Priceline.com, one of the best online services ever created and guess what, the founder is a Cornellian!
And this year's Cornell University Entrepreneur of the Year goes to Jay Walker, Founder of Priceline.com .
To read his profile, go to here . He would be giving talk at Cornell campus on 16th April 4:30pm.
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Jay Walker '77, chairman of Walker Digital and founder of Priceline.com, has been named the 2009 Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year. He will be honored on campus during the Entrepreneurship@Cornell Celebration April 16-17.
Walker has founded a number of successful startup companies, including Walker Digital in 1994. A privately held research and development lab based in Stamford, Conn., Walker Digital has invented hundreds of solutions for businesses in 15 industries.
Walker is best known as founder of Priceline.com, the billion-dollar travel company. He also co-founded Synapse, a company that used the credit card processing network to revolutionize the magazine subscription business. For his work as Synapse's marketing leader, Walker won the Direct Marketer of the Year award in 1999.
Currently, Walker leads a team that launched the world's leading Web site for English-language learning, yappr.com.
A prolific inventor, Walker is named on more than 800 issued and pending U.S. and international patents.
Walker has twice been named by the editors of Time magazine one of the "50 most influential business leaders in the digital age." Business Week selected him as one of the 25 Internet pioneers most responsible for "changing the competitive landscape of almost every industry in the world." Newsweek cited him as one of three executives at the forefront of the Internet commerce revolution.
Walker graduated from Cornell in 1977 with a B.S. degree in industrial and labor relations. He serves on the board of World Information Transfer, a United Nations nongovernmental organization, is a frequent speaker on college campuses and appears often on TV and radio shows.
As the Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year, Walker will give a public address on campus April 16 at 4:30 p.m. at a location to be announced.
Since 1984 the Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year award has been presented annually to Cornell graduates who exemplify entrepreneurial achievement, community service and high ethical standards. Recipients include Sandy Weill '55, former chairman of Citigroup; Howard Milstein '73, co-chairman, president and chief executive officer of Emigrant Savings Bank; Kevin McGovern '70, chairman and CEO of McGovern Capital LLC; and Robert Toll '63, chairman and chief executive officer of Toll Brothers Inc. A committee of Cornell alumni, faculty and students select recipients.
For more information visit the Entrepreneurship@Cornell Web site.
Kathy Hovis is a writer/editor for Entrepreneurship@Cornell.
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Saturday, January 31, 2009
Jay Walker - 2009 Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tony's Hopes and Aspirations for 2009
I just saw this, although this was posted by Tony Fernandes about 1 month ago. Nevertheless, it is great for us to revisit his hopes and aspirations in 2009.
- "Ask what you can do for the country and not what the country can do for you!"
And he even listed his mission to cut weight there!
Read it here
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How to Survive Recession
With financial crisis looming, how many of us are equipped to tackle it? Are we ready to face the on-slaught?
JobStreet.com Singapore invites its members to share on how they cope with recession and you can read a number of those winning entries here
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MeasurementLab.Net
Google.com is again innovating and now it is launching a service where all of us would know what would be our "bandwidth" speed, as said to be "best effort" by our Internet Service Providers.
This is highlighted by Vint Cerf, Google Chief Internet Evangelist at Google Blog .
The website for M-Lab is MeasurementLab.Net
Full article from Google Blog (link above) is as follow.
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When an Internet application doesn't work as expected or your connection seems flaky, how can you tell whether there is a problem caused by your broadband ISP, the application, your PC, or something else? It can be difficult for experts, let alone average Internet users, to address this sort of question today.
Last year we asked a small group of academics about ways to advance network research and provide users with tools to test their broadband connections. Today Google, the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute, the PlanetLab Consortium, and academic researchers are taking the wraps off of Measurement Lab (M-Lab), an open platform that researchers can use to deploy Internet measurement tools.
Researchers are already developing tools that allow users to, among other things, measure the speed of their connection, run diagnostics, and attempt to discern if their ISP is blocking or throttling particular applications. These tools generate and send some data back-and-forth between the user's computer and a server elsewhere on the Internet. Unfortunately, researchers lack widely-distributed servers with ample connectivity. This poses a barrier to the accuracy and scalability of these tools. Researchers also have trouble sharing data with one another.
M-Lab aims to address these problems. Over the course of early 2009, Google will provide researchers with 36 servers in 12 locations in the U.S. and Europe. All data collected via M-Lab will be made publicly available for other researchers to build on. M-Lab is intended to be a truly community-based effort, and we welcome the support of other companies, institutions, researchers, and users that want to provide servers, tools, or other resources that can help the platform flourish.
Today, M-Lab is at the beginning of its development. To start, three tools running on servers near Google's headquarters are available to help users attempt to diagnose common problems that might impair their broadband speed, as well as determine whether BitTorrent is being blocked or throttled by their ISPs. These tools were created by the individual researchers who helped found M-Lab. By running these tools, users will get information about their connection and provide researchers with valuable aggregate data. Like M-Lab itself these tools are still in development, and they will only support a limited number of simultaneous users at this initial stage.
At Google, we care deeply about sustaining the Internet as an open platform for consumer choice and innovation. No matter your views on net neutrality and ISP network management practices, everyone can agree that Internet users deserve to be well-informed about what they're getting when they sign up for broadband, and good data is the bedrock of sound policy. Transparency has always been crucial to the success of the Internet, and, by advancing network research in this area, M-Lab aims to help sustain a healthy, innovative Internet.
You can learn more at the M-Lab website. If you're a researcher who'd like to deploy a tool, or a company or institution that is interested in providing technical resources, we invite you to get involved.
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Job Market in Malaysia
Today, New Straits Times carried a few articles that is related to job market.
Read here and here .
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KUALA LUMPUR: Unemployment in Malaysia could reach six per cent this year, its highest in more than 20 years, as the economy slows down significantly, economist Datuk Dr Zainal Aznam Yusof said.
But as the economy picks up again, unemployment will fall to four to five per cent in 2010.
The government expects the economy to grow by 3.5 per cent this year, from a targeted 6-6.5 per cent growth last year.
Zainal Aznam believes that the country's gross domestic product would likely experience a severe slowdown to two per cent this year.
"It is a shock to the system and the brunt is on employment."
Malaysia has a working population of 11 million. A six per cent rate translates into 660,000 unemployed people.
