10 Golden Lessons From Steve Jobs

Posted on | July 29, 2010 | No Comments

“I think we’re having fun. I think our customers really like our products. And we’re always trying to do better.”
- Steve Jobs

His accomplishments and character helped define a generation and change the world. He is co-founder of the fairytale company we now know as Apple Computers. And he is the visionary of the personal computers world that led the entire computer hardware and software industry to restructure itself.

This man with boundless energy and charisma is also a master of hype, hyperbole and the catchy phrase. And even when he’s trying to talk normally, brilliant verbiage comes tumbling out.
Here’s a selection of some of the most insanely great things he said, golden lessons to help you succeed in life, Jobs-style:

1. Steve Jobs said: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

Innovation has no limits. The only limit is your imagination. It’s time for you to begin thinking out of the box. If you are involved in a growing industry, think of ways to become more efficient; more customer friendly; and easier to do business with. If you are involved in a shrinking industry – get out of it quick and change before you become obsolete; out of work; or out of business. And remember that procrastination is not an option here. Start innovating now!

2. Steve Jobs said: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

There is no shortcut to excellence. You will have to make the commitment to make excellence your priority. Use your talents, abilities, and skills in the best way possible and get ahead of others by giving that little extra. Live by a higher standard and pay attention to the details that really do make the difference. Excellence is not difficult – simply decide right now to give it your best shot – and you will be amazed with what life gives you back.

3. Steve Jobs said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

I’ve got it down to four words: “Do what you love.” Seek out an occupation that gives you a sense of meaning, direction and satisfaction in life. Having a sense of purpose and striving towards goals gives life meaning, direction and satisfaction. It not only contributes to health and longevity, but also makes you feel better in difficult times. Do you jump out of bed on Monday mornings and look forward to the work week? If the answer is ‘no’ keep looking, you’ll know when you find it.

4. Steve Jobs said: “You know, we don’t grow most of the food we eat. We wear clothes other people make. We speak a language that other people developed. We use a mathematics that other people evolved… I mean, we’re constantly taking things. It’s a wonderful, ecstatic feeling to create something that puts it back in the pool of human experience and knowledge.”

Live in a way that is ethically responsible. Try to make a difference in this world and contribute to the higher good. You’ll find it gives more meaning to your life and it’s a great antidote to boredom. There is always so much to be done. And talk to others about what you are doing. Don’t preach or be self-righteous, or fanatical about it, that just puts people off, but at the same time, don’t be shy about setting an example, and use opportunities that arise to let others know what you are doing.

5. Steve Jobs said: “There’s a phrase in Buddhism, ‘Beginner’s mind.’ It’s wonderful to have a beginner’s mind.”

It is the kind of mind that can see things as they are, which step by step and in a flash can realize the original nature of everything. Beginner’s mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgments and prejudices. Think of beginner’s mind as the mind that faces life like a small child, full of curiosity and wonder and amazement.

6. Steve Jobs said: “We think basically you watch television to turn your brain off, and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on.”

Reams of academic studies over the decades have amply confirmed television’s pernicious mental and moral influences. And most TV watchers know that their habit is mind-numbing and wasteful, but still spend most of their time in front of that box. So turn your TV off and save some brain cells. But be cautious, you can turn your brain off by using a computer also. Try and have an intelligent conversation with someone who plays first person shooters for 8 hours a day. Or auto race games, or role-playing games.

7. Steve Jobs said: “I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It’s very character-building.”

Don’t equate making mistakes with being a mistake. There is no such thing as a successful person who has not failed or made mistakes, there are successful people who made mistakes and changed their lives or performance in response to them, and so got it right the next time. They viewed mistakes as warnings rather than signs of hopeless inadequacy. Never making a mistake means never living life to the full.

8. Steve Jobs said: “I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.”

Over the last decade, numerous books featuring lessons from historical figures have appeared on the shelves of bookstores around the world. And Socrates stands with Leonardo da Vinci, Nicholas Copernicus, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein as a beacon of inspiration for independent thinkers. But he came first. Cicero said of Socrates that, “He called philosophy down from the skies and into the lives of men.” So use Socrates’ principles in your life, your work, your learning, and your relationships. It’s not about Socrates, it’s really about you, and how you can bring more truth, beauty and goodness into your life everyday.

