Tsoi Kwok Ho. / "September 2006." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-169). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

This thesis analyses the mediation of globalisation on higher education in Vietnam (VHE) in policy (the Agenda of reforming VHE 2006-2020–the Agenda), the universities (public institutional changes), and individual practitioners (reform imaginaries). Using the critical interpretive paradigm, it draws on Appadurai’s (2001) vernacular globalisation, Ball’s (1993) textual and discursive sides of policy, Gale’s (2003) the “who” in realising policy, Rizvi and Lingard’s (2010) globalising education policy, and Weaver-Hightower’s (2010) policy ecology. It was designed in two parts: the analysis of the Agenda and the comparative case studies of three public universities. Data include policy documents, 22 semi-structured interviews with three groups of university leaders and retired senior policy-makers, and fieldwork notes. This thesis argues for the indirect but significant influence of globalisation on the Agenda’s reform aspirations, public institutional changes, and individual perspectives. It demonstrates changes and transformations of VHE from an inward to an outward system; from the State-controlled system to the State-supervised system; from the State-owned system to the multiple-owned system; and lastly from national to global and back. Despite the Agenda’s great expectations, it is unknown to leaders of three public universities. Thus, its reform solutions remain policy aspirations whilst institutional changes are ongoing without their direct link to the Agenda. These public universities are at the threshold of transformation marked by their beginning of being autonomous institutions. If the Agenda focuses on the VHE’s future scenarios, reform imaginaries generate insight into the present unsettled practices. This study contributes to the discussion of globalisation and higher education in Vietnam where what is global about reforming VHE is present but less powerful than what is national about it. The country’s historical consequences, cultural traditions, and ideological commitments alter the nature and method of global influences that are manifested in policy and institutional changes.