"We should brace for a large overhang of unemployed, especially when the graduates enter the job market."
Zainal Aznam, who is a member of the high-level National Economic Council, said retrenchment was anticipated across all sectors of the economy although the bulk would be in export-oriented industries.
"So far, the (monthly) retrenchment is not huge yet, but it is going up," he said.
Most of the laid-off workers in the construction and plantation sectors are expected to be foreigners, while it is the other way around in the services and manufacturing sectors.
The services sector, which is likely to recover fastest from the global slowdown, is expected to cushion the economic slowdown as it provides jobs.
The sub-sectors with potential include financial, tourism, education, health, information communication technology, professional services, construction-related services and manufacturing-related services.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam has said that more than 45,000 factory workers could be temporarily laid off during the Chinese New year period due to a drop in orders.
They have been asked to take paid or unpaid leave for two or three weeks during the festive period.
Human Resources Ministry statistics show that 7,500 workers were laid off between October last year and Jan 14. The number included 2,000 foreigners in various sectors.
Most of the retrenchment was in the manufacturing sector involving local manufacturers and foreign multinationals.
The official unemployment rate for last year is not out yet, but the ministry has said that the number of retrenched workers should be around the previous year's 30,000.
A total of 102 employers had reported to the ministry that they would lay off 4,700 workers between this month and March.
The majority of these workers are in the electrical and electronics sector.
This includes 1,500 Western Digital workers who will be made redundant when the hard-drive disc manufacturer winds down its Sarawak plant by March.
Ministry secretary-general Thomas George, who chairs a committee set up to monitor retrenchment in view of the global slowdown, said retrenchment was at a manageable level.
"It is consistent with the global trend of having leaner and more productive organisations," he said earlier this month.
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KUALA LUMPUR: A three-day week may be on the cards for companies and factories if workers and employers agree to shorten operations, Labour director-general Datuk Ismail Abdul Rahim said yesterday.
He said the government's main concern was to ensure minimal job loss and for companies to continue operating.
He said it was necessary for employers to get the consent of workers, who would be paid less if they worked fewer days.
"It is the duty of the department to ensure that workers are adequately protected and, at the same time, companies do not lose out."
He felt that it would be ideal if employers, workers and unions worked together for the good of the nation.
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) is of the view that it is better for workers to take a temporary pay cut than to lose their jobs.
"As employers, we do not want to lose our employees and will do our best to retain as many as possible," MEF executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said.
"However, economic conditions are such that we sometimes have no choice but to cut back on employment to keep afloat ."
Since Jan 1, about 10,000 workers had lost their jobs, with more expected to face the axe if the economic situation did not change for the better, he said.
He added that although the United States and Europe were the worst affected by the global crisis, Malaysia would not be spared either as it was a major trading nation and depended a lot on exports to these markets.
The government had proposed that retrenched workers be paid RM500 monthly while waiting for a new job.
They may also be retrained to acquire new skills or improve on existing skills.
However, according to Ismail, the mechanics of the payment and training was still being worked out.
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress has pledged to cooperate with the government and employers to ride out the difficult times.
Its secretary-general, G. Rajasegaran, said all affiliates had been informed to extend their cooperation and maintain industrial harmony.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Noraini Ahmad advised workers facing retrenchment or whose companies were folding up to contact the ministry for assistance.
She said the Labour Department would place the names of the affected workers in its Workers Mini Carnival programme.
"We will retrain workers who have been retrenched and give them RM500 each for the duration of their training," she said. -- Bernama
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Thursday, January 29, 2009
World Vision Child Sponsorship in Penang
World Vision is on a mission to find sponsors for 3,000 children in 3 months. Joining us in this mission are celebrities Lee Sinje, Francissca Peter, Danell Lee, Deborah Priya Henry, Roshan, Royce Tan and Siow Hui Mei. They have pledged to spread the word amongst their circles of influence. You can make a difference too!
Lee Sinje has visited World Vision projects in Kenya and Mongolia, and seen how children's lives are being changed. Come listen to this celebrity child sponsor's heartfelt sharing, and bring a friend to this meaningful event!
Date: Saturday, 7th Feb 2009
Time: 2pm � 4pm
Venue: Lecture Hall 2, Wawasan Open University Main Campus, 54, Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Penang (Tel : 04 - 228 9323)
Hosts: Roshan (MixFM announcer) and Royce Tan (MYFM announcer)
Seats are limited, and are on a first come first served basis. Call Ayn/Hsien Ling at 03-7880 6414 or email ayn_pereira@wvi.org to reserve a place by February 5th 2009.
Hope to see you there!
From all of us at
World Vision Malaysia
影后李心洁莅临槟城分享儿童助养计划
亲爱的朋友们：
马来西亚世界宣明会必须在这三个月内为三千名小孩寻找助养人。您是否愿意加入我们？
加入李心洁、Francissca Peter、Danell李桀汉、Deborah Henry、Mix FM主持人Roshan、My FM主持人Royce陈志康、Astro节目主持人萧慧敏等"抛砖引玉"的行列，和我们一起实行这项天使任务！您也可以做出改变！
李心洁曾经探访世界宣明会在肯雅及蒙古的社区发展计划，亲眼目睹助养童的生活如何得到改变。请携带您的亲友前来聆听她诚意分享助养贫童的心路历程。时间地点如下：
日期：2009年2月7日(星期六)
时间：下午2时至4时
地点：槟城宏愿大学，Lecture Hall 2, Wawasan Open University Main Campus , 54, Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Penang (Tel : 04 - 228 9323)
今天就加入我们，携手助贫童，让爱齐走动！
请于2009年2月5日前，拨电03-7880 6414联络Ayn或贤玲，或电邮至 ayn_pereira@wvi.org 预定位子。席位有限，请趁早报名。到时见！
世界宣明会 谨启
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
College Endowment Plunged
Thanks to Mark Lee for the sharing below.
With the College endowment plunged, this would mean much more challenging financial aid this year.
This is quoted from WSJ .
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College endowments have suffered a sharp blow in the financial crisis, with aggregate investment losses of at least $94.5 billion, according to a new survey.
The losses, covering the period between July 1 and Nov. 30 of last year, likely understate the severity of the hit schools have taken, since they don't include losses in illiquid, hard-to-value investments that many schools have loaded up on. Schools warned that the declines could lead to cutbacks in financial aid.
