Post-graduation strategies for students from developing countries:exploring four developed countries in terms of brain drain/brain gain and brain circulation

he paper explores countries’ post-graduation policies and strategies for students from developing countries. Four European countries (Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) are examined with respect to specific instruments and overall policy packages encouraging a retention or return of students from developing countries. A qualitative design was used to thoroughly analyse these national policies and practices. Data was gathered by document analyses and interviews with relevant stakeholders/institutions. The paper thereby addresses a specific aspect of highly skilled migration: the mobility of international students. Industrialised countries are interested in international students as they are perceived as ‘designer immigrants’. Therefore they liberalise policies intending to attract and retain international students. Among this group, especially students from developing countries are of interest. The study assesses the effects of these national policies on the position of developing countries (sending countries) in terms of brain drain, brain gain and brain circulation. The analysis shows that the countries under study have no coherent post-graduation policies for students from developing countries in place. The issue of brain drain, brain gain and brain circulation is not on top of the policy agenda of receiving countries. Moreover, the results raise concerns of a brain drain situation for developing countries. Accordingly, receiving countries and policy makers could make improvements by taking a more conscious position with regard to their post-graduation strategies for students from developing countries. A more coherent set of policies would be desirable as well

The influence of the chemical and physical properties of C-S-H seeds on their potential to accelerate cement hydration

The development of green cements and reduced cement contents in concrete for reducing CO2 emissions, often results in reduced hydration activity and strength, especially in early stages, which conflicts with economic interests and process requirements. Besides pozzolans like nano-silica, the performance of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) nanoparticles has recently become a focus of research, due to their outstanding ability to accelerate cement hydration, without compromising the long-term strength of the seeded cement. Many C-S-H properties have been found to influence their accelerating performance, with controversial results having been published regarding the calcium to silicon ratio. While Alizadeh et al. have found that the hydration of C3S is accelerated more when C-S-H seeds richer in silicon are applied, Land et al. have found that seeds richer in calcium are better accelerators. Neither particle size nor respective surface area were kept constant in either work. Using stoichiometry within the stability range of C-S-H, this work aims towards a systematic investigation of the influence of the chemical and physical properties of C-S-H. The impact on cement hydration is examined using isothermal heat flow calorimetry as a screening method

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in Huntington disease

Objective: To test the hypothesis that chronic treatment of early-stage Huntington disease (HD) with high-dose coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) will slow the progressive functional decline of HD. Methods: We performed a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients with early-stage HD (n = 609) were enrolled at 48 sites in the United States, Canada, and Australia from 2008 to 2012. Patients were randomized to receive either CoQ 2,400 mg/d or matching placebo, then followed for 60 months. The primary outcome variable was the change from baseline to month 60 in Total Functional Capacity score (for patients who survived) combined with time to death (for patients who died) analyzed using a joint-rank analysis approach. Results: An interim analysis for futility revealed a conditional power of <5% for the primary analysis, prompting premature conclusion in July 2014. No statistically significant differences were seen between treatment groups for the primary or secondary outcome measures. CoQ was generally safe and well-tolerated throughout the study. Conclusions: These data do not justify use of CoQ as a treatment to slow functional decline in HD

Science and Innovation Centers – bringing a new dimension to the internationalization of higher education, research and innovation

n times of increasing pressures to compete on an international level, the need for internationalization of higher education, research and innovation is still unquestioned and more important than ever. In the past, countries devised and funded internationalization strategies for higher education and research that focused on topics as e.g., international mobility, research cooperation and collaborations. With the rise of ‘science and innovation centers’ (SIC), a new policy instrument targeting internationalization and international competitiveness in higher education, research and innovation has entered the scene. To date, however, only little research has shed light on these new institutions that bring internationalization efforts to a new level

Lifting the smokescreen of science diplomacy:comparing the political instrumentation of scienceand innovation centres

The notion of science diplomacy (SD) has increasingly gained momentum in recent years, however, it remains an empirically largely underexplored topic. This paper contributes to the study of SD by taking an instrument-centred perspective and focusses on science and innovation centres (SIC), a novel policy instrument in the science diplomacy toolbox. SIC are distinct units or satellite institutes, established by governments abroad, operating at the nexus of higher education, research, innovation, and diplomacy. Based on a comparative analysis, this article examines the rise of SIC in Germany and Switzerland. By means of applying a policy instrumentation lens, the career and development of the two SIC is retraced and insights are generated into their political instrumentation. Doing so contributes to unfold the blackbox of what is generally labelled as SD. In-depth interviews and analysis serve as the empirical foundation of this study. Ultimately, the results of this policy instrument study uncover the similarities and differences in SIC development and reveal their political instrumentation over time. It becomes evident that the objectives linked to SIC, and hence SD, are clearly motivated by national needs. Furthermore, notions of SD are reflective of a certain Zeitgeist that is mirrored in the design of an overall, new, policy yet also marks a relabelling of long-existing practices. This study, accordingly, contributes to the knowledge base of SD as it enhances the scholarly understanding of SD instruments in terms of history, actors and political instrumentation while also offering a theoretical anchoring

Lifting the smokescreen of science diplomacy: comparing the political instrumentation of science and innovation centres

Abstract The notion of science diplomacy (SD) has increasingly gained momentum in recent years, however, it remains an empirically largely underexplored topic. This paper contributes to the study of SD by taking an instrument-centred perspective and focusses on science and innovation centres (SIC), a novel policy instrument in the science diplomacy toolbox. SIC are distinct units or satellite institutes, established by governments abroad, operating at the nexus of higher education, research, innovation, and diplomacy. Based on a comparative analysis, this article examines the rise of SIC in Germany and Switzerland. By means of applying a policy instrumentation lens, the career and development of the two SIC is retraced and insights are generated into their political instrumentation. Doing so contributes to unfold the blackbox of what is generally labelled as SD. In-depth interviews and analysis serve as the empirical foundation of this study. Ultimately, the results of this policy instrument study uncover the similarities and differences in SIC development and reveal their political instrumentation over time. It becomes evident that the objectives linked to SIC, and hence SD, are clearly motivated by national needs. Furthermore, notions of SD are reflective of a certain Zeitgeist that is mirrored in the design of an overall, new, policy yet also marks a relabelling of long-existing practices. This study, accordingly, contributes to the knowledge base of SD as it enhances the scholarly understanding of SD instruments in terms of history, actors and political instrumentation while also offering a theoretical anchoring