9. Steve Jobs said: “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”

Did you know that you have big things to accomplish in life? And did you know that those big things are getting rather dusty while you pour yourself another cup of coffee, and decide to mull things over rather than do them? We were all born with a gift to give in life, one which informs all of our desires, interests, passions and curiosities. This gift is, in fact, our purpose. And you don’t need permission to decide your own purpose. No boss, teacher, parent, priest or other authority can decide this for you. Just find that unique purpose.

10. Steve Jobs said: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Are you tired of living someone else’s dream? No doubt, its your life and you have every right to spend it in your own individual way without any hurdles or barriers from others. Give yourself a chance to nurture your creative qualities in a fear-free and pressure-free climate. Live a life that YOU choose and be your own boss.

Each lesson might be difficult to integrate into your life at first, but if you ease your way into each lesson, one at a time, you’ll notice an immediate improvement in your overall performance. So go ahead, give them a try.

Fifty PhD Positions in France

Posted on | March 22, 2010 | No Comments

Do you want to prepare a doctoral thesis and carry out valuable research in the field of information and communication science and technology or in a related field? In 2010, INRIA is offering young scientists the chance to join one of its research teams. Priority will be given to candidates with experience of mobility and in subjects within the scope of the institute’s priority subject areas.

INRIA’s Main Research Fields

Applied mathematics, computation and simulation
Algorithmics, programming, software and architecture
Networks, systems and services, distributed computing
Perception, cognition, interaction
Computational Sciences for Biology, Medicine and the Environment

Application conditions

• You must have a Master’s in computer science, control or scientific calculation, or an equivalent diploma;
• All nationalities may apply
• You must submit an application for each subject proposed by the host research centre.

Calendar

From 15 February to 4 May 2010

Compensation *

First and second year doctoral students

• 1947,80 € gross/month

Third year doctoral students

• 2048,60 € gross/month

(calculated without teaching duties or specific activities)

PhD position in Networks and Distributed systems at University of Oslo

Posted on | February 21, 2010 | 8 Comments

The group of Networks and Distributed systems at the Informatics Department, University of Oslo has one available PhD position in the area of Middle-ware for Distribution and Dissemination.
The deadline for applications is 31th March, 2010.

The research will be carried out in collaboration with the Computer Systems group of VU University Amsterdam, in particular with the group headed by Maarten van Steen.

PhD Project

The position is in the general area of middle-ware for distributing and disseminating information in large-scale dynamic systems.

We are witnessing a dramatic increase in the use of data-centric distributed systems such as the dynamic Web, sensor networks, network-monitoring systems, and various publish-subscribe systems. The ubiquitous presence of such systems creates very large application networks that spread over large geographical areas and diverse intra- and inter-organizational domains. The visions of massive demand-driven data dissemination, intensive processing, and intelligent fusion in order to build dynamic knowledge bases that seemed infeasible just a few years ago are about to come true.

However, the realization of this potential demands adequate support from middle-ware that could be used to deploy and support such systems. At this time, both COTS middle-ware software and even state-of-art research middle-ware lack the technological foundations to cope with the enormous volume of data, constantly changing underlying network connectivity, and dynamic system organization. Typically, numerous information transmitters produce continuous data flows as well as massive unpredictable bursts of data at geographically dispersed locations. This data needs to be rapidly processed, routed, and classified by the degree of criticality, and intelligently fused. A large number of potentially mobile clients can issue multiple concurrent queries of varying urgency, priority, and precision requirements. In order to build a system that is capable of handling such a demanding situation, there is a clear need to develop new middleware technologies for scalable, mobility, adaptive, and reliable handling of these high-volume dynamic information flows.

We are seeking a student who is interested in designing, developing, and evaluating techniques that address these issues.

Suitable Background and Requirements

Applicants must have a degree in Computer Science, or in a related study, with excellent results. They must also be able to demonstrate interest in scientific research. The ideal candidate for the position will have strong background in distributed computing.

