Projekt edukacyjny Unii Europejskiej formą poznania kulturowo-zawodowego

The processes of globalisation and the development of a common, united Europe entail the migration of people to various parts of our continent. Nowadays migration is mostly related to the search for employment by people at various stages of their lives. The contact with a different cultural and professional reality might be surprising and often arouses feelings which are far from positive. In the context of these processes intercultural competence, now called a key competence, a prerequisite for functioning in the post-modern, multicultural world, is assigned a particular significance. Equally central is, however, becoming familiar with the conditions of a country’s professional culture. Only then can we talk about effective functioning on the European job market. Numerous young people at the stage of high school education declare the will to build their future abroad. Therefore, it is necessary to search for tools which would render it possible for trainees to enter into professional life and cultural reality of a foreign country. One of such tools are the Leonardo da Vinci mobility programmes, which help students grow to know chosen professional fields while simultaneously “immersing themselves” in the deepest cultural strata of a given country. The essence of the above subject matter shall be discussed on the example of a mobility programme carried out in Germany, in the Construction Training Centre.Procesy globalizacyjne oraz budowa wspólnej, zjednoczonej Europy warunkują przemieszczanie się ludności w różne miejsca naszego kontynentu. W dzisiejszych czasach ruchy migracyjne związane są najczęściej z poszukiwaniem zatrudnienia przez osoby znajdujące się na różnych etapach swojego życia. Zetknięcie z odmienną rzeczywistością kulturowo-zawodową bywa zaskakujące i budzi niejednokrotnie niepozytywne emocje. W kontekście powyższych procesów przypisuje się szczególne znaczenie kompetencji interkulturowej określanej obecnie mianem kompetencji kluczowej, niezbędnej do funkcjonowania w postnowoczesnym, wielokulturowym świecie. Równie istotne jest jednak poznanie uwarunkowań zawodowej kultury narodowej. Dopiero wówczas można mówić o efektywnym funkcjonowaniu na europejskim rynku pracy. Wielu młodych ludzi będących na etapie kształcenia ponadgimnazjalnego deklaruje chęć budowania swojej przyszłości poza granicami kraju. Dlatego należy poszukiwać narzędzi, które umożliwią adeptom nauki zawodu wejście w obszary życia zawodowego oraz innej rzeczywistości kulturowej. Jednym z takich instrumentów są projekty mobilności programu Leonardo da Vinci, pozwalające na poznanie wybranych obszarów zawodowych przy równoczesnym „zanurzeniu” się w najgłębsze warstwy kulturowe kraju natywnego użytkownika języka. Istotę powyższej tematyki omówi Autorka na przykładzie jednego z projektów mobilności, realizowanego w Niemczech, w Centrum Kształcenia Budowlanego

Cultural heritage appraisal by visitors to global cities: the use of social media and urban analytics in urban buzz research

An attractive cultural heritage is an important magnet for visitors to many cities nowadays. The present paper aims to trace the constituents of the destination attractiveness of 40 global cities from the perspective of historical-cultural amenities, based on a merger of extensive systematic databases on these cities. The concept of cultural heritage buzz is introduced to highlight: (i) the importance of a varied collection of urban cultural amenities; (ii) the influence of urban cultural magnetism on foreign visitors, residents and artists; and (iii) the appreciation for a large set of local historical-cultural amenities by travelers collected from a systematic big data set (emerging from the global TripAdvisor platform). A multivariate and econometric analysis is undertaken to validate and test the quantitative picture of the above conceptual framework, with a view to assess the significance of historical-cultural assets and socio-cultural diversity in large urban agglomerations in the world as attraction factors for visitors. The results confirm our proposition on the significance of urban cultural heritage as a gravity factor for destination choices in international tourism in relation to a high appreciation for historical-cultural amenities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Urban mobility planning as a frame for urban design of squares and streets, the Peja case in Kosovo

Urban streets and squares have a dual function: as links in transport networks and as places for accommodating urban life. In this paper an integrated approach of urban design of the public domain is developed, highlighting the layers multimodal mobility planning can provide for the design. The approach is shown on the basis of some cases for the city of Peja (Kosovo). The designs of two strategic elements in the urban network, the railway station boulevard and the Haxhi Zeka Square as well as a district collector street within the Zatra living area are described. These design projects were elaborated by a mixed international and local team, working together in design studios within the frame of the ‘MOBKOS’ cooperation project (www.mobkos.eu). This project was co financed by the Flemish and the Kosovar Governments in the period 2009-2011. A well the structured road categorisation system and urban parking strategy are determining elements of the design. But even so a ‘soft spine’ accommodating walking and biking routes and a new system of urban bus routes are important layers of the design. The paper doesn’t call for a traffic engineering dominated design. It is gradually understood that the prevailing ‘city for cars’ practices in Kosovo (that had already shown its limits in Pristine) would lead Peja into a dead end street. That is why concepts such as urban boulevards, ‘shared spaces’, green trails… are used in the designs. The same international team is preparing design studios in the city of Shkodra in Albania

