COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES AND DISCIPLINES: THE BUCHAREST READING GROUP AS EMBODIED SOCIAL KNOWING

This article reports on a pedagogical experiment conducted by three American Soros Foundation‐sponsored professors and several Romanian sociology students who formed a reading circle. Its purpose was to encourage an exchange of ideas among students and teachers in an informal setting. Beginning in 1994, its first topic of discussion was Sex, Love, and Death in Postmodern Literature. During the following year, the topic was Public and Private Space in Society, and for the current (1996‐1997) academic year, it is Communication: Embodied Action in Culture. Partially presented in an interview format, this article serves as an interim evaluation of this type of teaching‐learning experience and also of the possibilities of academic mobility.     

Envisioning a meaningful future and academic engagement: The role of parenting practices and school‐based relationships

In contrast to the focus on short‐term, extrinsic goals in our society (e.g., wealth, prestige), positive youth development scholars have highlighted the need for parents and schools to help youths cultivate and plan for long‐term, intrinsic, and meaningful goals (i.e., envisioning a meaningful future), arguing that envisioning a meaningful future is potentially inspiring and associated with better outcomes for youths. Envisioning a meaningful future includes being future‐oriented and planful and having a sense of purpose, a life focus that provides deep meaning to life and contributes to the good of society. This study used structural equation modeling to examine the direct and indirect effects of parental and school relationships on envisioning a meaningful future and academic engagement in a diverse sample of adolescents (n = 624). Parental and school‐based relationships were positively associated with academic engagement, and this association was partially mediated by envisioning a meaningful future. Analyses revealed the importance of parental and school relationships in engaging youths in developing a vision for a meaningful future toward the goal of academic engagement. Variations between African‐Americans and Whites, and across grade and parental education levels are discussed.     

LINKS BETWEEN ROMANIAN UNIVERSITIES AND THE ROMANIAN ACADEMY

Seemingly unlike the cases of the Academies of Sciences in the other eastern and central European countries, the Romanian Academy wishes to continue sponsoring state‐of‐the‐art‐research to be undertaken in its own network of research institutes. This decision comes both as a reaction to attempts made by the Ceauescu regime to destroy the Academy completely and the realization that other major models of national research policy, notably the US model, the western European model, and an intermediate one adopted in Mexico, are not easily adapted to Romanian reality. The specifically Romanian model chosen, of beginning with two major sets of government supported research institutes subordinated either to the Ministry of Science and Technology or to the Romanian Academy, of linking them to the universities, and of adapting them according to the dictates of a market economy and democratization seems to be the best option.     

Guidelines for the Reform of Education 1

Romanian Minister of National Education since December 1997, the author, a distinguished professor of philosophy assumed his post with a mandate and the determination to bring about a massive reform of Romanian education at all levels in order to bring it into line with state‐of‐the‐art western European practice. What follows is a comprehensive report on the elaboration of the reform plan and its unfolding as of the summer of 1998.

     

唐君毅文化视域中民族文化的失守与重建

现代新儒家重要代表唐君毅被称为“伟大的中国文化运动者”,他一生致力于中国文化的复兴与建设。中国传统文化近代以来的失守在于：其一以西方学术方法研究中国学术;其二对传统文化“整理国故”的研究态度;其三是西方学者对研究中国学术的错误动机。中国民族文化的重璋需要以民族文化自信为前提．以发展荤未为贯魂．以教育教化为手段．以日常生活为载体进行“灵根自植”。     

THE ROMANIAN ACADEMY AND THE FREEDOM OF SCIENCE

In common with the Academies of Science of the other European countries, the Romanian Academy traces its origins back to a local scholarly society founded in 1795 in Sibiu to promote the study of the Romanian Language and of Romanian history. Such origins were as much influenced by Herder's stress on the importance of local culture as by Liebnitz's urging that all the great rulers of Europe create academies of science to be in the service of the state. In common with the Academies in the other eastern and central European countries, the Romanian Academy suffered under communism but was re‐established with a new lease on life after the collapse of the communist regime. The oldest international non‐governmental organization committed to international scientific co‐operation is the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) that was created in 1931. Its Standing Committee on the Free Circulation of Scientists (SCFCS), created in 1963, contributed to liberalizing science in the communist countries and in bringing about the rebirth of the Academies in eastern and central Europe after the collapse of communism. The Romanian Academy was a founding member of ICSU.     

The urban dilemma and research gaps: Explorations into scholarship and identity

This essay addresses the difficulty communication scholars have in addressing public policy regarding urban life which results, in large part, from the discipline's fractionalized, turf‐bound nature. Recommendations for future directions in research and academic responsibility will be offered and linked to concurrent developments in the technology of mediation.     

