published_or_final_version / History / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

This master thesis deals with the current situation of the media environment in two selected countries from the Southeast Asia region - Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and Singapore. The main object of the text is to create a descriptive analysis of Hong Kong's and Singapore's political and media systems and to compare the media environment of the two countries with a special focus on the freedom of the media. The comparison is based on the definition of their political systems, their constitutions and how they are respected, as well as on data published by international nongovernmental organizations focusing on the freedom of the press and the freedom of the speech. All findings will be illustrated with examples from Hong Kong and Singapore. The work is divided into four chapters. The first theoretical part defines basic terms and indexes, which measure the freedom of the press, as well as outlines the concept of Asian values and the concept of civil society. The descriptive section provides a brief summary of the history and political systems of both countries and introduces their constitutions, laws and power of political leaders. The third part of the thesis concentrates on the media environment of both countries and the role of local media. The...

Studies have shown that creative mathematically founded reasoning (CMR) outperforms algorithmic reasoning (AR) in regards to retention and (re)construction of knowledge. This suggests that creativity should be encouraged in national high-school mathematics curricula. The aim of the present study is to compare how creativity is framed in different national high-school mathematics curricula, using the following definition: creativity is the characteristics of people, processes, and environments which lead to new and original products that are useful or otherwise attractive to an individual or a society. Utilizing content and discourse analysis, the present study thus contrasts how the high-school mathematics curricula of Singapore, Hong Kong, Sweden, and Norway handle and value creativity, and also examines which role creativity takes in each curricula. Findings suggest that Singapore’s curriculum emphasizes creativity the most, and frequently does so in relation to assessment. Hong Kong’s curriculum is found to emphasize creativity in diverse ways, often using words with connotations to playfulness. Analysis of Sweden’s curriculum indicates a relatively minute focus on creativity, tending to put it in a teacher-centered context. A feature of Norway’s curriculum is an increasing emphasis on creativity as courses approach tertiary education. This also suggests a rising value of creativity in its curriculum. A similar though not as pronounced trajectory is found also in Singapore’s curriculum. In the Asian and Norwegian curricula, creativity is expressed both as a means and an end, while in Sweden’s curriculum it is only seen as an end. The results are discussed in terms of potential reasons for the prominent national features, and the study also includes an evaluation of the aptness of the suggested definition of creativity, a review of the limitations of the study, as well as propositions for further research. Finally, two recommendations are given to the National Agency for Education in Sweden – Skolverket – based on the results of the study: 1) diversify the emphasis on creativity in the curriculum, and 2) ensure alignment between what teachers value and what Skolverket values with respect to creativity.

Singapura e as bacias hidrográficas dos rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí (PCJ), Brasil, possuem como características comuns populações de cerca de 5,5 milhões de pessoas, altos índices de urbanização e industrialização e situações críticas de disponibilidade hídrica. O objetivo geral desta pesquisa é investigar e comparar a gestão, a governança e o uso das águas na ilha principal de Singapura e nas Bacias PCJ, a partir de dados obtidos por meio de trabalhos de campo, pesquisas bibliográfica e documental e entrevistas semiestruturadas com cidadãos, profissionais e pesquisadores de ambos os países. Em Singapura, foram realizadas 52 entrevistas no total, sendo 33 cidadãos, 5 profissionais, 6 pesquisadores e 8 brasileiros. Nas Bacias PCJ, foram realizadas 45 entrevistas, sendo 27 cidadãos, 8 profissionais, 7 pesquisadores e 3 singapurianos. Foram percebidas semelhanças nos usos domésticos da água dos dois contextos, como a ênfase no seu valor econômico, o acesso fácil e conveniente a esse bem, e indícios de uma baixa influência das diferenças culturais de diferentes grupos étnicos nos níveis de consumo de água, que tendem a ser mais influenciados pela classe socioeconômica, infraestrutura doméstica, estilos de vida e costumes familiares e individuais. Nas Bacias PCJ, ainda há a presença marcante de uma cultura da abundância. A comparação dos dois casos é notável, pois trata-se, por um lado, de uma gestão centralizada e não participativa que gerou bons resultados num intervalo relativamente curto de tempo, e, por outro, de uma gestão descentralizada e participativa que, apesar de muito bem avaliada no contexto nacional, ainda possui uma série de insuficiências, falhas e fragilidades. Os casos estudados reforçam a ideia de que adversidades podem se transformar em vantagens, como em Singapura, e condições ambientalmente favoráveis podem se transformar em desvantagens, como nas Bacias PCJ. Ficou evidente que o principal fator que contribuiu para o sucesso da gestão das águas em Singapura foi