Abstract

In this study, the term ‘World-Class Universities per capita’ or ‘WCUs per capita’ is created and defined as the number of world-class universities available in a country divided by its population. To date, it is known that global university rankings are solely the numerical measures of world-class universities. ARWU is chosen as the benchmark of wold-class universities (WCUs) among the university ranking methodologies available based on the assumption that universities listed under Top 500 are WCUs. Simple regression analysis is carried out to determine the correlation between WCUs per capita and GDP per capita as well as GDP growth. The results show that WCUs per capita is strongly correlated to the nation’s GDP per capita. However, the WCUs per capita has an insignificant effect on GDP growth. There is a pronounced increase in significance level when the ranking lists are expanded from the Top 100 to Top 500. This suggests that it is crucial for a nation to increase the number of WCUs (listed in the Top 500) in order to attain a higher GDP per capita, rather than having a few elite WCUs in the Top 100. In addition, ‘freedom from corruption’ is the most significant institutional factor when institutional factors are added into the regression model, followed by ‘property rights’, ‘business freedom’ and ‘investment freedom’.

Abstract

Culture is cumulative; culture is found in groups of more than one, is passed from generation to generation, and experiences change. Harrison and Huntington (2000) posit culture is the “values, attitudes, beliefs, orientations, and underlying assumptions prevalent among people in a society” (p. xv). Culture is one of the driving forces that determine the success of a society (Berger & Huntington, 2002). Understanding different cultures can become a diverse and challenging endeavor under the best of circumstances. Research capabilities have added volumes of knowledge about how cultures are realized and understood amongst the multitude of different cultures existing and changing in today’s global world. In particular, ethnographic studies (found in qualitative research methods) have provided valuable tools in this quest to understand the variety, shapes and sounds of culture around the world. Chinese culture has proven to be no exception. According to Gao and Ting-Toomey,(1998) culture varies within societies and within communities, but one consistent cultural aspect found in Chinese culture are the teaching styles, which have remained remarkably the same for 2000 years. The purpose of this narrative ethnography study is to provide avenues in which teachers and professors can effectively communicate the valuable information contained in his or her lectures to Chinese students in China.

Abstract

Fourteen models comprising of 12 existing and 2 parameterized models are evaluated for predicting the global solar irradiance on a horizontal surface at six different sites representative of six different climatic zones of Nigeria namely; Mangrove swamp forest (Calabar), Sahel Savannah (Nguru), Montane Vegetation (Yola), Sudan Savannah (Kano), Tropical rain forest (Ibadan) and Guinea Savannah (Minna). Results showed that the two models from this study performed well in predicting global solar irradiance over the six different zones with slight overestimation in some cases and slight underestimation in others. However, out of the two models, model 14 had a better predictive ability. For the 12 existing models, Glover and mcCulloch model was found to be most suitable for the Mangrove swamp forest, Sahel and Montane zones while Raja and Twidell , Rietveld and Annandale et al models are respectively the most suitable models in the Sudan, Tropical rainforest and Guinea zones.

Abstract

For guidance in the school system to thrive and be effective, certain services must be rendered by the counsellor. One of such services is the information service. Counselling thrives a great deal on information and information regarding the immediate and remote environments of the counselee plays a very significant role in the counsellor’s work. Information is very vital for the survival of the human race. Accurate and timely information is needed to take good decisions. But the complex nature of today’s world brought about by scientific and technological advancements has rendered decision-making an ever difficult task for both young and old, especially the former. Of course, decision-making becomes difficult when the information that is required to make the right decisions is lacking. This paper throws the spotlight on the information service and how it can be used in the school guidance programme.

Abstract

The current technological era provides a wide range of geodetic procedures and methods to document the actual state of objects on the Earth surface and at the same time course and shape of surface itself. Digital photogrammetry is one of these technologies, it allows the use of methods such as single-image photogrammetry, stereo photogrammetry (optical scanning), convergent imaging and SfM method (structure-from-motion) with final data in the form of point clouds, digital spatial models, orthophotos and other derived documents. Similar outputs can be obtained also by other technologies, mainly by terrestrial laser scanning, whilst each of the two technologies offers certain advantages and disadvantages. Especially purchasing and operating costs are one of the major drawbacks of laser scanning (while being an advantage of photogrammetry). In recent years, there has been a significant increase in development and creation of new, freely accessible (open-source) photogrammetric software, thus reducing these financial demands even more. The aim of this paper is to provide a basic overview of some of the most suitable open-source photogrammetric software and point out their strengths and weaknesses.

Abstract

This paper argues that a deeper appreciation of the philosophical nature of oppression is required in our age of globalization, science and technology, particularly for rethinking educational systems aimed at social justice, equality and liberation in developing countries. It draws on the inspiring concepts of Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which itself is indebted to the philosophical innovation of the philosopher Hegel. The aim of the article is to outline various ways to analyze the requirements for critical consciousness to rise given the dialectical contradiction of scientific and technological progress on the one hand and new forms of alienation that arise from anonymity and the dissolution of the self on the other. At stake is how we understand the process and ends of ‘sustainable development’ to achieve greater inclusion and social justice in a multicultural, pluralistic and intrinsically heterogeneous globalized world.

