An evaluation of generic skills outcomes in engineering education in Hong Kong

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education.A survey driven evaluation of the outcomes of generic skills in higher engineering education in Hong Kong was conducted. The survey techniques involved questionnaire and interviews with both recently graduated engineers and their work-related engineering managers as well as with a focus group of university academics. The results indicated that, overall, mostly the recently graduated engineers did possess adequate levels of generic-type skills to carry out their basic tasks in the workplace. However, the graduate engineers appeared to be insufficiently prepared in certain specific areas, especially for job-related problem-solving and communication skills. The study's results also indicated that the majority of the graduate engineers and the engineering managers, viewed problem-solving and communication skills are most important priorities for the engineering profession. The majority of the engineering managers also rated the graduate engineers as generally satisfactory in performing their tasks in their organization. The results of the self evaluation of the overall knowledge and skills, relevant to the generic-type skills learned at university by the graduate engineers, indicated that a significant percentage did not have adequate generic-type skills to carry out a range of tasks in their workplace setting. The findings from the surveyed employers were of a similar nature, although some interesting differences in perception emerged. Some of the recent graduates were also critical of certain subject material content, inadequately provided in some of their university subjects. With the political change in Hong Kong society, the strategic improvement in communication in both English and Chinese (Putonghua) becomes more critical for the Hong Kong university graduates, because Hong Kong is closely tied with China and the Western world. Other generic-type skills, such as problem-solving techniques, inter-personal skills, team building, creative thinking, work integrity and ethics are absolutely necessary for all engineering graduates to meet the new requirements of the workplace. The importance of the generic-type skills was validated by the study results and showed agreement in these areas across industry (engineering managers) between graduate engineers and academics. Well educated citizens in Hong Kong will determine Hong Kong's competitiveness and its future. The process applied to teaching and learning in university and will also significantly affect future graduate engineers. Strategic improvements such as stressing the importance of communications in both English and Chinese (Putonghua), in addition, the application of problem-based learning, work-integrated-learning and lifelong learning are recommended to be improved in teaching and learning in university education. Lifelong learning, self-motivation and sense of self-efficacy are a must for all graduates in order to meet the new challenges of this changing world. Today, we live in an age when technology is advancing faster than at any other time in history. Educators should educate and provide graduates with generic-type skills to help them adapt intellectually to a changing world. Advances in technologies have also put engineering education at the forefront of innovation and creativity, two traits which have contributed to Hong Kong's global status. The old misconception that engineers are only about technology needs to be broken. Engineers who can communicate, have innovative mindset problem solving skills plus good people skills and leadership ability, as well as be technically competent and proficient are needed in the 21st century

Elements of classical realism in Władysław Seredyński's "Polish pedagogy" read from the perspective of Mieczysław Albert Krąpiec's "Considerations about education"

Myśl wychowawcza Władysława Seredyńskiego i Mieczysława Alberta Krąpca odwołuje się do polskiej tradycji pedagogicznej osadzonej w realizmie klasycznym, dla którego jedną z najbardziej fundamentalnych kwestii jest przekonanie o realnym istnieniu świata i możliwości rozpoznania jego natury. Z tych ontologicznych i epistemologicznych założeń wynika konieczność budowania teorii wychowania opartej o przedmiotowe rozpoznanie tożsamości człowieka. Z prowadzonych analiz wynika, że owa natura ma wymiar cielesno-duchowy, co wiąże się w konsekwencji z odpowiednim doborem celów i środków wychowania.Władysław Seredyński's and Mieczysław Albert Krąpiec's educational thinking in based on Polish pedagogical traditions rooted in classical realism, for which one of the most fundamental issues is the belief in the existence of the real world and the possibility of the exploration of its nature. From these ontological and epistemological assumptions arises the need to build a theory of education based on the substantive recognition of human identity. Analyses indicate that this nature has a corporeal-spiritual dimension that results in the suitable choice of the aims and means of education

