Definition Of Knowledge Hub Commerce Essay

Definition Of Knowledge Hub Commerce Essay An investment in knowledge pays the best interest ,Benjamin Franklin. As said by Benjamin Franklin investing into knowledge will always be an advantage be it whether it is for an individual or for a whole nation. The work Knowledge Hub (KH) is being widely used during the last 2 decades of this century. Many countries are investing massively to implement knowledge based economy which is forecasted to have a very bright future nevertheless every theory have their drawbacks. According to K. Mackay (2009), knowledge based industries have become an important contributor in both economic growth and development. In order to have a competitive edge on the global economy there is the need to have the creation of distinctive assets such as knowledge, skills, innovation and creativity. Knowledge has also become one of the most common and recognized factor of production internationally with a new form of capital being the capacity to generate, assimilate, disseminate and effectively use knowledge. Building a KH is a really vast sets of planning needed to establish the desired results. Many countries have been engaging in such a challenge. Research and Development (RD) is indeed one of the main tools used in order to implement a KH. The world itself is undergoing a new industrial revolution the Knowledge Revolution fuelled by the rapid pace of technological change and globalisation. Mobility of resources is very common nowadays, therefore the mobility of knowledge is definitely laudable. To be able to have a well defined KH there must be loads of investment from both foreign and local investors. Reputable tertiary institutions must be approached to invest and establish in a country, in order to attract investors good infrastructures, appropriate policies established by the countrys government, training of needed labour force, the level of technology that these foreign institutions will be demanding, also the acceptance of the local population about the project and above all a good reputation on the foreign market where a country can base itself on its level of education. All this can be resumed to having a good marketing strategy to move forward and attract investors. For instance in Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s there was a little scope for them carry out high research in their universities which was mainly due to a lack in the infrastructure and lack of funding available to the researchers. This gave a define set back to their program of building a KH. Attracting investors and make them believe in the project is therefore crucial for the setting up of a KH. Definition of Knowledge Hub A KH defined by University of Mauritius is an ensemble of knowledge-intensive institutions and organisations (public, private and overseas) that generate, stores, transfer, apply and transmit knowledge through education and training with the overall objective of fostering economic and social development.. According to Manmohan Singh (2006) It is often said that the 21st Century will be the knowledge century. In the view of building a knowledge hub there must first be the production of knowledge. Production knowledge is mostly based on creative people, professionals and also a proper Research and Development (RD) sector. The KH is not only a way for a country to have a new pillar in the economy but also a way to promote the countrys assets on an international market. According to Evers and Dieter (2008) (MPRA) KHs act as nodes in networks of knowledge dissemination and sharing within and beyond clusters. A KH main function is to transfer knowledge to sites where it can be applied, to generate knowledge from individuals and industries and to transmit the knowledge acquired to individuals by means of training, education and workshops. According to HRDC (2006), A KH is concerned with building a countrys capacity to better integrate itself into the global economy, through the generation, acquisition and transmission of knowledge to support of various economic sectors, in view of fostering social and economic development.. The Knowledge Economy occurs when all sectors of a countrys economy is knowledge intensive, are moving with the outside trend where it can be in terms of technology and generating new and innovative ideas and when an economy is employing highly skilled personnel who are willing to go for further studies. More over the Knowledge Hub which in some cases is also known as Knowledge Economy is defined by Kok, et al, (2004) It covers every aspect of the contemporary economy where knowledge is at the heart of value added- from high tech manufacturing and ICTs through knowledge intensive services to the overtly creative industries such as media and architecture. The creation of knowledge is must to have a good knowledge hub and this can only be done through a strong university sector. If there is a good and solid RD sector in a country where it encourages investor to invest in the economy then the KH will definitely be a success for any country. Renowned university campuses must be willing to invest in a country to be able to gain competitive advantage and to attract greater amount of students to the country. According to Brinkley (2006) the use of new technologies will allow an economy to gain competitive advantage. The reserves of petrol, coal and other natural resources will be depleted but knowledge is the ultimate economic renewable form of resources. Having knowledge is an invaluable asset but one should also know how to share this knowledge to others. Globalisation and Knowledge Hub According to Brinkley (2006), the development