Abstract

International heath and nursing organizations have called for significant changes in nursing education to improve health outcomes. In the United States, a national initiative of Quality and Safety in Nursing Education (QSEN) has been underway to articulate competencies to improve patient safety and health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the integration of QSEN competencies into an undergraduate nursing curriculum. Student self-reports of QSEN competencies were evaluated with the Student Evaluation Survey. Data was collected at baseline, and after Year 1 and Year 2 following implementation of a QSEN integrated curricular intervention. Two-sample T-tests, was used to analyze data from comparable groups. Although the findings were not statistically significant, this is an important area of inquiry as it represents one undergraduate program’s efforts to quantify and measure QSEN integration through curricular changes. Suggestions are made to quantify curricular change and lessons learned are discussed.

Abstract

Owerri has faced water pollution problems for many years. These have created many social, physical economic technological and political issues in Owerri city. The general feeling among Owerri inhabitants is that supply of water in Owerri could be a nuisance. The survey method using questionnaire was adopted in the study. The stratified, random and systemic sampling techniques were used in two rivers and 480 respondents from six zones of the city. The result shows that there are pollutants in the Rivers Nwaorie and Otamiri. The study therefore highlighted the control measures for effective curbing of water pollution resulting from pollutants seeping into rusted galvanized iron pipes, flood/underground seepage of human and material wastes into River Nwaorie and Otamiri, streams Okitankwo/Onumurukwa which form the major sources of water in Owerri. The leading of contaminants from industrial wastes, agricultural wastes, oil spills, hazardous wastes and natural water wastes and other refuses. The study therefore concludes that the contribution of the State Government and the Municipality improving on provision of adequate manpower and training of stakeholders in the water industry, provision of solid quality materials for general maintenance, regular treatment of water from its in-take point and also borehole water, extension of tap water (pipe born water) to all the cranies of Owerri in order to stop completely the direct-use of water from Otamiri and Nwaorie Rivers which is injurious to health, provision of suggestion box in which the inhabitants could suggest further remedies for the provision of quality

Abstract

Project-Based Service-Learning (PBSL) offers a unique and rich educational experience for engineering students. The present work highlights some of its aspects through the discussion of a multi-level design and build project. A service project was assigned to two teams of junior and senior students. The project was to design and build a bubble tower for the local children’s museum. The tower was completed in two phases. In the first phase, it was assigned as a final project in a junior level course. In the second phase, another team of seniors was added to lead the design optimization and building of the tower as their capstone experience. The Service-Learning (SL) nature of the project and having two teams at different academic levels added challenges and benefits to the students. The details of this unique experience are discussed and samples from the students’ work are presented. The project was completed successfully with positive feedback from the students, the customer and the local community. Reflections about this project and recommendations for future use of similar SL are also presented.

ABSTRACT

 

An interpretation is an important work for people to communicate with other people from different cultural background. An interpreter not only translates a sentence or an idiom but also provides the equivalent sentence or an idiom in the target language. Meanwhile, the interpreter should go in the cultural adaptation and gives mutual understanding and comprehension in an intercultural context。 Thus, the author takes a case as an example to show that no one can easily and effectively act as an interpreter. The paper analyzes and discusses the relationships between language and culture, intercultural communication and interpreter. And then the author points out that any successful interpreter must be good at both target languages and cultures, he or she needs to interpret the meaning with acceptable cultural elements of the original speech, and so as to be a qualified interpreter for intercultural communication between different people from different cultural backgrounds.

ABSTRACT

 

Value research has great potentials in understanding tourist motivation and behavior. Although it was unlikely that the market for any particular product could be segmented on the basis of value systems alone, marketers could gain a better understanding of consumers by incorporating values into their research with such traditional variables as demographics and preferences. The current study examined the relationship between tourists’ value systems depicted by Kahle’s List of Values (LOV) and tourists’ travel novelty dimensions revealed by the International Tourist Role (ITR) Scale. The study revealed five value systems of U.S. outbound leisure travelers in the sample. It further demonstrated that a causal relationship between values, attitudes and behaviors of consumers also existed in a tourism context.

ABSTRACT

 

An interpretation is an important work for people to communicate with other people from different cultural background. An interpreter not only translates a sentence or an idiom but also provides the equivalent sentence or an idiom in the target language. Meanwhile, the interpreter should go in the cultural adaptation and gives mutual understanding and comprehension in an intercultural context。 Thus, the author takes a case as an example to show that no one can easily and effectively act as an interpreter. The paper analyzes and discusses the relationships between language and culture, intercultural communication and interpreter. And then the author points out that any successful interpreter must be good at both target languages and cultures, he or she needs to interpret the meaning with acceptable cultural elements of the original speech, and so as to be a qualified interpreter for intercultural communication between different people from different cultural backgrounds.