The fluctuation of the world economy has a tremendous influence to domestic imports and exports to a small opened economy. In another word, it has great impact to the current account of a small opened economy. After the 1980s, Taiwan relies on the growth of net export to drive its economy growth, showing that depend on to foreign trade degree quite high, so government values the current account very much. With the economic variables of the region of America, Asia, and Europe to carry on regional study the relation with the current account of Taiwan, the relevant parameter included in this research is that foreign production value, domestic production value, real effective of exchange rate, and real interest rate differential of domestic and international. Utilize structural vector autoregressive model, with impulse response functions and forecast error variance decompositions analysis result, to consider each variable in short-run and long-run to the current account of influence. According to impulse response functions, it synthesizes three regional analysis results, the current account accord with the theories with the relevant parameter. The foreign production value increases to cause the current account increment. The domestic production value increases to cause the current account reduced and converge in the long-run. The real effective of exchange rate increases to cause the current account surplus in the short-run, the impulsive effect is convergence in the long-run. The real interest rate differential increases to cause the current account deficit in the short-run. According to forecast error variance decompositions, the current account is influence by the real effective of exchange rate and itself factor in three regions, in addition the influence by the foreign production value in the region of America and Asia. In the region of America and Asia, the current account receives self influence that decreases progressively at time changes that part substitutes by the foreign production value. Under the long-run, the foreign production value in the region of America and Asia is also influence by the current account because imports and exports of Taiwan are in the majority that the main country comes from America and Asia, that the production value of regions are easier to cause the current account. The current account always causes by the real effective of exchange rate in the long-run. Accord with Shirvani and Wilbratte (1997), the real exchange rate has the long-run relational with the current account in real example analysis. In the short-run, the exchange rate depreciation has not influenced the result to the current account. In the long-run, the depreciation can improve the current account to become surplus. This research discovers to influence the factor of the current account of Taiwan, in the region of America and Asia, the foreign production value makes the phenomenon with the current account surplus in the long-run. In the region of American, Asia, and Europe, the real effective of exchange rate increases to make the phenomenon with the current account surplus in the long-run, the current account receives self influence no matter under short-run and long-run. In the short-run, the influence of the current account results negative direction and oscillation to convergence.

Features topographic maps and aerial photographs of Dumfires Township / <p> Bio-physical and cultural geography are two major divisions of this science. A geographical study may be based on one or both of these aspects, discussed systemtically or regionally. The historical factors of a geographical study may be discussed in relation to the present and as an entity in itself. </p> <p> The following discussion of North Dumfries Township is, for the most part, a regional study of the present physical and cultural relationships, e.specially land use, although a short discussion of the historical geography of the township is included. </p> <p> Information for the study was gained from various sources. The field work was done in the fall of 1957 and involved a series of traverses through the township and numerous interviews with farmers and townsfolk. References were made to a number of books and pamphlets, listed in the bibliography, and to aerial photographs and topographic maps of the township. </p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Abstract This thesis addresses the realisation of the regional development task of higher education in response to new regional and national challenges. This regional study investigates how the third task of regional development can be ‎understood and was addressed at Laurea University of Applied Sciences (UAS). In this qualitative study as research continuum: action research is used in the investigation of an organisational-regional change, the integrated perspective of the design research is in the systemising of design and a multiple case study research is integrated for bringing an understanding of a research scope and in addition it can produce new knowledge for design and action. The unit of analysis was a case study and the analysis was undertaken using empirical, in-depth data collected between May 2001 and September 2012. This study provides new and critical insights into the integration