SideLines, April 2008
There has been some serious laughing-but-not-laughing about New Zealand science funding in the news recently ("NZ research assistance 'laughable', Weekend Herald, March 8th 2008).
Part of the problem is a lack of business spending on research.
What does this mean when so much of New Zealand business is driven by international companies? Presumably, they do a lot of their research in other countries.
New Zealand has had some success with agricultural-industry groups pooling their resources to carry out research that is valuable for all members.
Is there any way that disparate small companies can pool their resources to support the pre-proprietary stages of research? What topics would be relevant to diverse small companies in a small and relatively-isolated country?
Social research on employment-related issues? Logistical research on transport systems? Legal research on doing business across the ditch? Research on the risks of not doing research? (Try selling sunhats on a rainy day).
A good starting point might be to create a science-fashion magazine with a title like: 'Science for Every Occasion' (SEO, now recruiting, wanted: science writers with flair).
It might be laughable, but textile science is a big business, and the Wearable Art contest in New Zealand is a joke that seems to never wear thin. I have no doubt that there is a lot of science behind the art.
You can laugh, but some of those hats might be useful on Mars.
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Higher education going down (Japan)
SideLines, March 2008
In the Japan Times of 28th Feb., 2008, W. Hollingworth introduces the conclusions of Roger Goodman, from Oxford University, on the future of higher education in Japan.
The falling birthrate in this country, and the limited movement older-age students into universities, are leading to "an implosion of a type not seen before". "There is little evidence that the vast-majority of the lower-level four universities will be able to rise to meet the demographic challenges that currently face them".
Goodman suggests that struggling Japanese universities should look to alternative sources of income by undertaking more research projects and raising endowments. Japanese universities also struggle to attract foreign students, so Goodman also suggests employing more foreign staff, and conducting more courses in English.
His work, "‘Education in the Aged Society: The Demographic Challenge to Japanese Education’, will be published soon (March, 2008) in Florian Coulmas, Harald Conrad, Annette Schad and Gabriele Vogt (eds)., The Demographic Challenge: A Handbook about Japan, Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers.
Comment: Historically, it has been quite difficult for Japanese to return to Japan and find work after long periods of study and work abroad. Perhaps a more open employment system will also help them, as well as helping universities to survive in Japan.
In the Japan Times of 28th Feb., 2008, W. Hollingworth introduces the conclusions of Roger Goodman, from Oxford University, on the future of higher education in Japan.
The falling birthrate in this country, and the limited movement older-age students into universities, are leading to "an implosion of a type not seen before". "There is little evidence that the vast-majority of the lower-level four universities will be able to rise to meet the demographic challenges that currently face them".
Goodman suggests that struggling Japanese universities should look to alternative sources of income by undertaking more research projects and raising endowments. Japanese universities also struggle to attract foreign students, so Goodman also suggests employing more foreign staff, and conducting more courses in English.
His work, "‘Education in the Aged Society: The Demographic Challenge to Japanese Education’, will be published soon (March, 2008) in Florian Coulmas, Harald Conrad, Annette Schad and Gabriele Vogt (eds)., The Demographic Challenge: A Handbook about Japan, Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers.
Comment: Historically, it has been quite difficult for Japanese to return to Japan and find work after long periods of study and work abroad. Perhaps a more open employment system will also help them, as well as helping universities to survive in Japan.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Found a great bookshop
SideLines, February 2008
Today I went for a Sunday walk in Kyoto City with my family. We went from one temple or shrine to the next to enjoy the lunar New Year festivities.
On one street corner we found some narrow stairs leading up to a second-hand books shop called Greenebooks.
This shop buys and sells books in any language except Japanese. The very eclectic range was mainly English-language. A New Year sale was in progress (50% price reductions!), and the books were mostly very good. The shop is close to Kyoto University, which has many foreign visitors and students.
I was happy to discover and purchase the following (no relation): J. R. Matthews et al. (1996) Successful scientific writing: A step-by-step guide for the biological and medical sciences. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. 181 pp.
After a quick browse, I can recommend this book highly.
I particularly enjoy a section on 'devil pairs' (pp. 131-134). These are pairs of similar or related words that many writers get confused by, and choose wrongly.
After returning home, we scattered beans to drive out evil spirits from our house ('Setsubun' is an old Japanese custom on the last night of Winter). Maybe we also gave some 'devil pairs' a fright.
For extra effect, we tied a smelly, grilled fish-head to some thorny holly leaves to the frame above our door, outside. The leaves were kindly provided by our local supermarket when we bought fish yesterday.
Who needs biotechnology when we can use magic like this?!
Today I went for a Sunday walk in Kyoto City with my family. We went from one temple or shrine to the next to enjoy the lunar New Year festivities.
On one street corner we found some narrow stairs leading up to a second-hand books shop called Greenebooks.
This shop buys and sells books in any language except Japanese. The very eclectic range was mainly English-language. A New Year sale was in progress (50% price reductions!), and the books were mostly very good. The shop is close to Kyoto University, which has many foreign visitors and students.
I was happy to discover and purchase the following (no relation): J. R. Matthews et al. (1996) Successful scientific writing: A step-by-step guide for the biological and medical sciences. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. 181 pp.
After a quick browse, I can recommend this book highly.
I particularly enjoy a section on 'devil pairs' (pp. 131-134). These are pairs of similar or related words that many writers get confused by, and choose wrongly.
After returning home, we scattered beans to drive out evil spirits from our house ('Setsubun' is an old Japanese custom on the last night of Winter). Maybe we also gave some 'devil pairs' a fright.
For extra effect, we tied a smelly, grilled fish-head to some thorny holly leaves to the frame above our door, outside. The leaves were kindly provided by our local supermarket when we bought fish yesterday.
Who needs biotechnology when we can use magic like this?!
Higher Education and Newspapers
SideLines, January 2008
In many countries, major newspapers may publish special supplements on science or higher education, and these may also appear in newspaper websites.
See for example:
The Australian
The Sydney Morning Herald, and its online Classroom, and
New Zealand Herald Science
Such publications would be a good target for promoting the Research Cooperative website for research editors, translators and writers.
In many countries, major newspapers may publish special supplements on science or higher education, and these may also appear in newspaper websites.
See for example:
The Australian
The Sydney Morning Herald, and its online Classroom, and
New Zealand Herald Science
Such publications would be a good target for promoting the Research Cooperative website for research editors, translators and writers.
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