Jobs are going Green

Image: spekulator

There is a very strong movement growing worldwide for Green Jobs, or the Green Economy.

Recently the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Australian Conservation Foundation released a report, Green Gold Rush , on the possibilities for Green jobs.

Based on an analysis of 30 key industries, the report concludes that Australian is very well placed to develop hundreds of thousands of green jobs by 2030. Areas that would generate lots of work, and money, include renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable water systems, biomaterials which include biodegradable packaging and plastics, bio-based chemicals, metallurgical and fossil fuel product substitutes, green buildings, waste and recycling.

With the right policy settings, six market sectors currently valued at $US15.5 billion and employing 112,000 people could grow by 2030 to a value of $243 billion and 847,000 jobs.

Forbes also released a report on the Six-figure Green Jobs in the USA, according to CFO.com jobs will appear that never existed before, and according to an EU-commissioned study, the global economy is losing more money from the disappearance of forests than through the current banking crisis.

If you are looking for academic articles on the Green Economy, use EbscoHost's GreenFile - it has a collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more.

The financial crises and the BRICs

Image: sundstrom

As the financial crisis continues to roil credit and stock markets around the globe, it seems that no country or continent is being spared the consequences.
Brazil, Russia, India and China--the BRIC countries--are no exception.

In a recent Knowledge@Wharton podcast on the Forbes website, Shiv Khemka, vice chairman of Sun Group, based in London, New Delhi and Moscow; Silas K.F. Chou, president and CEO of Novel Holdings, based in Hong Kong; and Odemiro Fonseca, founder of Viena Rio Restaurantes in Rio de Janeiro, discuss their countries' response to the crisis, its impact on specific sectors, the decoupling hypothesis and the dangers of protectionism, among other topics.

The edited transcript of the conversation is available here.

CPIX slows down a bit

The headline inflation rate at September 2008 (i.e. the Consumer Price Index for the historical metropolitan areas at September 2008 compared with that at September 2007) was 13,1%.

The official inflation rate (i.e. the percentage change in the CPI for the historical metropolitan areas at September 2008 compared with that at September 2007) was 13,1% at September 2008. This rate was 0,6 of a percentage point lower than the corresponding annual rate of 13,7% at August 2008 (i.e. the percentage change in the CPI for the historical metropolitan areas at August 2008 compared with that at August 2007).

From August 2008 to September 2008 the Consumer Price Index for the historical metropolitan areas increased by 0,2%.

The annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index excluding interest rates on mortgage bonds (CPIX) for the historical metropolitan and other urban areas was 13,0% at September 2008 (i.e. the CPIX at September 2008 compared with that at September 2007)

The annual percentage change in the CPIX, which is the Consumer Price Index excluding interest rates on mortgage bonds, for the historical metropolitan and other urban areas was 13,0% at September 2008 (i.e. the CPIX at September 2008 compared with that at September 2007).
This rate was 0,6 of a percentage point lower than the corresponding annual rate of 13,6% at August 2008.

From August 2008 to September 2008 the CPIX for the historical metropolitan and other urban areas increased by 0,1%.

Headline CPI September 2008 = 13,1%
CPIX September 2008 = 13,0%

OECD papers released

The OECD's Economic department has released two papers:

• One on the adjustment of labour markets and tax reforms

This paper examines the nature and the length of economic adjustments to selected structural reforms, drawing on a variety of approaches: descriptive analysis and simulations using Dynamic General Equilibrium and macro-economic neo-Keynesian models.

• The second on the Short-term distributional effects of structural reforms: selected simulations in a DGSE framework

This paper examines the short-term distributional effects of a number of tax and labour market reforms in the euro area, drawing on simulations using a micro-founded dynamic general equilibrium model.

New IMF releases

Policy Papers

Nepal - Assessment Letter for the Asian Development Bank
Summary: Assessment Letters or Statements may be prepared for member countries with Fund-supported programs; receiving Fund emergency assistance; with staff-monitored programs; or surveillance-only cases. They are typically produced for use by the country with multilateral or bilateral donors or creditors, in particular the World Bank and other International Financial Institutions.

