Public shipping Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public shipping Law - Case Study Example The influence of the judiciary decisions and the various regulatory organizations in the framing of these principles are also considered briefly. For this, the International law is understood and its issues are considered briefly. Further, the sources of the International law framework and the general principles in practice are studied. The integration of the human rights and labor rights into the framework is also understood with particular reference to the employment at sea. Principles governing the law relating to the high seas along with the issues or rights and obligations of the states within the maritime zones relating to territorial sea, internal waters, exclusive economic zones, etc. are explored. As the different states have different practices, the freedom of navigation for merchant as well as naval vessels raised the issue of innocent passage and the principles relating to the same are also considered. Shipping is the largest trade accounting to almost 95% of world trade by weight (Rajadurai, 2004, p 83). This trade is truly international and has importance to any business irrespective of the state of origin or operation. Since, shipping is a necessity by businesses across the world, there is also a need for uniformity in practices to make it safe and accessible. Also, since there are inherent dangers in terms of security in any trade, more so in shipping as it involves maritime transport in dangers waters with almost no monitoring or safety from perils or disasters, there is even more need for a common regulatory framework and enhanced operational safety. As McConville, et al (2005) observe that "regulations in shipping must necessarily be developed at the global level and since it is international and has the potential to offer a uniform platform to maritime players, there is a need for a uniform regulations on matters such as construction standards, navigational rules and stand ards of crew competence" (p 249). There are various conventions, laws, treaties, etc. and the issues relating to the different nation's rights and responsibilities towards each other are laid in the International law and the various states which constitute the shipping industry decide to abide by its rules. The International law's oldest discipline is the law of the sea and it draws from various sources for its regulations. Custom is seen as the most important of sources with tradition as another important source of the law of the sea (Dupuy, Vignes, 1991, p 60). There are also the Hague rules which were consolidated in three conventions and which related to issues like principles of freedom of navigation, the juridical nature of territorial waters and the rights of the coastal states over same the, the defining of baselines, the regulations of innocent passage by ships, with significance of the contiguous zone and the issues of breadth of territorial waters among others (Dupuy, Vignes, 1991, p 68). Since the sea wa ters of the Asian and African continents were being

Is Humor Persuasive Essay Example for Free

Is Humor Persuasive Essay Humor can be one of the most effective tools to use with persuasion, as it can provide many benefits with very little cost or drawback. Some of the benefits of using humor to communicate an argument include increased attention span, an overall more enjoyable reading experience, not to mention the comfortable environment comedy will give for the writer to communicate their ideas. Enter humor columnist Dave Barry and his essay, â€Å"Road Warrior,† which introduces the quality of road rage that is said affect the American public today, and he also sheds a humorous light on how easily people are angered. His use of various techniques in his writing makes his approach to the problem of road rage effective, because humor can make something that is tedious become interesting. The techniques he utilizes include the use of metaphors, rhetorical questions (a figure of speech in the form of a question without the expectation of a reply), capitalized words, sarcasm (a sharp, bitter, or cutting remark; or a bitter taunt), and labeling. Barry’s use of humor in his writing contributed greatly to the overall effectiveness of the essay. Through the use of humor, Barry not only contributes to the overall funny tone of the essay, but he sheds a humorous light on a rather tense subject. Road rage is a disease that has been affecting motorists since the time when horsepower compared the power of vehicles to that of the horse. People have been known to express anger towards various situations in many different ways, most commonly being â€Å"flipping the bird. † First, road rage can cause stress while someone travels, which would in turn create health problems. Secondly, road rage can be deadly whether a person is the victim or the offender, as some accidents are known to have been caused by chancy driving due to road rage. Essentially, road rage is an important quality to try to avoid in today’s society for those two very important reasons, and more. The first reason why Barry’s essay was effective is his use of metaphors. Barry uses metaphors throughout the essay to describe the various types of anger he experiences in daily life. For example, in paragraph four, Barry compares the size of Miami driver’s brains to cashews when he is introducing Miami as the Inappropriate Lane Driving Capital of the World,† due to â€Å"being tailgated and occasionally bumped from behind by testosterone driven youth. † Barry will also use a metaphor when he compares the speed that some motorists travel in the â€Å"fast lane† to that of diseased livestock when describing slower travelling Miami drivers who travel in the left hand lane or the â€Å"fast lane. † Another reason why Barry’s essay is effective is his use of rhetorical questions and capitalization of key words. During his description of â€Å"Parking Lot Rage,† he asks â€Å"What the hell are they doing in there? when describing the times that he would look for a parking spot, and wait for somebody to vacate theirs. He goes on to describe instances where â€Å"nobody ever  signals or yields, and people are constantly  cutting us off,† during his description of the problem of youth with aggressive driving habits he also asks â€Å"After a while we start to feel some rage, OK? You got a problem with that, mister news media opinion-maker? † These questions and capitalized words are Barryâ€℠¢s own way of putting emphasis on certain points, which contributes a unique touch to the essay. A third reason why Barry’s essay was effective is Barry’s use of sarcasm in his writing. His use of sarcasm gives a sense of playfulness, which skillfully keeps true to his underlying meaning. For example, in paragraph six, Barry refers to the left hand lane as a public recreational area when he is talking about drivers that will travel slowly in the left lane. Barry is also sarcastic while he is describing the driver training youth receive in Miami, stating â€Å"we are being tailgated and occasionally bumped from behind by testosterone driven youths who got their driver training from watching the space-fighter battle scenes in Star Wars. He is being sarcastic about the fact that youth in Miami get their driver training from watching space-fighter battle scenes in Star Wars. Lastly, another reason why Barry’s essay is effective is his coining of his own terms when labeling the various events that upset him in his daily life. Such as, in paragraph six, Barry labels Miami as the â€Å"Inappropriate Lane Driving Capital Of The World,† while speaking about the slower travelling motorists that stay in the left lane. Barry also comes up with a name for another upsetting occurrence he experiences, which he refers to as â€Å"way too many product choices rage† when describing the difficulty of having so many options to choose from when shopping for grocery items. In conclusion, Barry deftly uses various techniques to get his ideas across, including metaphors, rhetorical questions, capitalized words, sarcasm, labeling, and humor; which not only contributes to the overall funny tone of the essay, but he is able to shed a humorous light on a rather tense subject.

