Teaching around the world for 106 days: my Semester at Sea experience

ABSTRACT

Traveling and teaching around the world for 106 days sounds adventurous or even romantic. The Semester at Sea (SAS) program introduces students to many different cultures through coursework and intensive in-country experiences with the aim of cultivating global citizenship. From the collaborative learning atmosphere that results from the unique relationships developed outside the classroom to the deep learning that occurs when students must put what they have theorized in class into practice in foreign countries. The SAS experience is more than the sum of its ports; it is like living on another campus for a semester and the interplay of varied shipboard and port experiences influence students toward a more comprehensive global perspective. This paper will describe the overview of SAS program and share my experience as a faculty member teaching for SAS program.     

Configuring land tenure caused by fixed residence according to the societal control system of North Korea: Focus on forestry carbon trading

The failure in addressing tenure rights in North Korea could be a severe obstacle to introducing forestry carbon trading since it becomes difficult for the land occupant to serve as a supporter to maintain the carbon pool. North Korea is one of the few countries in the world, holding a people’s registration system. North Korean citizens use lands allocated by the State for their entire life because they are not free to move their residences. The article indicates that the people’s registration card is solid evidence for fixed residence and stable land tenure. The card could be used as evidential documents to compensate carbon credit owners in compliance with the international standards for land tenure recognition. This article established a solid evidential foundation to introduce land tenure in North Korea.     

A hybrid approach based on the fuzzy AHP and HFACS framework for identifying and analyzing gross navigation errors during transatlantic flights

Despite the considerable efforts to alleviate problems of North Atlantic (NAT) air traffic and implementation of novel surveillance systems, oceanic errors still remain stubbornly high. The purpose of this study is to identify and examine the factors that contribute to navigation errors in the NAT Region by integrating a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) into the Human Factors Analysis and Classifying System (HFACS) framework for the first time to the best of our knowledge. According to the priority weights, the most important factors contributing to oceanic errors are lack of training provided by airlines, use of inappropriate routes for oceanic crossing by dispatchers, and failure to take preventive measures against oceanic errors. To mitigate the possibility of the aforementioned errors, pilots as individuals must increase their knowledge on cockpit procedures and airlines as organizations have to pay particular attention to training programs to implement appropriate preventive actions.     

华北地区休闲型农业园区空间分布特征及影响因素分析

［目的］近几年，华北地区休闲农业发展取得长足进展，研究其空间基本分布特征，剖析其发展影响因素，对把握其休闲农业分布现状，找准发展华北地区休闲农业关键入手点具有重要意义。［方法］以2012—2017年华北地区评定的680个休闲农业园区（企业）为样本，采用地理信息系统（GIS）对休闲型农业园区的空间分布特征进行简要分析，并利用层次分析法（AHP）探究华北地区休闲型农业发展的影响因素。［结果］（1）华北地区休闲型农业园区呈集聚分布，且集中分布程度极高，空间分布不均衡，主要集中分布在北京，其次为天津、河北、山西，内蒙古分布最少； （2）影响华北地区休闲型农业发展排名前3位的因素是公路密度、农林牧渔业总产值、城镇居民可支配收入； （3）目前城镇居民生活水平显著提高，游客消费水准已成为影响休闲型农业产业发展的重要要因素但并非决定性因子。［结论］休闲型农业是一个新产业，影响华北地区休闲农业发展的重要因素还是政府以及投资者，游客的可意愿度、经济能力已经不是休闲型农业产业发展的决定性因素。要发展休闲农业产业要从增加对投资者的政策导向以及增加园区（企业）的可到达性，将公路密度适当向郊区拓展入手。     

