Contests for cooperation—A new approach in German innovation policy

A new approach in German innovation policy organizes contests of proposals for developing innovation networks. Based on an overview of the different programs, we investigate the advantages and problems of such an approach. We find that this type of policy may have a relatively large impact and can, therefore, be regarded as a rather efficient instrument of innovation policy. Compared to conventional policies, administration of the program is a much more critical issue. The contest approach may stimulate learning effects on the side of the administration but may also require a high degree of flexibility. The main disadvantage is the additional time that is required for conducting the contest. As a distinct ‘picking the winner’ approach, the contest approach is not suited as a means for achieving a leveling-out of regional welfare.     

赫斯特指数的分析与应用

基于重标极差(R／S)分析基础上的赫斯特指数(H)是用来描述和标度传统的有效市场假说(EMH)是否成立的一个指标，本文以我国深圳成分指数为研究对象，通过对深成指的赫斯特指数的研究，结果表明该股票指数遵循有偏的随机游走(分形布朗运动)而非传统的随机游走模式。     

Valuing the benefits of the education provided by public universities: A case study of Minnesota

This study estimates the value of the private and public benefits that accrue to Minnesota residents from state government subsidies to higher education. In 2005, the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system received $832 million from Minnesota's state government to support educational programs. These subsidies allow these institutions to offer lower tuition rates, increasing the number of Minnesotans with bachelor and graduate degrees. We calculate that removing these subsidies would eventually lead to 14,000 fewer graduate degree holders in Minnesota, and reduce those with bachelor's degrees or “some college” by 42,000. The annual economic cost of these subsidies is about $326 million; this is less than annual state appropriations because most of those appropriations are income transfers from taxpayers to students, not an economic cost. We estimate that the annual value of the benefits of these subsidies is between $531 and $786 million ($381 and $570 million) when a 3% (5%) discount rate is used. We also discuss some of the income distribution consequences.     

The impact of child labor on schooling outcomes in Nicaragua

Child labor is considered a key obstacle to reaching the international commitments of Education For All. However, the empirical evidence on the effects of child labor on educational attainments is mostly limited to static measurements. This paper assesses the consequences of child labor on schooling outcomes over time by employing a three-year longitudinal household data set from Nicaragua. The potential endogeneity of past child labor and school outcomes is addressed through instrumental variables. The time a child dedicates to work is found to have harmful consequences on subsequent educational achievements, even after controlling for previous human capital accumulation and other factors. In particular, working over three hours a day is associated with school failure in the medium term. A distinction by type of work shows that time spent in market production has larger negative effects on school outcomes than time spent performing household chores.     

Teachers’ unions and compensation: The impact of collective bargaining on salary schedules and performance pay schemes

This study examines the impact that collective bargaining has on multiple dimensions of teacher compensation, including average and starting salaries, early and late returns to experience, returns to graduate degrees, and the incidence of different pay for performance schemes. Using data from the School and Staffing Survey (SASS) and a more recent data set, the Teacher Rules, Roles and Rights (TR3), we find that collective bargaining has a significant impact on all aspects of current, qualification-specific salary schedules. Further, we find some evidence that bargaining impacts the design of performance pay plans. Specifically, unions tend to encourage teacher bonuses that are based on additional qualifications or duties, but discourage bonuses that directly reward improved student test scores.     

Subject choice and earnings of UK graduates

Using a survey of a cohort of UK graduates, linked to administrative data on higher education participation, this paper investigates the labour market attainment of recent graduates by subject of study. We document a large heterogeneity in the mean wages of graduates from different subjects and a considerably larger one within subject with individuals with the most favourable unobserved characteristics obtaining wages almost twice as large as those with the worst. Moreover, gender differences in wages within subjects are also large. We then simulate a graduate tax to calculate a willingness to pay – in form of tuition fees – to capture these subject wage premia.     

R.H.托尼教育改革活动初探

作为20世纪上半叶英国著名的教育改革家,R.H.托尼对当时英国的教育改革做出了巨大的贡献:一方面,通过为工人教育委员会创办研究班和一战后对该协会的领导,他在改善英国工人阶级命运的事业中进行了有益的探索;另一方面,他还扮演了工党和政府教育政策制定人的角色,帮助它们起草了许多意义重大的报告和法案,为全民教育在英国的实现打下了坚实的基础。     

过热液体R134a中活塞效应的数值模拟

针对一维密闭腔体中过热液体R134a的传热过程建立数学模型,并进行数值模拟研究。对计算区域左边界进行阶跃温差为1 K的等温加热,通过求解可压缩流体控制方程组,成功捕捉到流体内部存在的活塞效应,计算出其当量热导率,并分析过热程度对活塞效应的影响规律。结果表明：过热液体R134a中活塞效应当量热导率显著高于工质自身热导率,利用活塞效应可传递更高的热流密度,并实现更高的传热速率。