Causes And Effects Of Deforestation In Myanmar Environmental Sciences Essay

Causes And Effects Of Deforestation In Myanmar Environmental Sciences Essay According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations U.N.FAO, there are about 31,773,000 ha hectares or 48.3 of forests in Myanmar. An average of 372,250 ha or 0.95% of forest have been lost annually between 1990 and 2010. The organization states that within the period of 20 years (1990-2010), around 7,445,000 ha or 19.0% of the total forest has been cleared in Myanmar. Myanmar is one of the top ten countries that are happening highest deforestation rate in the world, and its rank is seven. The Rangoon-based Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) alerts that Myanmar is meeting a deforestation crisis because of natural disasters (hurricanes, floods, drought and fires), human activities (logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, cutting trees for fuel, mining operations, dam building, clearing land for livestock grazing and oil extraction) and overpopulation. If deforestation cannot be controlled by government, the result could be very disastrous. It has negative impacts on environmental degradation and direct biodiversity loss. Exporting timber and human population are the main causes of deforestation in Myanmar. The Global Witness Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) manipulated that Myanmar shipped at least one million cubic meters of timber into China in 2002. Between 2010 and 2011, government exported 864,000 metric tons of timber and got US$600 million from it. Moreover, according to the UN FAO report that Burmas rural populations of around 70% or at least 30 million rely on forests for their basic needs in 2009. Government and people do not aware if they cut a lot of trees for their profits; it will affect on ecosystem and happen a lot of natural disaster in Myanmar. The purpose of this paper is to show causes and effects of deforestation in Myanmar. In particular, the impact of climate changes is very serious problem in Myanmar due to deforestation. This paper will discuss the plans of government to solve these problems ,and it will also provide some possible suggestions to protect the forests. 1.0 Causes The meaning of deforestation is cutting, clearing and removing of trees for various reasons such as logging, slashing-and-burning agriculture, clearing land for livestock, building dam. Sometimes, natural disasters can extremely destruct forests. For instance, Cyclone Nargis destroyed a lot of trees in Myanmar on 2 and 3 May 2008. Myanmar is developing country, so the government and people are extremely depend on forests. They cut down a lot of trees for various reasons, but the main point is for short-term economic benefits (Putatunda, 2011). Deforestation can be caused not only human activities, but also natural disasters. In Myanmar, government exports a lot of natural resources to other countries, but they got more money by exporting timber. According to the parliamentary Natural Resources and Environment Conservation Committee, Myanmar exports a lot of teaks by legal or illegal. The London-based Environment Investigation Agency claims that Myanmar exported 1.6 million tones of teak per annually to neighboring countries such as India, China, Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia. http://www.itto.int/files/user/mis/mis%20charts%20homepage/snap20111201.gif The agency states Myanmar got $5.7 billion by exporting 18 million cubic meters of wood log between 2000 and 2010. According to statistics, Myanmar has more than 16.32 million hectares of forest, and the area of teak is 24,300 hectares while the area of hardwood is 324,000 hectares. In Myanmar almost 1.98 million cubic meters of hardwood and 283,000 cubic meters of teak are used in Myanmar per annual. As a result, cutting a lot of trees for exporting is threatening Myanmar forests. Overpopulation affect on forests because they destroy a lot of trees for their profit. In Myanmar, the population is increased approximately one million annually. The population Myanmar is 54,584,650 in 2012 .According to UNFAO, 70 percent of the Myanmar people live in rural area, and they rely on forests for their basic needs and sustenance and income. Similar to Indonesia, people who get less than US$ 1 cut trees to get a few income for short-term (Stolle, 2008). Deforestation can be caused by not only man-made, but also natural disasters. In Myanmar, forest fire is one of the main problems to destroy forests. Myanmar lost up to 10 tons of forest fuel because of forest fire. As a result, every 30 to 70 tons of top forest soil are destroyed in Myanmar. Myanmar is facing natural disasters such as cyclones, landslides, earthquakes, tsunami, fire and drought. They are also real threats to Myanmars environment. Effects Burning trees and clearing forest extremely affect on environment. A lot of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide are emitted from deforestation. Hence, the temperature of global is rising, so climate changes and soil erosion happen in Myanmar. 