Endowment income is a critical part of budgets at colleges, especially at private schools. Many schools large and small have already announced budget cuts, including hiring freezes and the curtailing of construction projects.
[Colleges Rich and Poor Lose Big]
The survey, by the National Association of College and University Business Officers and Commonfund Inc., a Connecticut nonprofit, covered 435 schools and is the broadest tally to date of the markets' toll on colleges, which held $413 billion in endowment funds as of June 30, when most schools' fiscal year ends.
The $94.5 billion loss amounts to a decline of 23% during the five-month period, which was less than the 29% drop in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. But if results don't improve by the end of the collegiate fiscal year, the loss would be the biggest since the association began tracking returns in 1974. And many colleges may be putting off a more severe reckoning by excluding likely losses in private-equity funds and real estate from their figures.
The college business officers' association, along with TIAA-CREF, a financial-services firm that focuses on educators, also released its annual list of the biggest U.S. endowments as of the end of the schools' 2008 fiscal year, generally ended June 30. Harvard led the list with its $36.56 billion endowment. At that date, a record 77 endowments had assets of more than $1 billion. Their wealth has drawn recent attention from the Internal Revenue Service, which monitors schools' nonprofit tax exemption.
The IRS interest follows an inquiry by Sen. Charles Grassley, the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee who has been examining the business practices of hospitals and universities. Mr. Grassley has questioned repeatedly whether schools were hoarding their money at a time when tuitions were placing a heavy burden on middle-class families.
Mr. Grassley has suggested requiring the largest college endowments to make the same 5% minimum annual payments as private foundations. The new survey found that schools, on average, spend 4.6%, though many of the wealthiest have spent considerably less in recent years. Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president for the American Council on Education, which represents 1,600 college presidents, said he expected the spending rate at many colleges will rise to 6% because of endowment losses.
On Monday, Mr. Grassley said colleges shouldn't use their endowment losses "as an excuse" to raise tuition or freeze student aid. "Contrary to what colleges might argue, the weak economy makes a strong case for more endowment spending," Mr. Grassley said. "If an endowment is a rainy-day fund, it's pouring."
—Craig Karmin contributed to this article.
Write to John Hechinger at john.hechinger@wsj.com
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76,000 Lose Their Jobs in a Day
76,000 people lose their job in a day. This marks one of the worst day of this recession.
Quoting this from Financial Times
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Corporate bellwethers in the US and Europe slashed more than 76,000 jobs from their payrolls to confront the deepening economic downturn, marking one of the most brutal days yet for workers on both sides of the Atlantic.
US corporate groups such as Caterpillar, General Motors, Sprint Nextel and Home Depot led the retreat, as the domestic recession coupled with tough export markets continued to take a heavy toll on their businesses. Pfizer, the drugs group, added to the tally saying jobs would be lost in its takeover of Wyeth.
Large European companies such as Philips, the Dutch electronics company, financial group ING and the Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus, which is owned by India's Tata Group, struck the same downbeat tone as they unveiled plans to axe staff.
In many cases, the cutbacks accompanied disappointing quarterly results or bleak outlooks for 2009, when many of the world's largest economies are expected to be hit by severe downturns.
Raymond Torres, head of the International Labour Organisation's research institute, said employers were shedding workers far more quickly in this recession than in the early 1990s.
"We have a vicious circle of depression, where job losses lead to falling consumption, which lowers industrial confidence, which leads to less investment, which results in more job losses, and so on," he said.
Caterpillar, the world's largest maker of construction equipment, said it would cut 20,000 jobs as it reported fourth-quarter profits more than 32 per cent lower than a year ago and warned earnings would be under pressure in 2009. The news comes a month after the US group slashed executive salaries by up to half and cut jobs at large plants.
Sprint Nextel, the US mobile-phone operator, is to cut 8,000 jobs, or 14 per cent of its workforce, while DIY retailer Home Depot is shedding 7,000 posts and freezing salaries as it battles a consumer slowdown in the US.
Pfizer said 19,500 people would lose their jobs after its takeover of US rival Wyeth, while General Motors, the troubled carmaker, announced 2,000 job losses at two plants in Michigan. After the US markets closed, chipmaker Texas Instruments eliminated 3,400 positions. The news in the US came after ING said it would axe 7,000 of its 130,000 global staff and Philips announced the loss of 6,000 jobs as it accelerated restructuring plans.
Corus, Britain's largest steelmaker, announced cuts of 3,500 from its global workforce of 41,000, with more than 2,000 jobs to go in the UK where it employs 20,000.
Reporting by Justin Baer and Francesco Guerrera in New York, Andrew Ward in Washington, Hal Weitzman in Chicago, Richard Milne in London and Frances Williams in Geneva
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Oon Yeoh and Kian Ming's PodBean
Oon Yeoh and Kian Ming, who have been regularly writing in Malaysiakini, are now working together to have a podcast site over here at PodBean .
Do check it out!
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Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share
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Sunday, January 25, 2009
Gong Xi Fa Cai
To all my friends, blog readers, I would like to wish everyone "Gong Xi Fa Cai" and "Happy Chinese New Year".
Thanks for your strong support in my blog! Hopefully, I would try my best to make my blog be more informative.
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Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share
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SAT Reasoning Test Score Trend 2006-2008
To all of you who just sat for SAT yesterday, all the best! Hope that it would be your best attempt!
Came across this blog post from College Confidential.
It shows the total number of applicants who are getting 750 to 800 for SAT each subject, as well as 700 to 749 for each subject.
Critical Reading (Number of Candidates with 750 to 800)
2006 - 25,944
2007 - 28,366 (Up 9.3%)
2008 - 24,569 (Down 13.4%)
Mathematics (Number of Candidates with 750 to 800)
2006 - 32,800
2007 - 35,136 (Up 7.1%)
2008 - 40,466 (Down 15.1%)
Writing (Number of Candidates with 750 to 800)
2006 - 17,510
2007 - 19,814 (Up 13.2%)
2008 - 22,035 (Down 11.2%)
Critical Reading (Number of Candidates with 700 to 740)
2006 - 43,049
2007 - 46,128 (Up 7.2%)
2008 - 45,360 (Down 1.7%)
Mathematics (Number of Candidates with 700 to 740)
2006 - 62,959
2007 - 54,108 (Down 14.1%)
2008 - 56,755 (Up 4.9%)
Writing (Number of Candidates with 700 to 740)
2006 - 37,848
2007 - 39,725 (Up 5.0%)
2008 - 41,332 (Up 4.0%)
It is interesting to see this, as total spots in all Ivy League + Stanford + MIT added up is not even 20,000, so if SAT is the only main indicator, then everyone who got in would be higher than 750. So, this further proves that they look at various indicators and not just SAT score.
