Welfare properties of strategic R&D investments in Hotelling models

In linear-city models, if firms are allowed (not allowed) to locate outside the linear city, they engage in excessive (insufficient) R&D investments from the normative viewpoint. This implies that the feasible set of locations drastically affects their investments.     

提前实施知识转化,实现校企“零距离”接触——“2+1”人才培养模式探讨

随着高等职业教育的不断深入和发展,如何加强学校与企业的紧密联系,培养与社会需求相适应的技术人才,这是各高职院校正在探索的问题。目前,我们正在实践的"2+1"人才培养模式,主要通过均衡多方利益,建立校企合作平台;成立专业建设指导委员会;构建以职业能力培养为主线的课程体系;完善实践教学环节的监督与管理机制等方面的分析,探讨"提前实施知识转化,实现校企的零距离接触"的可行性。     

Agglomeration economies and location choice: Foreign direct investment in Hungary1

Since the beginning of the transition process, Hungary has attracted a significant amount of foreign direct investment (FDI), although this is unevenly distributed among the twenty Hungarian counties. This paper examines the determinants of FDI at a regional level in Hungary and more particularly assesses the importance of agglomeration effects among determinants. A panel model of the location determinants of FDI in Hungary is developed and estimated. Empirical testing suggests that counties with higher labour availability, greater industrial demand and higher manufacturing density attract more FDI. Surprisingly, higher unit labour costs attract FDI. In addition, inter‐industrial agglomeration economies and infrastructure availability are found to be important.     

The Technology Innovation System in Japan

In recent years, many pieces of the Japanese puzzle have been identified and described as lessons for Western businessmen to learn. But the pieces are part of an interlocking system and to understand the role of each piece, it's necessary to see the whole. In the Japanese technology innovation system there are many parts—companies, universities, research institutes, government—and the way they are put together is the subject of this article by Joseph MacDowall. He points out some very unique characteristics about the way the system works. But he also points out some characteristics that are very much Western in origin. This article is based on the personal observations of the author, made during in-depth discussions he held during site visits to over 20 industrial plants or to their research and development laboratories, 25 government research institutes, and at least eight Japanese universities. During the four years he lived in Japan, Mr. MacDowall participated in discussions on the subjects of research, technology, work life, and Japanese culture.     

Spatial heterogeneity in the wage curve

Blanchflower and Oswald argue that the wage curve is a predictable empirical relationship with the “unemployment elasticity of pay” of about −0.1. Using GWR I find evidence of significant spatial heterogeneity in the unemployment elasticity of pay for US counties.