of regional development and regionally focused higher education within emergent value networks. In the centre of the study, there is the collectively developed integrative model at Laurea UAS, specifically, the student-centred integration of regional development, research and development (R&#38;D) and higher education functions. Here, in this operative environment, close proximity with an integrated web of R&#38;D activities and projects produces new knowledge. This investigation into the new “third task” of the regionally focused university focuses on the development of new knowledge from value networks and externalities, within which R&#38;D activities steer the direction of new knowledge. This research uses an integrative model to examine the dynamic workings of an emerging networked innovative collaborative environment, consisting of UAS spin-offs and initiatives for knowledge-based economic development, and strategic alliances ‎between the actors of the regional knowledge flows that are rapidly extending towards more global networking and interaction with international externalities. / Tiivistelmä Tämän väitöstutkimuksen tutkimuskysymys on seuraava: Miten aluekehitystehtävää voidaan ymmärtää, suunnitella ja toteuttaa ammattikorkeakoulussa? Tutkimuksen viitekehys on Laurea-ammattikorkeakoulussa yhteisöllisesti kehitetty integratiivinen toimintamalli, joka yhdistää aluekehitystehtävän ja opiskelijakeskeisen tutkimus- ja kehitystoiminnan. Tutkimuksen analysointiyksikkö on toteutunut näyttö, jossa opiskelun ja alueellisen tutkimus- ja kehitystyön yhdistämisellä on keskeinen rooli. Tutkimuksessa toteutettu toimintatutkimus kohdistuu ammattikorkeakoulun muutoksen ‎tutkimiseen, ensisijaisesti tutkitaan aluekehitystehtävän toteuttamista ja siihen liittyviä muutoksia, ‎vuorovaikutuksia ja toteutusmalleja. Tutkimukseen sisältyvän suunnittelututkimuksen näkökulma on ‎suunnittelun systematisointi. Sen tavoite on tutkia, jotta voidaan kehittää, parantaa ‎ja arvioida malleja, käsitteistöjä, luokituksia, metodologiaa, artefakteja ja palveluja. Tapaustutkimus tässä tutkimuksessa vuorostaan tuottaa syvällistä ymmärrystä tutkittavasta ilmiöstä sekä lisää tietämystä suunnittelun ja toteuttamisen tueksi. Toteutettu integratiivinen toimintamalli yhdistää aluekehitystehtävän ja sekä toiminnassa kehittyvät kansainväliset arvoverkostot että alueelliset avainprofiilit, strategiat ja innovaatiojärjestelmän aktiviteetit. Toteutuksen toimintalogiikka yhdistää strategioiden, visioiden, luovuuden ja ajattelun syklisen maailman kehittämispohjaiseen oppimiseen ammattikorkeakoulussa. Toiminnan alueellinen ja yhteiskunnallinen vaikuttavuus ilmenee palvelujen, teollisuuden ja korkeakoulun yhteistyössä ja vuorovaikutuksessa, erityisesti yhteisöllisen toimintatavan, oppimisen integroitumisen, turvallisuuden sekä osaamisen, palvelujen ja tuotteiden kehittämisen alueella. Samalla integratiivinen toiminta edistää alueen kehittämistä tuottaen tietovarantoa sekä kansainvälistä verkostoitumista ja osaamista yksilöille, työyhteisöille ja alueelle.

The application of environmental performance indicators (EPIs) has received increasing attention by both governments and international organisations as a tool for assessing complex environmental scenarios in national and local decision making processes. However, at the regional scale there is a gap in the application of EPIs, as this has not been well understood and defined due to a limited theoretical foundation and often insufficient data from all participant countries. The regional scale is important because it can incorporate natural ecosystems which often transcend national boundaries. A case study is developed for the Lower Mekong Subregion (LMS), where four riparian Southeast Asian countries (Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia, and Viet Nam) share the Lower Mekong River. The research proposes a conceptual framework to identify approaches for developing criteria for acceptable and appropriate EPIs which can be used to support and implement decision making processes by relevant organisations at the regional level. This research evaluates the application of environmental performance indicators using methodologies that assess cross-national quantitative and qualitative data and existing decision support systems. In addition, global and national indicators are examined for application and relation to the regional context. The research finds that the application of EPIs varies according to spatial scale, and is diverse among the four countries. Data availability is also identified as a major problem encountered during the development and selection of EPIs. The study finds that the governance of the existing regional body is ineffective due to differing agendas pursued by each participating country. This is because the current regional body is structured only to facilitate information exchange and cooperation in a limited manner, focusing so far only on water management issues. LMS regional goals need to be set in order to guide the stakeholders in identifying an appropriate set of EPIs. Most importantly, the research is intended to be a catalyst for encouraging the participants to integrate methods and other species of EPIs proposed in this research in their environmental assessment policies.