2.1 Climate Changes A lot of natural disasters are threatening Myanmars forest such as cyclones, earthquakes and floods (Moe, 2009). Cyclone Nargis destroyed trees and livelihood of people more than earthquake and floods. Cyclone Nargis was the top deadliest and most caustic tropical cyclones to ever strike Myanmar (The New York Time, 2012). The cyclone notably affected a total of 37 townships. The UN predicts more than 2.4 million people were affected by Cyclone. According to official figures, 53,800 were missing, and 84,500 people were killed. It also destroyed a million acres of rice paddies, trees and killed three-fourths of the livestock with its seawater surges. 2.2 Soil erosion and soil fertility loss In Myanmar, soil erosion is one of the most serious problems, and government cannot be controlled until now, so the agricultural products of Myanmar are falling. The fertility of the soil will reduce if the surface soil is eroded, and it can turn agricultural land into desert land. To prevent soil erosion, Myanmar should preserve forests and grasslands. If soil erosion cannot be preserved, it will lead to flooding. Weather and agricultural experts argue that they get 4 inches of rain from the flood areas, but flooding problems never happen with this amount of rainfall in the past. Not only nutrient depletion but also ecological, social and economic problem can be happened because of soil erosion. Solutions A lot of natural disasters are threatening people in Myanmar. Most disasters are caused by deforestation. So, the government are trying to reduce deforestation. They have three plans for that. First of all, they will completely ban exporting timber to other countries in 2014 (William Boot, 2012). However, it is difficult to stop illegal logging and exporting to China. The reason is Chinas border is very close with northern part of Myanmar. Most poor indigenous people are relying on forest for their basic need. Although the government does not allow to cut trees, they may do continue, but their strategic is a few positive effects on stopping illegal logging and exporting to not only China but also other countries. The second is reforestation. Every June or July, the government order to plant trees in the whole country. Moreover, the government has dictated its citizen between the ages of 11 and 60 must plant five trees per annually in China. The government mentions that the result of their program is they have been planted at least one billion trees since 1982. Although the government of Chinas plan succeed, in Myanmar, their programme failed since after planting trees, nobody care about them. In the peoples mind, their responsibility is just planting trees. The last strategy is collaboration with UN organization . It established The National Commission for Environment Affairs(NCEA) which purpose is to support the environmental protection and reduce the environmental degradation. The government expects this collaboration can prevent deforestation in Myanmar. The best solution is giving job to poor people. If they have enough money for their basic need, they will not destroy the forests. They will not care how many disasters happen and the government announces the rules because money is more important than retaining the environment for them. Furthermore, recycling and reusing items are also the best solution. For example, industries are using a lot of bamboo to produce paper. If people and students reuse the recycling paper, they may reduce using bamboo. These solutions may decline deforestation in Myanmar. Conclusion In conclusion, Myanmar was covered a lot of forests in the past, but nowadays, the coverage of forests decreased significanly in Myanmar. Exporting teaks and overpopulation are the main causes to be facing deforestation in Myanmar. Myanmar is poor country, so government budget depend on exporting teaks to other countries. Nearly 283,000 cubic meters of teak and 1,98 0,000 cubic meters of hardwood are used for exporting in Myanmar per year. Increasing population is also the main problem. Approximately one million people are incresing per annually. Most of them are poor, so they rely on forests for their basic needs. The result of destroying forests is emitting a lot of greenhouse gases. As a result the temperature is rising, and it affects on climate and soil of Myanmar. By changing climate, a lot of natural disasters are happening in Myanmar such as Cyclone Nargis, earthquakes, floods and drought. Cyclone Nargis destroyed a lot of trees and affected more than 2.4 million people, and it was nightmare for people. Myanmar has no many good place for agriculture due to deforestation. Government tried to solve deforestation , but it did not affect on the problem. Reducing unemployments and recycling items may prevent destroying the forests. If the government cannot control deforestaionthe, a lot of extreme natural disasters will occur in Myanmar. If there is no enough trees, the temperature will be higher and higher, and the death rate of people will sharply increase in hot season. Health problems and economy problems will also happen. It is believe that if there is no trees, animals can not survive. If there is no animals, all people cannot also survive. By maintaining the environment, the world will be beautiful.