o governo. Lee Kuan Yew é mencionado como mentor das políticas de desenvolvimento global de Singapura, incluindo a gestão das águas. Ele buscou conciliar desenvolvimento econômico e proteção ambiental, despoluiu todos os rios da ilha e promoveu o uso de fontes alternativas de água para aumentar a autonomia hídrica do país. Contudo, o caráter autoritário de seu governo e das medidas adotadas é questionável de um ponto de vista democrático. Apesar das Bacias PCJ estarem entre as mais avançadas do Brasil em termos da aplicação dos instrumentos da Lei 9.433/97, ainda não foram gerados todos os benefícios econômicos, sociais e a ambientais esperados e ainda há lacunas de governança que dificultam a implementação efetiva da gestão das águas. É necessário superar a visão da água como bem abundante e ilimitado, a contradição entre proteção ambiental e crescimento econômico, a organização política vigente, a corrupção, a falta de vontade política, as insuficiências no desenvolvimento urbano e o déficit de infraestrutura adequada. / Singapore and the river basins of Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí rivers (PCJ), Brazil, have populations of about 5.5 million people, high rates of urbanization and industrialization and critical situations in terms of water availability. The objective of this research is to investigate and to compare water management, governance and usage in the main island of Singapore and the PCJ river basins, based on data collected by field work, bibliographic and documentary research and semi-structured interviews with citizens, professionals and researchers from both countries. In Singapore, there were 52 interviews in total, 33 citizens, 5 professionals, 6 researchers and 8 Brazilians. In the PCJ river basins, 45 interviews were conducted, 27 citizens, 8 professionals, 7 researchers and 3 Singaporeans. Similarities were perceived in the domestic water usage of both contexts, as the emphasis on its economic value, easy and convenient access. There is evidence of a low influence of cultural differences of different ethnic groups in the level of water consumption, which tends to be more influenced by socioeconomic conditions, domestic infrastructure, lifestyles and family and individual habits. In the PCJ river basins, there is a strong presence of a culture of abundance. The comparison of the two cases is remarkable. On the one hand, a centralized and nonparticipative management style that generated good results in a relatively short period of time, and, on the other hand, a decentralized and participative management style which is highly evaluated in the national context, but it also has a number of shortcomings, faults and weaknesses. The case study reinforces the idea that adversities can be turned into advantages, such as in Singapore, and environmentally favorable conditions can be turned into disadvantages, such as in the PCJ Basins. It was evident that the main factor contributing to the success of the water management in Singapore was the government. Lee Kuan Yew is mentioned as the mentor of Singapore\'s overall development policies, including water management. He sought to reconcile economic development and environmental protection, to clean up all the rivers of the island and to promote the use of alternative sources of water to increase water autonomy in the country. However, the authoritarian government and its measures are questionable from a democratic point of view. Despite the PCJ river basins are among the most advanced in Brazil in terms of implementation of the Law 9433/97, its management has not generated all the expected economic, social and environmental benefits and there are still governance gaps that hamper the effective implementation of an effective water management. It is necessary to overcome the vision of water as an abundant and unlimited resource, the contradiction between environmental protection and economic growth, the current political structure, corruption problems, lack of political will, shortcomings in urban development and the shortage of adequate infrastructure.

Colonial intellectual is a good point of entry for making sense of anti-colonial movement because in many cases they constituted the pioneer of the movement. Moreover, in some cases, they became the founding father of new nations. However, such an important social category received inadequate attentions. / The main concern of this research is: how to make sense of the fact that in some colonies, anti-colonial movement were stronger while in others, the subjects were silent. The present writer would use colonial intellectuals from three areas (Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore) as cases to illustrate the development of anti-colonial movements in above three areas in late nineteenth Century and Early Twenty Century. / Using the theory of institutionalization as theoretical framework, the present writer argued that the level of institutionalized of the society is the prime mover of the event. To view colonial society as a social group, it is argued that only in those societies reaching a high level of institutionalization, then members of the society would develop a kind of locally oriented vision of the society. That kind of vision is the necessary condition of anti-colonial movement. In the following thesis, the present writer would discuss in what way colonial governance, migration, and the conditions of pre-colonial society shaped the level of institutionalization of the discussed cases. / 劉紹麟. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-10, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Liu Shaolin.