of the knowledge economy and globalisation are closely related to each other. Globally known organisations have been able to benefit from this integration as they are now able to lower their cost of production but at the same time maintaining their level of quality. The most common examples that can be given are the data processing, transcription services and simple customer services delivered through call centres operating in these countries. Without the globalisation there would not have been the change in the world economy. It also increased competition when customers were able to benefit from the best quality product for a better price tag. In the same optic the countries engaged in becoming a KH have been able to gain competitive advantage by providing a good quality service for a good price, where reputed international universities settled. According to Derrick and Cogburn, (1998), Due to the economic globalisation and reorganisation of the world political and economic system, there is a need for the level of education to be up to the standards, knowledge and information need to be in line with the changes. This applies greatly for tertiary level, where the future workforce is prepared and nurtured to be able to perform in the different sectors they will be canalised into. As the store of knowledge is expanding in the world, it should be accessible to everyone who is wishing to participate and contribute to the change. According to Mansell and Wehn (1998), formal institutions of education that exist today, and even many of these in the planning stages in developing countries, are becoming less relevant to the requirements of emergent knowledge societies. In this quote of Mansell and Wehn are arguing that countries willing to start a knowledge based economy should reshape their education system in such a way that these countries will be in line with the national priorities. Furthermore the countries engaging to become a knowledge base industry should also consider the change occurring in the worlds economy and new strategies being use by competing countries to be able to achieve competitive advantage on the international market. Countries implementing the Knowledge Hub concept: India as a knowledge Hub India is known for having the fourth largest store of scientific manpower in the world which are tunnelled in different institutions such as in areas of RD, now its time for India to evolve as a knowledge based industry, appeared in IT Times (2006). According to Sarkaris website (2010) in every knowledge based society, education is the main catalyst to fuel the economy, where it empowers research and the creation of intellectual property (IP). India has the largest young population in the world with more than 600 million which are on the verge of becoming professionals or are actually performing as professionals. With a optimum use of this population and minimising the drop out from primary and secondary level of studies India will be able to have a good harvest of knowledge from its youngsters. Based on the National Sample Survey Organisation in 2009, an estimation of 815000 children representing 4.28% of Indias child population from 6 to 13 year old were school drop outs. Following this, in 2010 measure were taken to make it compulsory for every children at the age of 6 to 14 to attend school, where they were given free school facilities. According to Shahid (2009) the Indian Prime Minister of that time set up a National Knowledge Commission in 2005 to leverage various networks and to make India the knowledge engine of the globe. Through the KH India will become the power house for the supply of talent and skills to the rest of the world but also for RD, innovation and sale of its IP. Along with the praises that India has on the global market, Kiran Karniks Blog (2012) came to refute it with a report on the Programme for International Student Assessment saying that India is 73 out of 74 countries surveyed where students of form V had a low grading in Maths, Science and reading. Moreover in an Assessment Survey Evaluation Research report came to say that India had poor academic standards. These facts would definitely have a negative point in the balance of India to promote its KH and the quality of services it is offering. Ireland as a Knowledge Hub Ireland by 2013 will be internationally renowned for the excellence of its research, and will be to the forefront in generating and using new knowledge for economic and social progress, within an innovation driven culture. Martin Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment (2008). According to Building Irelands Knowledge Economy (2004), Ireland is the leading exporter in terms of high technology and services for global market. Ireland is also a hub for electronic commerce and knowledge based activities. Two thirds of RD businesses operating in Ireland comes from overseas. The Government stated as main objectives to develop Ireland as a KH so as to sustain and increase employment in the country, the creation of wealth and to increase the competitiveness of Ireland on the global economy. Erawatch (2004) insists that the Building Irelands Knowledge Economy will reflect in an increase integrated approach in research and innovation, the acceptance of the quality of national research and innovation and technological advancement, which are crucial to gain competitiveness. It is essential for Ireland to increase and improve its RD so as for it to be able to locate itself as a place for high-tech and KH. Failing to improve the following sectors may result as a negative impact for encouraging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country, Building Irelands