Mobile technologies for (English) language learning: An exploration in the context of Bangladesh

Milton’s (2002) literature review of languages, technology and learning found that language laboratories “…proved to be a useful tool, but only one tool, in the hands of a good teacher, and a huge waste of time and money in the hands of a bad teacher” (p16) with computer language labs being “..something of an oddity… [with] no clear method or best practice for using them’ (p17). Instead, Milton identified numerous examples of effective language learning supported by broadcast (radio) or recorded (tape, CD) audio. Recently, research has begun to focus upon mobile learning (e.g. Naismith et al, 2004), but the potential of mobile media players (for example, the iPod) is only recently being explored. It has been suggested that language learning is one of the disciplines particularly likely to benefit from widespread ownership of mobile devices such as phones and media players (Kukulska-Hulme, 2006). For example, Rosell-Aguilar (2007) has begun to develop a theoretically informed pedagogy of podcasting, as a means of providing language-learning resources on mobile devices, suggesting podcasts offer a number of advantages for language learning (p. 479). This paper examines the opportunities for mobile language learning in the context of Bangladesh, where mobile devices are becoming increasingly affordable and ubiquitous. It is hoped that this paper also provides some insights into mobile learning for language education policy makers, distance education institutions and language teachers

Community and Social Interaction in Digital Religious Discourse in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon

Since the advent of the Internet, religion has maintained a very strong online presence. This study examines how African Christianity is negotiated and practised on the Internet. The main objectives are to investigate to what extent online worshippers in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon constitute (online) communities and how interactive the social networks of the churches are. This study shows that some important criteria for community are met by African digital worshippers. However, interaction flow is more of one to many, thus members do not regularly interact with one another as they would in offline worship. Worshippers view the forums as a sacred space solely for spiritual matters and not for sharing social or individual feelings and problems. However, the introduction of social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and interactive forums is an interesting and promising new development in religious worship in Africa

Over Seas

Short story about preparations of a young Indian writer for a visit to Australia, narrated by the Australian friend he will be visiting. Includes poetry and memoir

Astronaissance: Communicating astronomy & space to the African imagination

Paper presented at The Re-emergence of Astronomy in Africa: a transdisciplinary interface of Knowledge Systems Conference, Maropeng, South Africa, 10-11 September 2012Astronaissance neatly conceptualizes the crossover between the African Renaissance, the re-emergence of Astronomy in Africa, and the rise of cognate space sciences and astronautics. Story-telling, painting, engraving, writing, and above all, viewing the heavens above, have always been amongst the strategies for communicating this excitement and wonder. Today, astronomy societies, the internet, media and mobile phone apps, and other public outreach projects are crucial when, for the first time ever, a majority of Africa’s people now live under the light-polluted skies of our continent’s towns and cities. Space-related products and services are woven into the fabric of our daily life as never before. Policy-makers, budget-allocators, and managers need to see as essential to their strategy communicating to Africa’s citizens, voters, and taxpayers, the necessity of Astronomy, the other space sciences, and Astronautics