Outline of the social and pedagogical thought of Tadeusz Łopuszański

Artykuł przedstawia sylwetkę Tadeusza Łopuszańskiego. Wybitnego, choć nieco zapomnianego polskiego pedagoga i animatora życia społecznego. Jego praca społeczna i naukowa przypadła na trudne dzieje historii polski. Pracę rozpoczynał w Krakowie jeszcze w czasach zaborów, aby potem w wolnym kraju pełnić funkcje ministerialne w kolejnych rządach. Po dojściu do władzy "sanacji" odsuwa się od polityki i prowadzi pracę pedagogiczną realizując tzw. eksperyment rydzyński. Po II wojnie światowej włącza się, ale już tylko słowem, w dyskurs pedagogiczny, pisząc swoistą odezwę do narodu polskiego.The article portrays Tadeusz Łopuszański, an outstanding, though slightly forgotten, Polish educator and animator of social life. His social and scientific work coincided with a difficult time in Poland's history. He started working in Kraków already in times of partitions, only to perform ministerial functions in successive governments in free Poland. After sanacja comes to power, Łopuszański abandons politics and continues pedagogical work by implementing the so-called Rydzyna experiment. After the Second World War, he contributes to pedagogical discourse, if only with his words, writing a special appeal to the Polish nation

The Protection of Foreign Investments in Armed Conflicts

This thesis examines the international legal framework that governs the protection of foreign investments in times of armed conflict. It addresses the laws of armed conflict and the international law of foreign investment and their regulation of investments in particular situations. The thesis provides an overall argument that the potential for conflict between investment law and international humanitarian law is a significant issue of growing relevance, as the two regimes, through their different norms, may regulate the same conduct with different objectives in mind, but that international law mostly (but not entirely) has the tools to resolve any such conflict through the rules of interpretation or through rules of priority. The thesis first establishes that the outbreak of hostilities does not, ipso facto, abrogate the operation of investment treaties. Then, the analysis proceeds to assess the application of investment treaties and their standards of protection in situations of armed conflict. In this respect, the thesis analyzes the legal frameworks that govern the dispossession and destruction of foreign investments, the treatment of investments under the contemporary laws of targeting, and the obligation to protect foreign investments from the effects of armed conflict (precautionary obligation). Having dealt with the substantive standards of protection, the thesis examines whether the occurrence of armed conflicts can be used to exempt, excuse, justify, or carve-out investment obligations during armed conflict. Finally, the analysis deals with the consequences of the State’s failure to guarantee the protection of foreign investments as required by international law and the obligation to award ‘adequate’ compensation for losses owing to armed conflic

Effects of WY14643 and fenofibrate on acetylcholine-induced contractions in aortic rings from spontaneously hypertensive rats

Conference Theme: Bridging Translational GapChaired Posters: no. CP5INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress is implicated in the release of endothelium-derived contracting factors, the release of which is associated with endothelial dysfunction. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) –alpha agonists, Wy14643 (WY) and fenofibrate (FF) have been found improving endothelial function in cardiovascular diseases. The present study was designed to examine whether or not WY and FF inhibit endothelium-dependent contractions through reduction of free ...postprin

Effects of Ganoderma lucidium (Lingzhi) on cell proliferation and cytokine production of synovial fibroblasts from rheumatoid arthritis

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Epac1-selective cyclic-AMP analog 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP induces vasodilation on porcine coronary artery in endothelium-independent pathway

BACKGROUND: Exchange protein directly activated by cyclic AMP (cAMP) 1, Epac1, is a newly discovered cAMP target which acts beyond the classical cAMP effector protein kinase A (PKA). The identification of Epac1 overthrows the concept that cAMP activatez single effector. Epac1 is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) probably activates small G-protein Rap1. Epac1 ubiquitously expresses in all tissues and therefore should play important roles in cellular signaling. Appreciation of the potential importance of Epac1 has come with the current development of Epac1-selective-cAMP analogs for discriminating the activation from PKA to Epac1. Among those analogs …postprintThe 2011 Winter Meeting of the British Pharmacological Society (BPS), London, U.K., 13-15 December 2011, abstract no. P04

Wy14643 and fenofibrate reduce contractions to hydrogen peroxide in aortae of spontaneously hypertensive rats

The First joint meeting between the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT) and the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) , in association with the Hong Kong Pharmacology Society (HKPS) and the Asia Pacific Federation of Pharmacologists (APFP).Conference Theme: Tomorrow's medicines: pharmacology, patients and populationspublished_or_final_versio