International academic careers:personal reflections

University business schools are increasingly adopting an international outlook as they compete for students who are aiming for global careers. A natural consequence of university internationalization is the need to internationalize the academic workforce, resulting in increasing attention on, and recognition for, the academic with international teaching and research experience. Yet the effort and complexity involved in making an international academic transition is often overlooked. Academic institutions' efforts to recruit international academics often outpace their expertise and support in the inpatriation and orientation processes. Academics interested in international mobility may find it difficult to obtain helpful information prior to arrival in the new country and encounter problems in adjusting to their new job and surroundings. This paper presents personal experiences of a select group of academics who have moved between countries. Their reports illustrate differences in teaching loads, language, student behavior, recruitment and career-ladder issues across countries, as well as strategies they have used to adapt to their new surroundings. © 2014 © 2014 Taylor & Francis.

Libraries Transforming Communities: The Value in an Academic Library Community at Lincoln University

Inman E. Page Library is coined as an, “Information Mall.” It houses special collections, archives, general reference services, computers, artistic programming, technological resources and space for different types of events. It is a modern academic library in the 21st century that was built on a legacy of scholarly opportunities for Lincoln University students, faculty, and our community in Jefferson City, MO and surrounding cities. The value that needs to be placed on this library is that it is an institution within an institution and should be given top priority as it pertains to continued funding, faculty support, and a place of higher learning that has a library etiquette. As well as, students need to understand the importance of how a library will affect their academic careers.

Retaining female postgraduates in academia : the role of gender and prospective parenthood

Women remain under-represented in almost all academic levels at universities internationally, and previous evidence has suggested that women move out of the university system in increasing numbers as they progress from postgraduate study to an academic career. The current study aimed to explore the role of gender in the reports of study experiences and future career plans of Australian postgraduate research students (n = 249). Questionnaire data indicated women were significantly less likely than men to rate an academic career as appealing. In particular, female postgraduate students without dependent children were least likely to want to pursue an academic career. On the basis of qualitative analysis, we attribute this finding, at least in part, to a perceived incompatibility between motherhood and an academic career and discuss the implications for gender equity in higher education.

A Method for Comparing Scholarly Journals as Service Providers to Authors

When authors of scholarly articles decide where to submit their manuscripts for peer review and eventual publication, they often base their choice of journals on very incomplete information abouthow well the journals serve the authors’ purposes of informing about their research and advancing their academic careers. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a new method for benchmarking scientific journals, providing more information to prospective authors. The method estimates a number of journal parameters, including readership, scientific prestige, time from submission to publication, acceptance rate and service provided by the journal during the review and publication process. Data directly obtainable from the web, data that can be calculated from such data, data obtained from publishers and editors, and data obtained using surveys with authors are used in the method, which has been tested on three different sets of journals, each from a different discipline. We found a number of problems with the different data acquisition methods, which limit the extent to which the method can be used. Publishers and editors are reluctant to disclose important information they have at hand (i.e. journal circulation, web downloads, acceptance rate). The calculation of some important parameters (for instance average time from submission to publication, regional spread of authorship) can be done but requires quite a lot of work. It can be difficult to get reasonable response rates to surveys with authors. All in all we believe that the method we propose, taking a “service to authors” perspective as a basis for benchmarking scientific journals, is useful and can provide information that is valuable to prospective authors in selected scientific disciplines.

Research by Peaceful Means: Methodologies in Peace Psychology

Methodologies in Peace Psychology (Bretherton & Law, 2016) offers a multidisciplinary perspective on the relation between research and methodologies, making it a useful read not only for those interested in peace psychology, but also for all researchers and practitioners interested in mixed and participative methods. The edited volume offers a multifaceted approach to the topic, incorporating global authors with different backgrounds and perspectives who are at diverse stages of their academic careers. Thus, it complements a traditional Western-focused approach, making a unique contribution to the literature.