This is a study on some controversial legal aspects of resorting to arbitration in disputes concerning administrative contracts with an international dimension – i.e. contracts between public authorities in the United Arab State (UAE) and foreign companies, as well as contracts concluded between local parties but indirectly generate results of international dimensions. In this study, I have adopted a descriptive methodology, meticulously describing the legislative and judicial status in the UAE compared to those of both Egypt and France. In addition, I have also resorted to an analytical approach to provide a concise analysis of the essence of legal provisions guided by the established jurisprudence and judicial opinions. Finally, I used the comparative approach to draw parallels and difference within the legislature and the judiciary between three legal systems, with an eye at making use of relatively advanced legal systems. According to the above, and through utilizing the three research methods mentioned, (the descriptive, analytical and comparative), we attempted to analyze the various relevant jurisprudence and judicial opinions, together with court rulings and legislative provisions. The ultimate objective is to draw scientific results from the detailed evidences drawn from the selected rulings, as well as deciding on the position of both local and international jurisprudence and judiciary on this regard. This is to consolidate the theoretical positions with existing practice. At the outset of the thesis (chapter one) this study begins with a discussion of the main concepts of the constitutional system of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with an explanation of the federal structure of the state and the nature of the UAE system of government. This is important because this study is mainly concerned with the UAE. This is followed by an illustration of the principles of administrative law within the UAE state. The study shows that the judicial system of the UAE state adopts a unitary judicial system whereby the same courts have jurisdiction on all sorts of disputes, both on disputes arising from administrative law and administrative contracts, as well as on disputes arising between private persons. This would unify the rules that apply to all disputes relating to the administration including administrative contracts with international dimensions. (Chapter two) attempts to define the concept of the administrative contract; the main focus of this study, and the criteria for distinguishing it from other types of contracts. It is concluded that the distinctive criteria for administrative contracts in the UAE are that: (i) one party to a contract shall be a public persona (such as the state, city authorities or municipalities); (ii) the contract shall be connected to the running or organization of a public facility (such as public institutions and authorities, security organizations and educational institutions) and (iii) it shall include exorbitant conditions which are unfamiliar in private law contracts. This distinction would help determining the nature of the legal rules to be applied on settlement of disputes, whether pertaining to the rules of administrative law or those of private law. (Chapter three) displays and critically reviews the main ideas related to arbitration in administrative contracts and shows the reservations and disadvantages that might arise from resorting to arbitration in this field. (Chapter four) This study comes to a number of conclusions in relation to these reservations and disadvantages. Despite the great importance of resorting to arbitration in administrative contracts as a speedy and distinctively confidential instrument for protecting the interests of the contractual parties, my opinion resorting to arbitration for settlement of disputes should be followed only if and to the extent it encourages investment in the UAE and it is respectful of higher administrative interests of the UAE state. The same limitation should apply to international administrative contracts and administrative contracts with international dimensions. Arbitration should be carried out without prejudice to the principle that a public authority in the UAE shall pursue a public interest without prejudice to private interests. This study argues that the legislator should intervene in an unambiguous manner to achieve the following results in relation to arbitration in administrative contracts with an international dimension and formulate proposals on how best to address these issues: 1. Determine the fields in which resorting to arbitration in administrative disputes should be admitted. 2. Specify the competent authority for approval of resorting to arbitration in this field (preferably the higher administrative authority within the state, such as the cabinet of ministers, the competent minister or authorized representative among public persona. No delegation is permissible, in this regard, for public persona assuming positions inferior to the above-mentioned ones because of their distinguished expertise which brought them to shoulder highly sensitive positions. Delegation in arbitration should be restricted to a very limited domain and only endowed upon those who assume the highest executive positions and qualified to shoulder high ranking positions and responsibilities. 3. The arbitration panel shall refrain from prejudicing the nature of the administrative contract, that is to refrain from prejudicing public interests, in order not to use resorting to arbitration as a means of evading application of the rules and regulations pertaining to the established administrative contract, which are stipulated to maintain public interest and public funds without prejudice to the rights and freedoms of private persons. Hence, it is pertinent to preserve the administrative nature and enforce the substantive regulations of the administrative contract. The contract should involve provisions for including arbitration, in addition to explicitly specify that the applicable law governing the contract should be the administrative law and the theory of administrative contract, which shall be applied in case of dispute. Arbitration should be restricted to administrative contracts with international dimensions, connected with public interest projects and leading to the encouragement of foreign investment and applying the principles of arbitration for conciliation in internal administrative contracts disputes only. The study concludes by arguing that legislative reform should be carried out to introduce legislative amendments, incorporating the above-mentioned arrangements, which are crucial to the settlement of administrative contracts disputes through arbitration. Resorting to arbitration should be restricted to certain types of contracts concluded by public authorities as an exception to the general principle of resorting to a judicial authority for looking into a legal disputes. These were put in place only to strike a balance between achieving public interests of the state and protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals.