Good Luck!
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Graduate (esp Ph.D.) applications rises too!
Besides the earlier post of undergraduate applications increase significantly, graduate (especially PhD) applications do see a great surge as well for this year.
Some of the Graduate (esp. PhD applicants) statistic that I got:-
Northwestern - Up 16%
Duke - Up 15%
Johns Hopkins - Up 12%
Princeton Up 9.5%
Dartmouth - Up 9%
Yale - Up 9%
Michigan - Up 7%
Stanford - Up 5%
Source:-
1. Northwestern, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, Michigan, Stanford here
If anyone comes across other universities have updated their statistic, please kindly share here for the benefits of all.
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Interview with Doris Davis, Associate Provost for Cornell
This article is reproduced from Cornell Daily Sun, which every Cornellian reads every single weekday on campus during academic year. :)
The statistic for Cornell Early Decision in the article below is as follow:-
Class of 2010 - 1,109 admits out of 2,848 applicants (38.94% admitted)
Class of 2011 - 1,139 admits out of 3,015 applicants (37.78% admitted)
Class of 2012 - 1,101 admits out of 3,094 applicants (35.59% admitted)
Class of 2013 - 1,249 admits out of 3,405 applicants (36.68% admitted)
This represents out of a class size of 3,050 for Cornell University, 36.4% filled via Early Decision for Class of 2010, 36.1% for Class of 2011, 37.3% for Class of 2012 and 41.0% for Class of 2013.
With this admission rate, there are only about 1,801 places left for regular decision for Cornell. Of course, the number admitted would be a lot higher, due to yield rate, but the admission rate this year would drop by quite a bit, if total applicants for Cornell went up!
The article below is quoted from Cornell Daily Sun
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Cornell hopefuls for the class of 2013 have turned in their applications, and it is now up to the admissions office to determine who will receive acceptance letters. The Sun sat down with Doris Davis, associate provost for admissions and enrollment, to find out about this year’s crop of potential Cornellians, the changing face of early decision and what is next for financial aid.
The Sun: This year is riding on the heels of last year’s record high number of applicants ever to Cornell. But, with a financial crisis also threatening to deter many college hopefuls, do you think the number of applicants will be up?
Doris Davis: We think. What I think will be the true test is if the applicants have a broader range of economic diversity. That is one of the goals — for students whose families that, because of the economic crisis, think that they can’t afford to come to Cornell — [end up applying].
In the fall, as a pilot program, we hosted two financial aid workshops in New York City — one in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan at the Cornell Club. In both, it was standing room only. It was students and parents who came out on a Sunday afternoon to learn more about financial aid at Cornell. Those financial aid workshops were so successful that we already know we are going to be doing them in the spring and next fall. So getting the word out to families about our financial aid programs is absolutely one of our top priorities.
Sun: How have other universities been affected by the financial climate?
DD: What we’ve been hearing reported in papers is that most of the flagship state universities have been way up in applications [at places] like University of Michigan, University of Virginia and University of California. Students who are residents of those states now have a much more affordable choice given the economic crisis.
We’ve also read early on — there was a report in The New York Times — that highly selective schools like Cornell and the Ivy League schools would still see an increase in applicants. Even with the economic crunch, parents and students realize that attending a school like Cornell is an investment. And that long term, you don’t want to sacrifice students’ long-term career and personal goals because of short-term economic challenges. So people might be willing to do more in the short term to make it possible for their son or daughter to go to a place like Cornell. So, we’ll see. The economic crisis is not going to affect all families and all students in the same way.
Sun: This year’s early decision class, in addition to having a record number of applicants, also saw an increasing percentage of the class admitted early. Why was this?
DD: Last year, I think it was about 35 percent of the class admitted early decision. This year it’s about 35 to 36 percent. It’s nothing that we manage to a science. We don’t tell the colleges there’s a number we admit. We don’t have quotas, but we do want to make sure that the number doesn’t rise in a sharp way. I think there is kind of a self-monitoring [system]. They know that we don’t want to admit what some Ivy’s were doing eight or nine years ago, which was admitting half the class early. We’ve never been that high. We have a sort of understanding that we don’t want to have [those] numbers go way beyond what it’s always been. In the time I’ve been here, it’s been between 34 to 36 percent.
Sun: A few years ago, Cornell was pondering getting rid of early decision altogether. Now, the increase in acceptances through early decision seems like a step in the opposite direction. Is the elimination of early decision still a possibility?
DD: I think for now we’ve put the idea to rest. At least for now, we are comfortable with the percentage of the class admitted early. We recognize that students who are admitted early decision represent a portion of the class, but they don’t represent the entire class. Our goals remain constant, and that is to enroll the best and brightest students, and to also have socio-economic diversity, even though on the admissions side we are need-blind.
What’s really going to be interesting is that when Harvard announced that they were eliminating their early decision program, they said it was for the time being, and they would reevaluate after three years to see if the elimination of their early program had any effect on the composition on the overall class. One of the real tests will be in another year or two if Harvard then definitively says yes, we’ve eliminated early [decision].
I’ve been working in admissions for over 25 years now. There’s been an evolution of early programs. Harvard’s decision, I felt, represents this continuing evolution, and I didn’t feel it should necessarily represent this permanent change in practice at any one institution because I can almost guarantee you that in another five to seven years, someone is going to change again.
Sun: In the spirit of the evolving early decision programs, do you think Cornell’s early decision process will see any changes?
DD: I don’t think so. But, you know, who knows? Every year brings unexpected developments and we are constantly assessing the appropriateness of our admissions and financial aid programs.
Sun: Early decision is often thought to be a process that favors wealthier applicants who don’t need to compare financial aid packages. As it stands now, do you think Cornell’s Early Decision program allows for socio-economic diversity?
DD: That is absolutely correct, and it would be a major concern were it not for the fact that Cornell’s financial aid programs make Cornell’s ability to recruit low-income students very competitive. For example, if a student comes from the lowest income, if the family income is below $60,000, [there are] no parental contributions. If a student comes from a family where the family income is below $75,000, there are no student loans. For a student to know that you can go to Cornell and have no loans and your parents have no parental contributions, that student can take that assurance and look at other schools and see how it would stack up. We want those students to feel that they have the same ability to apply early, as opposed to students who could just pay for those costs.