Moving through the city with strangers? Public transport as a significant kind of urban public space

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The determinants of United Kingdom student visa demand from developing countries

This paper analyzes the demand for UK educational services by international students through investigating the demand for student visas to the UK from 89 developing countries covering the period 2001 to 2008. The substantive findings of this research are that bilateral exchange rates matter more than per capita income in the source country in driving the volume of applications. An analysis of the country-specific fixed effects suggests a higher demand for visa applications from Muslim countries, from countries sharing a common language with the UK, and from countries geographically proximate to the UK. Political stability within developing countries and their formal human capital levels are also found to be important factors

How theories of practice can inform transition to a decarbonised transport system

In this article, I explore the potential of theories of practice to inform the socio-technical transition required to adequately decarbonise the UK transport system. To do so I push existing applications of practice theories by articulating a ‘systems of practice’ approach, which articulates theories of practice with socio-technical systems approaches. After sketching out a theory of practice, I explore the potential of a practice theory approach to illuminate systemic change in transport. I do this by confronting two key criticisms of practice theories; first of their difficulty in accounting for change; second in their limited ability to move beyond a micro-level focus on doing. The counter I offer to these criticisms leads directly into recognising how theories of practice can articulate with socio-technical systems approaches. From this basis, I go on to consider the implications of a practice theory approach for informing interventions to effect a system transition towards decarbonised transport

Managing ubiquitous eco cities: the role of urban telecommunication infrastructure networks and convergence technologies

A successful urban management system for a Ubiquitous Eco City requires an integrated approach. This integration includes bringing together economic, socio-cultural and urban development with a well orchestrated, transparent and open decision making mechanism and necessary infrastructure and technologies. Rapidly developing information and telecommunication technologies and their platforms in the late 20th Century improves urban management and enhances the quality of life and place. Telecommunication technologies provide an important base for monitoring and managing activities over wired, wireless or fibre-optic networks. Particularly technology convergence creates new ways in which the information and telecommunication technologies are used. The 21st Century is an era where information has converged, in which people are able to access a variety of services, including internet and location based services, through multi-functional devices such as mobile phones and provides opportunities in the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities. This paper discusses the recent developments in telecommunication networks and trends in convergence technologies and their implications on the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities and how this technological shift is likely to be beneficial in improving the quality of life and place. The paper also introduces recent approaches on urban management systems, such as intelligent urban management systems, that are suitable for Ubiquitous Eco Cities

Economic Impacts of GO TO 2040

The economy of the Chicago metropolitan region has reached a critical juncture. On the one hand, Chicagoland is currently a highly successful global region with extraordinary assets and outputs. The region successfully made the transition in the 1980s and 1990s from a primarily industrial to a knowledge and service-based economy. It has high levels of human capital, with strong concentrations in information-sector industries and knowledge-based functional clusters -- a headquarters region with thriving finance, business services, law, IT and emerging bioscience, advanced manufacturing and similar high-growth sectors. It combines multiple deep areas of specialization, providing the resilience that comes from economic diversity. It is home to the abundant quality-of-life amenities that flow from business and household prosperity.On the other hand, beneath this static portrait of our strengths lie disturbing signs of a potential loss of momentum. Trends in the last decade reveal slowing rates, compared to other regions, of growth in productivity and gross metropolitan product. Trends in innovation, new firm creation and employment are comparably lagging. The region also faces emerging challenges with respect to both spatial efficiency and governance.In this context, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) has just released GO TO 2040, its comprehensive, long-term plan for the Chicago metropolitan area. The plan contains recommendations aimed at shaping a wide range of regional characteristics over the next 30 years, during which time more than 2 million new residents are anticipated. Among the chief goals of GO TO 2040 are increasing the region's long-term economic prosperity, sustaining a high quality of life for the region's current and future residents and making the most effective use of public investments. To this end, the plan addresses a broad scope of interrelated issues which, in aggregate, will shape the long-term physical, economic, institutional and social character of the region.This report by RW Ventures, LLC is an independent assessment of the plan from a purely economic perspective, addressing the impacts that GO TO 2040's recommendations can be expected to have on the future of the regional economy. The assessment begins by describing how implementation of GO TO 2040's recommendations would affect the economic landscape of the region; reviews economic research and practice about the factors that influence regional economic growth; and, given both of these, articulates and illustrates the likely economic impacts that will flow from implementation of the plan. In the course of reviewing the economic implications of the plan, the assessment also provides recommendations of further steps, as the plan is implemented, for increasing its positive impact on economic growth