Knowledge Economy (2004). Singapore as a Knowledge Hub According to Yue al (2001), Singapore is indeed a small island which is often directly linked to limited natural resources. Due to their rapid economic growth, there was a shortage in labour and rising costs and based on this Singapore has lost its competitive edge on the East Asian market. The education policies of Singapore have always been in line with the nations economic priorities (Sidhu, Ho Yeoh, 2010). Education is the technology of hope in Singapore. They are said to have the worlds most competitive or second most competitive economies in recent times. The competitiveness of Singapore is mostly because of its geographical location and the free trade policy implemented by the colonial government and by investing massively in excellent transportation facilities, telecommunication amenities and good services. The success of Singapores economy also depends on the high level of FDI coming in the country. In the 90s Singapore was the country which benefited from major FDI among the Asian developing countries (Yue al, 2001). In the Budget Speech (2006) the government set emphasis to invest in RD to fuel the building up of their intellectual and knowledge capital based. The universities of Singapore are also know for the nurturing of talent and based on the current economic transformation there has been an increase in importance so as to stimulate the economic growth through industrial research, technology being commercialised, the attraction of foreign talents and most important is has to inculcate the entrepreneurial mindset to the young graduates of the country. Consequently the universities have become an important component of the countrys innovation system, Genewired (2011). In the same context of attracting foreign talent, Singapore with a small newly industrialised economy and with a small population, they should be able to attract the top talent to make their KH move forward. Just like regions like Silicon Valley, London, New York and Boston, have been able to beneficiate from the influx of international talents coming to perform for their economy. Singapore is trying to follow the steps of these countries in order to be able to differentiate its economy to other KH economies in Southern Asia. Furthermore, based on the experiences of regions mentioned above, the attraction of foreign talents does nt rely only on the type of work or economy a country is performing into but it starts when the cream of students decide to pursue their tertiary studies, that is with the name o renowned and high quality tertiary institutions Singapore will be able to attract them at the early stages for these students to become young professionals. This has been proven with universities like Stanford, UC Berkeley, Cambridge and Oxford who are top universities in the world, where every student engaging into the tertiary studies will be dreaming to have a seat, may act as a magnet to attract best talents and after studies it is common for the students to stay back and contribute to the countrys economy, Genwired (2011).

Emily Brontës Wuthering Heights :: essays research papers

The purpose of this paper is to assess the novel, "Wuthering Heights," by Emily Bronte, particularly within the context of the character, Catherine. Catherine plays a prominent role throughout "Wuthering Heights." For the most part, it is her love of Heathcliff which represents the crutch of the human struggle encountered by Catherine, as well as other characters throughout the story -- but especially Catherine. Curiously, relationships of that period were more often than not governed by social convention. The relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff is an exception to this...while, ultimately, one Thrushcroff Grange attracts Catherine, and thusly leads her to stray from her true nature. It is difficult to separate the character from the author, noting that the author's childhood was basically isolated and gloomy, and Catherine herself, is a truly private individual. It is this sense of privacy, in my opinion, that supersedes any other factor throughout the story. To understand this sense of inwardness, one must explore the novel itself. The story begins in the early 1800's (c. 1801) and one Mr. Lockwood removed from the narrative. The novel begins to take shape, only after some degree of reading, when we realize what is happening at Wuthering Heights in conjunction with Thrushcroff Grange. Soon afterwards, Nelly Dean makes her appearance, while she herself is somewhat unpreceptible. Overall, content and structure is rather fractured, although a so-called Satanic hero begins to emerge as a creature of darkness as well as rebellion and passion. Conversely, pressures on Heathcliff are internal. Results of his life emanate from his orphan years in Liverpool and his horrific treatment at Wuthering Heights. The author underscores the violence and darkness of man...even to such a primal and universal degree that it is impossible to overcome. In the beginning, Mr. Lockwood visits his landlord. He is a new tenant at Thrushcroff Grange and find s himself to be most unwelcome. His treatment by the landlord, Mr. Heathcliff, the servants, and even the dogs is less than welcoming. Heathcliff is something of a paradox. He exhibits the manners of country squire, urbane and handsome although aloof and private. Wuthering Heights itself is basically an old farmhouse and its namesake comes from the weather which it has had to endure. Overall, I found this book to be extremely personal, and almost eccentric. By eccentric, I mean the views that are put forth are very private and even difficult to understand.