Iago’s Manipulation in Act One of Shakespeares Othello :: Othello essays

Iago’s Manipulation in Act One of Othello The events that occur in the first half of Act 1 are all in anticipation of the lead character Othello who we are not immediately introduced too. We learn Iago’s name in the second line of the play and Roderigo’s soon after, but Othello is not mentioned by his name once. Instead he is referred to as ‘he’, ‘him’ and is frequently described as ‘the moor’ (1.1.58) he is also described as having ‘thick lips’ (1.1.67) and later as being a ‘Barbary horse’ (1.1.111) is continuously described by his critics, mainly Iago, as a ‘moor’, demonstrating Iago’s frequently concerning nature of race and also portraying Othello as something of an alien. From this reference we are able to immediately understand Iago’s true feelings and motives for Othello. The audience at this point know nothing of Othello that is gained by their own opinion, instead we are lead to believe from Iago’s race related description that Othello is a threatening and evil moor, whose beastial sexual appetite, conveyed by Iago’s cries to Brabantio, telling him that ‘an old black ram is tupping’ his ‘white ewe’ (1.1.89), is something of a rapist. Iago’s coarse animal related language conveys Iago’s feelings against Othello’s marriage in a much more pronounced way. The image of an ‘old black ram’ gives the audience nothing but negative images of Othello, especially when this ‘old black ram’ is being associated with the innocence of a ‘white ewe’. Iago then associates Othello with the image of ‘the devil’ (1.1.92) because of Othello’s colour, Iago warns Brabantio that he has ‘lost half [his] soul’ now that Desdemona is married to Oth ello. Iago here emphasises the biracial nature of the marriage, already showing his ability to manipulate people, in this case he is manipulating Brabantio, to believe in Iago’s own opinions and in theory to eliminate all thoughts that Brabantio might of had of his own about the marriage. Despite the negative foregrounding of Othello’s character by Iago, our first impressions of Othello in Act 1 are of a noble and well-spoken man, his nobility is conveyed through his speech ‘most potent grave and reverend signiors’(1.3.76) to his future father-in-law Brabantio of Othello’s love for his daughter Desdemona in Act 1 Scene 3. This is a very different character to what we expect from Iago’s preparation for the introduction of Othello. Where we are expecting an angry and possibly violent character, we instead are met with something completely surprising, a quiet and calm man who dismisses Roderigo’s insult and even avoids the prospect of a conflict.

Learning at Universities Essay

Learning at University: The International Student Experience1 Meeri Hellsten Macquarie University, School of Education meerihellsten@mq. edu. au Anne Prescott Macquarie University, School of Education anne. prescott@aces. mq. edu. au This paper reports on research that explores internationalisation of the University’s curriculum offerings and how this affects international students. The central focus of this paper is to highlight some of the student commentary on communication between teachers and students exemplifying the way it subsequently affects the quality of student learning. The paper concludes by raising some questions concerning how we may best meet the needs of international students by drawing on inclusive teaching philosophies. Inclusivity and diversity, international students, internationalisation and sustainability, transition experience INTRODUCTION The internationalisation of curriculum in Australian universities has increased significantly in recent years. International students (IS) are now an integral part of university teaching classes. The rapid increase in international student numbers is also reflected in current research. However, relatively little research has focused on the student perspective (Ballard and Clanchy, 1991; Jones, Robertson, and Line, 1999; Ramburuth, 2001; Reid, 2002). This paper is a contribution to this area of higher education research. The accommodation of IS is an important goal in the Australian higher education sector that is reflected in the commitment to quality education and teaching expertise. The benefits of the integration of IS into the Australian academic cultures are highly esteemed by university leadership. The diversity of our university populations is enhanced by IS and further research may be found by exploring how diversity may add value to the transition experience as a whole (McInnes, 2001). However, reports on students’ experiences provide a somewhat contrary understanding of that experience. For example, Reid (2002) conducted a comprehensive study, which surveyed over 300 postgraduate IS at Macquarie University. Contrary to common beliefs, about students from Asian backgrounds in particular, IS students were reported to value the interactive mode (i. e. discussion based learning) of unit delivery over a sometimes assumed teacher centred mode. Another example is the common stereotypical belief that students from Asian backgrounds prefer rote-learning styles and tend to be passive in classroom interaction. It seems then, at least rhetorically, that ideas about what constitutes high quality teaching and learning differ between international students and academic personnel. 1 This paper is adapted from one presented at Celebrating Teaching at Macquarie 28-29 November 2002 (Hellsten and Prescott, 2002). Hellsten and Prescott 345 If the practices that characterise quality are perceived and acted out differently by members of Western and Eastern cultural groups it assumes a questioning of the very meaning of concepts such as ‘quality’ and ‘teaching’. These can account for deeply contrasting expectations of educational practice. International students’ cultural traits have been blamed for subsequent teaching and learning problems (for example, Burns, 1991; Jones et al. , 1999; Leask, 1999; McInnes, 2001; Ryan, 2000). Some problems include poor English language and critical thinking skills, failure to participate in the collaborative learning mode (for example, group discussions), differences in cultural communication, academic literacy styles, and expectations of rote learning resulting in lack of independent learning initiatives. Where does this occur? Some researchers have refuted these claims. Biggs (1999) provides a broad review of research findings that reveal institutional stereotyping of students from Asian backgrounds. He argues that such students continue to rank in the top levels of university courses, which testifies to their ability