The University of North Texas Program of Applied Technology and Performance Improvement

The University of North Texas offers the prestigious Applied Technology and Performance Improvement (ATPI) program at both undergraduate and graduate levels in the department of Learning Technologies, College of Information. The ATPI program focuses on the multidisciplinary nature of human resource development, performance improvement, and workforce innovations, preparing students for careers as scholars in academic settings or as corporate training consultants and practitioners in business and industry. As a public research university, the ATPI program prepares both scholars and scholar‐practitioners to lead their field through research‐based practices and research dissemination under the mentorship and guidance of strong faculty. Graduates of the program hold high‐level professional and leadership positions both nationally and internationally.     

Romanian scholarly productivity: recent history and recommendations

Romanian scholars, and others, have decried the quality and quantity of scholarly productivity from Romania. However, Romanian scholars face challenges of both tradition and resources as they try to westernize their higher education system. We analyzed data from two sources to compare Romanian scholarly productivity to that of other countries from Central and Eastern Europe that have similar histories, as well as to worldwide publication rates. We found that Romanian scholarly productivity is weak compared to other countries in psychology, sociology, environmental sciences, linguistics, geology and medicine. However, Romanian scholarly productivity has been comparable to other countries in agriculture and computer sciences. We also found that Romanian scholarly productivity has shown gains in engineering and economics compared to other countries over a 20-year period. We conclude this paper with research-based recommendations for improving scholarly productivity.     

Faculty Employment Trends in Criminology and Criminal Justice

The academic job search process is perhaps one of the most important and stressful events for scholars hoping to gain full‐time employment in academia. The stress that this process induces is due, at least in part, to the fact that candidates are forced to make important, life‐changing decisions with very little information. The goal of the present study is to provide an update on faculty employment trends in criminology and criminal justice by examining faculty position announcements posted in The Chronicle of Higher Education (CHE) from August 2004 to July 2009. Findings reveal that candidates seeking assistant professor positions will have the most choice, as positions posted at this rank make up the largest category of advertisements. Furthermore, when a specialization was included in the announcement, most departments sought those with a law enforcement focus, followed by generalists.     

THE EVALUATION OF RESEARCH AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A GRANT SYSTEM IN THE ROMANIAN ACADEMY

The Romanian Academy decided to conduct an evaluation of its research institutes based on facts, quantitative statistical data and indicators, as well as on qualitative factors specific to each scientific domain. A first report, concerning input data analyses (human, material, and financial resources), was issued at the beginning of 1995. A second one, consisting of a revised and updated version of input analyses, as well as an output evaluation (publications, patents, etc.) was due to appear in the autumn of 1985. During the spring of 1995, the Romanian Academy initiated a research grant system, open to all Romanian scientists and research groups, for the competitive funding of projects in fundamental and advanced research. Applications are screened and selected by four autonomous expert panels, after an ex‐ante evaluation; midterm and final evaluations (ex‐post) are also foreseen.     

‘When one person makes it,we all make it’: a study of Beyond Welfare,a women‐centered community‐based organization that helps low‐income mothers achieve personal and academic success

Access to post‐secondary education for welfare recipients has been profoundly curtailed by social and welfare policies. However, many low‐income mothers know that post‐secondary education is the best means to escape poverty. This article focuses on five ‘student mothers’ who have persisted in fulfilling their dreams of a college education with the aid of Beyond Welfare, a community‐based organization (CBO) that helps soften the hardships of juggling family, college, and work while in poverty. Based on interviews with five Beyond Welfare participants, this article explores the organization’s role in supporting the student mothers’ personal and academic success. This article illustrates how important it is for student mothers to have a supportive community, education focused on the structural barriers to leaving poverty, and encouragement for academic success. To conclude, the article reflects on why educators need to become involved in activism and research on behalf of low‐income families.     

THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN ADOLESCENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHER‐STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS AND THEIR ACADEMIC SELF‐REGULATION: DOES LIKING A SPECIFIC TEACHER MATTER?

Although positive teacher‐student relationships are known to aid students’ academic self‐regulation, the emotional aspects of teacher liking are often neglected within research. The present study used a large sample of seventh‐ and eighth‐grade students (N = 1,088; M_Age =  13.7) in secondary schools in Germany to investigate whether the motivation students gain from specific well‐liked teachers (i.e., that students identify) can moderate the relation between their perception of teacher‐student relationships overall and academic self‐regulation (intrinsic motivation, identified, introjected, and external regulation). By means of latent moderated structural equations, students’ motivation based on liking one specific teacher was found to moderate the association between teacher‐student relationships and intrinsic motivation. The present study makes a contribution to the existing research on teacher‐student relationships and academic self‐regulation by investigating the role of students’ motivation related to the liking of a specific teacher. Results indicate that when early adolescent students can identify a well‐liked teacher, they tend to have higher levels of academic motivation. Hence, students’ motivation based on liking a single teacher compensates for generally low‐quality teacher‐student relationships and their respective impact on students’ intrinsic motivation.     