Fish Out of Water Essay

Every person has grown up adhering to specific set of standards, traditions and rules of conduct. People also conform to the underlying system and mandates of the society. These characteristics define the culture of the person; however, people do not follow a single culture with its set of laws and standards. Every person has its own cultural characteristics because each individual is reared in different societies with its own embedded culture and traditions. The difference in culture is often referred to as cultural relativism which means that every culture is equal and no culture is superior to others. Every culture has its own set of â€Å"systems of morality, law and politics† (â€Å"Cultural Relativism – Illogical Standard†). It is believed that every culture is valid and equal. Cultural relativism attempts to explain that the various aspects of culture such as religion, ethics, aesthetic and beliefs are subjective and largely depends on the individual within a particular cultural identity (â€Å"Cultural Relativism – Illogical Standard†). Given that each individual has grown up within a defined set of culture, there will be a point in a person’s life that he or she will experience being somehow out of place when put in a different crowd with new set of people. This may be called as a â€Å"fish out of water’ sensation. This means that a person feels uncomfortable with the surroundings and activities going on. We tend to experience this kind of feeling around people who are unknown to us, especially when hindered with a lot of communication and cultural barriers. An example of a fish out of water experience is attending a wedding ceremony conducted in pattern of a different culture. I was once invited in a wedding of my colleague who married a person from another culture. Unfortunately, the groom is the only person I knew in the whole crowd. He married a Korean and they followed a Korean wedding ceremony. It was a very uncomfortable situation for me because the Korean culture is very different from western culture and tradition. The two countries are separated by hundreds of miles of land and ocean and located at both ends of the world. Korean wedding is really a weird thing for me. First, Korean weddings mean joining of two families instead of two individuals, so most Korean weddings are composed of families of various generations. I was therefore intimidated to mingle with other people, especially to the members of the Korean families while my colleague is largely participating on the ceremony. Korea is a unified country and its people tend to look alike, think alike and act alike. There is strength in the people of Korea. Koreans may be residing in the United States and somehow follow some of the western trends. But they have retained some of the important rites and tradition of their culture. Koreans are also individuals from the eastern hemisphere where people are not so liberal. People tend to be conservative and sensitive on some issues unlike westerners that are open-minded and can cope with every type of conversation. Some issues are still taboo to Koreans. Issues of gender and sexuality are only some of the issues that Koreans are quite sensitive with. Communication is also a barrier and makes me feel more of the â€Å"fish out of the water. † Problems in communication and relating with others are some of the encountered problems in being out of place in an event or situation. Some people are having difficulty relating to others, especially those who belong to another culture. Cultural diversity is also characterized by difference in communication styles and attributes. The experience really tested my communication skills. First, I do not know anyone but the groom and he was busy on the ceremony. Starting a conversation is a little awkward for me because I do not want to offend people on something that I would say. There are only a few white men who attended the wedding and interrupting their on-going conversation may be rude and awkward. Most of the attendees are Koreans which have a different communication style. Koreans are quite covert and have the tendency of not showing themselves to others. In short, they are not initiators of conversation and communication with other people. Their actions are also firm and delicate and they move with grace. Language differences may also be a problem. Some of them speak native Korean language that may hinder our understanding of one another. It is quite hard to initiate a conversation with people from different cultural identity for the fear of misunderstanding and conflict. They also have their personal beliefs that they may be sensitive about. Intimidation is also a problem in starting interpersonal communication with other people. Fish out of water sensation is a feeling that a person may feel while dealing with events and situations where they feel different and deviant. However, overcoming this feeling is quite easy. First, you will never really get to know people when you do not approach them. Communication is always the key, along with politeness and respect. Overcoming this particular feeling in events that may make you feel uncomfortable will provide a good opportunity to learn other cultures, traditions and practices that may be helpful for you in relating with people of the same cultural identity the next time you encounter them. It will also be a good opportunity to become knowledgeable in intercultural communication which is vital in today’s global society. Work Cited â€Å"Cultural Relativism – Illogical Standard. † 2009. Cultural-Relativism. com. 26 March 2009 .

