Winter in Bavaria

"A Winter In Bavaria" was written on location in Regensburg, Germany, and is the first-hand account of a cataclysm, already predicted by Nostradamus, which changed the direction of Bavarian culture forever. Anything vaguely resembling an allusion to any real person or institution is entirely coincidental, has no foundation in fact and is clearly the product of a mind estranged - except that Bavarian beer is, by and large, still to be highly recommended

Capitalizing Asian Studies: Critical Scholarship and the Production of Knowledge in a Globalizing World

This paper explores the implications of the related trends of economic globalization and the corporatization of higher education in the United States for Asian area studies scholarship. It argues that the scales at which geographical knowledge is produced are increasingly in flux due to the shift in global political economy. Area studies scholarship is subsequently left scrambling to both understand this shift and make its knowledge production somehow relevant and valuable in an arena in which knowledge about Asia is being produced and diffused from an increasingly diverse array of sources. In response, the paper suggests that more attention to the production of scale is needed if area studies scholars are to comprehend the changing relationship between our categories of geographic knowledge and global political economy

Rural-Urban Migration in China: Temporary Migrants in Search of Permanent Settlement

Massive population flows from rural to urban areas since the start of economic reform have had consequences on almost every social, economic and political issue in the People\u27s Republic of China. This paper maps the developments of rural to urban migration in reform era China, explaining the repercussions of the household registration system on migration patterns, the economic and social inclusion of rural migrant workers into urban communities, and the formation of migrant communities based on ethnic ties in some of China\u27s major cities. The paper ends with a discussion of the consequences of both regional and rural-urban inequalities on future population flows, and on the possibilities of social tensions brought by the increasing presence of rural migrants in urban China

Demand and Supply Trends and Construction Industry Development: A Case Study in the Sri Lankan Construction Industry

The construction sectors in the developing countries (DCs) have recently demonstratednumerous trends towards globalisation, raising considerable concern in the field.However, the nature of the effect of demand on supply characteristics of the domesticindustry has not been sufficiently discussed with respect to what development measuresare needed in the context of constraints that originate locally to accommodate the globaltrends in DCs. This paper therefore analyses reasons for these trends and attempts toidentify the necessary industry developments to benefit from them locally. For thispurpose, the Sri Lankan construction industry has been taken as a case study and ademand and supply framework is being used to analyse the case. The analysis revealsthat while government policies contribute intrusively in stimulating demand side trends,the role of the contracting firms together with project delivery process and projectprocurement process are also subject to change as a result of these demanddeterminants. In this context, the main focus is concentrated on corporatedevelopments, while wider industry development is also necessary to support them. Asa consequence, both institutional reforms and capacity building are required to enhancefirms’ technological and managerial capacity. The necessity for these developmentmeasures reflects in partly the underdeveloped framework of the construction industry inDCs. Nevertheless, they could still foster indigenous construction capacity within thecontext of global trends.9

Infrastructure Policy and Economic Growth: Case of Hong Kong

The article argues that in most infrastructure projects, the government has to take up aleading role in managing the development of strategic infrastructure. This article alsodiscusses the value of an integrated approach linking the public and private sectors ininfrastructure investment. Such an integrated approach reflects both the need to buildagreement between various interested parties, and also the strength of the privatesector, whose forces may be effectively combined with foreign ventures. By so doingthe investment risk can be minimised and maximum market efficiency can be achieve

Factors Affecting the Performance of Small Indigenous Contractors in Papau New Guinea

Contractors’ performance, amongst other things, has been associated with the high costof public housing in Papua New Guinea. Given that small indigenous contractorsundertake construction of all public housing, this paper investigates the performance ofsmall indigenous contractors.Eight likely factors that affect small indigenous contractors\u27 performance are identifiedfrom the literature. An empirical study is then described aimed at determining how80Page (iv) The Australian Journal of Construction Economics and Buildingthese factors affect project cost, time and quality. This comprised a survey conducted inPort Moresby by personally administered questionnaires to a sample of smallindigenous contractors to assess the level of factors associated with the problem of lackof performance. Additionally, the view of each firm concerning the effect of each factoron performance was also obtained. The results show that, with the exception of culture,all the factors are perceived to have an effect of construction performance. It is alsoshown that the incidence of these factors, within the firms surveyed, are quite low. Ofparticular concern is the level of cash flow

Design Cost Modelling - The Way Forward

Design cost modelling is a fundamental cost management support tool used by construction economists/quantity surveyers. The accuracy of design cost modelling is vital to the success of building developments and the viability of clients, consultants and contractors. This paper reports upon design cost modelling research currentlu being undertaken at the department of Building and Construction Economics at RMIT. The paper positions the research by presenting an overview of design cost modelling techniques, their accuracy, deficiencies and usage. Conclusions are drawn that traditional methods of building procurement stifle attempts to advance the accuracy of current design cost modelling techniques used by consultant quantity surveyors. However, recent shifts in procurement trends provide fresh opportunities to re-invigorate design cost modelling research

Design and Build: Views from some Major Public Clients in Hong Kong

This paper presents the views of clients in public sector on design and build(D&B) procurement method. Specifically, their reasons of adopting D&B and refusing to adopt it were explored. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with ten senior staff from four major public organisations in Hong Kong. The findings indicate that public clients held different views on D&B methods based on different grounds. Apart from functional requirements such as project completion time, cost certainty, etc., internal resources and political force would also influence client\u27s adoption of D&B method in the public sector