How tax policy and incentives affect foreign direct investment - a review

With an increasing number of governments competing to attract multinational companies, fiscal incentives have become a global trend that has grown considerably in the 1990s. Poor African countries rely on tax holidays, and import duty exemptions, while industrial Western European countries allow investment allowances, or accelerated depreciation. Have governments offered unreasonably large incentives to entice firms to invest in their countries? The authors review the literature on tax policy, and foreign direct investment, and explore possibilities for research. They observe that tax incentives neither make up for serious deficiencies in a country's investment environment, nor generate the desired externalities. Long-termstrategies to improve human, and physical infrastructure - and, where necessary, to streamline government policies and procedures - are more likely than incentives to attract genuine long-term investment. But more recent evidence has shown that when other factors - such as infrastructure, transport costs, and political and economic stability - are more or less equal, the taxes in one location may have a significant effect on investors'choices. This effect is not straightforward, however. It may depend on the tax instrument used by the authorities, the characteristics of the multinational company, and the relationships between the tax systems in the home country, and recipient countries. For example, tax rebates are more important for mobile firms, for firms that operate in multiple markets, and for firms whose home country exempts any profit earned abroad (Canada, France) rather than using tax credit systems (Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States). Even if tax incentives were quite effective in increasing investment flows, the costs might well outweigh the benefits. Tax incentives are not only likely to have a negative direct effect on fiscal revenues, but also frequently create significant opportunities for illicit behavior by tax administrators, and companies. This issue has become crucial in emerging economies, which face more severe budgetary constraints, and corruption than industrial countries do. The authors suggest research in five areas: 1) The eventual non-linear impact of tax rates on the investment decisions of multinational companies. 2) the effect of tax policy on the composition of foreign direct investment (for example, green-field, reinvested earnings, and mergers and acquisitions). 3) The development of new technologies, and global companies that are likely to be more sensitive to, and able to exploit incentives. 4) The need for a global approach to the taxation of multinational companies. 5) The question of whether tax incentives should be directed only at (foreign) investors thatmake the"right things"(such as environmentally safe products) or more broadly at those that bring jobs, technology transfers, and marketing skills.Public Sector Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,National Governance

SDN/NFV-enabled satellite communications networks: opportunities, scenarios and challenges

In the context of next generation 5G networks, the satellite industry is clearly committed to revisit and revamp the role of satellite communications. As major drivers in the evolution of (terrestrial) fixed and mobile networks, Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) technologies are also being positioned as central technology enablers towards improved and more flexible integration of satellite and terrestrial segments, providing satellite network further service innovation and business agility by advanced network resources management techniques. Through the analysis of scenarios and use cases, this paper provides a description of the benefits that SDN/NFV technologies can bring into satellite communications towards 5G. Three scenarios are presented and analysed to delineate different potential improvement areas pursued through the introduction of SDN/NFV technologies in the satellite ground segment domain. Within each scenario, a number of use cases are developed to gain further insight into specific capabilities and to identify the technical challenges stemming from them.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Machine Learning Aided Static Malware Analysis: A Survey and Tutorial

Malware analysis and detection techniques have been evolving during the last decade as a reflection to development of different malware techniques to evade network-based and host-based security protections. The fast growth in variety and number of malware species made it very difficult for forensics investigators to provide an on time response. Therefore, Machine Learning (ML) aided malware analysis became a necessity to automate different aspects of static and dynamic malware investigation. We believe that machine learning aided static analysis can be used as a methodological approach in technical Cyber Threats Intelligence (CTI) rather than resource-consuming dynamic malware analysis that has been thoroughly studied before. In this paper, we address this research gap by conducting an in-depth survey of different machine learning methods for classification of static characteristics of 32-bit malicious Portable Executable (PE32) Windows files and develop taxonomy for better understanding of these techniques. Afterwards, we offer a tutorial on how different machine learning techniques can be utilized in extraction and analysis of a variety of static characteristic of PE binaries and evaluate accuracy and practical generalization of these techniques. Finally, the results of experimental study of all the method using common data was given to demonstrate the accuracy and complexity. This paper may serve as a stepping stone for future researchers in cross-disciplinary field of machine learning aided malware forensics.Comment: 37 Page

Russia's Integration into the World Economy: An Interjurisdictional Competition View

The aim of the paper is to analyze the problems of Russia´s integration into the world economy from the point of view of the theory of interjurisdictional competition. It argues, that huge exit-effects in the Russian economy do not lead to increasing quality of institutions and economic policies. In order to explain this situation, the paper focuses on the demand and supply sides of the market for institutions and public policies. Their behavior patterns contribute to the stabilization of the inefficient equilibrium. From the normative point of view, the result of the paper is that Russia´s integration into the world economy can succeed, only if the political institutions are transformed and centers of private economic power are weakened.Economic integration, Russia, interjurisdictional competition