Lord Of The Flies Outlines The Journey - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 853 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Lord of The Flies Essay Did you like this example? Most people see children as innocent, adorable angels, but the natural state of children is malicious and callous. According to the United States Department of Justice, â€Å"twenty-five percent of all serious violent crime involved a juvenile offender† (â€Å"102. Juvenile†). This violent nature in children is reflected through a famous piece of literature. Written by William Golding in 1954, Lord of the Flies outlines the journey of a group of British schoolboys whose plane crashes on a deserted island while attempting to escape the turmoil of WWII. With no adults on the island, the boys struggle to remain sane and ordered while figuring out how to be rescued amidst the chaotic world surrounding them. The division of the group wreaks havoc and creates many problems on the island such as the need for fire and food. The children’s reactions to the obstacles they face emphasize their natural malicious state. As portrayed in Lord of the Flies, children are not pure and innocent; instead, they are inherently cruel, savage, and evil. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Lord Of The Flies Outlines The Journey" essay for you Create order As emphasized in Lord of the Flies, children are naturally cruel. While at Castle Rock searching for the beast, the group tortures Robert acting like he is a pig to hunt. The group does not let Robert go, and eventually â€Å"Jack had him by the hair and was brandishing his knife† (Golding 114). This act of violence reflects the children’s inherently cruel state, because they are hurting a child, when they should be working together to find a way off the island. From the first hunt to the murder of Piggy and Simon, the children prove their natural cruel state. In each hunt, the children chant â€Å"kill the pig! Cut his throat! Spill his blood† (114) over and over until they are too tired to continue hunting. The chant is malicious and proves the primitive cruel state of children. With each kill, the reader continues to see that the children are â€Å"tinged with cruelty and violence† (Bufkin 7) through the words they chant and the repetition of the chant. With each hunt, the children prove themselves to be inherently cruel. In Lord of the Flies, the author emphasizes the natural state of savagery in all children. From the first killing of a pig, it becomes clear that â€Å"the novel does not imply that children, without the disciplined control of adults, will turn into savages; on the contrary, it dramatizes the real nature of all humans† (Dickson 1). The boys have savage personalities within them, and the situation on the island where they must supply their own food emphasizes their savage qualities through the killing process. Each kill reflects the natural savagery and is truly seen later in the book when the children’s mental state suffers due to the length of the time spent on the island and the splitting of the group. After the group splits, it is evident that the book turns into a war on the island between the two groups. From this point forward, â€Å"the boy’s savage hunt turns to human rather than animal victims† (2). The boys’ savage instinct is showcased through not only the killing of the pigs, but also the murder of Simon and Piggy. The boys’ inherent savage personalities are highlighted through the malicious hunts and murders. As seen in Lord of the Flies, children are intrinsically evil. The game they play at Castle Rock showcases the boys’ evil nature. While stabbing at Robert with spears and threatening to kill him, â€Å"the desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering,† (Golding 164) becoming a strong urge of Ralph’s with each passing second. The boys’ intent to hurt Robert is an evil, nefarious act that reflects inner evil as an inherent trait. Every malicious act in Lord of the Flies is done in an evil manner and is seen especially in each hunting and killing scene. Each violent kill echoes â€Å"the inner evil in all humans† (Dickson 5) as intentionally evil. Not only the kills are evil, however, but rather every act in Lord of the Flies is evil. Lord of the Flies is not about surviving the harsh conditions, but rather it is about survival â€Å"amidst the disorder that evil causes† (Bufkin 1). Not only does evil result in many negative actions such as murder, but it also causes a permanent mental disorder that. As portrayed in the book, evil is not something acquirable; evil is produced within each human naturally. Lord of the Flies outlines the inner evil in all humans and the disorder evil causes. As portrayed in Lord of the Flies, children are naturally cruel, savage, and evil. Throughout the book, the boys are caught in a continuous loop of killing, resulting in inhumanity, and forget about the importance of being rescued. These boys reflect how children naturally have these malicious characteristics, but most people assume that children could never be as violent as they truly are. In reality, it is the adults that refuse to believe that children could do such harmful crimes and therefore contort their thoughts to make themselves believe that children are innocent where in reality, many children are responsible for the serious crimes seen today.