SPAM模型和遥感结合提取华北地区春夏玉米种植面积

[目的]获取农作物空间分布信息,对于研究区域粮食安全、气候变化、陆地碳氮循环和水资源利用等都具有重要意义。[方法]该研究首先应用作物空间分配模型(SPAM-China模型),在5'×5'栅格尺度上重建了1980—2010年华北地区玉米空间分布信息;然后基于SPOT VEGETATION长时间序列NDVI数据,获取了该区域的作物熟制信息,并进一步划分出了华北地区春、夏玉米种植类型区;最后,重点分析了2000—2010年间华北地区春玉米和夏玉米种植区域的时空变化特征。[结果](1)1980—2010期间,华北地区玉米种植面积增加了360万hm2,增加面积集中在中南部地区,变化主要发生在2000年以后;(2)2000—2010期间,华北地区春玉米面积增加136万hm2,占该区玉米总种植面积的比例由17%上升至27%;夏玉米种植面积尽管也增加了87万hm2,但占该区玉米总种植面积的比重呈下降趋势;(3)春夏玉米混种区为华北地区玉米主产区,近年来呈现为春玉米增加、夏玉米减少的发展趋势,全区域92%春玉米面积增加和76%夏玉米面积减少均发生在春夏玉米混种区域内,可见该区以春玉米为代表的一熟制正呈现逐步取代以冬小麦—夏玉米为主二熟制的变化趋势。[结论]该文基于SPAM模型和遥感结合提取华北地区春、夏玉米种植面积的方法,为大区域、长时间尺度作物种植信息的获取提供了新思路。     

How does the flow of remittances affect the trade balance of the Middle East and North Africa?

ABSTRACT

The Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) economies have one of the highest degrees of dependency on received remittances worldwide. In this study, we have examined the role of remittances in the trade balance of 11 labour abundant MENA countries. Our panel regression analysis showed that the inflow of remittances has fostered the trade deficit. We also found that the final effect of remittances depends on the level of domestic capital formation. The results are robust after controlling for other drivers of trade deficit such as income, inflation, exchange rate and institutions as well as country and year fixed effects.     

Protecting our prairies: Research and policy actions for conserving America’s grasslands

Grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems in the world. They supply vital resources for society, support an abundance of wildlife species, and store rich carbon reserves beneath their surfaces. Despite this, only a fraction of original grasslands in the United States now remains, and their rate of conversion to cropland has recently reaccelerated. This paper discusses opportunities that are immediately available to reduce the loss of U.S. native grasslands (i.e., prairie) and advance toward collective goals in grassland conservation. Potential solution-oriented actions include inventorying and monitoring remaining prairie, reconsidering public and private incentives for conversion and conservation, and establishing an industry-led moratorium on natural ecosystem loss. There is also a need among the engaged communities to develop unified messaging and a shared vision for grassland conservation in the U.S., such as “no prairie conversion” or “zero net loss of grasslands.” Additional tangible steps for action are outlined across the science, policy, and public-driven support arenas and offered for multiple stakeholder groups, including agricultural producers, policymakers, academics, and conservation organizations.     

奥巴马政府的对朝政策评估

奥巴马的两个总统任期内,朝鲜先后进行了两次核试验,战略遏制与战略忍耐仍是奥巴马政府的主流对朝政策,但奥巴马政府对朝政策的战略遏制与战略忍耐,具有明显的特殊性。因此,对奥巴马政府的对朝政策的基本评估应着重于对朝战略遏制与战略忍耐所具有的特殊性,即相对有限的遏制与敌视。     

Migration in the Baltic Sea Region in the Context of Demographic Change

Due to increasing life expectancies and low birth rates, the population will shrink, and its average age will increase in most of the regions in the Baltic Sea area during the next decades. Especially in the Baltic states, population decline is intensified by emigration of people. There are plenty of factors stimulating emigration from the eastern part of the Baltic Sea Region to Western countries, especially wage disparities and differing opportunities for finding a job in knowledge-intensive sectors. However, it can be expected that in the course of economic convergence, wage gaps and structural disparities will shrink in the Baltic Sea area. Nevertheless, this will take a longer time, making it necessary for countries to think about policy options suitable for reducing emigration. Among these, reinforcing structural change and improving overall living conditions are at the top of the agenda.