Retaining motivated teachers is a major concern across countries. Ghana, like other Sub- Sahara African countries, has been trying to address challenges, such as the lack of teachers, particularly in rural areas, and the low levels of motivation among them. On the other hand, teachers in developing countries are not necessarily trained and, even if they are, they may not be competent, effective and efficient (Lockheed and Verspoor 1991). Mere enthusiasm and good intentions may not be enough to improve the quality of education. Nevertheless, motivation is necessary, since without it, teachers – especially those facing difficult circumstances – cannot persevere; and, no matter how skilled, without drive, teachers are unable to perform in the long term. As a consequence, without well-motivated teachers, children are less likely to attain the desired level of education. Moreover, if parents/guardians do not believe that education equips their children with the necessary skills and knowledge for a better life, access to and completion of basic education will not increase and government efforts to achieve EFA and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) may be in vain. Teacher motivation is not a new area of research. Extensive quantitative and qualitative research has been carried out, especially in the UK and the US, but not in Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, in the case of Ghana, most of the research is based on surveys and oneshot interviews and tends to describe why teachers have low job satisfaction and motivation. As working and living conditions for most teachers are challenging, studies into 'motivation' have tended to be superficial. More specifically, little research has been carried out into investigating why some teachers are able to stay motivated in conditions that others do not consider to be conducive to effective practice − or how they are able to manage. In addition, what research has been done has been concentrated in the southern part of the country, which is considered to be better off compared to the northern part according to many gauges. This study has aimed to investigate how basic school teachers‟ perception of teaching as a career is shaped by social and professional environment in rural Ghana. It has also intended to explore local realities with respect to the policy and its implementation for basic education. One-year field research from 2007 to 2008 was conducted by using a mixedmethods approach in two 'deprived'1 districts − one from the north and the other from the south − which are geographically, socio-culturally, and economically different. The methods of data collection involved survey, ethnographic research, interviews, and teacher focus group discussions. This research echoes previous research findings that physical disadvantages − such as the lack of conducive infrastructure, the shortage of teaching and learning materials, and poor salaries − are factors that contribute to a lower commitment to the profession. However, this research also suggests that two other key stakeholders at micro-level − in addition to the teachers themselves − play a role in teacher motivation. These are: colleague teachers, including head teachers; and the communities in which teachers live and work. Support at this level – both material such as the provision of accommodation and food and nonmaterial like morale support – can not only enhance teachers‟ well-being and self-esteem but also help them to see their current positions as a part of their goals. On the other hand, at macro-level, local authorities − the main implementers of policies and strategies formulated at central level and of teacher management − are particularly influential, as it affects teachers‟ long-term vision. They tend to discourage teachers in their operation, mainly due to its organisational culture that teachers perceive neither fair nor rational. With the same reason, strategies put in place to motivate teachers do not always produce the expected outcomes. Moreover, teachers are more likely to be subordinates to the authority even in school management and to feel powerless in the system. Too much emphasis on teacher motivation at school level may overlook the important role of the District Education Offices (DEOs), since teachers‟ lives are much more related to how the DEO manages them than is the case with similar hierarchical relationships in the West.

This research explores the ways in which local knowledge, attitudes and beliefs surrounding disability influence the socially constructed experience of autism in Ghana. It further explores the impact of these beliefs on educational access, policy and provision as well as on inclusion in wider society for both children with autism and their families. It is argued throughout that conceptualisations of both autism and disability are subtly, and at times unconsciously, shaped by cultural influences as well as individual experiences. Using semi-structured interviews, participatory methods and text analysis, this thesis first examines internationally accepted diagnostic criteria for cultural relevancy and concludes that while 'autism'does indeed transcend cultural barriers, its presentation is nonetheless culturally bound. The presentation of each of autism's 'triad of impairments' is explored in Ghana, namely communication and socialisation impairments alongside a restricted range of interests and repetitive behaviour patterns. Significantly, the experience of autism demonstrated in this thesis, at both a personal and familial level, is linked to, and negotiated through, cultural belief systems. A relatively shared 'worldview', understood as the culturally mediated lens through which autism and impairment are understood and managed in Ghanaian society, is outlined. Traditional values, a deep sense of spirituality and communal kinship responsibilities are highlighted. Next, an exploration of causal attributions, valued and de-valued personhood traits and the expected role of an adult in society each highlights significant influences on the perception and management of autism in Ghana. Throughout, this thesis focuses on the impact of autism, as constructed and understood in urban Ghana, on the individual, one's kin and broader society. The second half of this thesis focuses on educational access, policy and provision with particular attention to Ghana's burgeoning inclusive education efforts. Conceptualisations of disability and difference, as negotiated through Ghanaian culture, norms and history are explored alongside the implications of these beliefs in designing educational provision for students with autism as well as the socio-political pressures to adhere to large scale international movements such as Education for All (EFA). In particular, tensions between local and international conceptualisations of 'disability' and 'inclusion' are highlighted and it is concluded that adoption of international declarations into local policy, and subsequently into local practice, needs to be better negotiated alongside culturally relevant systems and beliefs. International declarations, rooted in a social model of disability, are found to clash with local conceptualisations of disability rooted in an often intuitive understanding of disability consistent with an individual model. However, consistency with an individual model did not equate to biomedical understandings of disability, which was instead mediated through a lens of socialrelational causation and management more consistent with religious or cultural models of disability. It is concluded that acknowledging and respecting Ghanaian understandings of disability is a prerequisite to ensuring inclusion of children with autism, both in education and their community. Adoption of laudable rights based international declarations must also ensure adaptation to local culture and context. Conclusions and recommendations for synergy between advocacy for, and education of, students with autism in Ghana are proffered.