Utilización del Curriculum Vitae para la modelación de carreras académicas y científicas

Este documento presenta una revisión de las principales aproximaciones teóricas sobre recursos humanos en ciencia y tecnología y la modelación empírica de las carreras académicas y científi cas utilizando los Curriculum Vitae (CV) como fuente de información principal. Adicionalmente, muestra los resultados de varios estudios realizados en Colombia basados en la teoría del capital conocimiento. Estos estudios han permitido establecer una línea de investigación sobre la evaluación del comportamiento de los recursos humanos, el tránsito hacia comunidades científi cas y el estudio de las carreras académicas de los investigadores. Adicionalmente, muestran que la información contenida en la Plataforma ScienTI (Grup-Lac y Cv-Lac) permite establecer de manera concreta las capacidades científi cas y tecnológicas del país. Palabras claves: Recursos humanos, carreras académicas y científi cas, regresión discreta y modelos de elección cualitativa. Clasifi cación JEL: C25, O15.

Análisis de las comunidades científicas y académicas de las ciencias básicas médicas y de la salud pública en Colombia ¿Una diferencia?

El objetivo de este trabajo es caracterizar la dinámica de los recursos humanos en investigación y su producción científica al interior de las comunidades de salud pública y ciencias básicas biomédicas del país. El enfoque de este estudio articula la evaluación del comportamiento de los recursos humanos y el tránsito hacia comunidades científicas, vistos desde la teoría del capital conocimiento (Jaramillo et.al; 2006,2008), con la modelación de las carreras académicas de los investigadores (Dietz y Bozeman; 2005). En este sentido, se estiman los modelos Tobit y de Análisis Multinivel para analizar los Curriculum Vitae (CV) de 5.233 investigadores, utilizando la información suministrada por la Plataforma ScienTI-Colciencias (GrupLAC y CvLAC) actualizada a noviembre de 2007. Los resultados muestran como las carreras académicas de los investigadores en salud pública y ciencias básicas biomédicas difieren significativamente, lo cual se verá reflejado en las tasas de productividad, en la acumulación de experiencia para el desarrollo de las actividades de investigación y en consolidación y caracterización de cada comunidad científica.

Carreras académicas. Utilización del CV para la modelación de carreras académicas y científicas

Este documento presenta una revisión de las principales aproximaciones teóricas sobre recursos humanos en ciencia y tecnología y la modelación empírica de las carreras académicas y científicas utilizando los CVs como fuente de información principal. Adicionalmente, muestra los resultados de varios estudios realizados en Colombia basados en la teoría del capital conocimiento. Estos estudios han permitido establecer una línea de investigación sobre la evaluación del comportamiento de los recursos humanos, el tránsito hacia comunidades científicas y el estudio de las carreras académicas de los investigadores. Adicionalmente, muestran que la información contenida en la Plataforma ScienTI (Grup-Lac y Cv-Lac) permite establecer de manera concreta las capacidades científicas y tecnológicas del país.

Executive functions after pediatric mild traumatic brain injury: A prospective short-term longitudinal study

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur frequently in childhood and entail broad cognitive deficits, particularly in the domain of executive functions (EF). Concerning mild TBI (mTBI), only little empirical evidence is available on acute and postacute performance in EF. Given that EF are linked to school adaptation and achievement, even subtle deficits in performance may affect children's academic careers. The present study assessed performance in the EF components of inhibition, working memory (WM), and switching in children after mTBI. Regarding both acute and postacute consequences, performance trajectories were measured in 13 patients aged between 5 and 10 years and 13 controls who were closely matched in terms of sex, age, and education. Performance in the EF components of inhibition, switching, and WM was assessed in a short-term longitudinal design at 2, 6, and 12 weeks after the mTBI. Results indicate subtle deficits after mTBI, which became apparent in the longitudinal trajectory in the EF components of switching and WM. Compared with controls, children who sustained mTBI displayed an inferior performance enhancement across testing sessions in the first 6 weeks after the injury in switching and WM, resulting in a delayed deficit in the EF component of WM 12 weeks after the injury. Results are interpreted as mTBI-related deficits that become evident in terms of an inability to profit from previous learning opportunities, a finding that is potentially important for children's mastery of their daily lives.