Now where we still have challenges, and where we’re making great strides is in what we call the middle-income family — the family whose income is above $75,000. Right now, the lowest income students should absolutely feel that early decision is a viable option for them.
Sun: Will the next financial aid initiatives be targeted towards middle-income families?
DD: Absolutely. One of our top priorities, for understandable reasons, has been the lowest income students, but we are absolutely committed to students who come from along that economic spectrum. And so we have addressed the need of students in the middle income through loans where we have reduced and capped loans.
Admittedly, it’s going to be more difficult for us because of the economic crisis, but it’s not something we are going to give up on.
Sun: The beginning of this year marks nearly a full year since Cornell announced that it would reduce and cap loans for low and middle-income students. How has that worked out?
DD: We absolutely saw immediate results. Students who were at Cornell saw the results as well in terms of the reductions of student loans.
One of the hopes is that when students graduate from Cornell, they make career choices based upon their interests, and not based upon the loans they have to pay back.
In the first phase of the initiative, we didn’t address loans for families [whose incomes were about] $120,000. So in the second phase, we addressed it by capping loans for those students.
Sun: It has been said that one reason Cornell announced its second phase of the new financial aid plan in October is because it was losing many of its athletes to schools with bigger financial aid programs. Is the newest plan helping in the recruitment of athletes?
DD: We’ll see. [One phase is] to reduce parental contribution for select students whose incomes are above $60,000 a year. And those students may include students who are of an enrollment priority. Some of those students may be athletes and some may be mathematicians and physicists. So there are a range of students who are going to qualify for those enhanced initiatives. And that piece, we will see, because those students [effected by the new plan] come in fall 2009.
Sun: Last year, Cornell announced that it would allow applicants to apply to two different colleges within the University. How has that changed the admissions process?
DD: In the class of students who came in the fall of 2008, there are about 65 students who were admitted through their alternate choice college. One of the reasons why we implemented primary/alternate was to more accurately reflect the experience of Cornell students. When students come to Cornell, you’re not limited to one college, you’re life doesn’t exist solely in one college. We see that when students apply to Cornell, that they have a range of interests.
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Applications Jump for Class of 2013
Various top U.S. Universities are seeing a great jump in applications for Class of 2013. This continues the uptrend of increase from Early Decision here .
For a number of universities, it is the highest increase ever. I'm still waiting for the number of my alma mater, but I think it would also increase quite significantly following the trend of other peer institutions.
Brown - Up 21% (to 24,900)
Stanford - Up 20% (to 30,348)
MIT - Up 17%
Duke - Up 17% (to 23,780)
Virginia - Up 17% (to 21,750)
Yale - Up 14% (from 22,817 to 26,000) - For Class of 2012, admits 1,952
Dartmouth - Up 9%
Harvard - Up 5.6% (from 27,462 to 29,000) - For Class of 2012, admits 1,948
Princeton - Up 2.3% (to 21,869) - For Class of 2012, admits 2,122
NYU - Up 0.3% (to 37,180)
Source:-
1. Harvard, MIT, Dartmouth, Brown here
2. Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Princeton, MIT here
3. Yale here
4. Yale, Virginia here
5. NYU here
If anyone finds the statistic for more universities, do kindly leave it at the comment area and I'll update this post for the benefit of everyone who is reading this. Thanks! :)
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Your View Sought for 2nd Stimulus Package
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, has been embarking on a mission to collect feedback from fellow Malaysians on how the 2nd Financial Stimulus Package should be.
Do chip in those ideas to najib@1malaysia.com.my . You can see the post by DPM here
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A couple of days ago, I announced the Head for the Project Management Unit in the Ministry of Finance to ensure the timeliness and effectiveness of the First Stimulus Package. I am pleased that we are already making further progress in reducing bureaucracy - allocations for Chinese schools for example, are now given directly to the schools' administrators for faster implementation.
As you may already be aware, a second stimulus package is in the pipeline. For one, the focus of this package will be different from the first. While the Second Stimulus Package has an overriding objective to address the issues facing us that have come about due to this global financial crisis, it will be focused on niche areas of the economy. I am in the process of gathering views from different parties on what is to be included in the second economic stimulus package. The relevant Government ministries and agencies are also committed to the stimulus package so that we avoid falling into a recession and sustain our economic livability.
I thought it would be a good idea to reach out to you via 1Malaysia to hear your views, comments and suggestions on steps and measures you think the Government should include in the Second Stimulus Package, In this regard, I invite all Malaysians to participate in providing constructive and healthy, yet concise inputs as your personal contribution to move our nation forward. In addition to submitting comments on this blog, you can also put forward your ideas to me through najib@1malaysia.com.my. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Saturday, January 24, 2009
18th International Youth Leadership Conference - Prague, July 19-24, 2009
I have gone on International Youth Leadership Conference in January 2005, and it has been a great eye-opener. Do check it out!
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Greetings from Prague.
Yet another IYLC conference has come to an end, and our alumni network has widened, welcoming over eighty new members. We are very proud to have such a diverse alumni community, and we are working hard on making this network more efficient and beneficial for you.
The Next Conference
The next 18th International Youth Leadership Conference will take place on July 19th – 24th, 2009. Please forward the following paragraph to all those who might be interested in our conference:
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18th International Youth Leadership Conference
July 19th – 24th, 2009
Prague, Czech Republic
Join prominent university students from 40 different countries for an experience of a lifetime!
The theme of the conference is "a cross-cultural exchange of ideas concerning the future of world leadership" and the main objective of the IYLC is to blend educational activities and social interaction using a number of inter-related events, such as:
- Simulation of the United Nations Security Council Emergency Meeting
- International Criminal Court Mock Pre-Trial
- Model European Parliament Proceedings
- Visits to foreign embassies, Senate of the Czech Republic, European Commission, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Group debates and panel discussions on international security, environmental sustainability, rule of law, responsible leadership and mass media
- Meetings and banquet dinners with leading experts, diplomats, politicians and businessmen
For more information and application, please visit www.CzechLeadership.com.
Apply early to take advantage of the Early Bird discounts:
30% before February 10th, 20% before February 28th, 15% before March 15th, 10% before March 31st, and 5% before April 15th.
