends Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 26
11.PAYE and the non-executive director Authors: Seegers, Gerald; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 28-29
12.VAT registration made easy : focus on SARS Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 30
13.Inbound investments in Germany : consequences of the 2008 business tax reform : part 1 Authors: Waniek, Felix; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 32-33
14.Proposed Tax Practitioners' Bill : an enhanced relationship with SARS or a pressure to spy? Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 34
15.Jokes aside - the legendary wit of counsel and the bench Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 36

StatsSA's reply on Investec allegations

VS

A storm is brewing between StatsSA and Investec regarding the interest rates & CPI:

"Investec Asset Management, South Africa's second-biggest private money manager, said yesterday [July 15]the May inflation rate of 10.9 percent is overstated by 2.2 percentage points because the statistics office delayed reweighting product categories in the consumer price index by two years. The office today denied that it delayed the process, adding that updating the index had taken longer than in previous years because it was being cautious." Bloomberg Africa

It didn't take StatsSA long to reply to the allegations:

"Recent press reports based on an analysis of consumer price inflation by Investec Asset Management suggest an error in the calculation of the CPI, resulting in an overstatement of the annual inflation rate.

The difference between Stats SA’s official inflation rate and Investec’s estimates arises from the reweighting and rebasing of the CPI to be implemented in 2009. It is important to note that there is no error in Stats SA’s CPI calculations. Any difference in the rate of inflation given the old and new weights is not the result of errors but of a careful and logical process of keeping up with current changes in the economy as far as practically possible.

Reweighting and rebasing in many advanced economies take place with intervals of 3 to 10 years.

In most cases, South Africa included, base-period weights are used in the CPI, which implies that the weights always refer to a previous period and inevitably introduce a measure of bias. While no CPI is free of biases, Stats SA strives to minimise such biases."

Read the whole reply here

Higher Education News

Here is a brief snapshot of HE news from around the world:



Short Subjects
KNOCKOUT POETRY In Japan, a scholar of communications, in the hope of getting people to talk with one another, holds "boxing" competitions in which the blows are thrown verbally, in verse.
THIS PROF GETS GOOD MILEAGE: Among the vehicles in Grand Theft Auto IV is a car called the Karin Dilettante, apparently named for a psychology professor who has been critical of video-game violence.
SOMETHING AFOOT: Police investigators in Canada have turned to academe for help in solving the mystery of five human feet, clad in running shoes, that have washed ashore in the past year.

The Faculty
A LINGERING INFECTION Federal charges against a professor who uses bacteria in his artwork have been dismissed, but he and his colleagues warn that the episode may have a chilling effect on academic and aesthetic freedom.
YOUR FIRST REAL TASTE OF ACADEMIC CULTURE No better preparation for the tenure track exists than a graduate assistantship; here's how to make the most of it.
HOW NOT TO EVALUATE YOUR DEPARTMENT HEAD Go ahead, submit a long, gossipy rant against your chairman, but prepare to be ignored.

Information Technology
SPINNING A NEW WEB
A nationwide effort to redesign the Internet will now involve economists and social scientists in hopes of designing a more adaptable network

International
IN AFRICA, FOR THE LONG TERM Groups of American colleges and foundations strive to create lasting partnerships with universities in African countries.
KNOCKOUT POETRY In Japan, a scholar of communications, in the hope of getting people to talk with one another, holds "boxing" competitions in which the blows are thrown verbally, in verse.
ONE-WAY TRAFFIC: The U.S. ambassador to India has criticized what he sees as a trade imbalance in higher education between the two countries.

More

National power generators The Scottish Government is eager for universities to lead the nation to renewed prosperity and, ultimately, independence. Tariq Tahir asks if the sector is up to the challenge and what its response could mean for the rest of the UK

One tongue, very tied In decades of linguinsania, Deirdre McCloskey has tried to learn a second language - everything from French, Greek and Latin to German, Scots Gaelic and Sanskrit - with no success. But she's still not resigned to monolingualism

Public face of a private faith Mona Siddiqui, one of the UK's leading commentators on Islam, is driven by intellectual curiosity, religious belief and a desire to engage. Hannah Fearn writes

Working with PowerPoint Lecture and conference talks can be enhanced by PowerPoint , but unless it is used with thought it can overwhelm your audience.