Staff Guidance Note on the Application of the Joint Fund-Bank Debt Sustainability Framework for Low-Income Countries
Summary: The objective of the joint Fund-Bank debt sustainability framework for low-income countries is to support LICs in their efforts to achieve their development goals without creating future debt problems. Countries that have received debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) need to be kept on a sustainable track. Under the framework, country DSAs are prepared jointly by Bank and Fund staff, with close collaboration between the two staffs on the design of the macroeconomic baseline, alternative scenarios, the debt distress rating, and the drafting of the write-up.

Surveys

Middle East, Central Asian Growth Set to Remain High
The Middle East and Central Asia (MCD) has continued to see strong growth in 2008, outpacing global growth for the ninth year in a row, the IMF says in its latest regional economic outlook.

Constructing a New European Financial Stability Framework
Europe must be better prepared to deal with bank failures and should use the current crisis as an opportunity to focus on the European Union's financial stability arrangements, a senior IMF official told a conference in Frankfurt.

Financial Crisis Takes Harsh Toll on Europe
A confluence of multiple adverse shocks has depressed economic activity in Europe. Gradual recovery is expected late next year, the IMF says in its latest regional outlook. Restoring financial stability is the main policy priority, requiring a comprehensive and coherent global approach.

High Food, Fuel Prices a Threat Where Protection Limited
Inflation has been rising in the Pacific Islands on the back of strong increases in commodity prices. Although commodity prices have declined from recent peaks, food and fuel prices remain a concern in the islands as most have only limited social protection systems.

Putting Georgia on a Path to Recovery
In an interview, Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze of Georgia talks about the impact of the recent armed conflict, the need for financial support, and how his country must continue the reforms that transformed Georgia's economy.

Developing Countries Need Strategy to Face Global Crisis Impact
Low-income countries should position themselves to respond to ripple effects from the global financial crisis, developing country ministers said during the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings. They urged donors to fulfill aid commitments and pledged steps to improve their economies on their own.

IMF in Talks on Loans to Countries Hit by Financial Crisis
The IMF, which has announced its readiness to lend billions of dollars to support nations hit by fallout from the global financial turmoil, is holding talks with several countries about possible new lending programs, as well as advising governments how to react to the economic downturn.

Some Climate Policies Worsen Food Problems, Panelists Say
Commitments by advanced industrial countries to reduce carbon emissions through alternative fuels development, while well meaning, have exacerbated the food crisis and contributed to worldwide water shortages, seminars held during the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings are told.

IMF and Iceland Outline $2.1 billion Loan Plan
The IMF announces an initial agreement with Iceland on a $2.1 billion two-year loan to support an economic recovery program to help the island restore confidence in its banking system and stabilize its currency.

IMF Set to Lend $16.5 Billion to Ukraine
The International Monetary Fund announces outline plans to lend $16.5 billion to Ukraine to support a policy package the country has assembled to maintain economic and financial stability. Ukraine's economy has been affected by the global financial turmoil and falling steel prices.

Country Reports

Lao People's Democratic Republic

South Africa: Selected Issues
South Africa: 2008 Article IV Consultation - Staff Report; Staff Statement; Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussions; and Statement by the Executive Director for South Africa
South Africa: Financial System Stability Assessment, Including Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes on the following topic: Securities Regulation
Ghana: 2008 Article IV Consultation - Staff Report; Staff Supplement; Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for Ghana
Tunisia: 2008 Article IV Consultation - Staff Report; Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for Tunisia
Togo: First Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and Request for Modification of Performance Criteria and Augmentation of Access - Staff Report; Press Release on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for Togo

Working Papers

Interest Rate Elasticity of Residential Housing Prices
Author/Editor: Iossifov, Plamen; Cihák, Martin; Shanghavi, Amar
Summary: We examine the interest rate elasticity of housing prices, advancingthe empirical literature in two directions. First, we take a commonly used cross-country panel dataset and evaluate the housing price equation using a consistent estimator in the presence of endogenous explanatory variables and a lagged dependent variable. Second, we carry-out a novel analysis of determinants of residential housing prices in a cross-section of countries. Our results show that the short-term interest rate, and hence monetary policy, has a sizable impact on residential housing prices.

