A Bakhtinian Approach to EU–Turkey Relations
This article proposes that dialogue between the EU and its candidate countries should be institutionalised in the EU accession framework. Using Mikhail Bakhtin's concept of dialogism, it argues that the current deadlock in EU–Turkey accession negotiations is partly due to a lack of genuine dialogue between the parties. In the current structure, Turkey has been finalised, closed and determined in its image as the ultimate other vis-à-vis Europe. For the relations between the EU and Turkey to move forward, Turkey should be allowed to speak and answer back in the formal framework of the accession process.
Authority and Personality in M.M. Bakhtin's "Author and Hero in Aesthetic Activity"
............................................................................................................. iv Dedication .......................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgement ............................................................................................. vii List of Abbreviations .......................................................................................... ix Chapter 1. Art and Life......................................................................1 Chapter 2. Aesthetic Consciousness.......................................................36 Chapter 3. Incarnate Action................................................................69 Chapter 4. The Aesthetic Act of Authoring..............................................97 Chapter 5. Speaking without Fear........................................................132 Chapter 6. Authority and Heroism.......................................................166 Bibliography................................................................................201
Costing of services of Vietnamese hospitals: identifying costs in one central, two provincial and two district hospitals using a standard methodology.
BACKGROUND
The People's Republic of Vietnam is currently in a period of transition from a purely socialistic country towards a so-called socialist market economy. Since the introduction of the Doi Moi policy in 1987, health care services have been liberalized, medical practitioners have received the right to open private hospitals and private pharmacies are booming. However, the majority of inhabitants strongly depends on governmental hospital services. These services are currently going through a financial crisis. This demands the quest for efficiency and the wise allocation of public funds.


RESEARCH QUESTION
The efficient allocation of funds depends on the quotient between costs and health outcomes, but the costs of health services in Vietnamese hospitals are unknown. Therefore the study analysed five hospitals in Vietnam and determined the average costs as well as the main cost drivers.


METHODOLOGY
The full costs of five hospitals were analysed, including depreciation and the value of donations. The costs were allocated to cost centres and cost units by a stepping-stone method.


MAJOR FINDINGS
As expected, the average costs per inpatient day at a central hospital are about 300% of the costs of provincial hospitals and about 600% of the costs of district hospitals. However, the costs of some laboratory procedures and operations done at district hospitals are higher than those of provincial or even central hospitals. The main reason for the high costs of some procedures at district hospitals was the low quantity of these procedures at that level. This is a strong indicator that some procedures, in particular major operations, should not be performed in Vietnamese district hospitals.