Ethical issues in research Avoid delays to your research project by providing your institution’s ethics committee with enough information to properly assess your undertaking

Spending research grants wisely Getting the most from your research grant with the help of the procurement department

Make a video of your screen

Daniel Socco from DailyBlogTips recently posted some information on free open source software you can use to make a video of your screen. It's the free version of CamStudio and here is what you can do with it:

- You can use it to create demonstration videos for any software program
- Or how about creating a set of videos answering your most frequently asked questions?
- You can create video tutorials for your classes or training
- You can use it to record a recurring problem with your computer so you can show technical - support people
- You can use it to create video-based information products you can sell
- You can even use it to record new tricks and techniques you discover on your favourite software program, before you forget them

I have not had time to download and play around with CamStudio, but seems to be quite promising and I can already see the use of it with regards to my training session, perhaps it will be useful to you?

Everything you need to know about Business Education under one roof

On Wednesday 3rd September 2008, leading business schools and affiliated institutions from across the country will converge at the annual SABSA Business School Expo in Sandton, Johannesburg. For managers, executives and entrepreneurs aspiring to get ahead, and companies wanting to invest in their human capital, this represents an ideal platform to accelerate leadership, management, career and business development.

Why Attend?

Apart from the various MBA and Executive Education programmes that are available nationally, the business schools will be presenting a number of short courses, bursaries, scholarships, competitions, giveaways, value offerings, career initiatives... the list goes on.

Business Schools: Meet with faculty, admissions staff and alumni from across the country at one venue, on one day
Explore: Everything you need to know about MBA programmes, executive education and short courses
Funding: Find out about bursaries, scholarships and funding options
Prizes & Giveaways: Over R200 000 worth of business school prizes and giveaways up for grabs
Value Offerings: Business school value offerings available to both individuals and companies.

Register

In order to gain free entrance to the SABSA Business School Expo, register online . Alternatively, pay R50 when registering at the event.

Venue: Sandton Sun
Date: Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Times: 12h00 to 20h00

Call for papers - SAAIR

The Southern African Association for Institutional Research is awaiting papers on the following theme:

Institutional Research responding to the changing Higher Education Environment

Presenters are encouraged to make use of the Forum 2008 section of the SAAIR website for submission of abstracts and outlines. You can also use circular 2008-346 on the UJ Intranet for more detailed information.

Format for abstract:

English only

A maximum of 150 words

No illustrations, graphs or references to be included.
This should be pasted into the"Abstract" text box for web submissions

Format for outline:
Please submit your outline as a document in the following format:

Type of presentation

Title of presentation

Text (500-600 words)
This should be submitted as a separate document for web submissions. Do not add the author’s name or any other identifying information to the outline.

Submission due date: 30 July 2008.

E-mail the documents as file attachments to Ms Carin Strydom . Alternatively, fax the documents to Ms Strydom, at +27 12 429 2295.

Presenters will be notified by 15 August 2008 of acceptance of proposals.

Enjoy teaching those classes!

Things are happening at StatsSA!

Website facelift
StatsSA have revamped their website recently to reduce the clutter and make it easier for you to find information.

Main changes were made to the Find Statistics section, left menu bar and News section .

Find Statistics
The Find Statistics section has been tidied up by moving the keyword search function to the left menu bar and they have added links to Census 2011 information and the Community Survey data.

Left Menu bar
The keyword search function has been moved here and a new link has been added: Major Project Subsites. This button links to all the special projects that have mini-sites. These sites may also be accessed through the Events calendar under Recent events.

News Section
A Current Events section has been included with News. When an event or current project has passed, these links will be moved to the Major Projects Subsites section or to Recent events under the Events calendar.