You may apply if you have not yet completed your degree, but expect to do so before the position starts.

University of Oslo is an equal opportunity employer.

Knowledge of Norwegian is not a prerequisite for application. English is our working language for research. The current PhD students and postdocs in our group are coming from more than 5 different countries.

We expect the candidate to be internationally oriented and willing to do, for example, Summer internships abroad.

Details about Employment

A PhD position is a regular job with social benefits and with salary starting from 353.000 NOK per year.

The currently open positions are for three years with a possibility to apply for extending the time period to 4 years. A 4 year position means that 25% of the time will be for duties beyond the normal research and project work, such as teaching and supervision of master students.
Host Institution and Environment

The University of Oslo is Norway’s largest and oldest institution of higher education. Founded in 1811, today the University of Oslo has approx. 30,000 students and 4,600 employees. Four Nobel Prize winners indicate the quality of the research at the University. The Department of Informatics has been a home to a number of world-renown scientists, such as Turing Award recipients Prof. Dahl and Prof. Nygaard.

The group of Networks and Distributed Systems offers a work environment that is well equipped with the newest hard- and software technology. The research group has tight bonds with Simula Research Laboratory. Furthermore, we have well established links to national and international research institutions. We conduct collaborative research projects that are funded by Norwegian research funds, and the European Community.

The country, also known for its unique scenic beauty, has been ranked by the UN as having the highest standard of living in the world. Oslo is considered one of the sunniest places in Northern Europe, with summer temperatures averaging 21 degrees Celsius.

Further information can be found on this page.

How to Apply

Full application should include

1. Your cover letter listing
* specific research interests
* the position that you are interested in
* the following reference number: 2010/1777
2. Certificates for all University-level degrees.
3. A curriculum vitae including
* Your name (given, family), data of birth, nationality, current address, phone number, and email address.
* Your highest degree’s name, educational institution, department, and the year of completion.
* List of your higher education including the type of education, place, duration, and degree if applicable.
* List of your employments including company/institution name and duration of the employment.
* Your publication list.
4. Official grade sheets for all the courses taken at the University level. For applicants with any University-level education outside Norway: official description of the grading system.
5. Names and addresses of your references. To speed up processing, applicants themselves may ask their references to mail recommendation letters to the same address.
6. Copies of relevant work, e.g., dissertations, theses, or articles that you have authored or co-authored.
7. The following form.
* The “plans for the PhD study” section can be left blank.
* The “project description” section can be copied from the above description in this announcement.

Applications should be sent electronically, by e-mail to apply-to@matnat.uio.no with a cc to romanvi@ifi.uio.no. Supporting material that cannot be sent in an electronic form (including the form in item 7) should be sent by regular mail addressed to The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Attn: Grete Andresen, University of Oslo, PO Box 1032 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo.

Contact

Inquiries for additional information should be sent to Associate Professor Roman Vitenberg, romanvi@ifi.uio.no

Tips for an effective time management

Posted on | February 17, 2010 | No Comments

Do you often feel like you have too much work on your hands and are regularly exhausted at work?Your co-workers have the same amount of work as you, but they seem to fly through it while you have to push your limits just to make the deadlines. However, this does not necessarily mean that you are bad at your job or that you are less talented than your colleagues. If, most of the time, you fail to meet your deadlines and are unable to perform your everyday duties within the time then you are basically having problems in managing your time properly. Time management is the key to success in your professional and personal life.
The better you are at managing your time, the more your output increases. Here are a few simple tips that will help you in managing your time more effectively.

Be Organized

Being organized is of prime importance in managing time properly. In this regard, proper file management and maintenance is of essence. Make sure that all your files are properly labeled and stored in whatever order that suits you best. If you have to spend 5 to 10 minutes looking for the right files every time you need them, you are obviously going to fall behind your schedule. It is always better to keep and maintain your files in the computer as they are easy to access and edit.

Develop your pace

Everyone has a different pace and momentum that works for them. It is always better to work at your natural pace and try to organize your schedule around it so that you can perform all your daily chores without feeling exhausted.