to adjust well into the Western learning cultures. The issues and problems are no different from those generally raised by researchers in the field of the first year experience of mainstream students undergoing the transition to an academic university culture (Levy, Osborn, and Plunkett, 2003; McInnes, 2001). Biggs (1999) reports on results showing that at least for some, the mainstream transition experience is fraught with uncertainties about fitting in to disciplinary cultures in terms of academic writing genres (for example, Krause, 2001). Anecdotal evidence suggests that students quickly develop the ability to work out their position within disciplinary cultures, with beginning students being able to guess at what is important as sanctioned disciplinary practice within three weeks of commencing their studies in a major discipline area. Therefore, research is needed into the acquisition of disciplinary know-how that seems readily accessible by students in universities; a skill that would not in such cases be acknowledged by the academic community. What seems to be at the core of the debate is the notion of communication between IS and university staff (Hellsten, 2002). There seems to be a need to increase cultural understanding that is reflected in the ways in which pedagogy and practice are mediated between IS and academics. There also seems to be a need to establish opportunities for discussion between IS and staff about the communicative differences that constitute pedagogy, and the way in which these are reflected in the university teaching settings. In order to examine the relationship between cultural practices and pedagogy among incoming students we conducted one-hour, semi-structured sessions with volunteer IS in their first year in Australia. The 48 participants (undergraduate and postgraduate) were enrolled in many different discipline areas of the University, as shown in Table 1, and came from a range of countries around the world, presented in Table 2. Table 1. Participants’ course of study Accounting Actuarial Commerce Economics Translation TESOL Linguistics Languages Education Anthropology Computing Exchange Total Undergraduate 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 4 18 Postgraduate 1 2 13 3 6 3 2 30 Total 4 3 3 1 14 3 7 1 3 2 1 6 48 346 Learning at University: The International Student Experience Table 2. Participants’ country of origin (N=48) Country China South Korea USA Japan Germany Vietnam Thailand Taiwan No. 16 13 5 2 1 1 1 1 Country Sweden Sri Lanka Spain Singapore Malaysia Kenya Indonesia Hong Kong No. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Of central interest was the first six-month time period following overseas students’ arrival that constituted their transition period between the old and new learning environments. The questions centred on the students’ encounters with Australian communities, learning environments and the academic disciplines. We were also interested in the students’ overall sense of experience as reflected in subsequent word-of-mouth referrals to fellow students in their home country. We found important impressions inherent in such descriptions. They provided insight into aspects that might otherwise have been hidden due to discursive politeness and courtesy constraints of the interview. Below are some features of their commentary. COMMUNICATING IN CLASS One of the common assumptions made about IS from Asian cultures is that they find it difficult to contribute in class and to participate in classroom discussions. There are many substantial explanations for this, the most salient being that IS feel self-conscious if conversational flow does not come easily in the English language. This shows in their reluctance in attempting to pronounce English words for fear of failure in front of the evaluative eye of other native speakers. Yes†¦. Um†¦ they [teachers] think it’s a job. They ask something. We say nothing†¦ ‘cause we wanna say but †¦ (inaudible) shy. And I’m afraid sometimes I’ll make a mistake, so I don’t want to like that †¦ I think, my friends, sometimes they stay in one course for two †¦ months. Because their character very shy. They don’t want to say, you know, anything even though they know everything. They know everything. So teachers didn’t know that. It’s just hard and difficult. I don’t know the feeling, the nuance, I don’t know those in English so.. I†¦ I’m not a good English speaker at all. It’s very uncomfortable when I talk with somebody. So I think I†¦ When I speak with Australians I feel they treats me as a children, you know. And they think of me as a just a†¦[indicates height of a child with hand] that language level person. Like a ten year old kid. In conversation with native speakers the student in the third example feels she is being spoken to in the diminutive voice. The perception that others speak to her ‘as a child’ must be damaging to her self-esteem as an academically successful individual. The perpetuation of this perception may in turn result in a reluctance to speak in public, thereby accentuating a difficulty in the learning process. COMMUNICATION ISSUES A common communicative feature is for speakers to adjust their conversational style to suit each other in terms of genre and register. Australian lecturers of IS are perceived to lower their level of language use in the hope of making their teaching more effective and beneficial for low level language speakers ( Jones, 2001). Hellsten and Prescott 347 The consensus was that the mode of delivery was easier than that expected of mainstream students. The necessary feedback may not have reached the lecturers due to culture-specific constraints for politeness in discourses. For example, students from some cultural backgrounds did not feel comfortable offering criticism of their teachers as a gesture of respect: The one thing is they (lecturers) try to speak easier (laughter) because sometimes we misunderstood. And lecturer say to student but nobody nodded. So he try to explain again. So I think most of the Australian lecturer try to give lecture (in an) easier way. Delivering lectures using lower level language registers can be perceived as contrary to IS expectations of improving English proficiency as part of their student experience in an English speaking country. Before I came here I think uh, if I got to Australia I will improve my English skills really very fast. But it’s just a dream. I must do everything. Every day I practise, practise, practise for this. Within this commentary is the realisation that achievement in the learning experience hinges solely on personal investment of time and practice. The interpretation