I like this cleaner version of StatsSA's website and (hopefully) it will be easier to navigate and find information.

Census 2011
StatsSA is also busy with preparation for Census 2011 and has released a survey where members of the public can suggest questions to be added as well as the level of geography that the census should cover.The contributors’ details will be kept confidential and no person’s identity will be released.

Launch of the new Labour Force Survey
As of August 2008 the LFS will be released quarterly, instead of six-monthly.
QLFS results for the first and second quarters of 2008 will be published on 28 August 2008.

The historical continuity with previously published labour market results will be facilitated. At the August 28th launch, Stats SA will also publish revised key labour market indicators for previous March surveys as far back as the year 2000. These indicators will be based on link factors computed using the QLFS first quarter results (January to March 2008) and the LFS conducted in parallel in March 2008.

Wiley's Finance & Investment Catalogue 2008

Wiley has released their Finance & Investment Catalogue 2008 and it includes everything from quantitative to derivative finance, bear to bull markets and the commodity to credit crunches... They also offer a 30% discount when you quote this promotion code: V9028

The titles are divided into:

Quantitative Finance

Risk

Alternative Investment

Investment Management

Banking

Actuarial Science

General & Introductory Finance

and here is the table of contents: (click on the image to enlarge it)

Find blogs on a specific topic: Trendpedia

Trendpedia finds trends in social media. You choose the topics, enter the keywords, and click “Search Trend”.

Trendpedia finds the articles online that talk about your topics. It organizes the articles in a trendline that shows the popularity of the topic over time — you can track a topic’s trendline from three months ago up to today. Click on the trendlines to find the articles about your topic posted on the date of choice.
Example: Risk Management vs Project Management or track a single subject: Socially Responsible Investments

SARB new publications/information

The SARB has published the following information:

1. Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
Data in this template cover the short-term foreign currency assets of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and of the Central Government of South Africa. A wider definition was used up to December 2005.

2. Release of Selected Monthly Data: Money and banking

3. Gross External Debt First Quarter 2008

4. Press statement issued by Mr TT Mboweni, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, at the launch of the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Coin.

New journals in SAePublications

During the recess SAePublications have not been idle. Here are some of the new issues available:

1. BER : Wholesale Sector Survey Quarterly analysis of consumer activity and trends in the retail, wholesale and motor trade - Wholesale sector survey : second quarter Authors: University of Stellenbosch. Bureau for Economic Research.; Published: 2008,Vol 23, Issue 2, Pages: 33 p.

2. BER : Economic Prospects : Full Survey Economic activity expected during 2008 and 2009 - Full survey : second quarter 2008 Authors: University of Stellenbosch. Bureau for Economic Research.; Published: 2008, Vol 23, Issue 2, Pages: 49 p. Notes: This pdf, as supplied by the publisher, is unfortunately not searchable.

3. IMFO : Official Journal of the Institute of Municipal Finance Officers Vol 8, Issue 4 (Winter 2008)

4. SA Mercantile Law Journal = SA Tydskrif vir Handelsreg Vol 20, Issue 1 (2008)

5. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol 21, Issue 4 (2007)

6. Bulletin of Statistics Vol 42, Issue 2 (June 2008)

7. Tax Breaks Newsletter Issue 270 (July 2008)

8. Acta Academica Vol 40, Issue 1 (2008)

9. African Finance Journal Vol 10, Issue 1 (2008)

International Insurance Fact Book 2008-2009

In response to the globalization of the insurance business and the need for readily available data on world insurance, the Insurance Information Institute (III) produces a Fact Book for international insurance statistics.
The information included, which covers 89 countries, comes from a variety of sources and III have attempted to standardize the information as much as possible.The updated book is presented each year at the annual seminar of the International Insurance Society.

The Fact book includes:
A World Overview

World Rankings

Country Profiles

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to the rat race!

I trust this will be a fruitfull (if hectic) semester for you and remember it's only 7 more weeks and then it is Spring break!