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Five reasons you should join a professional association
Students and colleagues who know me know that I am an advocate for joining professional associations. I am a member of several of them, ARNOVA, ASPA, SAJA, among others. As a grad student, I initially was reluctant and during my master’s program didn’t really see the value of joining one. But once I started my […]
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Why bother with Direct Trade?
Is Direct trade – a model for fairer trade? What does direct trade mean? In simple terms, it means buying directly from the producer. In the world of small batch production – crafts, arts or even food commodities, produced by small producers, often there are many middle-men/ women, who are part of the supply chain. […]
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What is the best way to address your professor/ colleague in an academic setting?
I have made my fair share of faux-pas when it comes to addressing people, in an academic setting. So, based on over a decade of experience living, working and surviving American academia, here are a few tips for you, to navigate this complicated landscape. I’ll just focus on the seemingly innocuous topic of how to […]
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Is virtual international education worth it?
By Roman Yavich, MPA The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a massive disruption to the entire education system. As with any crisis, this difficult and tragic situation has also brought an opportunity for change. In international education this change is the acceleration of the trend toward virtual programs. Is Virtual Study Abroad an Oxymoron? Virtual study […]
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Leveraging Higher Ed policy for digital access in times of COVID-19
Preface With the COVID-19 crisis dominating our consciousness and shutting down public life, including schools, universities, and other commercial activities, there is a fear that this may impact universities and institutions of higher education, adversely. In this context, there is growing recognition of the power of digital technologies in learning and many institutes of higher […]
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Two Americans in Ecuador
While the American political apparatus is busy withdrawing itself from the world, I met two incredible Americans who have not only spent their energies, but also their time trying to make Ecuador a better place. Just last week I was in Quito, the country’s capital to visit Sun Mountain, an organization founded by Scott Solberg, an […]
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Can celebrity philanthropy be harmful?
Remember the ads in which Angelina Jolie comes out and shames the world for ignoring the plight of refugees? Or the Bono concert for helping AIDS victims? While each of them has done incredible good in the world, there is an argument out there; and it is a fairly strong one that goes like this: […]