Developing interdisciplinary research graduates: educational opportunities and dilemmas

Attempting to solve the complex problems of the 21st century requires research graduates that have developed a sophisticated array of interdisciplinary teamwork and communication skills. Although universities, governments, industry and the professions have emphasised the need to break down disciplinary silos in order to produce graduates, who can respond more effectively to the needs of the knowledge economy, much of this work has centred on undergraduate programs. While there are some research higher degree students who choose to work on interdisciplinary research topics, very little has been done to develop interdisciplinary research education systematically. This paper explores the educational opportunities and dilemmas involved in developing systematic programs of interdisciplinary research activities in two research centres at the University of Queensland. Framed by Bruhn's (2000, p. 58) theoretical discourse about interdisciplinary research as 'a philosophy, an art form, an artifact, and an antidote', this paper emphasises the need for such programs to embed the development of students' interdisciplinary research skills and attitudes within their research projects. The two diverse programs also emphasise experiential, active and interactive learning techniques and are centred upon the development of students' reflective practice skills.

Opressão econômica e violência social: retratos do cotidiano em três parábolas da Fonte Q (Q 12,39-40; 42-46; 19,12-27)

Num ambiente como o da Galiléia do século I, onde o ensino era realizado nas comunidades religiosas, vilarejos e núcleos familiares de forma oral, o método de fixação de ensinos mediante a assimilação de símbolos do cotidiano era fundamental. Por conta disso, acreditamos que, dentre as fontes orais ou escritas preservadas e organizadas pelos Evangelhos Sinóticos, as parábolas de Jesus compõem o gênero literário mais original por terem sido preservadas na memória, com maior precisão pelos primeiros seguidores de Jesus. Muitos estudiosos empreenderam importantes trabalhos para pesquisar o lugar social das parábolas de Jesus, a maioria deles partindo dos próprios textos dispostos como estão nos Evangelhos. Neste trabalho, nos propomos trabalhar as parábolas de Jesus como ditos bem preservados pela oralidade a partir da teoria da Fonte Q, que é tratada como um dos estratos mais primitivos da tradição formativa dos Evangelhos Sinóticos e do movimento de Jesus. As parábolas do Ladrão (Q 12,39-40), Servo Infiel (Q 12,42-46) e do Dinheiro Confiado (Q 19,12-27) sempre foram vistas pela tradição eclesial como parábolas que tratam da necessária vigilância do cristão por conta da repentina parusia de Jesus. No entanto, nesse trabalho vamos além, pois acreditamos que essas parábolas tratam do contexto social da Galiléia do século I, onde são retratadas a opressão econômica e a violência social imposta aos pequenos proprietários e camponeses empobrecidos.(AU)

Variation and change in the use of hesitation markers in Germanic languages

In this study, we investigate crosslinguistic patterns in the alternation between UM, a hesitation marker consisting of a neutral vowel followed by a final labial nasal, and UH, a hesitation marker consisting of a neutral vowel in an open syllable. Based on a quantitative analysis of a range of spoken and written corpora, we identify clear and consistent patterns of change in the use of these forms in various Germanic languages (English, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese) and dialects (American English, British English), with the use of UM increasing over time relative to the use of UH. We also find that this pattern of change is generally led by women and more educated speakers. Finally, we propose a series of possible explanations for this surprising change in hesitation marker usage that is currently taking place across Germanic languages.

FDI, linkages and the efficiency of state-owned enterprises in China

As China seeks to consolidate its position as an emerging global economic power, reforming the largely inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs) presents a major challenge. Using a comprehensive micro data set, we investigate whether SOEs in China have benefited from the managerial, technical and organisational skills possessed by multinational firms operating in the economy, and conclude that the evidence in favour of positive spillovers is not overwhelming. Limited regional linkages and low level of absorptive capacity are found to be the main reasons for this disappointing performance. Policy makers involved in the reform of SOEs should ensure that managers have the right incentives to make long-term investment in absorptive capacity development.

The knowledge competitiveness of regional economies: conceptualisation and measurement

Whereas the competitive advantage of firms can arise from size and position within their industry as well as physical assets, the pattern of competition in advanced economies has increasingly come to favour those firms that can mobilise knowledge and technological skills to create novelty in their products. At the same time, regions are attracting growing attention as an economic unit of analysis, with firms increasingly locating their functions in select regions within the global space. This article introduces the concept of knowledge competitiveness, defined as an economy’s knowledge capacity, capability and sustainability, and the extent to which this knowledge is translated into economic value and transferred into the wealth of the citizens. The article discusses the way in which the knowledge competitiveness of regions is measured and further introduces the World Knowledge Competitiveness Index, which is the first composite and relative measure of the knowledge competitiveness of the globe’s best performing regions.

Industry evolution and cross-sectoral skill transfers:a comparative analysis of the video game industry in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom

In this paper we explore the interrelationship between technological progress and the formation of industry-specific skills by analysing the evolution of the video-game industry in three countries: Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. We argue that the cross-sectoral transfer of skills occurs differently depending on national contexts, such as the social legitimacy and strength of preexisting industries, the socioeconomic status of entrepreneurs or pioneer firms in an emerging industry, and the sociocultural cohesiveness between the preexisting and emerging industries. Each country draws on a different set of creative resources, which results in a unique trajectory. Whereas Japan's video-game industry emerged out of corporate sponsorships in arcades, toys, and consumer electronics industries and drew skills from the comic book and animated-film sectors, the video-game industry in the United States evolved from arcades and personal computers. In the United Kingdom the video-game industry developed bottom-up, through a process of skills formation in the youth culture of 'bedroom coders' that nurtured self-taught programmers in their teens throughout the country.