Research based design: competition proposal for the Cyprus news agency

The paper attempts to explore the interrelation between a) the architects’ individualism and “pre-structures” b) research- based findings during the design process through experimentation and c)an integrated design approach, where morphology, construction and bioclimatic design are integrated from an early design stage. Through a thorough presentation and analysis of a competition proposal for the Cyprus News Agency, we discuss a number of important findings in relation to the present and possibly future form of the design studio. We suggest that the designer’s “prestructures” may not only be the basis for creative action, but also the basis for understanding and interpretation. Design informed and enriched at every stage by a research-based process, might well be the transmission and transformation of “prestructures”, a process of elaboration and discovery which facilitates and enhances design creativity and possibly allows for a multiplicity of approaches through a range of possibilities. Furthermore, an integrated approach from the early stages of the design process facilitates innovation in materials and systems.

A concepção e implementação da prova de aptidão profissional nos cursos Profissionais do Ensino Secundário Público

No âmbito do recente alargamento da oferta educativa de Cursos Profissionais às Escolas Secundárias, este estudo debruça-se sobre a concepção e implementação da Prova de Aptidão Profissional (PAP), as semelhanças e diferenças que esta prova assume nos diferentes Cursos Profissionais. A selecção do objecto de estudo recaiu nas sete turmas do décimo segundo ano dos Cursos Profissionais da Escola Secundária Padre Benjamim Salgado, visto encontrarem-se nessas turmas os Alunos que irão realizar a PAP no ano lectivo 2010/2011, com o apoio dos Professores Acompanhantes e com a coordenação dos Directores de Curso. Os meios utilizados nesta investigação dividiram-se em: (i) Inquéritos por questionários, a serem aplicados a Alunos e Professores Acompanhantes; (ii) Entrevistas, a serem realizadas aos Directores de Curso. A PAP, nos Cursos Profissionais do Ensino Secundário público, constitui uma mudança significativa nas dinâmicas inerentes ao espaço educativo. O seu papel, neste contexto, poderá representar uma evolução na relação entre os conhecimentos e as competências adquiridas nos cursos e o empreendedorismo e a criatividade do Aluno. Este será mais evidente se os actores educativos apostarem numa formação vocacionada para a inovação e para o risco, apoiados num currículo adaptado às condições do mercado de trabalho local e motivador para os jovens Alunos, e isso marcará, certamente, a diferença rumo ao sucesso.

Innovation, talent attraction and retention

The success of an organization isn’t, in most cases, only shown trough their profits. Today the value of a company, with respect to its market value exceeds their financial quality. Intellectual capital is a major share in the value of the company. Managing employees with an emphasis on intellectual capital and talent is an emergency that arises in the path of human resource managers. The definition of intellectual capital and talent, leads us, first, to a high IQ (Intelligence Quotient), good schools and / or university results. But the intellectual capital and talent of an employee must be linked to his ability, to high performance and good results. How to manage, attract and keep these employees in organizations is also something that requires talent. Now, the basic skills of employees aren’t sufficient for competitive companies. There are currently required higher levels of skills, because there are a growing number of activities that involve "knowledge work". Most companies in the world have a great challenge for the coming years: the challenge of scarcity of talent. The most competitive companies will be those that have the most talented employees. In terms of originality, this paper aims to create discussion about the relationship between talent attraction, talent retention and innovation, as drivers of business competitiveness. The research is based on the categorization methodology defined by Yin (2003) as single case study carried out in a company that is specialized in high precision components.The findings presented here show a strong link between talents attraction, talents retention and innovation.