Changement et résistance au changement dans le milieu universitaire roumain

December 1989 meant for the Romanian academie world the break off with the communist dogmaticism and the politics of indoctrination and also the possibility of installing a critical analysis and the continuity of the true values of Romanian universities. Two inquiries conducted in 1990 and 1991 among students and Professors revealed a strong contesting pathos (persons, teaching contents and methods. The entire educational System were contested) and also a true desire to find out the critical aspects which enhances a new ideology in the higher education System. Students and a part of the faculty have discovered expressions like “academic freedom” and “academie autonomy”. They started to use concepts like “change”, “academic democracy”, “social responsibility”. New expectations concerning the behavioural offer of Professors occurred. When defining the direction of this change, authors chose the expression “toward normality”. Indices of normality could be the assumption by the university of new functions and value orientations previously forgotten and abandoned, under the dictatorial system such as creation and diffusion of values, introduction of criteria of competence and morality in evaluating both academic status and behaviour of Professors.     

The Japanese academic profession

The historical background to the emergence of the Japanese system of higher education is described, attention being drawn to the link established between national aims and those of the university and to the system of gakubatsu (a form of patronage for graduates of a particular university). Post World War II expansion brought junior colleges (tanki-daigaku) into the sphere of higher education as well as universities (daigaku). Though formally and legally these classes of institution are equal they are in fact ranked according to the old system. Within universities there is also a ranking which is reinforced by gakubatsu. This ranking limits mobility in the academic profession; academic staff are likely to spend all their careers, undergraduate, postgraduate and as faculty members, at the same university. This system prevents Japanese scholars from taking posts abroad though it must also be pointed out that many Japanese academics go to great lengths to remain fully acquainted with western scholarship.     

论中国传统文化视角下的心理测评本土化必然性

20世纪初期开始,西方心理测评方面的著作和测评手段由我国的心理学学者引入并在一定领域内进行应用探索,取得了一些学术和应用成果。但是随着研究的深入,我国学者发现单纯地引入西方的测量体系并不能完全适应中国人的心理特点和文化特点。与此同时,一些学者也在探索将中国的传统文化中蕴含的心理测评思想和文化精髓融入到现代的心理测评中去。基于对这两方面问题的认识,将中国传统文化同西方的心理测评技术相结合的本土化的概念逐渐受到学界重视。     

论中国传统文化视角下的心理测评本土化必然性

从20世纪初期开始,西方心理测评方面的著作和测评手段由我国的心理学学者引入并在一定领域内进行应用探索,取得了一些学术和应用成果。但是随着研究的深入,我国学者发现单纯地引入西方的测量体系并不能完全适应中国人的心理特点和文化特点。与此同时,一些学者也在探索将中国的传统文化中蕴含的心理测评思想和文化精髓融入到现代的心理测评中去。基于对这两方面问题的认识,将中国传统文化同西方的心理测评技术相结合的本土化的概念逐渐受到学界重视。     

INTER‐UNIVERSITY CO‐OPERATION IN EUROPE: THE IMPACT OF REGIONAL UNIVERSITY CO‐OPERATION ON THE PROMOTION OF EAST‐WEST RELATIONS

The development of inter‐university co‐operation in Europe is conditioned by such major sets of events'as the evolution of the EC, growing environmental awareness, and the recent revolutionary changes in eastern Europe. Attempts to develop inter‐university cooperation between eastern and western European universities must still cope with the heritage of some forty‐five years of a divided Europe. Such strong points of the eastern European universities as research capacity should be recognized. A very good way to further inter‐university co‐operation on a broad front is through interregional co‐operation, particularly that linking contiguous regions on the East‐West European divide.     

Factors associated with student plagiarism in a post‐1992 university

A model intended to explain the incidence of plagiarism among undergraduates in the Business Studies department of a post‐1992 university was constructed and tested on a sample of 249 students completing Business Studies units at a post‐1992 university in Greater London. It was hypothesised that the occurrence of plagiarism could be predicted via three attitudinal considerations (individual perceptions of the ethicality of the practice, fear of penalties if caught and fear of failing a degree); two personal traits (goal orientation and academic integration), and three situational factors (financial, current grades achieved, and how strictly lecturing staff enforced anti‐plagiarism rules). Proposals concerning possible inter‐relations and interactions among these variables were also formulated and assessed.     

Soft skills in higher education: importance and improvement ratings as a function of individual differences and academic performance

Three UK studies on the relationship between a purpose‐built instrument to assess the importance and development of 15 ‘soft skills’ are reported. Study 1 (N = 444) identified strong latent components underlying these soft skills, such that differences between‐skills were over‐shadowed by differences between‐students. Importance and improving ratings on these skills predicted academic performance and accounted for the effects of personality on academic performance. Study 2 replicated the structure of the soft skills inventory and associations with academic performance in a larger sample (N = 1309). Examination of mean differences across faculties (humanities, life sciences, hard sciences) revealed higher soft skills ratings in ‘softer’ courses. Study 3 (N = 87) incorporated an IQ measure, which was found to be negatively related to importance ratings on soft skills. Results highlight the cohesive structure of beliefs concerning various non‐academic skills and their significant links to educationally relevant individual differences. Theoretical, methodological and applied implications are considered.