The main research topic of this study is universities' academic research and knowledge-transfer activities in a catch-up country, particularly the relationship between the two activities, which has been rarely examined in previous research. In order to understand this issue against existing literature, a critical review of previous studies has been attempted, considering the idiosyncratic characteristics of the Korean national innovation system. As a result, at the three analysis levels (i.e. national, organisational and individual levels), we propose three conceptual elements respectively: a tentative historical path of universities in catch-up countries; critical factors influencing knowledge transfer activities of universities in catch-up countries; and academics operating in synergy mode. Thereafter, based on the methodology integrating not only the three analysis levels but also qualitative and quantitative approaches, we analyse the data collected from the interviews with Korean academics, survey responses from Korean academics and government White Papers on the activities of Korean universities. The results show a close and positive relationship between Korean universities' academic research and knowledge-transfer activities across the three levels. Firstly, during the last several decades, the Korean government has strongly encouraged the development of teaching, academic research and knowledge-transfer activities of Korean universities in harmony with the different developmental stages of Korean industry. This has resulted in selective patterns of the universities' three activities (e.g. concentration of scientific activities in certain fields). Secondly, organisational factors such as scientific capacity and industry funding are important for universities' knowledge-transfer activities in a catch-up country, which corroborates the positive relationship between the two activities. Finally, in terms of the factors influencing the synergy mode (i.e. a positive relationship between academic research and knowledge-transfer activities), academics' career stage and disciplines are important. This is related to the rapid expansion of the Korean academic system and the selectivity found in its activities. Based on these findings, it is tempting to conclude that universities in East Asian catch-up countries have developed their own academic system different from those in developed countries, which can be characterised as having strong government control and a high level of interaction with other actors in the national innovation system. Therefore, the application of the controversy over the direct economic contribution of universities in western countries to the context of catch-up countries is quite limited.

In 1987, the Government of Ghana embarked on a process to decentralise education management to districts throughout the country as part of a programme of wider social and democratic governance reforms. A vital element of this reform was the prescription of active community participation in the affairs of schools within their localities. The establishment of school management committees (SMCs) was to create a new school governance landscape based on community participation, as well as devolution of power to the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies. In this regard, considerable attention has been focused on central government‟s understanding of how this devolution of authority to communities and schools should work and how communities should assume responsibility for increased participation in schools. From the inception of this policy over two decades ago, there seems to have been no feedback through research findings or diagnostic policy reviews on how this new role of the community has been received, interpreted and executed in its engagement with schools, particularly in the rural poor and underserved areas. Mindful of this, this study sought to explore the multiple understandings of how community and school relations work, as well as the challenges and pressures which influence community – school relationships. The study employed the qualitative methods of interview and documentary analysis to collect data on the understanding and experiences of community – school relations from SMCs and PTAs; other members of the community; the school; and education management. The findings suggest that many of the theoretical and policy expectations about representation and participation in school improvement through the SMC and PTA concept are only evident in form and not in practice. Furthermore, in poor rural contexts, it is often the comparatively better educated and influential members of the community, including informal groups who become the new brokers of decision-making, and who through their actions close spaces for the genuine representation and participation of others. In some cases, SMCs seldom work as the de facto representatives of the community, as decisions are made and critical interactions occur outside this formal structure for community representation and engagement in school governance. This affects the visibility of SMCs and undermines their credibility and capacity to play their intended role. Moreover, the degree of community participation in schools appears to be shaped by the school fulfilling community expectations of schooling and on a „social contract‟ based on the principle of reciprocity. These findings support the view that the fate of schools is increasingly tied to and powerfully shaped by key players at the local level, and that this happens through more informal and traditional roles which are more trusted but not necessarily representative of the image presented by policy on community participation in school governance. The findings also highlight the threat to voluntarism, a key assumption of the policy on community participation and the importance of seeking ways in which schools can play a more active role as change agents in the community, thereby legitimising in the community‟s eyes their importance in the life of the community.