Be prepared

Always be prepared to take notes and record important observations that might help you with your work later on. It might happen that you think of something that can be vital for your work, but you cannot note it down only because you do not have a pen and pad with you. There is a high probability that you might not remember that point later on and waste a lot of time trying to remember what it was.

Set your priorities

You have to be able to organize your tasks in the order of their priority. You cannot take care of all the tasks at the same time, and not all the jobs at hand need to be taken care of at once. It is better to organize the tasks in the order of their priority and then get to them one by one. However, try to make sure that you finish all your daily tasks before the day ends; otherwise, the incomplete work will pile on to the next day and further upset your daily schedule.

Stick to the timetable

Develop a timetable that works for you, and make sure that you stick to the timetable as much as possible. Avoid making room for additional chores since that will only add to your workload and you will end up accomplishing far less than what you had originally hoped for. Also, remember to update the timetable at the end of the day in order to cater to the workload of the next day. If you leave it to the next day, a lot of time will be wasted and will decrease your efficiency.

Avoid interruptions

Constant interruptions delay your work more than anything. Whenever the phone rings, an email arrives or a colleague comes over to talk to you, your concentration breaks and your work suffers. When you get distracted, it is very hard to pick up the pace from where you left it. So, when you start working, make sure that there are minimum interruptions around you. Put off the email alert so that you are not disturbed whenever an email comes in, and let your colleagues know that you are working on an important project and would appreciate minimum distractions. This way you can work at your maximum potential without seeming rude to your co-workers.

Delegate your work

It is important to understand that you cannot take care of all the work by yourself, no matter how talented or efficient you are. You should be able to identify when you need to stop and ask someone for assistance. This not only helps in getting your work done on time but also helps in maintaining the quality of work. If you try to complete all the work yourself, you might be able to meet the deadlines but there are high chances that you might make mistakes, and ultimately, the quality of work will suffer.

Make a checklist

Make sure that you have a checklist of all the tasks that need to be taken care of by the end of the day. Keep the checklist in plain sight, and keep referring to it from time to time to monitor your progress. Again, it is helpful to compile the checklist in accordance with the level of priority of the task at hand. This way, when you start ticking the high priority tasks on the list, your stress level decreases with every task that you accomplish.

One thing at a time

While multitasking is an asset in many instances, it is not so helpful in effective time management. If you concentrate on one task at a time, you have better chances of achieving your goals. The most time effective way is to pick a task from the check list, start working on it and move to the next task only when you have completed the first one. Remember, in a workplace, every task needs your complete attention, and sometime, even a small mistake can lead to trouble.

Time tracking

One of the most important things that matter in effective time management is keeping track of your time. Many times, you get so engrossed in your work that you lose the track of time and might spend too much time on one job, while the others suffer. Make sure that you are aware of the time you spend on one job, by allocating a specific time bracket for that task, and then try to finish it in time.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these suggestions will help you in effectively managing your time and will increase your output considerably. Remember, time is of essence, especially in the professional field, so do everything in your power to make the most of it.

PhD Scholarships, Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Estonia

Posted on | February 17, 2010 | 3 Comments

PhD. Scholarships

Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Estonia

Distributed Systems Group at University of Tartu’s Institute of Computer Science is inviting
applications for multiple PhD positions to undertake research in the following topic areas:

• Deporting scientific computing applications to the cloud platforms
• Reducing scientific computing problems to parallel and distributed computing
• algorithms like MapReduce.
• Enterprise and cloud computing
• Using cloud infrastructure for surge computing
• Refactoring enterprise applications for cloud computing
• Cloud computing and mashups
• Collaborative mobile applications
• Developing social network and mashup applications for mobile devices

The scholarships are for a period of four years, at a rate of EUR 800 per month (after taxes). In
addition, travel expenses will be reimbursed to successful applicants relocating from abroad. The
scholarship package will also provide funds to participate in conferences, workshops, and/or
summer schools during the PhD studies. The Institute participates in the Estonian Centre of
Excellence in Computer Science which provides an environment for the development of PhD
students and young researchers.
The successful applicants will have:

• A Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering
• or a related field, awarded no later than June 2010.
• Strong software development skills
• Good knowledge or interest in scientific computing
• Excellent communication skills and proficiency in English
• Preferably: demonstrated knowledge and skills in at least one of the above topic areas

Please send a curriculum vitae, a statement of interest in one of the proposed research topics and
a copy of academic transcripts, to Prof. Eero Vainikko (eero . vainikko [ät] ut . ee ).

