Research and Education
Over fifty years ago, MIT founded the Center for International Studies “to conduct research to help the United States in its cold war struggle against the Soviet Union.” It goes without saying that they have expanded their mission far in subsequent years, and they are now also interested in researching and teaching development studies, comparative politics, and other related areas. Visitors can learn about their work in the “About” area, which includes information on funding opportunities, their internal working groups, and a staff directory. Moving along, the “Programs” area contains links to their thematic areas of interest, which include international migration, human rights, and security studies. The “Publications” area is a real delight, and visitors should immediately click over to the “Audits of the Conventional Wisdom” area. Here, they will find a wide ranging series of essays that address particularly well-accepted ideas, and in doing so, hold them up to close scrutiny. No topic is spared from cutting and insightful criticisms, and some of the titles include “Who Needs the U.N?”, “Sudan at the Crossroads”, and “The Bush Administration is Weak on Terror”. [KMG]
http://www3.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20070320_thirdca.pdf
You may know about the Bay area, the sprawling greater Los Angeles area, but did know that there’s a “Third California”? This timely and intriguing paper offered by the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy group discusses this region, which encompasses almost all of the state’s fast-growing regions, including the suburbs around Sacramento to the urban aggregation that is Riverside-San Bernardino. In this 20-page report released in March 2007, authors Joel Kotkin and William H. Frey look at this growing region and the nature of its challenges over the coming years. Kotkin and Frey suggest that this “Third California” may wish to appeal to new groups of skilled labor and related industries, along with addressing the needs of its existing base of uneducated laborers. It’s an intriguing report, and for persons with an interest in economic development, planning, or just the state of California, it’s well worth a read. [KMG]
The acronym FDI stands for foreign direct investment, and it is certainly something that the sponsor of this website, namely the World Bank, knows a great deal about. This site was created to serve as a clearinghouse about different FDI initiatives and projects taking place across the globe, along with offering electronic newsletters and materials for potential investors. The site also offers a number of ”Spotlight” profiles of topics that include privatization of public assets and infrastructure investments. One of the other highlights of the site is the access that it offers to the FDI Magazine, which contains articles on various aspects of foreign direct investment. Additionally, the site contains a link to the ”Doing Business Map”, which offers interactive insights into how easy (or difficult) it is to do business in 175 countries. [KMG]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/hotpolitics/
While scientists have been talking about global warming for several decades, attempting to get politicians of different political stripes to act on these pressing matters has been frustrating for many people. This provocative and thoughtful documentary from Frontline takes a look at the “political decisions that have prevented the United States government from confronting one of the most serious problems facing humanity today.” As with other Frontline sites, visitors can view the program in its entirety here, and then take advantage of the numerous extras offered on the site. A section of the site that should not be missed is that offered by the Center for Investigative Reporting, which features scientific reports that were suppressed by different government agencies and profiles of five prominent global warming skeptics, among other excellent items. Also, visitors can read special interview with various policy-makers and politicians, such as Senator Chuck Nagel, Newt Gingrich, and Christine Todd Whitman. [KMG]
http://fermi.lib.uchicago.edu/
On December 2nd 1942, physicist Enrico Fermi and his colleagues at the University of Chicago successfully obtained the first controlled self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction in a former squash court beneath the athletic fields. Visitors to this fine digital collection created by The University of Chicago Library can learn about this event and Fermi through a selection of materials, including hand-written notes, papers, images, and so on. Visitors may wish to read the biographical essay of Fermi located in the “About Enrico Fermi” area, and then proceed to the “Enrico Fermi Collection” area, which includes digitized copies of his notebooks that address such topics as elementary topics, the famed Chicago cyclotron, and notes for a course on nuclear physics. The site also has a nice selection of images that include photographs of the converted squash court where the chain reaction took place and a sketch of the experiment itself. Finally, the site is rounded out by a copious list of additional online resources related to Fermi and his work. [KMG]
http://www.worldwatercouncil.org
In 1997, the World Water Council had its first official forum in Marrakech, and since then they have continued their work on “critical water issues at all levels.” Some of these issues include efficient water conservation, water use management, and other relevant matters. With its compelling visual images and design, the homepage contains sections that provide information on upcoming World Water Forums and some very helpful overviews of their work. One such general overview may be found in the “Water at a Glance” area, which provides information on the nature of freshwater resources around the globe. Persons involved in water policy and international affairs may wish to look over their online library, which includes their annual reports, synopses of materials covered in the Water Forum meetings, and papers such as “The Right to Water: From Concept To Implementation”. It is also worth noting that many of the materials on the site are available in French and Spanish. [KMG]
http://www.uwstout.edu/cas/mathtlc/
Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin-Stout is part of the state’s vast university system. Under the direction of Dr. Jeanne Foley, the Math Teaching and Learning Center has created a number of helpful instructional activities for students and educators. First-time visitors to the site will want to start by looking over their recent report on combining technology with traditional approaches to improve student outcomes in algebra courses for some helpful insights. Next, they might want to look over some of their resources on their course web sites. The site is rounded out by a selection of articles and links that talk about the Center’s recent successes. Visitors should not leave the site without listening to a rap created by student Marvin Ealy as the rap offers a lyrical tribute to the good work they do there at the Center. [KMG]
There is a great deal of interest in the world of educational development in the growing fields of the semiconductor business, and the Maricopa Advanced Technology Center (MATEC) has been involved in this area of research since 1994. The Center is a division of the Maricopa Community Colleges in Arizona, and they are primarily interested in assisting students and faculty who wish to keep abreast of the evolving skills needed in this area, along with developments in the electronics and automated manufacturing industries. Most visitors will want to take a look at the “Curriculum Development” area, which features samples of their work, including illustrative animations, annual reports, and information about the skill standards that inform the basis of each educational activity created at the Center. Additionally, the “Education & Career Opportunities” section contains a virtual presentation titled “Working in the Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry”, which will be of use to those considering a career in this area. [KMG]