Peronismo, pos-peronismo y profesionalización : Trayectorias académicas, estrategias de auto-preservación y círculos discipulares en la antropología porteña, 1945-1963

En el presente artículo se analiza el campo antropológico porteño en el período comprendido entre 1945 y 1963. El objetivo es reconstruir las trayectorias, los reposicionamientos y las estrategias adoptadas por los miembros estructuralmente significativos de la disciplina durante el peronismo y en la etapa posterior. Se sostiene que, si bien la presencia estatal modificó las condiciones de acción de los agentes (llevándolos a extender la disputa a la arena política), no parece haberse registrado una crisis de las jerarquías, un desmembramiento de los círculos discipulares ni una alteración de las reglas del orden sucesorio. Por consiguiente, la hipótesis de la que se parte es que, aunque el advenimiento del peronismo trazaría antagonismos, su impronta en el sistema disciplinar fue secundaria, predominando los mecanismos de auto-preservación, las redes de sociabilidad, las lealtades interpersonales y las afinidades electivas. En ese sentido, se pretende mostrar la operatividad de las lógicas de producción y reproducción académicas (la autonomía relativa del campo) en una etapa de enorme efervescencia política, ideológica e intelectual

Peronismo, pos-peronismo y profesionalización : Trayectorias académicas, estrategias de auto-preservación y círculos discipulares en la antropología porteña, 1945-1963

En el presente artículo se analiza el campo antropológico porteño en el período comprendido entre 1945 y 1963. El objetivo es reconstruir las trayectorias, los reposicionamientos y las estrategias adoptadas por los miembros estructuralmente significativos de la disciplina durante el peronismo y en la etapa posterior. Se sostiene que, si bien la presencia estatal modificó las condiciones de acción de los agentes (llevándolos a extender la disputa a la arena política), no parece haberse registrado una crisis de las jerarquías, un desmembramiento de los círculos discipulares ni una alteración de las reglas del orden sucesorio. Por consiguiente, la hipótesis de la que se parte es que, aunque el advenimiento del peronismo trazaría antagonismos, su impronta en el sistema disciplinar fue secundaria, predominando los mecanismos de auto-preservación, las redes de sociabilidad, las lealtades interpersonales y las afinidades electivas. En ese sentido, se pretende mostrar la operatividad de las lógicas de producción y reproducción académicas (la autonomía relativa del campo) en una etapa de enorme efervescencia política, ideológica e intelectual

Peronismo, pos-peronismo y profesionalización : Trayectorias académicas, estrategias de auto-preservación y círculos discipulares en la antropología porteña, 1945-1963

En el presente artículo se analiza el campo antropológico porteño en el período comprendido entre 1945 y 1963. El objetivo es reconstruir las trayectorias, los reposicionamientos y las estrategias adoptadas por los miembros estructuralmente significativos de la disciplina durante el peronismo y en la etapa posterior. Se sostiene que, si bien la presencia estatal modificó las condiciones de acción de los agentes (llevándolos a extender la disputa a la arena política), no parece haberse registrado una crisis de las jerarquías, un desmembramiento de los círculos discipulares ni una alteración de las reglas del orden sucesorio. Por consiguiente, la hipótesis de la que se parte es que, aunque el advenimiento del peronismo trazaría antagonismos, su impronta en el sistema disciplinar fue secundaria, predominando los mecanismos de auto-preservación, las redes de sociabilidad, las lealtades interpersonales y las afinidades electivas. En ese sentido, se pretende mostrar la operatividad de las lógicas de producción y reproducción académicas (la autonomía relativa del campo) en una etapa de enorme efervescencia política, ideológica e intelectual

Las carreras académicas de mujeres y hombres en la Universidad de Alicante

El artículo presenta las conclusiones de la investigación «Evaluación de la conciliación, corresponsabilidad y promoción profesional en la Universidad de Alicante». Específicamente, se profundiza en el conocimiento de los mecanismos que reproducen la desigualdad en el ámbito universitario: el síndrome de desequilibrio en la cumbre definido por Díez, Terrón y Anguita (2006). A partir de la triangulación de datos, procedentes de dos grupos de discusión y de una encuesta administrada al colectivo docente e investigador, se identifican tres factores explicativos que dibujan el particular techo de cristal de las académicas: la costumbre social, la disímil definición del poder entre mujeres y hombres y la ausencia de redes de apoyo informales.