Applications will be accepted until March 10, 2010. Successful applicants are expected to start in
July 2010.

UK:Pakistan – Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust Fellowship 2010

Posted on | February 11, 2010 | No Comments

The Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust Fellowship Programme is designed to provide assistance to individuals who wish to broaden their experience or improve their skills through a short-term attachment at a UK university or training institution in the following subjects:

Subjects

• Social Sciences
• Social Development
• Humanities
• Education
• Arts & Creative Industries
• Environmental Sciences
• Health Sciences

Eligibility

The Programme is designed to support applicants who demonstrate a strong desire to visit the UK in order to enhance their skills, and who can clearly show that all other arrangements for their training have been made. They should also meet the following criteria:

• Pakistani Nationals, resident in Pakistan
• Must be aged between 30 and 50 years
• Must have a firm offer (up to 3 months) from a UK University or training institution

Value

Award holders will receive a grant of £ 1,250 per month for a maximum of 3 months. The scheme does not support:

• Travel to the UK to attend conference and seminars
• Tuition fees
• Subjects not included in the priority areas
• Administrative assistance

Application form (pdf)

Note:

Completed applications should be couriered to the nearest British Council office by Monday, 08 March 2010.

Further Scholarship Information and Application

PhD Scholarships available at The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Posted on | February 1, 2010 | 1 Comment

Scholarships for Excellence Programme

Welcome to the Scholarships for Excellence Programme!

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and the China Scholarship Council (CSC) offer each year 20 CSC Scholarships to excellent Chinese students to do their PhD in the largest university of Flanders, Belgium.

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is the oldest university in the Low Countries (Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg) and comprises 14 faculties, all of them involved in cutting edge research.

The university is ranked in the top 15 of European universities in the Times Higher Education Supplement of 2007 and is founding member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and the Coïmbra Group.

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is a multicultural university with almost 25 % of its graduate students coming from abroad. As such, it has a long-standing tradition of hospitality towards students and scholars from abroad and especially from China. At present, over 400 Chinese students (about 10% of the international students at K.U.Leuven) have found their home away from home in Leuven.

In China, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is involved in a close partnership with Beijing University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University and Tsinghua University.

Research fields

Priority Research Fields
Priority research fields for the CSC-K.U.Leuven Scholarships for Excellence are proposed by the three doctoral schools:

Humanities and Social Sciences
Science, Engineering and Technology (Arenberg doctoral school)
Biomedical Sciences
The mission of these doctoral schools is

• to organize the international recruitment and placement of doctoral students.
• to organize a doctoral training programme by which doctoral students develop their personal and academic skills, broaden their horizon and to interact with top-level scientists while discussing and conducting cutting edge research.

Applicants for the CSC-K.U.Leuven Scholarships for Excellence who do not yet have a particular research topic in mind may select a particular topic that interests them out of the priority research fields. Alternatively, you may also select a topic that is offered in general in the web pages of the doctoral schools. In either case, you will need to include a brief motivation explaining how the topic you chose can be approached and treated in a manner relevant to development co-operation.

The print-out of the research topic and your motivation need to be included in your application file.

Personal Research Proposal

Applicants for the CSC-K.U.Leuven Scholarships for Excellence who already have a specific research topic in mind may also submit their personal research proposal along with their application file.

Your first step should be to contact a professor at K.U.Leuven to discuss the opportunities for pursuing doctoral studies with your proposed personal research topic. By means of our research database you can find out which K.U.Leuven professors do research on which topics. Alternatively, you may also visit the web pages of the faculties or departments in order to get an idea of the faculty members’ research interests. The contact information for each professor is provided accordingly.

Your next step is then to fill out the following form (doc), indicating the name of the prospective professor-supervisor, the title, outline, tentative bibliography, provisional objectives, methodology and time-frame of your research. The form simply provides the basic structure of the proposal. The proposal itself may, of course, be longer than the two pages provided. Lastly, the prospective supervisor has to endorse your proposal by appending his or her signature.

