scholarly journals If a Tree Falls: Business Students Learning Active Citizenship from Environmentalists

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Kopnina ◽  
Maria Helena Saari
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
University Of Applied Sciences ◽  
Radical Environmentalism ◽  
Tree Falls

This article presents and discusses student assignments reflecting on the documentary film If a Tree Falls, written as part of the Business Ethics and Sustainability course at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. This article follows two lines of inquiry. First, it challenges mainstream environmental education, supporting critical pedagogy and ecopedagogy. These pedagogies, which advocate pedagogy for radical change, offer a distinct and valuable contribution to sustainability education, enabling students to critically examine normative assumptions, and learn about ethical relativity, and citizenship engagement from environmentalists. The discussion of “lessons of radical environmentalism” is pertinent to the question of what types of actions are likely to achieve the widely acceptable long-term societal change. While this article focuses on student reflection on a film about radical environmentalism, this article also discusses many forms of activism and raises the question of what can be considered effective activism and active citizenship in the context of the philosophy of (environmental or sustainability) education in connection didactics and curriculum studies. Second, this article argues for the need for reformed democracy and inclusive pluralism that recognizes the needs of nonhuman species, ecocentrism, and deep ecology. The connection between these two purposes is expressed in the design of the student assignment: It is described as a case study, which employs critical pedagogy and ecopedagogy.

Fundamental R&D Work on Methods for State Monitoring of Transport and Storage Containers for Spent Fuel and Heat-Generating High-Level Radioactive Waste on Prolonged Intermediate Storage

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Fiß ◽  
Sebastian Schmidt ◽  
Sebastian Reinicke ◽  
Alexander Kratzsch
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Storage Period ◽  
Material Behavior ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Radiation Emission ◽  
Storage Container ◽  
University Of Applied Sciences ◽  
Intermediate Storage

The continuing search for a long-term storage for highly-active nuclear waste in Germany requires a prolonged intermediate storage period of spent fuel in dry storage casks at the power plant sites. Currently, it is not sufficiently clear if there might be a loss of integrity of the fuel rods within such long periods, e.g. due to rising pressure from gaseous products of nuclear decay. Regarding a final evaluation, extrapolative modelling of the radiochemical and thermomechanical material behavior is challenging and not suitable for predictions on the condition of storage container inventory after the intermediate storage period. Therefore, it is of public interest to find measurement principles or methods which can provide information about the condition of the storage container inventory. In line with a cooperative project (project partners: Technical University Dresden, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences) different measurement principles and methods (radiation emission, muon transmission, thermography, acoustical spectrometry) for non-invasive condition monitoring of the storage container inventory in case of prolonged intermediate storage are going to be investigated and evaluated. The results shall help to determine suitable methods for the identification of both changes of the spent fuel and inner container structure over long periods without opening the container and would be a significant contribution for the long-term safety of intermediately stored highly radioactive waste. Furthermore, suitable methods would provide information about the transport and conditioning ability of the waste before transfer to the repository. This paper deals with the content of the subproject of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences as well as with the approach for project realization. A further main part of this paper is the development of experimental infrastructure to support the investigations.

A Finnish Concept for Academic Entrepreneurship

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Laine
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Knowledge Based Economy ◽  
University Of Applied Sciences ◽  
Potential Applications

In a knowledge-driven economy there is a growing need for deeper and more productive interaction between higher education and industry. The full exploitation of knowledge requires strategies, incentives, appropriate systems and strong interaction between the transfer processes and the main processes in higher education. In a knowledge-based economy, knowledge is more likely to be created if there is collaboration on the potential applications. In such a knowledge creation process, the creation, dissemination and utilization of knowledge are carried out in quick succession or even simultaneously. Also, basic research and applied research can no longer be separated. Knowledge creation is, in many cases, achieved through long-term partnerships based on trust, commitment and mutual benefit. This paper explores ways of supporting and creating entrepreneurial activity in higher education. It studies the case of Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in Finland.

scholarly journals Development of business students’ attitudes towards entrepreneurship between 2017–2018

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marja-Liisa Kakkonen
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Entrepreneurial Attitudes ◽  
University Of Applied Sciences ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
One Year ◽  
In The Beginning

Entrepreneurial competences consist of attitudes, knowledge and entrepreneurial skills. In the autum 2017, a new curriculum emphasizing entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial behavior was launched in the business department of a Finnish university of applied sciences. In order to verify the development, a follow-up study with three annual sub-studies was planned to examine students' attitudes towards entrepreneurship, generic competences and subject-specific competences of entrepreneurship during the degree studies.This article presents the results of the development of the students' entrepreneurial attitudes between the first and third semester. According to the findings, the attitudes towards entrepreneurship were quite positive in the beginning of the studies, and it seems that they remained at the same level during one year. Based on the findings, as a practical implication there is a need for monitoring pedagogigal approaches and methods of the programme to make sure that they support enough the development of entrepreneurial attitudes. The entire development of entrepreneurial competences will be revealed by the next annual studies.Keywords: Attitudes; Entrepreneurship; Business students; Perceptions

Becoming a Swarm Catalyst

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhana Kokkonen ◽  
Sami Paavola ◽  
Yrjö Engeström
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Hierarchical Organization ◽  
Collaborative Community ◽  
University Of Applied Sciences ◽  
Traditional Organization ◽  
Changing Role

