A Review of the Role and Impact of Export Processing Zones in World Trade : the Case of Mexico

While the number of export processing zones has risen to about 850 in 2000, their success in expanding employment and trade is mixed. The aim of this paper is to make a review of the role and the impact of EPZ in world trade and its likely impact on host countries' economies, especially in terms of foreign exchange earnings potential, FDI, technology transfer, and employment effects on the local and national economies. To this end we will be looking at Mexico where export processing zones are very developed. Mexico seems an appropriate case study to assess to which extent the predictions of economic theory are realised both because of the abundance and quality of available data and because of its proximity to the US, which makes it a very good example of the international division of labour. We will analyse how the parameters mentioned above (employment, foreign exchange earnings potential, FDI and technology) have evolved over the last 10-15 years and how much of the change can be traced back to the maquila industry. The main source of data is INEGI, the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Geografica e Informatica of the Mexican Government.export processing zones; foreign exchange earnings potential; Mexico; technology spillovers

Biological Control of Sea Lice Infestation in the Norwegian Salmon Aquaculture:Are Cleaner Fish a Solution?

Symposium mini revie

Current Challenges in the Norwegian Salmon Aquaculture:Are Cleaner Fish a Solution?

Oral Session

Teaching students about chemical elements using daily-life contexts

Learning the names and symbols for chemical elements is a task that students often find dull, although it is of crucial importance for understanding chemistry. In this respect, the use of games or similar play activities could make the learning experience more enjoyable. This paper presents the results of a study in which two tasks involving play (TIPs) and based on daily-life contexts (football and the home) were used to teach the names and symbols of chemical elements. The experimental group comprised 38 year-10 students who studied this topic through a teaching unit built around the TIPs. A control group of 67 year-10 students followed a traditional teaching approach to the same topic. The effectiveness of the TIPs was assessed using three items, administered pre- and post-test, that explored students’ knowledge about metallic and non-metallic elements and their ability to identify them in their everyday environment. Following the TIP-based teaching unit, students in the experimental group gave a higher percentage of appropriate answers, with the Wilcoxon test indicating significant post-test differences for all three items. However, the Kolgomorov-Smirnov test indicated that the experimental and control groups only differed significantly at post-test in their ability to give the names and symbols of non-metals, with the experimental group performing better. Memorising the names and symbols of chemical elements is a complex task for students, and identifying their presence in everyday environments appears to be particularly difficult. However, the results suggest that the use of TIPs linked to daily-life contexts could help students with their learning of this topic.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Proyecto ‘I+D Excelencia’ EDU2013-41952-

Agriculture Public Spending and Growth:The Example of Indonesia

This note analyzes the trends and evolution of public spending in the agriculture sector in Indonesia, as well as its impact on the growth of agriculture during the period 1976–2006. Public spending on agriculture and irrigation had a positive impact on agriculture growth during that period, whereas public spending on fertilizer subsidies had the opposite effect. As Indonesia continues its efforts to revitalize the agriculture sector, public spending should be directed at improving the provision of public services rather than at subsidizing private inputs.Agriculture, Public Spending, Growth, Indonesia, irrigation, public services, private inputs, subsidies, farming, developing countries

Informe de avances prueba de habilidades practicas

Este documento está desarrollado en base a opción de grado de la facultad ingeniería electrónica, de la universidad abierta y a distancia. Desarrollaremos las rutas del planteamiento para fortalecer habilidades y ejecutar las prácticas de habilidades CCNP, teniendo como escenario un protocolo de simulaciones que ejecutaremos gracias a las herramientas GNS3, donde plantearemos los montajes y la manipulación de las topologías utilizando el protocolo IOS de los dispositivos CISCO. Los escenarios proponen, configurar un método de simulaciones de redes creando una topologia de enrutamientos, esto va orientado a la programación del sistema de dispositivos existente en las actividades; en el laboratorio del escenarios, adoptaremos un planteamiento básico de conmutación de redes de programación, teniendo como adaptadores programables, como son; swicht, routers y PC, estos dispositivos en interconexiones crean un sistema electrónico de comunicación, implementando un conjunto de funcionalidades mediante interfaces del programa, esto nos da una solución de respuestas logrando proporcionar acceso de verificación, con el objetivo de monitorear el estado de ejecución y configuración del sistema.This document is developed based on the degree option of the electronic engineering faculty, of the open and distance university. We will develop the routes of the approach to strengthen skills and execute the CCNP skills practices, taking as a scenario a simulation protocol that we will execute thanks to the GNS3 tools, where we will propose the assemblies and manipulation of the topologies using the IOS protocol of the CISCO devices. The scenarios propose configuring a method of network simulations creating a routing topology, this is oriented to the programming of the existing device system in the activities; In the laboratory of the scenarios, we will adopt a basic exposition of commutation of programming networks, having as programmable adapters, as they are; switch, rosters and PC, these devices in interconnections create an electronic communication system, implementing a set of functionalities through program interfaces, this gives us a response solution, managing to provide verification access, with the objective of monitoring the execution status and system configuration

Who is benefiting from fertilizer subsidies in Indonesia ?

Using the Agricultural Census 2003 and the Rice Household Survey 2008 for Indonesia, this paper analyzes the distribution of benefits from fertilizer subsidies and their impact on rice production. The findings suggest that most farmers benefit from fertilizer subsidies; however, the 40 percent largest farmers capture up to 60 percent of the subsidy. The regressive nature of the fertilizer subsidies is in line with research carried out in other countries, the result of larger farms using a larger volume of fertilizer. This paper confirms that fertilizer used in adequate quantities has a positive and significant impact on rice yields, but it also provides evidence that over-using fertilizer has an adverse impact on yields (an inverted U-curve relationship).Fertilizers,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Economic Theory&Research,Regional Economic Development,Rural Poverty Reduction