Regional Economics Outlook

Western Hemisphere -- October, 2008: The ongoing global turmoil represents a confluence of negative shocks for Latin America and the Caribbean: a freeze in global credit markets, weaker external demand, and lower commodity prices. But the region is expected to deal with these global shocks better than in previous crises, reflecting progress made in improving macroeconomic fundamentals over the past decade. Still, there are a number of downside risks going forward. Against this uncertain background, the report discusses the implications of the global financial crisis for the regional outlook and the corresponding challenges facing policymakers.

Europe -- October, 2008: The financial crisis has reached extraordinary proportions in recent months. At the same time commodity prices increases have boosted headline inflation, depressing consumption. Growth is expected to stagnate in the near term in most advanced European economies as asset price booms deflate and banks curb credit to reduce leverage. Growth will slow down significantly in the emerging economies in Europe as well. Mutually reinforcing deterioration in financial and economic conditions is the main downside risk to the outlook. Stabilizing financial conditions and nurturing growth are the key policy priorities. In addition to the outlook, the report presents analytical work on the impact of high commodity prices, the turnaround in the credit and asset price cycles, and the macroeconomic effects of cross-border labor flows.

Middle East and Central Asia region -- October, 2008: Regional Economic Outlook: Middle East and Central Asia underlines that the region has continued to experience strong growth in 2008, and the short-term outlook is generally favorable. However, inflation has emerged as a key issue, and while the global credit crunch has thus far had a limited impact on regional financial markets, the financial turmoil and slowdown in developed economies could lower growth in the period ahead. Policies will need to focus on tightening the fiscal and monetary stance where appropriate, with greater exchange rate flexibility, and continuing efforts to strengthen the resilience of financial sectors.

How Competitive is SA?

The World Economic Forum (WEF) released their Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009 last week and SA is ranked fourth in terms of our financing through local equity markets and fifth in terms of our regulation of securities exchanges.

Here is what Klaus Schwab, the Executive Chairman, says in the preface:

"This year’s Global Competitiveness Report is being released at a time of multiple shocks to the global economy. The subprime mortgage crisis and the ensuing credit crunch, combined with rising inflation worldwide and the consequent slowdown in demand in many advanced economies, has engendered significant uncertainty about the short-term outlook for the world economy. Global growth is slowing, and it is not yet clear when the effects of the present crisis will subside."

The Report measures the set of institutions, policies, and factors that set the sustainable current and medium-term levels of economic prosperity.

So how did South Africa fare? We slipped one place from 44 last year to 45 this year, while we were ranked 35 two years ago.

The most problematic factor for doing business in SA not crime and theft as many would have assumed, but rather an inadequately educated workforce.

University news from the West

GLOBAL: Tide turning for STEM subjects Diane Spencer

Countries around the world are trying to prevent a continuing decline in interest among students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM - the so-called key vulnerable subjects. Professor John Holman, director of STEM subjects at the UK National Science Learning Centre, said Britain was not alone among advanced economies that had experienced shortages of graduates in these areas. While other EU countries, Japan, the US and Scandinavia were also suffering, the picture was different in developing nations.

GERMANY: Education summit a disappointment Mike Gardner

Seemingly undaunted by the international financial crisis which has also rocked some German banks, the Federal Government went ahead with its Education Summit last Wednesday. But the meeting ended in a row over the 16 state governments' insistence on getting a greater share of VAT revenue for investment in education.

RUSSIA: Super league of 'federal' universities Nick Holdsworth

A shake-up of Russia's university system will see the establishment of a network of new, high-status 'federal' institutions under Education Ministry plans being considered by lawmakers. The scheme - part of a wide-ranging set of proposals under a Kremlin plan to improve Russia's socio-economic infrastructure - has passed its first reading and will target resources on specialised research universities and encourage wider lifelong vocational learning.

