The Quality of Realisation

The life of a building falls into three parts, the planning, the construction or realisation, and the period in service. The designer passes from controller to observer as the life of the building develops. This idea is suggested as a model for the formation of the engineer.     

古代文学研究的走向

新时期以来 ,古代文学研究取得了辉煌成就 ,也存在着弊端和瑕疵。 2 1世纪的古代文学如何进一步发展 ,是学界颇为关注的热点。为此 ,我们组织了一组文章 ,以飨读者。     

Queueing Theory

RESUME

The aim of this paper is to stress the need for a better training in stochastic methodology for European engineers. The emphasis is on applied probability. In Section 2, a brief introduction to the main features of queueing theory is given, as well as some examples of applications of queues to manufacturing and service industries. Sections 3 and 4 present some recommendations for further action and some final comments concerning stochastic education for engineers.

L'objectif de cet article est mettre en relief la grande necessityé d'une meilheure formation stocastique dans les cours pour les ingénieurs europeens. L'accent est mis sur le domaine des probability's appliquees. Dans la Section 2 une brieve introduction aux caracteristiques plus importantes de la teorie des queues d'attente estfaite; aussi quelques examples des applications de cette téorie-là aux industries des manufactures et des services. Dans les Sections 3 et 4 on présente quelques recommendations et commentaires finals relatives a I'éducation dans la mathématique stocastique pour les ingénieurs.     

A novel model for extending international co-operation in science and education

INTRODUCTIONInternationalcooperationisahottopicintheworldtodayandnetworkingacrossbordershasbecomepartofsociety.Intheprivatesectorthenumberofinternationalalliancesisgrowing;whileintheworldofhighereducationtheneedforin-ternationallinkagesandexchangesisbeingrecog-nizedaswell.Inordertokeeppacewiththechangingandeverexpandingfrontiersofknowledgeandtech-nologyuniversitiesareactivelyseekingforpartners.Withotheruniversitiestheycanaccomplishgoalstheycouldnotaccomplishbythemselves.Thein-tentiontocoo…     

Information Acquisition,Storage and Retrieval in Technology Transfer

Information flow in the technology transfer process is analyzed. Some information sources to be used in the promotion of this process are outlined, including person to person contact as well as more formal sources, such as online databases and CD-ROM. Reference will be made to the results to date of some programmes in progress, intended to improve technological knowledge transfer to industry and business in Portugal.     

Marbles in Urns,Applied Probability and Computer Algebra

It is shown how a combinatorial problem dealing with all possible ways to put marbles in ums under certain restrictions can be used to solve a reliability problem related to telecommunications. Various aspects of the reliability problem are explored with a computer algebra system.     

The Work-based Learning Route in the Netherlands and in England: Comparing ideas and meanings

The paper provides the outcomes of two small-scale sets of interviews carried out in the Netherlands and in England on views about and interpretations of the work-based route for young people. In the light of current revival of interest in work-based learning for young people, and in particular the apprenticeship model in England, I was particularly interested in the issue of parity of esteem between the work-based route and other routes. Whereas in the Netherlands the focus for the development of Vocational Education and Training (VET) is on the full-time vocational route, which has a reasonably high status, England has opted for the apprenticeship route to be the development tool for high quality VET. The paper explores what we can learn about our own experiences in England in the light of what is happening elsewhere (Raffe, 1998; Raffe et al ., 1999). It becomes clear from the data obtained that policy development in the Netherlands aims to increase the status of work-based learning through incorporating the route into the full-time route and providing end qualifications that can be achieved through either a full-time college-based route or through a work-based learning route. The modern apprenticeship route or work-based learning route as such has not a high status, contrary to what is sometimes claimed to be the case. In England, the aim of policymakers is to create a work-based learning route, which is considered to be a high quality route, and is comparable to the general/academic route. The paper shows that there are various reasons as to why this attempt might fail. Both countries aim to provide a 'ladder' or 'column' of opportunities in VET. The research shows that very few young people in fact move up a ladder, but rather move into work-based learning or apprenticeships at certain points on the continuum, and subsequently move sideways into general or theoretical provision in order to be able to progress higher up. Target groups for work-based learning are different at the lower end from those at levels 3, 4 and 5. Very few participants in either country move from level 1 up to level 4 through participation in a work-based route, and it may therefore be appropriate to talk about the provision of a climbing framework, where young people move backwards and forwards and sideways, rather than about a ladder of opportunities.     

Defining Strategic and Excellence Bases for the Development of Portuguese Higher Education

A self‐assessment model was developed for the Portuguese higher education institutions (HEIs) which was based on an empirical study aiming at better understanding their strategic and quality management and innovation practices and tools and on the study of several quality assessment models developed both for HEIs and business organisations. From the results obtained it was possible to conclude that the model can be successfully applied to HEIs as a self‐assessment tool to support their continuous quality improvement efforts.