here is the refusal of the lecturer to provide the necessary skills to which the student aspires. It is also a reaction to the realisation that the low level of language provided by the classroom interaction would not provide him with advanced level linguistic ability – a rather troublesome side effect of an overseas university experience in an English-speaking country. It seems, based on our student commentary, that the slowing down of English language learning results, at least in some cases, is a lack of challenging classroom opportunities. So adjusting to a conversational style may not be useful and may be interpreted by IS as a gesture that further marginalises them from mainstream students. Leaving the social comfort of home country for study in a foreign country, language and culture can be a harrowing experience, especially for younger international students. The mentoring programs in place within universities go some way toward meeting the basic transition needs. However, the interviews revealed that IS consign the responsibility of teaching to lecturers rather than the institution. On this theme, one feature of the discussion is the student perception of a lack of support by the teaching staff. For example: So, I want teacher to encourage that, and like mum or dad†¦ yes, to take care of them (other IS) a lot because they are really shy and they sometimes they don’t understand†¦. Just to say ‘OK’. I want our teachers to know that. So there is a consultant. He consult with me. But he is really busy. I can’t contact easily. Just the one (consultant) and a lot of students here. So, and he only work†¦ I think, twice maybe three days a week. So I can’t meet. †(Is this a reference to a teacher or a student counsellor? ) I visit many times this office. When I need their help I am looking for someone but I can’t. Commentary about the unavailability of consultation opportunities is extensive among newly arrived international students in our study. We suggest that this lack of resources is partly a biproduct of the current global economic rationalisation in the higher education sector; the effect of which is compounded for IS who often have greater needs than local students. There is a perception that special efforts should be made by academic staff to accommodate incoming students’ needs. This is attributed to the need for care and emotional support, and in a familial sense as tantamount to so-called ‘parenting’. This is especially voiced in talk about the younger IS groups. The ethic of care is an expectation of the teaching practices by the students interviewed. 348 Learning at University: The International Student Experience The unavailability of part-time staff poses a further problem for international students due to the pressures imposed by their timed candidature. There is a sense of urgency about the study program and waiting to see staff who are not available is interpreted as obstructing progress toward the completion of the degree. Such concerns are directly linked with the marketing of education in the new global knowledge economy (Rizvi, 2000). Certainly, international competition for student places and resources is of central interest to Australia as one of the Western English speaking countries with extensively developed international education targets. Australia is competing against other English speaking countries for IS numbers. The competition and urgency of this new global dynamic is then reflected in the responses of IS and may result in the experiences perceived as less desirable as in the above commentary. The commitment to internationalising the curriculum needs to seek critical and innovative solutions to a re-evaluation of existing curriculum content, enhanced capacity and mode of program delivery. To this end, Bellis and Clarke (2001) found a course online bulletin board to be extremely useful for students interacting with other students and staff. Students were encouraged to discuss difficulties among themselves, with academics only participating when necessary. While Bellis and Clarke recognise that not all students participated, for IS whose first language is not English, a bulletin board allowed students to think about and compose their response without the pressure of the discussion progressing past the point where they wanted to participate. SOME IMPLICATIONS There is a widespread call for implementation of various bridging programs to prepare IS better in their transition to the Australian study environment (Jones et al., 1999;Leask, 1999; Ryan, 2000). Successful mentoring programs are in place in many universities (Austin, Covalea, and Weal, 2002). These go a long way toward the creation of important links between IS and Australian communities and may decrease feelings of social isolation and loneliness. Implications can be considered in terms of enhancing culturally sensitive curriculum delivery and communication, and by enhancing a reflective and inclusive teaching culture throughout the university. Implications for teaching and learning. Some useful resources for the critical examination of our teaching modes and practices may be found in a number of professional-development initiatives. Inclusive teaching practices are particularly pertinent. While inclusive teaching philosophies are part of effective teaching policies, whether in schools or universities, there seems to be some uncertainty about their applicability to the teaching setting. Making the curriculum and its discourses explicit is a starting point discussed by Leask (1999) and Garcia (1991). Provision of obvious and workable program and assessment guidelines that are sensitive to individual variation and diversity are also listed among their recommendations. One implication that emerged from the current study involves the need to provide opportunities for staff to communicate and reflect upon their practices in teaching IS. One cost-effective way is the formation of focus groups that contain impartial representatives of the international student body (such as representatives of the National Liaison Student group) who convey the views of students to academic and other staff. Awareness of cultural open-mindedness and responsibility towards IS is an issue that could be explored. Information sessions may address the examination of religious and other culturally divergent traditions, as well as culture specific discourses. Rizvi (2000) calls for the internationalisation of curriculum to ensure the promotion of cultural change, that would become part of both the mainstream and other groupings. The culturally sensitive curriculum would then move away from the stereotypical thinking