國際政治向來是由大國主導，傳統觀念中總認為小國必然是逆來順受的一方，也就是說，在國際無政府的狀態下，一個國家的命運將取決於這個國家所擁有的權力資源之多寡與大小，弱肉強食成了國際現實的生存法則。但小國真的如此宿命嗎？我們從新加坡今日的發展及其在國際外交舞台上的表現，看到了最好的反證。 新加坡由於位處太平洋和印度洋之間頻繁的國際航道必經之地，為其贏得「東方直布羅陀」的美譽，加上地扼麻六甲海峽航運線，在戰略及貿易路線上均具有影響區域政治的能力。基此樞紐性的關鍵地位，使新加坡在經濟上得以很自然的發展成為東南亞各國工商之輻輳中心、航運中心及金融中心。 對於這個面積約等於大台北地區，並只有香港一半大小的國家，其所散發出來的光芒，卻令人無法忽視。在新加坡這個蕞爾小國，如果問新加坡人生存發展成功之道是什麼？最常聽見的答案可能就是「務實」這兩個字。因為務實，使新加坡經貿實力在亞洲四小龍常保領先地位；因為務實，使得其國家雖小，但在國際舞台上的聲音卻遠超過其他領土比它大好幾倍的國家。 對於新加坡領導者來說，影響其外交政策制訂最重要的考量就是新加坡的脆弱性。自人民行動黨(People's Action Party，PAP)組黨以來，它一直不認為一個獨立的新加坡可以好好生存下去，畢竟它實在太小，人口也太少，加上缺乏天然資源，根本沒有獨立的條件。因此在被迫與馬來西亞分離後，如何在周遭並不友善的馬來海洋中求生存，是對新加坡領導者智慧最大考驗。 然而，在經過人民行動黨第一代領導者三十多年的帶領下，不僅實現了國家的現代化，更讓新加坡成為小國成功的最佳例子。至今，新加坡已是電子、造船、精密機器製造、光學機器、煉油和電腦零件等高科技發展中心，此外，它也是東南亞金融中心及國際航空、電訊與旅遊會議中心。優越的地理位置使新加坡成為東南亞轉口貿易中心，並同時也是世界最繁忙的海港之一。優秀的人才與技術，讓新加坡的海域鑽油塔建造業直逼美國與日本，名列世界第三，並獲得「東方的休士頓」美譽。 對外關係繫乎一國之安危，對於新興國家更是其命脈之根源與建國歷程中的重要基石。新加坡只是一個蕞爾小國，其所以能在國際舞台上生存甚至特立獨行，必有其獨特之道。而其外交政策運用之成功，也讓這個小國能在接二連三的驚濤駭浪中，從容的發展其繁榮的經濟與解決其社會問題。 雖然李光耀已於1990年退休，交棒給新一代的領導者，但新加坡可以說是在李光耀任內建設完成的。在其任內，李光耀不僅致力於國內經濟的重建，對於國家外交政策更是深謀遠慮，為小國外交立下良好的典範。李光耀為新加坡打下深厚的基礎，也讓新加坡成為第三世界新興國家學習的對象。 新加坡雖小，但其對於生存與發展之強烈企圖心卻是不容忽視。新加坡得以在面對強敵壓境的情況下，藉由對於國際環境變化的體察，靈活地避免本身所遭受的限制，並適時運用內外環境所提供的機會在多次的危機中獲得生存的機會，化不可能為可能，創造出今日的「新加坡奇蹟」。 傳統對於外交政策的研究多半將重心置於大國身上，而傳統上所謂的外交多半只注重依靠軍事手段及政治權謀來達成國家的利益，即所謂的「高政治(high politics)」。但在第二次世界大戰結束後，亞洲、非洲及拉丁美洲殖民地紛紛獲得獨立，新興小國遂如雨後春筍般的成立，加上國際經濟組織的成立，經濟議題逐漸成為國際舞台的重心，也大大降低了軍事的傳統地位，這種發展對於小國尤其有利。 Peter J. Katzenstein在研究西歐小國因應全球市場所採取的策略後，認為這些小國的成功之道在於經濟彈性的平衡(balance of economic flexibility) 與政治穩定(political stability)，新加坡顯然就是依循這種發展模式。由於能充分運用其地理位置的優勢，加上吸引外資投入的強烈誘因，使得新加坡迅速成為區域和國際商業的中間經濟體，成為東南亞及國際性的製造與服務業中心。對於新加坡外交政策之研究，也許理性決策模式(rational decision-making model) 可作為一個有用的模式。 新加坡可以說是研究小國外交相當好的一個對象，在台灣面臨外交困境的時候，我們常問：「小國是否無外交?」由新加坡對外事務的表現中，我們得到了答案。因此本論文也將針對國際關係理論長久以來所忽視的課題-小國外交來作一探討。 本論文將探討李光耀執政時期，對於國家定位、國家發展的理念及對外的政策與觀點，並將分別敘述新加坡對國際政治與區域組織的參與及立場。 李光耀時期新加坡外交政策之研究(1965-1990) 目 錄 第一章 緒論 第一節 研究動機與目的………………………………………… 2 第二節 研究方法與分析架構…………………………………… 5 第三節 研究範圍………………………………………………… 9 第四節 資料來源與研究限制…………………………………… 10 第二章 影響新加坡外交政策的因素 第一節 國內歷史層面…………………………………………… 12 壹、歷史背景……………………………………………… 12 貳、地理環境……………………………………………… 26 參、人口及社會結構……………………………………… 28 肆、政府因素……………………………………………… 31 伍、經濟因素……………………………………………… 33 第二節 國際環境層面…………………………………………… 44 壹、第二次世界大戰後東南亞國際情勢………………… 44 貳、東南亞區域組織的成立………………………… … 48 第三節 決策者因素…………………………………………… 56 第三章 新加坡外交政策取向與國家角色 第一節 外交政策取向…………………………………………… 68 第二節 國家角色………………………………………………… 80 第四章 新加坡與區域國家的關係 第一節 新加坡與馬來西亞…………………………………… 91 第二節 新加坡與印尼………………………………………… 104 第三節 新加坡對柬埔寨問題的態度……………………… 119 第五章 新加坡與東南亞國家協會的關係………………………132 第六章 新加坡與列強的關係 