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Posters
Also, the preparations for the 18th IYLC are in full speed and we are working hard on putting together another successful event. We are sending out posters to inform more students about this opportunity and I was wondering whether we could ask you for help with putting up some posters around your university or community. If that would not be a problem, please email us your current postal address and the number of posters that you would need.
If you have contacts of people who would potentially be interested in the next IYLC, please encourage them to visit our web-site at www.czechleadership.com.
Your Successes
Almost 2000 students have gone through our programs and from the feedback we get, we are proud to say that the IYLC was an influential and helpful experience that positively affected the academic and professional careers of many people. We would be very interested in hearing what exciting activities you are currently involved in or were part of since your IYLC conference. If you would like to share your story with us, other alumni and the rest of the world, please send us a short article about what you are up to, similar to the ones we started with at http://www.civicconcepts.org/iyln/success.php. Please feel free to include photos as well.
Networking
To enable more active communication between our alumni, we have created a Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7640842953. We welcome you to join your fellow alumni to initiate exciting conversations about your experiences and issues of international importance.
From now on, you can also link to your fellow alumni at the LinkedIn group at http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/159161/34E3824FE67B.
Facilitator Application
Many of our alumni have inquired how they could apply to become a facilitator at the next conference. You can apply by filling out the Application Form at www.czechleadership.com/facilitator.php.
Useful Contacts
As we are aware, many of our alumni were very successful in their professional and academic careers. Some of them were instrumental in assisting the fundraising efforts of other IYLC participants. Some have secured sponsorships through their companies, some have helped establish scholarships through their universities, others have shared tips on how to secure funding through various institutions. We would therefore be very thankful if you could inform us of any possibilities at your hand that could be helpful in making a difference in other people's lives.
Thank you very much!
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We will be eagerly looking forward to your e-mail and your success stories.
Yours faithfully,
Ismayil
Ismayil Khayredinov
---------------------------------------------------------------
Conference Director
18th International Youth Leadership Conference
Civic Concepts International
ismayil@civicconcepts.org
tel: +420 272 730 897
An amusing take on the fine art of B.S. (business speaking)
Keeping the "BS" in HBS
John Coleman, OJ, Contributing Writer
Source: http://media.www.harbus.org/media/storage/paper343/news/2009/01/20/Humor/Keeping.The.bs.In.Hbs-3589020.shtml?reffeature=htmlemailedition
"BS" ("Business Speaking", of course) is a critical component of the HBS experience. After all, it was BS that allowed you to rise through the ranks of your private equity firm or investment bank, BS that made your b-school application stand out from the pack, BS that allowed you to cozy up to your interviewer by cogently delineating the many reasons for your dedication to the case method of classroom instruction, and BS that has sustained you through one or three semesters of 8:40 a.m. cold calls. As an EC student, former consultant, and section-mate of both Max Anderson and Aduke Thelwell, I consider myself a grizzled veteran of BS battles here at HBS.
So, for all of you who thought the keys to case method success were diligent preparation and careful study, here are a few tips on effective BS:
Buy your own BS
There's nothing more dispiriting than watching a student clearly skeptical of his own BS. Sure, it's easy to get uncomfortable speaking off the cuff about chicken contact lenses, injection molding, and the shower-head preferences of British plumbers - particularly if you haven't read the case or you've spent the first 40 minutes of the discussion surfing your iPhone. But a real BS'er never doubts. Believe yourself! Once you've started pontificating on the artistry of chocolate mixing, get passionate. Pound the desk in front of you, and, if possible "completely disagree" with the answer of a fellow classmate, thereby shifting the burden of response to her. No one will believe you unless you believe yourself. And passion is almost always a substitute for content if you can make people too bewildered or uncomfortable to follow-up.
Change the subject
Never answer the question someone asks. Answer the question you wanted them to ask. If your professor suddenly asks you about the proper accounting for Chemailte R&D, say, "You know, I'll get to that, but I just wanted to say that I've been really disappointed that no one's talking about the fact that the chemicals in Chemalite sticks cause global warming." And follow-up with a story about your personal experience with seals in the melting Arctic Circle. This kind of thing may be obvious, but if you can squeeze a tear, no one will doubt your sincerity.
Don't answer, interpret
Life is almost always lived too literally. And if changing the subject would be too obvious, answer any direct question by reinterpreting it. Your professor thinks she asked a question about Cranberry assembly lines? You think cranberry assembly lines are a metaphor for the cold, faceless, cog-in-the-wheel approach many companies take towards employee treatment. Your interviewer asks you for a recounting of your previous management experience? Give him a straight answer about the ways in which the modern business community uses an overly narrow definition of management, drawing on your experiences gardening - managing the tender process of plant cultivation.
Use lots of generic terms
A core competency of team players in the complex economic ecosystem of the global community is the mission-critical ability to drill-down into your professional experience and leverage a common, best-practice vocabulary. Facilitate a heightened dialogue with game-changing, best-of-breed communications that fast-track the conversation to out-of-the-box solutions while integrating a paradigm-shifting disintermediation of distracting, specific language. Synergies materialize when all players buy-in, bringing their A-games to the table to hit homeruns and cherry-pick the low-hanging fruit. You can't "business speak", after all, without speaking business.
Tell a story
When I was a kid growing up in Georgia, I used to mow lawns for an elderly gentleman named Mr. Shatterly. Far from wealthy, Mr. Shatterly lived in a quaint one-story blue house only a mile from my favorite diner - Pemberton's. He was pushing 80 years old, and while he never had the money to pay me, he gave me something far richer: stories. In his raspy old voice, Mr. Shatterly would recount his youth in Wisconsin, WWII experience in the Pacific, and years caring for his chocolate lab, Bruno. Ah, those were the days - summer-time, wisdom, and the smell of fresh cut grass. See my point?
John Coleman was the fall 2008 champion of the Public Speaking Club's "BS Competition".
JobStreet.com Staff at Jalan Sultan Ismail
Yesterday, JobStreet.com staff went on "road" at Jalan Sultan Ismail yesterday. After the official launching of JobStreet.com Retrenchment Helpline which has attracted the "seek of help" by 4,300 retrenched Malaysians (or those who are in the brink of being retrenched), JobStreet.com staff took time off to wish the road travellers "Gong Xi Fa Cai"!