Since the advent of international assistance, the aid paradigm has changed continually and the choice of mechanisms for providing assistance has evolved in order to try and pursue better approaches. Along with the traditional project approach, the sector-wide approach involving budgetary support has emerged as a new aid modality since the mid-1990s. While many donors – e.g. the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank and the European Union (EU) – have embraced the new modality, some donors have kept their distance from this trend, relying mostly on project assistance – e.g. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). However, the extent to which aid resources are absorbed in the recipient government/sector under the different aid delivery mechanisms is not well known. This thesis provides insight into this question by exploring the process of absorbing foreign funds in the education sector. Employing a phenomenological research approach, the process is examined from the point of view of local actors and beneficiaries of aid aimed at improving education quality. The context chosen is basic education (primary and junior secondary) in Ghana after the introduction of the national basic education reform, which was announced as the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme in 1996. Two cases are chosen for comparison: the Whole School Development (WSD) programme financed by the DFID; and the Quality Improvements in Primary Schools (QUIPS) programme facilitated by USAID. The former constitutes a sector-wide type of assistance, which put Ghanaian officials in charge of DFID funds and the implementation of the programme; while the latter adopted a project type model, with implementation managed directly through a USAIDfunded project office. The major part of the data is derived from interviews conducted in 2006 with significant educational personnel at three different levels: Ministry of Education (MoE) headquarters, the District Education Office (DEO), and the schools). The analysis reveals a complex picture of aid absorption, which illuminates the pros and cons of the two approaches in relation to impact and sustainability. The study finds that the QUIPS project achieved tangible results in the pilot schools, while the WSD programme made little impact at the school level. The WSD programme, which used existing structures within the education system to deliver funds and resources to schools, showed evidence of high fungibility, but appears to have strengthened the Ministry‟s administrative capacity. On the other hand, the QUIPS approach, which had low fungibility, has been severely criticised by Ghanaian officials, who questioned its sustainability and contribution to system-wide change. The thesis concludes by stating its specific contribution to the literature on international aid assistance to developing countries and making recommendations for the Ghanaian context.

My thesis, a theoretical-based work, concerns the effects of globalisation and tourism in context of Thailand, which the selected case studies are Damnoen Saduak and Pattaya Floating Markets. I particularly look at Baudrillard's theory to investigate to what extent his concept fits in context of Thailand. Also, my work uses Baudrillard's theory to study and conceptualise the effects of globalisation on Thailand's tourism.

by Lam Cham. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-79). / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.i / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.iii / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.iv / Chapter CHAPTER 1: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter CHAPTER 2: --- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1 --- Financial Liberalization in Nine Asian Countries --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Hong Kong --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Korea --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- "Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand - the ASEAN-4" --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Taiwan --- p.18 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Japan --- p.19 / Chapter 2.1.6 --- The Philippines --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2 --- Stock Market Trend --- p.21 / Chapter CHAPTER 3: --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.28 / Chapter 3.1 --- Gain from International Diversification --- p.28 / Chapter 3.2 --- International Transmission Effects --- p.30 / Chapter 3.3 --- Integration of World Stock Markets --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER 4: --- METHODOLOGY --- p.38 / Chapter 4.1 --- Cointegration and Diversification --- p.38 / Chapter 4.2 --- Testing for Cointegration --- p.45 / Chapter CHAPTER 5: --- DATA --- p.50 / Chapter 5.1 --- MSCI Index --- p.50 / Chapter 5.2 --- Asian Funds --- p.51 / Chapter CHAPTER 6: --- EMPIRICAL RESULTS --- p.52 / Chapter 6.1 --- Unit Root Test --- p.52 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- ADF and Phillips-Perron Unit Root Test --- p.52 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Unit Root Test with Structural Break --- p.55 / Chapter 6.2 --- Cointegration Test on Stock Markets --- p.57 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Regional Factor Vs World Factor --- p.57 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Integration of the Asian Markets --- p.61 / Chapter 6.3 --- Cointegration Test on the Asian Funds --- p.63 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Weekly Results --- p.65 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Monthly Results --- p.66 / Chapter CHAPTER 7: --- CONCLUSIONS --- p.72 / REFERENCES --- p.75