第一節 新加坡與英國……………………………………………154 第二節 新加坡與美國………………………………………… 162 第三節 新加坡與中共………………………………………… 176 第四節 新加坡與蘇聯……………………………………………197 第七章 結論…………………………………………………… 220 參考書目………………………………………………………… 234 附表 表2-1 人民行動黨選舉得票率(1959-1988)…………… 25 表2-2 新加坡種族人口變化表………………………… 30 表2-3 新加坡對外貿易(1965-1990)…………………… 42 表2-4 新加坡對外貿易出口國(1966-1989)…………… 42 表2-5 新加坡主要進口來源國(1966-1989)………… 43 表2-6 1988年新加坡的十大貿易伙伴………………… 43 表4-1 印尼與新加坡海空軍聯合演習…………………118 表4-2 蘇聯經濟援助越南金額統計表(1976-1975)……123 表5-1 東協五國區域內貿易量佔區域內貿易總額百分比.……… 148 表5-2 東協五國區域內貿易額與占對外貿易總額比重………… 149 表5-3 東協與新加坡的貿易額及佔本國對外貿易總額的比例……149 表6-1 新加坡與英國總貿易額…………………………161 表6-2 美國與東協國家經濟的往來(1990)……………169 表6-3 新加坡與中國大陸貿易概況表(1970-1990)……194 表6-4 東南亞各國人口、獨立年代與中共和前蘇聯建交日期…… 195 表6-5 新加坡主要進口來源國(1984-1990)……………196 表6-6 新加坡出口主要目的地(1984-1990)……………196 表6-7 新加坡與蘇聯之貿易往來………………………218

退休金計畫依給付方式的設計，可以分為兩大體系：確定給付退休金計畫與確定提撥退休金計畫。無論是公共退休金計畫或是企業退休金計畫，最初實行時多採用確定給付的方式來實施。但隨著經濟環境的變遷，部份的國家與企業雇主，已開始傾向確定提撥方式的採用。本論文有鑑於退休金的改革潮流，欲探討確定提撥退休金計畫的實施回顧與給付的精算分析。 本論文分為四個主要部分，分別為：(1)確定提撥計畫的理論架構回顧；(2)主要國家制度的分析；(3)精算模型的建立與精算假設的分析；與(4)精算假設的給定與給付水準的模擬分析。在主要國家制度的回顧上，公共退休金計畫方面以新加坡「中央公積金制」與智利「公共退休金私有化」為探討的對象；在企業退休金計畫方面則以美國為討論對象。實證分析部分，則是先建立確定提撥退休金精算模型，再撰寫模擬程式介面，並以我國1998年「勞工退休金條例」草案為模擬對象，給定精算假設進行模擬，最後分析精算假設與模擬給付間的關係。 以台灣「勞工退休金條例」草案為例進行分析，其實證部分分為兩部分，先前給定平準的預定利率假設，而其他薪資成長率、通貨膨脹率、提撥率、開始工作提撥年齡、退休年齡、退休後各年存活率則根據台灣目前的經濟、就業環境給定；模擬結果發現， 6％合併提撥率無法達到模擬所給定50％-60％的退休後給付所得替代率；若將合併提撥率提高至12％以上，25歲開始工作65歲退休者才能累積足以支應適足所得替代率50％-60％的給付。 第二個模擬部份為給定利率時間序列的情境假設，在此給定簡單的七種利率情境假設，其他精算假設則同樣根據台灣的經濟環境給定之。模擬結果發現，若合併提撥率為9％，基金提撥累積期間40年，給付所得替代率對利率的變動敏感性高，只有在累積期間利率穩定成長的情形下，才能累積足夠的退休金，因此，可以表示9％的合併提撥率在其他非樂觀的利率情境假設下，無法達到50％-60的給付所得替代率。 略 / Due to population aging, the countries that operated their Social Security System on pay-as-you-go financial method have begun to encounter the solvency risk due to the growing financial burden. Since the defined contribution (DC) scheme is considered as a fully funded financial system, it could be one of the solutions to avert the upcoming financial crisis. Hence our study is motivated to investigate the current development of the DC scheme and scrutinize its financial adequacy on providing the retirement benefits to its plan participants. First, the features of current public pension programs in the form of the DC plan are surveyed and their progress is reviewed in Chapter 2. Practical applications applying the DC scheme in private sector are also compared and studied in Chapter 3. Secondly, the actuarial models of the proposed DC scheme are built to investigate the adequacy of the retirement benefits in Chapter 4. Computer codes that can