"It's Asia, Stupid": Time for the EU to Deepen Relations with Asia

Global economic power is shifting rapidly to Asia, now the EU's most important trade partner. The EU has a vital stake in the peace and security of Asia as few of its policy goals, including climate change and preservation of the multilateral system, can be achieved without the positive engagement of Asia. This is even more important because of the attitude of President Trump to Asia and global affairs. The EU thus needs to give greater priority to Asia and develop a more coherent policy approach. Growth rates in Asia have outstripped those in the EU and US for many years. Projected economic growth of 5.5 per cent this year in the Asia-Pacific region is far ahead of the 2.1 per cent and 1.9 per cent projected in the US and the EU, respectively. With economic clout comes political influence, which means that the EU has to pay more attention to Asia to achieve its own policy goals, whether in trade, climate change, migration, or terrorism. The EU has to prioritise and should concentrate on its strategic partners (China, Japan, India, and South Korea) and support for ASEAN. The withdrawal of the US from the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) offers the EU an opportunity. The policy of bilateral free trade agreements with selected partners should be continued as there is little prospect of any region-to-region agreement. The EU has a major stake in Asian security as any conflict would immediately impact global supply chains. It should do more to tackle "hot spots," such as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Myanmar, and emphasise its integrated approach to security, as demonstrated in Operation Atalanta. The EU should not give up its normative agenda but should promote it in a more sensitive and realistic manner. The EU could also do more to help resolve the historical disputes in Asia, including paying more attention to its own historical role in the region. With the multilateral system under threat from the Trump presidency, the EU needs to engage more with Asia to secure its policy goals. It should revitalise its strategic partnerships as the centrepiece of a new Asia strategy. At the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Brussels in 2018, the EU should highlight its commitment to a stronger partnership with Asia. While trade will still be at the centre of EU-Asia relations, the agenda needs to be expanded to include a range of global issues

Hans Scharoun

Après la 2eme guerre mondiale, l’architecte allemande Hans Scharoun est convaincu de la nécessité d'un lieu d'apprentissage où l'enfant pourrait développer ses compétences sans les contraintes imposées par la société. Selon l’architecte, l’école est un lieu de développement humain (individuel et communautaire) où se préparent ceux qui élaboreront un nouveau modèle de société démocratique

A cavallo di un monocordo. Lo strumento musicale come accordatura di saperi

Seminario in quattro tappe sullo strumento musicale europeo dal monocordo pitagorico alla contemporanea sintesi del suono

Abstract An Integrated Approach to Software Reuse Practice

a reuse program whose goal is making sofiware reuse a significant and systematic part of the software process. The Sodalia ’s Corporate Reuse Program is intended to develop a Sojiware Reuse Process that incorporates reuse-specljic activities along the Object-Oriented Software Development Process, and a reuse library to support the classification and management of reusable components. This paper focuses on the on-going experience of Sodalia in the gradual introduction of reuse practice in the organiza-tion, illustrates the evolutionary stages, and the reached results. Sodalia S.p.A. is an Italian company in its second year of activity. The joint-venture between the STET Group (Italy) and Bell Atlantic Corporation (USA), marked the establishmen

First-line treatment of advanced biliary ducts carcinoma: A randomized phase II study evaluating 5-FU/LV Plus oxaliplatin (Folfox 4) versus 5-FU/LV (de gramont regimen)

Background/Aim: Few clinical trials are available for advanced biliary tract carcinoma (BTC). We conducted this randomized phase II clinical trial to explore efficacy and safety of 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV-de Gramont) or the same regimen plus oxaliplatin (Folfox 4) as first-line treatment of advanced BTC. Patients and Methods: Primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), response and toxicity. Results: A total of 48 patients were enrolled, 23 in de Gramont arm and 25 in the Folfox arm. Disease control rate was 56.5% for de Gramont vs. 72% for Folfox. RR was 21.7% for de Gramont arm and 28% for Folfox arm (p=0.12). PFS was in favor of Folfox (5.2 vs. 2.8 months; p=0.031). OS was 7.5 and 13.0 months for de Gramont and Folfox arm respectively (p=0.0010). Toxicity was generally mild in both arms. Conclusion: Folfox 4 could be considered a valid option as first-line treatment of BTC due to its efficacy and tolerability