This article analyzes the problems of bringing in social media in a traditional, hierarchical organization. Difficulties rise from the contradiction between the bureaucratic approach of an organization and the collaborative community approach connected to social media. A change in the role of a developer is analyzed through a case study. The data was collected in a co-development process of a work unit at a Finnish University of Applied Sciences. The method of this study is analytic autoethnography, which proved to be a valuable tool for capturing a long-term development process and the changing role of the developer inside the organization. A new change agent, a swarm catalyst, is introduced at the end of the article. The initial characteristics of a swarm catalyst are based on the experiences of various, iterative developmental experiments. A swarm catalyst operates within an organization as an autonomous developer, and as a negotiator between the traditional organization and decentralized developmental swarms.

scholarly journals Development of Electric and Chemical Microthrusters

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Tajmar ◽  
C. A. Scharlemann
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Electric Propulsion ◽  
Metal Ion ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Specific Impulse ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
University Of Applied Sciences ◽  
Green Propellants ◽  
The University

The increasing application of microsatellites (from 10 kg up to 100 kg) as well as CubeSats for a rising number of various missions demands the development of miniaturized propulsion systems. Fotec and The University of Applied Sciences at Wiener Neustadt is developing a number of micropropulsion technologies including both electric and chemical thrusters targeting high performance at small scales. Our electric propulsion developments include a series of FEEP (field emission electric propulsion) thrusters, of which the thrust ranges fromμN to mN level. The thrusters are highly integrated into clusters of indium liquid-metal-ion sources that can provide ultralow thrust noise and long-term stability. We are also developing a micro PPT thruster that enables pointing capabilities for CubeSats. For chemical thrusters, we are developing novel micromonopropellant thrusters with several hundred mN as well as a 1–3 N bipropellant microrocket engine using green propellants and high specific impulse performance. This paper will give an overview of our micropropulsion developments at Fotec, highlighting performance as well as possible applications.

scholarly journals Young Women`s Opinions about the Use of Cosmetics and Its Impact on Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gražina Šniepienė ◽  
Margarita Maniušienė ◽  
Judita Jonuševičienė ◽  
Geriuldas Žiliukas
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cosmetic Products ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Aesthetic Appearance ◽  
University Of Applied Sciences ◽  
Questionnaire Method

Research background. Young women use cosmetic products daily to maintain a good aesthetic appearance and express their individuality. Their habits of use affect not only their skin and hair condition but also their well-being and health. After getting familiar with the young women’s opinion about the use of cosmetics, we aimed to promote women’s interest in the safe use of cosmetics. The aim of the study was to assess the opinions of young women towards the use of cosmetics. Methods. Quantitative research, questionnaire method was applied. The study sample consisted of students of the Klaipeda University of Applied Sciences studying in the feld of biomedicine (girls and women, n = 240). Results. The study showed that the most commonly used were hygiene products. Most respondents used between 5 and 10 cosmetic products per day (39.6%). The main choice criteria of cosmetic products were as follows: benefcial long-term effects and the desired effect on beauty. More than 90% of young women believed that cosmetic products might contain substances that were harmful to health, but about 36% of them asked about the presence of specifc substances. Conclusion. The study showed that young women’s habits posed a certain risk of adverse effects, as a large number of them were not interested in the composition of the product before purchasing. Despite the fact that the majority of women experienced side effects, a few of them performed a patch test. Most women agreed that it was worth buying organic, though more expensive cosmetics, but a small number applied it themselves.Keywords: cosmetics, women, opinion.

How could robotics help establish a new norm after COVID-19?

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (50) ◽  
pp. eabg2874
Author(s):  
Guang-Zhong Yang
Keyword(s):  
Radical Change

In a time of upheaval, robotics has an opportunity to offer long-term solutions and radical change.

scholarly journals How do Employees Adapt to Organizational Change? The Role of Meaning-making and Work Engagement

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Machteld van den Heuvel ◽  
Evangelia Demerouti ◽  
Arnold B. Bakker ◽  
Jørn Hetland ◽  
Wilmar B. Schaufeli
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Adaptive Performance ◽  
Role Performance ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Office Design

Abstract This multi-wave, multi-source study focuses on the benefits of work engagement for employee adaptation to organizational change. The change entailed the implementation of a flexible office design in an engineering firm, which caused radical change for employees. Building on conservation of resources (COR) theory and change transition models, we predict that work engagement trajectories during change are crucial for successful adaptation. The hypothesized process was that initial employee meaning-making will facilitate work engagement, which, in turn, predicts supervisor-rated adaptive performance (i.e. adaptive work-role performance and extra-role performance) via attitude-to-change. Attitude-to-change was modeled as reciprocally related to work engagement at different points in time. Weekly questionnaires were completed by 71 employees during the first five weeks of the change (296 observations). Latent growth trajectories using weekly engagement measures showed no overall growth, but did show significant variance around the slope of work engagement. Meaning-making and attitude-to-change at the onset were positively related to initial levels, but not to growth of work engagement. Meaning-making was indirectly related to short-term attitude-to-change via work engagement. Short-term attitude-to-change was predictive of supervisor-rated adaptive performance and long-term attitude-to-change. Finally, work engagement (slope) predicted long-term attitude-to-change and supervisor-rated extra-role performance via short-term attitude-to-change. Taken together, the study contributes to knowledge about micro-level transition processes of employee adaptation and the benefits of work engagement during change.

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