BANGLADESH: Responding to global challenges Mahdin Mahboob*

The Asia Regional Higher Education Summit was held in Dhaka earlier this month with a view to expanding innovative approaches to teaching, research, technology transfer and business development in higher education. Attended by senior educationists from across the world, the four-day summit proposed a range of ideas for the development of key sectors and how higher education could play a role in this.

AUSTRALIA: Boost for university infrastructure Geoff Maslen

The nation's universities have welcomed a decision by the federal government to allocate almost A$700 million (US$469 million) for spending on infrastructure and research facilities. The money has been fast-tracked to next year's funding round and will be drawn from the $1 billion Higher Education Endowment Fund.

HUNGARY: Boost R&D to improve economy

Hungary should invest more in research and development to make its economy more competitive and boost growth, according to a new OECD report. The report, Hungary - OECD Review of Innovation Policy, considers the strengths and weaknesses of Hungary's innovation system and recommends steps the government could take to increase the impact of innovation on the country's future prosperity.

US-INDIA: Collaboration in agricultural education Subbiah Arunachalam

The US Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) has awarded four grants totalling about $400,000 to US universities for advancing the US-India Agricultural Knowledge Initiative.

Don't Panic College fund raisers are making some tactical adjustments amid economic turmoil, but few are publicly expressing outright doom and gloom about their prospects.

The Econ Major's Marginal Utility A new working paper examines economics majors' views about their chosen field of study, including its level of difficulty and how happy they are with it.

Life and sport: A world apart

Those who say life is like a game are confusing fantasy with reality, says Robert A. Segal

Keep it stupid, simple

Is dumbing down a reality on UK campuses? Most respondents to our online poll highlighted dangers to academic standards, but they were split about whether degrees are worth less than they were before. John Gill weighs up the facts

Hefce moots linking cash to employability

Higher education expert says funding idea is ‘extremely dangerous’

Forum lays down proposals in bid to improve student life

Better information and flexible finance are among report recommendations

Watch out: FoI research shines light on the sector

Should universities be exempt from Freedom of Information Act probes?

‘You would barely know adult stem cells exist’

Newcastle specialist quits UK for France, citing undue focus on embryo research

Too Many Students Come to College Unprepared steven bell

In many parts of the country, community colleges are bursting at the seams as demand for their product soars. A shocking 70 percent of new students at Normandale Community College in Bloomington need to enroll in one or more remedial math courses before proceeding to college-credit work. More than half need remedial work in writing.

Higher Ed Looks Like The Next Bubble To Pop steven bell

Home builders and banks aren't the only ones facing economic headwinds these days. America's undercapitalized independent colleges are staring at a spiral of major threats to solvency as penny-pinching students and parents consider cheaper options, and funding sources dry up. As a result, they could be the next bubble industry to pop. But while head counts slide, needs rise. Demand for student aid is up, but charitable donations from foundations and individuals will fall during a downturn. Ditto for investment returns. And thanks to tanking tax revenue, federal aid may take a hit, too. Taken together, many independent institutions start to look vulnerable.

Students Work To Create A Digital Game With Social Purpose steven bell

Creating a fun game may seem an unlikely way to tackle the serious problem of domestic violence. But that’s the task facing a team of college students in quaint Vermont. An added challenge: The digital game has to be appealing and accessible to young people half a world away, in the townships of Cape Town, South Africa. As part of a broader campaign against gender violence, the United Nations wants to reach children, particularly boys, before stereotypes sink in.

University news from Africa

AFRICA: Tertiary education key to growth: World Bank
Karen MacGregor
Tertiary enrolments in Sub-Saharan Africa more than tripled between 1991 and 2005, expanding at an annual rate of 8.7% - one of the highest regional growth rates in the world - says a new report by the World Bank. But public funding did not keep up and spending per student plummeted over 25 years from an average of US$6,800 a year to just US$981 in 2005 for 33 countries. "Educational quality and relevance both suffered as a result," according to Accelerating Catch-up - Tertiary education for growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.