What do CSC scholarships include?

CSC and K.U.Leuven have agreed that PhD studies in the framework of the present agreement take four years.Students are expected to finish their PhD within this period of time.

Each year of study will be followed by an evaluation in order to decide on the prolongation of the grant. After successfully completing the first three years of study in Leuven and having obtained excellent results, the scholars will continue their studies for a PhD degree with a K.U.Leuven scholarship in the fourth year of study.

C.S.C. and K.U.Leuven provide:

standard tuition fees : registration fee, second and subsequent registration fees, thesis defense fee, course and student activities fees (tuition fee waiver granted by K.U.Leuven);

a living allowance for the duration of the programme (provided during the first three years by CSC and during the fourth year by K.U.Leuven), including social security covering health insurance and an installation allowance upon first arrival. The amount of the allowance provided in the framework of the Chinese Government Scholarship will serve as a standard for the CSC living allowance.

a monthly housing allowance (provided by K.U.Leuven)

traveling expenses (return economy airfares, provided by CSC).

Requirements

K.U.Leuven and CSC offer 20 CSC scholarships per academic year to students who have studied at a Chinese university. Students should have:

1. a good portfolio of research publications
2. some research experience
3. an excellent performance in previous studies
4. a sound knowledge of English (a TOEFL score of 237 CBT or 92 IBT or a 7.0 overall band score on the IELTS test)
5. their domicile in China

Application procedure

CSC and K.U.Leuven offer 20 scholarships in 3 areas:

• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Science, Engineering and Technology
• Biomedical Sciences

Define your research theme and contact the corresponding research department at K.U.Leuven
If you are interested in one of the mentioned research themes, the first thing to do is to get in touch with the research department concerned at K.U.Leuven.
It is essential that your application includes a two pages proposal for a doctoral dissertation, approved and supported by a professor from K.U.Leuven who is prepared to act as your academic supervisor (“promotor”) should you be awarded a grant.

How To Apply
Once you have found a research topic and have contacted the research department concerned, you can start the online application procedure. Applicants must submit their applications both to K.U.Leuven and to CSC. Each candidate must complete both forms. The application deadline at K.U.Leuven is 15 February 2010 .

1. K.U.Leuven application

   K.U.Leuven application forms should first be completed electronically from December 7th 2009 onwards. You’ll have to upload the following documents to your electronic file:

   • A passport photograph and a copy of your passport
   • A curriculum vitae
   • Your proposal for a doctoral dissertation, approved and signed by a professor from K.U.Leuven
   • A letter of recommendation from the professor at K.U.Leuven who is prepared to act as your supervisor (promoter) for your doctoral dissertation
   • Two letters of recommendation from academic referees (in a sealed enveloppe)
   • A statement of purpose (motivation letter)

   Then you should send the following documents (in English) to Ms. Vicky Wandels:

   • A certified copy of your diplomas and transcripts of academic records
   • Translation of your diploma and official transcripts
   • A certificate proving your proficiency in English: for example, a TOEFL certificate sent by ETS with a minimum score of 237 CBT or 92 IBT, or an IELTS certificate with a 7.0 overall band score sent by The British Council. Only original score cards sent directly by either ETS or The British Council are accepted.
2. CSC application

   Please complete the online application form.

Selection procedure

• November-December 2009: CSC announces and promotes the joint scheme in the targeted Chinese
• Universities. Candidates submit their applications to the K.U.Leuven International Office.
• 7 December 2009: Opening of the call at K.U.Leuven
• December 2009 – January 2010: Candidates submit their applications to the K.U.Leuven International Office.
• 15 February 2010: application deadline at K.U.Leuven
• February – March 2010: applications are being evaluated by the faculties and departments concerned.
• Candidates who meet the scheme’s conditions of eligibility are considered for admission.
• 10 March 2010: the K.U.Leuven International Office sends the list of names of the recommended candidates to CSC. The selected candidates receive a set of admission letters.

