Ahead of the pack? Explaining the unequal distribution of scholarships in Germany

This article investigates to what extent scholarships are unequally distributed among students in Germany and how these inequalities can be explained. Following sociological theory, the article argues that elites seek qualitative ways of distinguishing themselves in a mass higher education system. Using student surveys, we demonstrate that class effects cannot merely be explained with reference to class differences in academic achievement but that higher classes have better access to scholarships independent of earlier school performance. Class differences were particularly persistent when the intermediate classes were compared with higher classes with more education. These findings illustrate that social classes have different strategies when it comes to participating in higher education and suggest that information about and access to scholarships is important in gaining a class advantage.     

Identifying and addressing themes of job dissatisfaction for secondary principals

Secondary principals serve in important roles that are complex, high-stress, and include demanding job responsibilities. Key stakeholders such as superintendents, school board members, and legislators must understand the challenges facing secondary principals in order to address the current themes of job dissatisfaction. Using new survey data compiled from 176 secondary principals across a state in the Midwest United States, this study shows four themes of job dissatisfaction are plaguing secondary principals: high job demands with unreasonable expectations, managing difficult stakeholders, problematic work/life balance, and lack of support. This study concludes with practical suggestions to address each theme of job dissatisfaction.     

研究与开发(R&D)项目评估方法的一种比较分析

过去,大量文献资料介绍了关于研究与开发(R&D)项目评估的方法,并大多集中在R&D项目评估方法得以建立的最根本的理论基础方面,很少论及方法的有效性和适应性,没有对方法的优劣和应用进行比较分析。在运用层次分析法(AHP)的基础上,对一些主要的R&D项目评估方法进行比较分析,研究了影响这些评估方法有效性的各种因素,并应用敏感性分析法确定出哪些是关键因素。     

Community Networks: Rules of Behavior and Social Structure

This article investigates the intertwining relationships between the Gemeinschaft and the Gesellschaft dimension of a community network (CN)—that is, of a virtual community whose members' common interest is a locality, in our case the city of Milan, Italy. The article looks through the experience of the last 7 years of life on RCM—the Milan Community Network—to reflect on the role that the sharing of rules of behavior has on the evolution of social structure in a virtual community. It identifies three phases of development—the design phase, the first growth phase, and the most recent phase—and presents the social structure set up to guarantee governance of the CN. The conclusions show that the third phase is not an actual stable state, as the continuous evolution of the societal and technological context requires continuous redesign of the CN itself in order to meet the renewed demands of a new context.     

Combining entrepreneurial and scientific performance in academia: towards a compounded and reciprocal Matthew-effect?

The increase of entrepreneurial activity within academia has raised concerns that the research orientation of universities might become ‘contaminated’ by the application-oriented needs of industry. Empirical evidence on this concern is scarce and ambiguous. We examine whether entrepreneurial and scientific performance in academia can be reconciled. Our empirical findings (KU Leuven, Belgium) suggest that both activities do not hamper each other; engagement in entrepreneurial activities coincides with increased publication outputs, without affecting the nature of the publications involved. As resources increase, this interaction becomes more significant, pointing towards a Matthew-effect. We finally suggest that balancing both activities further depends on the institutional policies deployed.     

企业集群与供应链的共生性研究

针对具有时代经济特点的产业企业集群和为适应并驾驭这种经济的供应链模式,讨论了二者在具体运作过程中相互依存共同发展的共生性和战略目标上的趋同性,试图阐明二者协调发展的共生机理。     

Publication and patent behavior of academic researchers: Conflicting, reinforcing or merely co-existing?

Increasing entrepreneurial activity within academia has raised concerns that the number of publications added to the scientific commons might be reduced or that academic research would be directed exclusively towards the application-oriented needs of industry. In the case of academic inventions, the potential conflict between public- and private-oriented considerations seems most salient. In this contribution, we examine whether the publication behavior of academic inventors (at K.U. Leuven) differs from their colleagues (non-inventors) working within similar fields of research. Our analysis reveals that inventors publish significantly more. Moreover, no empirical evidence was found for the ‘skewing problem’. These findings not only suggest the co-existence of both activities; they may actually reinforce each other.     

Does school time matter?—On the impact of compulsory education age on school dropout

A straightforward way to prevent students from leaving education without a higher secondary diploma is increasing the compulsory education age. The idea is that, by staying longer in school, more students eventually obtain a higher secondary diploma. This paper examines the impact of a one-year increase in compulsory school-age on dropping out of secondary education by a difference-in-differences analysis. For this, we exploit a recent compulsory education policy reform in the Netherlands. After controlling for confounding factors and observable covariates, we find that the one year increase in compulsory school-age reduces dropout by 2.5 percentage points. The effect, however, is entirely situated in the group non-liable to the policy reform. We observe that native Dutch vocational students, mostly without retention in grade, but also without a higher secondary diploma at hand, more often left school in the immediate period before the policy reform. Given the economic revival at that time, this may reflect anticipation of labor market opportunities.     

Anatomical Sciences Education Vol. 4, Issue 3, 2011 Cover Image

Medical Gross Anatomy lecture at the University of Padova, Italy. Gross Anatomy at the University of Padova is taught utilizing both traditional and technological resources, which are integrated with practical laboratory exercises (mainly on plastic models and plastinated specimens) as well as radiological anatomy. In this issue of ASE, Dr. Veronica Macchi and her colleagues from the Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Padova discuss an innovative pilot project with their University Hospital in which they obtain body parts removed from patients during surgical procedures and utilize them for gross anatomy education. The cover photograph shows one of the co‐authors of this paper, Professor Raffaele De Caro and his students, performing dissection of the distal forearm and hand in the anatomy lecture theater at the University of Padova.     

金融危机预警报道的缺失与美国新闻的变质

美国媒体金融危机预警报道等方面的缺失和公信力的大幅下降,反映了新自由主义经济政策影响下美国媒体日趋垄断化,导致新闻日益商业化和娱乐化,发生了根本性的质变。