Armed with StreetSmart Guide and Job Outlook Q1 2009 for Malaysia , JobStreet.com staff distributed those to more than 400 cars that are stuck in the traffic jam!
JobStreet.com staff also carried placards showing "More than 10,000 available at JobStreet.com", "Gong Xi Fa Cai without worries"!
Some of the photos taken are as follow:-
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JobStreet.com Retrenchment Helpline Officially Launched
Yesterday, 23rd January 2009, JobStreet.com officially launched its JobStreet Retrenchment Helpline . This is part of JobStreet Cares initiative, which would help Malaysians who are affected by this recession, to get back into employment as soon as possible.
Words of mouth of this launch got spreaded 3 days before the official launch, and more than 4,300 job seekers submitted their resume! This shows that a lot of Malaysians do get affected and am sure the number that would get affected would be much higher.
Please help to spread the words of this site, as your little effort might be able to help your friends in need. Having an extra help by JobStreet.com to specifically target to help those job seekers who are retrenched would be able to help them to come out from the doom days of being retrenched. Do sign up for JobStreet Retrenchment Helpline !
Below is the official press relase by JobStreet.com, the largest recruitment site in South East Asia.
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"JobStreet.com has currently launched the JobStreet Retrenchment Helpline service which is aimed at lending a helping hand to those who might be feeling the effects of the recent retrenchments due to the global economic slowdown.
This initiative is born based on JobStreet’s observations on the market situation in Malaysia and around this region. JobStreet has been actively monitoring the current recruitment industry and based on our findings, we have decided to set up the Retrenchment Helpline Service as a pre-emptive measure aimed at protecting the welfare of Malaysian jobseekers.
The JobStreet Retrenchment Helpline is free-of-charge as we want to make the service available to as many people as possible. All they need to do is register, upload their resume and JobStreet’s team of career professionals will categorize them based on their industries. The JobStreet team will also contact the jobseekers who use this service, to further find out what are the core competencies and marketable skills. This is to enable JobStreet to recommend jobs for them.
In line with providing solutions to Malaysian jobseekers in times of economic slowdown, JobStreet will also intensify Resume & Career Clinics. This is an initiative which helps jobseekers write better resumes, gain better understanding of the job market and sharpen their job hunting skills. JobStreet will run Resume & Career Clinic tours in campuses and also on-site in companies.
Jobseekers can also look forward to more career fairs that will cater to a wide range of jobseekers from different backgrounds and needs. JobStreet will also seek to conduct more market surveys, run more career makeover seminars and maintain a close working relationship with the government and HR industries so that together we will be able to provide an efficient recruitment solution for all jobseekers both in good times and difficult times."
About JobStreet.com
JobStreet operates the JobStreet.com (www.jobstreet.com) online recruitment websites presently covering the employment markets in Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and Japan. The Group currently services over 50,000 corporate customers and over 5 million jobseekers. JobStreet is listed on Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities (JOBST).
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Business Times also covered the press conference yesterday.
Its write-up is as follow here
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JOBSTREET.COM (0058) said there were fewer jobs advertised on its online job posting service since the start of the year, suggesting a cautious employment market.
The company, which earns a fee from companies that advertise on its website, said the manufacturing sector seems to be the hardest hit.
Citing the company's Job Outlook Report for the first quarter of 2009, chief operating officer Suresh Thiru said the overall job outlook confidence is challenging.
He said companies will hire fewer new workers in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year.
From a random selection of about 1,700 JobStreet.com clients that were polled last December, 56 per cent said they would employ fewer in the first quarter of this year.
Only 14 per cent of them said that they would hire more new people in the first quarter compared with 55 per cent in the same period last year.
About 30 per cent said that their hirings would remain more or less the same.
Suresh said if the jobs market continues to worsen, there will be an impact on the company's revenue.
Meanwhile, the company has launched a new service in anticipation of the deteriorating employment market targeted at retrenched workers.
"The JobStreet.com Retrenchment Helpline service is aimed at lending a helping hand to those who might be affected by the recent retrenchment brought about by the global economic slowdown," said its general manager Eric Sito.
He said the helpline is a pre-emptive measure aimed at protecting Malaysian job seekers.
Since the service was posted on its website three days ago, JobStreet.com has received some 4,300 resumes.
During this economic slowdown, the company will intensify its Resume and Career Clinics to help job seekers write better resumes, gain better understanding of the job market and sharpen their job hunting skills.
"This will increase their employability rate in the market," Sito said.
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Minister of Human Resources' Response to MEF
I posted this note on 200,000 to 400,000 would lose their jobs, as predicted by Malaysia Employers Federation (MEF) here .
Vicks has updated me here with the response from Minister of Human Resources. It is here
For all who are affected by retrenchment, do check out JobStreet Retrenchment Helpline
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
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Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
Rated 7.0 out of 10 by Blogged.com
Thanks to the anonymous blog reader who submitted my blog for review.
This blog has been "blogged". Got an email yesterday that my blog has been reviewed and it got 7.0 out of 10 by Blogged.com
The evaluation is based on the following criteria: Frequency of Updates, Relevance of Content, Site Design, and Writing Style.
Can view it at here
A total of 18,432 are listed under the "Personal Blog" category, and being rated 7.0 are those who are ranked between 5,926-7,667. A lot more for me to improve on, especially in terms of site design, writing style etc.
A check at some of other blogs that I know:-
Kenny Sia - 7.4
EducationMalaysia - 7.5
Thanks to all my blog readers for the support!
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
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Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
CSP Grand Reunion 2009
Calling all China Synergy Programme for Outstanding Youth (CSP) alumni!!! Lets all go for the CSP Grand Reunion 2009 this July 2009!!!
The official email has just been sent out!!! Lets start apply now!!! I'm going to apply for Shandong as my 1st choice and then Silk Road as my 2nd choice!
It's on first come first served basis, so lets apply early. Final deadline is 14th February 2009.
To look for full information, log on to China Synergy Program (CSP)
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Dear alumni,
Thank you for your patience and we are pleased to let you know that the online application for the CSP Grand Reunion 2009 is now officially opened. Please check the "reunification" sub-page in the CSP website at www.chinasynergy.org.hk.