be used to simulate the income-replacement ratios by giving the actuarial assumptions are programmed. Based on this approach, the relationship between income-replacement ratios and the actuarial assumptions (i.e., the interest rate, the salary increase and the inflation rate) can be obtained. In Chapter 5, sensitivity analyses of the benefit adequacy through computer simulations incorporating possible scenarios are performed. The recent proposal of reforming Taiwan Employee Retirement Income Security Act (TERISA) is investigated. An explicit actuarial model closely following this proposal is built to study its impact on the retirement benefits. Finally the empirical results based on this study are summarized. Based on the scenarios under the current economic perspectives, we found the contribution rate at 6% can not attain the income-replacement ratio at 50%. Only over certain optimal interest rates, the retiree can receive the projected income-replacement ratio given the contribution rate at 9%. Based on the proposed draft in reforming the benefit scheme, the retirement benefits are not sufficient to achieve the income-replacement ratio at 50% unless the contribution rates increase to 12%.

University of Macau / Faculty of Law

This thesis presents a field study examining the effect of the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme in Singapore on social capital. Based on a multi-disciplinary approach and following the theoretical framework of bonding and bridging social capital developed by Robert Putnam and others, three different cases of the ABC Programme were compared, looking particularly at the level of blue-green landscape integration. The three cases comprised the ABC flagship project ‘Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park’ with high level of blue-green integration as well as the green and the grey section of the Ulu Pandan Park Connector with medium and low level of blue-green integration, respectively. Quantitative data was obtained by counting the share of park users engaged in social interaction and by surveying 330 park users on the perceptions of social interaction and integration. In addition to the quantitative data, a total of 60 face-to-face interviews were carried out in the three park areas, providing an in-depth understanding of the perceptions of the surrounding areas. The study concludes that the ABC Waters Programme is a strong generator of social capital, offering an attractive place for social bonding and to some extent also for social bridging.