In The News

Gulf States: Educational Reform's Real Goals

Ebtisam Al Kitbi June 1, 2006
The Arab Gulf states – Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman – are not known for eagerly incorporating reforms suggested by other countries. Education is an exception, however. Young students attending universities are products of a system that owes much – and some would say too much – to foreign influence. English has become the language of higher education in the Gulf...

The Contest for Memory

Naima Bouteldja May 30, 2006
In taking responsibility for their most ignominious periods, including colonialism and slavery, nations must display honesty and commitment. Gestures from the government of France to recognize its history have been undercut by attempts to revise the story of a colonial past depending on geography, sometimes emphasizing glory and achievement rather than bloodshed and victimization. France has...

“I’ll Make It to Europe, Or Die Trying”

Matthias Gebauer May 25, 2006
Mauritania, like other African countries, offers a desperate future. Residents age with a fatalism born of a failed education system, joblessness and constant violence. Any endeavor to escape is a testament to the human spirit, and many pin their hopes on a treacherous Atlantic journey to Europe. The risk often ends in death or disappointment as patrols from Europe capture makeshift boats,...

With Jobs Scarce, US Pilots Sign on at Foreign Airlines

Susan Carey May 24, 2006
After 9/11, the US airlines laid off more than 10,000 pilots, many still out of work. As US airlines struggle, the pilots take early retirements and fret about the safety of pension plans. Many abandon seniority systems or union protection in the US to land jobs with the booming aviation industry in China, India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. With a global shortage of skilled commercial...

For Outsourcing, Bulgaria Is “In”

Juliette Terzieff May 19, 2006
Bulgaria – with an education system ranking fifth in the world and students ranking 11th in mathematics – has the highest number of IT professionals per capita in the world. As a result, multinational firms look to Eastern Europe for relocation and labor. Other advantages of Eastern Europe include a developed infrastructure, economic and political stability as well as a central location to Africa...

Next Wave of Camera-Wielding Tourists Is From China

Howard W. French May 19, 2006
When millions of Japanese began to travel abroad during their country’s economic boom in the 1980s, hotels around the world introduced Japanese-style slippers to their rooms while restaurants created menus adapted to Japanese tastes. More than 20 years later, the international tourism industry faces a similar challenge – this time catering to the rising number of Chinese visiting foreign...

France Debates Downloads, With Teenager as Top Expert

Thomas Crampton May 17, 2006
At 18, Aziz Ridouan is a normal teen who likes to download music. But his adversaries compare him to a modern-day Robin Hood, and the French Interior minister gives him a note allowing him to skip school to meet with top government officials. Ridouan suggests that the internet is the library of the future and the entertainment industry must adapt. The teen started his own nonprofit –...