For operational and sponsorship reasons, the CSP organizing committee has to set a certain limit to the size of the alumni delegation, we shall therefore adopt a first come first served principle with consideration to the following two elements when we form the alumni delegation:
- Reasonable distribution of alumni from different CSP years;
- Reasonable distribution of representatives from different regions;
While we are trying our best in reestablishing connections with all our alumni, it would be much helpful if you could relay this message to those CSP friends who are unaware of the reunion.
For latest updates of the reunion please stay tuned with www.chinasynergy.org.hk and the official facebook page at csp.reu@gmail.com.
Wish you a prosperous year of 2009, and
Happy new year of Ox!
CSP Office
23 January, 2009
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A. Date of the reunion
Grand Reunion in Beijing
Duration: 16 – 19 July, 2009
Registration: For those joining only the Grand Reunion, please arrive Beijing latest by 6 pm, 16 July 2009
Pre-reunion tours
Duration: About 1 week before the Beijing reunion
Registration: Arrive Beijing 1 day before the tour commence (Please refer to Section C for tour details)
B. Who can join
All alumni are welcomed to apply for the reunion. For operational and sponsorship reasons, the CSP organizing committee has to set a certain limit to the size of the alumni delegation, we shall therefore adopt a first come first served principle with consideration to the following two elements when we form the alumni delegation:
- Reasonable distribution of alumni from different CSP years;
- Reasonable distribution of representatives from different regions;
C. Programme
The reunion has two components - the Pre-Reunion Tour and the Grand Reunion in Beijing.
Pre-Reunion Tour
The pre-reunion tour will be a great opportunity for alumni to gather and learn more about China in an informal manner. 4 routes are available for selection. Please note Beijing will be the commencement and destination point for all the routes.
1) The Silk Road
Registration date: 10 July, 2009
End date: 16 July, 2009
Places we may visit: Lanzhou兰州, Dunhuang敦煌, Jiayuguan嘉峪关, Tulufan吐鲁番, Wulumuqi乌鲁木齐
2) Shandong
Registration date: 10 July, 2009
End date: 16 July, 2009
Places we may visit: Qingdao青岛, Weihai威海, Taian泰安, Qufu曲阜, Jinan济南
3) Northeastern China
Registration date: 11 July, 2009
End date: 16 July, 2009
Places we may visit: Shenyang沈阳, Haerbin哈爾濱, Changchun長春
4) Beijing Special Programme for CSP Alumni
Registration date: 14 July, 2009
End date: 16 July, 2009
Special Programme for CSP Alumni will include visits to government officials, authorities, acadamics and institutions such as the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission in Beijing. Group discussions will also be arranged to consolidate alumni’s comprehensive understanding of China.
Notes concerning the Pre-Reunion Tours:
1. The CSP organizing committee will grant a sponsorship of RMB 2,000 (maximum) to those alumni participants of the tours. Please refer to Section E for payment details.
2. Final itinerary for all tours are subjected to change. Please refer to website or email announcements for latest updates.
3. The CSP office shall make adjustments as necessary shall the number of applicants for any of the route(s) fall below / exceed the number indicated by the travel agency.
4. For those who are joining the pre-reunion tour, please be advised that you have to arrive Beijing by the registration time stated (to be announced in due course). Please plan your trip accordingly.
Grand Reunion programme
Grand reunion is the core of the whole reunion programme and the following activities are scheduled for the 4 day programme (itinerary is subjected to change, please refer to our latest announcements for updates):
- The “CSP family” gatherings;
- Forum / discussion sessions;
- Visits;
- Meeting with government officials (to be confirmed).
Commitment fee:
All the alumni participants have to pay a non-refundable RMB 700 (equivalent to USD 100) for commitment to the reunion programme. They are required to pay for their own outward and homeward bound transportation to Beijing plus other personal expenses. The organizer will cover other costs of the Grand Reunion as stated in the final itinerary.
D. Application schedule
Online Application:
23 Jan – 14 Feb 2009
Announcement of result through email:
Late Feb 2009
Please send a digital photo (taken within recent 3 months in resolution of 800 x 600 pixel) to csp.reu@gmail.com after you have submitted the online application. Please label the photo with your full English name and CSP year.
E. Payment and supplementary documents
Tour payment
CSP sponsored fee
(Alumni)
Full Fee
(Spouse)
Tour 1
(Silk Road)
RMB 6,100
RMB 8,100
Tour 2
(Shandong)
RMB 2,700
RMB 4,700
Tour 3
(Northeastern China)
RMB 3,100
RMB 5,100
Tour 4
(Beijing Special Programme for CSP Alumni)
RMB 1,800
RMB 2,800
- Fees (half room) stated above represent the level on 23 Jan, 2009 and the latest pricing information will be announced to short-listed applicants later.
- Request for refund will be processed at a case by case manner and alumni should bear all the administrative costs incurred. Requests raised after 31 May 2009 will not be processed.
The following items will NOT be covered by the above mentioned fee:
1. Travel expenses from home country to China.
2. Personal expenses;
3. Excess baggage expense (if any);
4. All expenses related to the spouse of alumni;
5. Extra room expense for room upgrades;
6. Personal travel insurance;
7. Visa fees;
8. Any activities not indicated in the final itinerary;
Grand Reunion payment
Alumni commitment fee (non refundable):
RMB 700 (equivalent to USD 100)
Spouse Fee:
RMB 2,000
- Fees (half room) stated above represent the level on 23 Jan, 2009 and the latest pricing information will be announced to short-listed applicants later.
Supplementary documents
Details of the required documentary proof (ID copy, spouse information, etc.) for completing the application will be sent to short-listed applicants later.
The application is deemed as complete after the CSP office confirmed to short-listed applicants of the reception of payment and documents.
F. Spouse of alumni
The CSP office shall email the alumni concerned for our ability to accept the application from their spouse, and the CSP office reserves the right of final discretion on such applications. For those we have confirmed our ability to assist, we will start the arrangement only after the reference materials and full payment as indicated in Section E are received.
Please be advised that spouse of alumni may not be able to participate part of the Beijing reunion functions. They may have to arrange their own meals and activities for part of the Beijing programme and details will be announced in due course.
Priority will be given to CSP alumni for the pre-reunion tour. Spouse can only be admitted shall there be enough quotas in the tour concerned. Should they be accepted as member of the tour, they should also observe the general regulations that apply to the CSP delegation.
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Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Obama's Inauguration Speech
Within minutes, Time.com is able to load the speech online.
Check it out here at Time.com .
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My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog
Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share
Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)
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