that claims internationalisation as a responsibility that belongs to someone else other than oneself (Leask, 1999). Hellsten and Prescott 349 The underlying premise of Leask’s (1999) statement of shared responsibility for the internationalisation of the Australian higher education curriculum prescribes that strategies are put into practice to enable the meeting of individual IS needs for communication. Where this relates to increasing staff availability, further resources may be needed. Clearly, the conditions of IS academic experience rest on adherence to time management and other restrictions as dictated by temporary visa requirements. Such constraints necessitate mediation with academic and other university staff for increased accountability and loyalty to consultations and other scheduled commitments. One suggestion for implementation is to make a point of contact facility available that is staffed by academics and experienced IS mentors. We found that many of the questions of incoming IS are of a general nature and can be answered by individuals within the university system. Such a facility (for example, an information booth, linked to an on-line service) meets the deeper need for social and emotional support that is currently felt by new students to be lacking. Garcia (1991, p. 3) points out that classroom teachers who were thought by others to be â€Å"highly committed to the educational success of their students† perceived themselves as being â€Å"instructional innovators utilising new learning theories and instructional philosophies to guide their practice†. Professional development activities were also considered to be important. They had high educational expectations for their students. Some students in our study thought their lecturers were off-hand about their students’ success or failure. It would appear, therefore, that good teaching is recognisable, no matter what the venue. Implications for practice Educational practices are largely related to everyday conduct, held values and attributive actions. To this effect, we benefit from recommendations for teaching methods that draw on reflective and inclusive teaching philosophies. However, it is our experience that these philosophies are not entirely understood by the academic community. There needs to be some recognition of inclusivity as a dynamic negotiation, as opposed to the domination of one over another. This reasoning makes the notion of flexibility and change everyday requirements for the accommodation of diversity in our teaching and learning settings. There still exists a great need among academics in Australia to reflect upon their cultural affiliations, to explore their ethnicities and acknowledge that these are not only traits we identify in others but also in ourselves. This reflection should then allow for inclusive practice to begin by asking, what can I do to meet the particular cultural and discursive needs of international students. This may in itself, and without further extended effort, transfer into the duty of care for the IS in particular classroom settings. However, there are some recommendations that provide examples to implement culturally inclusive practices into the teaching of IS. An initial issue is to consider a needs analysis of the students and how their needs can be met within the constraints of the teaching program. A second issue is, to allow for flexibility in understanding some of the cultural discourses and genres that may be encountered in communicative exchanges with IS. Knowledge of the background of students acknowledges an acceptance and interest in their cultural backgrounds. There are many publications describing cultural practices of particular nationalities. For example, an exploration of different religious and cultural traditions may provide stimulating introductory material particularly if this is carried out with sensitivity and without marginalising individual students in the group. Another effective introductory session may investigate communication conventions of different cultural groups. Allowing students to explore culturally specific behaviours such as the use of voice, tone, affect, body language and body contact in communicating with different members of the community may also open up channels of communication between staff and students. This may also act as effective preparation for later identification of unexpected features of communicative conduct. 350 Learning at University: The International Student Experience CONCLUDING COMMENTS The internationalisation of Australian higher education is still in its infancy inviting greater collaborative effort from university communities. Although many generalisations exist, we now widely acknowledge the possibly erroneous perception of quantity underwriting quality. There is a discernment that increased numbers of IS have not reflected in the capacities of learning institutions in terms of the provision of quality and  expertise – at least when it comes to inclusive practices and culturally sensitive communication styles. The implications addressed here go some way towards meeting these needs. Further investigation is clearly necessary especially in comparing student commentary with staff perceptions and experiences. The assurance of quality teaching and the provision of culturally amenable learning opportunities for international students may be achieved by means of cultural change and critical evaluation of current academic discourses and practices. Acknowledgements. Many thanks to our interview participants who so willingly gave their time and Louise Warton for so cheerfully transcribing the interviews. The financial support of Macquarie University is gratefully acknowledged. REFERENCES Austin, J. , Covalea, L. and Weal, S. (2002). Going the Extra Mile – Swinburne, Lilydale’s Mentor Program. 16th Australian International Education Conference. Hobart. Ballard, B. and Clanchy, J. (1991). Teaching Students from Overseas: A Brief Guide for Lecturers and Supervisors. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire. Bellis, C. and Clarke, S. (Eds. ). (2001). Teaching Actuarial Management Internationally, Using the Internet. Sydney: Centre for Professional Develoment, Macquarie University. Biggs, J. (1999). Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham: Society for Research into Higher Education/Open University Press. Burns, R. (1991). Study and Stress among First Year Overseas Students in an Australian University. Higher Education Research and Development, 10(1), 61-77. Garcia, E. E. (1991). The Education of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students: Effective Instructional Practices. National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning. [Online] http://www. ncela. gwu. edu/miscpubs/ncrcdsll/epr1/index. htm [28/05/2003]. Hellsten, M. (2002). Internationalizing the Curriculum. Internationalizing Education in the AsiaPacific Region: Critical Reflections, Critical Times. 