Volunteering for success:mentoring as a form of student volunteering

Previous studies into student volunteering have shown how formally organized volunteering activities have social, economic and practical benefits for student volunteers and the recipients of their volunteerism (Egerton, 2002; Vernon & Foster, 2002); moreover student volunteering provides the means by which undergraduates are able to acquire and hone transferable skills sought by employers following graduation (Eldridge & Wilson, 2003; Norris et al, 2006). Within the UK Higher Education Sector, a popular mechanism for accessing volunteering is through formally organized student mentoring programmes whereby more ‘senior’ students volunteer to mentor less experienced undergraduates through a particular phase of their academic careers, including the transition from school or college to university. The value of student mentoring as a pedagogical tool within Higher Education is reflected in the literature (see for example, Bargh & Schul, 1980, Hartman,1990, Woodd, 1997). However, from a volunteering perspective, one of the key issues relates to the generally accepted conceptualisation of volunteering as a formally organized activity, that is un-coerced and for which there is no payment (Davis Smith, 1992, 1998; Sheard, 1995). Although the majority of student mentoring programs discussed in the paper are unpaid and voluntary in nature, in a small number of institutions some of the mentoring programs offered to students provide a minimum wage for mentors. From an ethical perspective, such payments may cause difficulties when considering potential mentors’ motivations and reasons for participating in the program. Additionally, institutions usually only have one or two paid mentoring programs running alongside several voluntary programmes – sometimes resulting in an over-subscription for places as paid mentors to the detriment of unpaid programs. Furthermore, from an institutional perspective, student mentoring presents a set of particular ethical problems reflecting issues around ‘matching’ mentors and mentees in terms of gender, race, ethnicity and religion. This is found to be the case in some ‘targeted’ mentoring programs whereby a particular demographic group of students are offered access to mentoring in an attempt to improve their chances of academic success. This paper provides a comparative analysis of the experiences and perceptions of mentors and mentees participating in a wide-range of different mentoring programs. It also analyzes the institutional challenges and benefits associated with managing large scale student volunteering programs. In doing so the paper adds to third sector literature by critiquing the distinctive issues surrounding student volunteering and by discussing, in-depth, the management of large groups of student volunteers. From a public policy perspective, the economic, educational, vocational and social outcomes of student volunteering make this an important subject meriting investigation. Little is known about the mentoring experiences of student volunteers with regards to the ‘added value’ of participating in campus-based volunteering activities. Furthermore, in light of the current economic downturn, by drawing attention to the contribution that student volunteering plays in equipping undergraduates with transferable ‘employability’ related skills and competencies (Andrews & Higson, 2008), this paper makes an important contribution to current educational and political debates. In addition to providing the opportunity for students to acquire key transferable skills, the findings suggest that mentoring encourages students to volunteer in other areas of university and community life. The paper concludes by arguing that student mentoring provides a valuable learning experience for student volunteer mentors and for the student and pupil mentees with whom they are placed.

Career and work-family relationship among academics : An exploratory study

Despite the increase, in recent years, of women’s participation in the labour market, sex discrimination remains a reality in most work organisations. In this matter, academic organisations are no exception. Evidence of sex inequalities is well documented in the literature. At the individual level, inequalities are partly explained by family responsibilities mainly held by women. Having to spend a considerable amount of time in home and children related activities women are left with less time available for scientific work than their male colleagues. With the purpose of understanding how academics experience the relationship between work and family, 32 in-depth interviews were conducted among Portuguese academics of both sexes in one particular university. The findings confirmed that work-family conflict is stronger among female faculty than among their male counterparts. Additionally, the prejudice against maternity and the way it is compatible with a successful career appears to survive the new gender relations. Difficulties felt by female academics could be minimised by the introduction of «family-friendly» policies and the development of a positive organisational climate towards maternity and family issues.