ZAMBIA: Brain drain stemming plan in tatters
Clemence Manyukwe
A plan tabled in Zambia's parliament in 2007, aimed at curbing the brain drain among science lecturers and researchers, lies in ruins amid ongoing academic disgruntlement. The plan included adjusting salaries regularly, introducing a home-ownership scheme, retention allowances and increased research grants for state institutions. But strikes have dominated Zambia's academic year and they have included science lecturers.



NIGERIA: Students protest against exorbitant exam fees
Tunde FatundeCandidates seeking admission into the current 2008-09 academic session in Nigeria are unhappy with high entrance examination fees charged separately by universities and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, or JAMB. One newspaper analysis calculated that the amount spent by students sitting both sets of examinations was a whopping US$119 million.


ZIMBABWE: Universities still closed as students arrested
Clemence Manyukwe
Four student leaders were arrested last week for leading a protest of nearly 500 students against the collapse of higher education in Zimbabwe. No state universities are operating in the new academic year because of serious problems including a lecturer strike, lack of finance and unavailability of learning materials.

EGYPT: Anger at revamping of Muslim seminary
Khaled Fouad
Academics at Al Azhar University, the Muslim world's oldest seat of higher learning, have reacted angrily to a decision by the Egyptian government to recategorise the institution's colleges. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, who doubles as Minister of Al Azhar Affairs, ordered separation of the university's religious colleges from ones teaching non-religious subjects to create two institutions.

SENEGAL: UCAD to expand biotechnology courses
The University of Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar is planning to offer a masters degree in plant and microbic biotechnologies which will be accessible to students in other countries, thanks to distance learning. Academics and researchers from Senegal and other countries in the region including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Mali and Niger, as well as France, met at UCAD for a sub-regional workshop organised by the university's Department of Biology.

EU: New site to attract foreign students

The European Commission has launched a new web portal called Study in Europe to promote universities across the EU to students from other parts of the world. The portal is part of a campaign to boost the number of students from outside Europe who study in the EU.

EU: More funding for Erasmus

The European Parliament last week gave the green light to a second funding round for the EU's Erasmus Mundus Programme which aims to promote Europe as a centre of academic excellence. In backing the estimated budget of EUR950 million (US$1,227 million) for the 2009-2013 period, the parliament adopted changes to some of the criteria to simplify visa applications for participants from non-EU countries and to ensure a balance in terms of students' gender and country of origin.

EU: Call for editorial board applications

The European Training Foundation plans to establish a new international board for the next three years and has called for applications from appropriately qualified people. The ETF is a specialised agency of the European Union based in Turin, Italy, and works with transition and developing countries to apply human capital development strategies to socio-economic development.

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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IASB Committee Foundation Latest News

IASB and FASB create advisory group to review reporting issues related to credit crisis
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) today announced that they will create a global advisory group comprising regulators, preparers, auditors, investors and other users of financial statements.

IASB and FASB launch consultation on proposed enhancements to the presentation of financial statements
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) today published for public comment a discussion paper on financial statement presentation.

Call for papers: European Finance Management

EUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM

Risk Management in Financial Institutions
When: April 23-25, 2009
Where: AUDENCIA SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT-NANTES, FRANCE
Keynote Speaker: Philippe Jorion, University of California, Irvine

Deadline: The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2008
Objective: The Symposium will focus on all aspects of risk management in financial institutions.

Topics suitable for the Symposium include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Market, credit, operational, liquidity and integrated risk management
• Investment management and hedge fund risk
• Energy and commodity market evolution and the impact on risk management
• Capital adequacy, Solvency II, IAS/IFRS and Basel II
• Financial institution failures and systemic risk
• Valuation and pricing techniques for financial products
• Microfinance, micro-insurance and risk management

Publication: All papers accepted for the symposium are eligible to be considered for publication in the EUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT in a special issue devoted to the symposium. (The EFM is an internationally accredited journal)

Electronic Submission: Authors are invited to submit papers electronically (MS Word or PDF format) via the EFMA website www.efmaefm.org where further information about the symposium is available.

For more information, click here or visit www.efmaefm.org