20 March 2010: application deadline at CSC
April 2010: CSC makes a shortlist and selects the final candidates
Early May 2010: K.U.Leuven and CSC confirm the outcome of the final selection
September 2010: arrival in Belgium of the selected candidates

Contact

Ms Vicky Wandels (K.U.Leuven) co-ordinates the initiative in Leuven.
Mr Zhu Zhilong (CSC) is in charge of the co-ordination in China.
Ms Vicky Wandels

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
International Office
Naamsestraat 63
3000 Leuven
Belgium

Tel. 32-16-323724
Fax 32-16-324022
Email: Vicky.Wandels@int.kuleuven.be

Zhu Zhilong

Project Officer
Division of Cooperation and Consultancy, China Scholarship Council
Level 13, Building A3, Five Buildings, No.9 Chegongzhuang Avenue,
Beijing 100044, P. R. China

Tel: +86-(0)10 6609 3979
Fax: +86-(0)10 6609 3972
Email: zlzhu@csc.edu.cn
Http://www.csc.edu.cn

• 

Category: Career Opportunities
Tags: application forms > Beijing University > Belgium > Biomedical Sciences > China > China Scholarship Council > Coïmbra Group > CSC > doctoral programmes > Doctoral studies > Engineering and Technology > European universities > Fudan University > funded research > Holland > how to apply > Humanities and Social Sciences > K.U.Leuven > Katholieke Universiteit Leuve > League of European Research Universities > LERU > Luxembourg > PhD > Priority Research Fields > requirements > research programme > Scholarships > Scholarships for Excellence > Science > Selection procedure > training programme > Zhejiang University and Tsinghua University

An idea to solve the electricity problem in Pakistan

Posted on | January 25, 2010 | 4 Comments

This is winter season in Pakistan, and still there is this electricity load shedding for 6 to even 8 hours at most places. I think its pretty useless to even mention the names of the clowns currently dealing with this problem, because they have proven to be an even worse problem for the people of Pakistan. The only thing they can do best is to boast a new deadline for ending load shedding and later on adding yet another 365 days to it.

Anyways, I’d like to take this opportunity to propose just one idea to solve this crisis. The idea is basically to build a product that generates electricity good enough for a household through solar panels and to somehow find ways in order to make it as economical as possible. There should be some variants of this product in terms of production and storage capacity. Although there are some obvious hindrances involved and I understand that solar panel technology is expensive as well, but still, if the rich people get involved and spend generously in this project, I think this is achievable. I also suggest, that the implementation details of this product should be kept open and easily available so that whoever wants to study or research this technique should come up and contribute with ease. Pakistanis are known for devising workarounds and this is definitely something that could very well be worked around as well inshaAllah.

Furthermore, I believe the government of Pakistan does not have any right to impose any tax and/or license on this because it has categorically failed to provide its citizens the basic need of electricity. The people of Pakistan really deserve a relief from this nonsense of power failures.

So the idea has been put forward. It is open for discussion/suggestions etc. I think people should come forward for taking these sort of ideas and go for its implementations with a competent team that can deliver, not like the one’s sitting in the parliament. Imran Khan perhaps could take this up because he has delivered with the cancer hospital project that was basically funded by the general public. But whoever does this, should definitely know that this is probably the best of the best sadqa one could ever give. So who would like to take the lead?

• 

Category: Current Affairs
Tags: bijli > Imran Khan > load shedding > Pakistan > power failures > power outage > power shortfall > solar panel > suggestion

The crux of the doctrine behind a dignified nation

Posted on | January 6, 2010 | No Comments

It’s time and time again that I wonder how a dignified nation could be recognized and I came across this one succinct sentence that to me says it all – Just try and get a hold of this.

“Fear is no policy – Surrender is no option”

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

• 

Category: Inspirational Quotes, Life
Tags: brainy quotes > dignity > Fear > quot > quote > quotes

No Mercy for Tyrants

Posted on | January 2, 2010 | No Comments

With reasonable men, I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost. — William Lloyd Garrison

• 

Category: Inspirational Quotes, Life
Tags: brainy quotes > humane > no quarter > quotes > reasonable men > William Lloyd Garrison > Wisdom

keep looking »