30th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Comparative and International Education Society. Armidale, Australia. Hellsten, M. and Prescott, A. (2002). Learning at Macquarie: The International Student Experience. Celebrating Teaching at Macquarie. Macquarie University. Jones, A. (Ed. ). (2001). Resistance to English Language Support. Sydney: Centre for Professional Development, Macquarie University. Jones, S. M. , Robertson, M. and Line, M. (1999). Teaching and Valuing the Voices of International Students in Universities. [Online] http://www. ecu. edu. au/conferences/ herdsa/papers/nonref/AlanJones. pdf [28. 5. 2003]. Hellsten and Prescott 351 Krause, K. L. (2001). The University Essay Writing Experience: A Pathway for Academic Integration during Transition. Higher Education Research and Development, 20(2), 147168. Leask, B. (1999). Internationalisation of the Curriculum: Key Challenges and Strategies. The State of the Art in Internationalising the Curriculum International Perspectives. [Online] http://www. unisanet. unisa. edu. au/learningconnection/intl/read/paper/ [28/05/2003]. Levy, S. , Osborn, M. and Plunkett, M. (2003). An Investigation of International Students’ Academic and Social Transition Requirements. [Online] http://www. qut. edu. au/talss/fye/ papers03/Refereed Papers/Ful papers/Levy,OsborneandPlunkett_paper. doc [28/05/2003] McInnes, C. (2001). Researching the First Year Experience: Where to from here? Higher Education Research and Development, 20(2), 105-114. Ramburuth, P. (2001). The Internationalisation of Education: Implications for Student Learning and Socio-cultural Adjustment. Developing Global Capacity Through International Education. 15th Australian International Education Conference. Sydney. Reid, A. (2002). Internationalisation, Inclusivity and Learning. In C. M. Wong, K. P. Mohanan, and D. Pan (Eds. ), Proceedings of the Second Symposium on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (pp. 327-332). Singapore: National University of Singapore. Rizvi, F. (2000). Internationalisation of Curriculum. [Online] http://www. pvci. rmit. edu. au/ioc/ [2/8/2002]. Ryan, J. (2000). Assessment. In J. Ryan (Ed. ), A Guide to Teaching International Students. Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development University. IEJ.

BP case study Essay

1. What are the main ethical issues and dilemma BP faces in this case? A project that is on a large scale faces some issues, including: There are concerns about the coating of the pipeline and the risks of leakages, in particular in Georgia, where oil spills might significantly impact the country’s strategic water resources in the Bojorni National Park. Concerns were also raised over the fact that the pipeline runs through earthquake zones, which leakages nearly inevitable or could not be avoided. Campaigners have highlighted the prospect of up to 30,000 civilians along the pipeline being at least temporarily relocated. On the political level, with civil unrest and wars in the region the pipeline passes within only a few miles of the war- torn area of Nagorno Karabakh the project had always been accompanied by considerable fears of terrorist attacks. Also there are countries which the pipelines are supposed to go very high levels of bureaucracy and corruption, as shown in the various indices. 2. How would you evaluate BP’s approach to the social, environmental and economic impacts of the project for local communities? Assess the approach from the perspective of utilitarianism and deontology first. Will the assessment differ from the rights and justice based perspective? Bp is considered at the time of the pipeline’s construction to be one of the top or leading companies in embracing sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).BP initiatives renewable energy , climate change , human rights , and corruption prevention. BP set up a Regional Sustainability Development Program (RSDP) from early stages of the project in order to to proactively address the social, ethical and environmental issues† †¢ Environment investment program which aims to address ecological issues. †¢ Community Investment Program (CIP) with a budget of about $ 20m, mostly address the most social issues during the construction phase. †¢Long term Regional Development Initiative (RDI) with a budget of approximately U.S. $ 25mn and to accompany the project on a life span of 10 years after its opening. From the point of view of ethics and utilitarianism, BP has taken initiatives that led to fairly immediate impacts. It proactively addressed the social, ethical and environmental issues. From the perspective of human rights and justice, the company was alleged to violate human rights and to engage in corrupt practices. 3. This case raises questions about the scope of responsibility for a Western MNC operating in environments with corruption and poor governance. What is your opinion on how far a company such as BP in this case should go? Can they really be made responsible for the actions of local officials and governments? Try to base your answer on arguments derived from one or more ethical theories. MNC as BP operate in a globalized world where there are different types and forms of government and different levels of inefficiency and corruption involved. It would be foolishly brave to expect that they should be held responsible for what officials and governments, because it can never be completely within their control. If they do not exploit the potential then someone else would. However, they can have a significant influence on the policy on their fields where they must try to resolve an ethical manner. 4. What is the appropriate way for BP to respond to its ongoing criticism? Base your answer on the contemporary ethical theories, in particular virtue ethics, discourse ethics, and postmodern ethics. BP can probably focus on the fact that it has been one of the company around the most socially responsible, implying that he would never go against the welfare wider not to disturb the balance of the environment. It is also worth noting that defend the BTC pipeline will generate income for the country, job opportunities and help meet the growing demand. Being a responsible organization, BP should let people know that it takes all precautionary measures to avoid disasters such as oil spills, pollution of water.