When the Classroom Mimics Reality: A Simulation in International Trade and Relations
Students participate in an international trade simulation in which they are "born" into a country and must produce and sell goods to survive. Countries, ranging in economic power from the United States and Japan to Ethiopia and Somalia, are endowed with a level of raw materials commensurate with their national income, and must produce at a level sufficient to maintain both their population and environmental quality. As a result of this interaction, students discover that there is a reason why poor nations remain poor, and why international relations are so problematic. Students also see firsthand the economic effects of the production process, such as the declining use of labor and increased use of capital in producing a country's output.
"Star Power" for Teaching Professional Skills to Engineering Students.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of a game called Star Power to teach professional skills to mechanical engineering undergraduates. The game was conducted as an activity in a final year Professional Practice unit. A survey in the form of a questionnaire was administered to participating students in the following semester of studies after a summer break. The survey showed that the majority of the students believed they had improved their professional skills from playing Star Power. Although the game is typically used in the teaching of sociology, this study demonstrated that the game can provide a rich and versatile setting in which different elements of professional skills that are important to an engineer can be incorporated and developed.
Fiscal Transparency in EU Accession Countries Progress and Future Challenges
This paper discusses the findings of fiscal transparency reports on standards and codes (ROSCs) for most EU accession candidate countries. Emphasis is given to the need to establish effective and accountable medium-term budget frameworks to establish policy credibility and anchor adjustment programs to meet EU fiscal goals. Adoption of budgeting and accounting standards consistent with the IMF Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 framework will also help link budget decisions to EU standards of fiscal reporting. More consistent and comprehensive coverage of off-budget activities is needed for assessing fiscal risk and sustainability. Finally, local government issues need to be addressed by many of these countries since EU fiscal goals are set with reference to general government. Progress in all of these areas can be monitored by keeping fiscal ROSC assessments up to date.