(Shanghai, China) There are so much news about the world coming to China, and so much lesser news about China going to the World.

I have been applying for summer research funding, and in the process, I have been meeting with a lot of professors to acquaint myself with the issues involving companies from emerging markets. This is a refreshing experience for me, as my economist background trained me to strip away the finer details to look at the aggregate trends, while my current intellectual interests require me to look at the individual firms that populate this data. Most importantly, I am really thankful to the professors who have given me so much of their time to help me with my research, even though some of them do not know me.

Among the professors who have helped me include the eminent Professor Howard V. Perlmutter (whom I am now taking an independent study course under), an emeritus professor who I dragged out of retirement to impart the tools for global problem solving through designing an appropriate social architecture promoting dialogue and partnerships. I also met with Professor Marshall W. Meyer, who explained some of the issues facing Chinese firms domestically and internationally. Professor Stephen Kobrin, who also directs the Lauder Program, also gave some helpful readings, and encouraged me to take his class, which he normally reserves for upperclassmen. Professor Mauro Guillen, who helped me with my research on Korean firms last semester, also enthusiastically explained where I can find information on these firms, and what some emerging issues are. He was really helpful, and we promised to meet after my return, to discuss some of the interesting observations I should have.

Accessing all their different perspectives, experience, and knowledge has been really enriching and rewarding. There is just so much that can be learnt, and I am really enjoying it.

Update: I met Professor Michael Useem today to talk about my research. The Director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management is a really amazing person, not just because he is brilliant, but also because he was willing to share his advice, and also referred me to some people who would be able to give me more information. We also promised to touch base when I return from China, and it was nice hearing from him some of the issues he learnt from being personally in touch with CEOs of companies such as Haier.

I have not written a full chinese essay for such a long time! I need to practice more.

我认为“首席执行官”这个电影的特点是它对资本主义的支持。他的支持实现在电影对本土公司的发展和爱国主义有联想概念。电影让观众觉得国家的发展和力量是由经济发展带动的。如果经济发展是国家的第一目标，那私人企业就是能让中国前进的方式。

电影内的主要演员，首席执行官张瑞敏代表一位爱国的英雄，不只是扮演一位普通企业家。在电影内，他虽然有班美国ｌｕｅ 卡的机会，却把机会拒绝。他的牺牲不是为了流在海尔争私人光荣，而是为了海尔员工和中华民族追求光荣。张瑞敏在电影内连续地问为什么海尔不能成为一个在中国出生的跨国公司。他也常常问为什么别国能有质量意识，但海尔却没有这个意识。张瑞敏的一举一动，都是为了鼓励中国人，让他们想信自己的能力。

“首席执行官”把经济空间看为一种新的战场。战场上的敌人仍然还是只顾利润的美国商业家。电影给观众的影响是这个新的战场所需要的将军是中国企业家。美国企业家追求利润迎起中国公司破产，使人民失去工作。电影内的美国企业家说如果他的做法让人命失业失命，他会派人送花到那些人的坟墓。这个情况的道理是中国需要本土私人企业，抵抗侵犯中国土地的外国人。

(Kensington, Philly) When a brick wall is reached, a new approach might be needed.

With a colleague’s help, I recruited and commissioned a new team for EduHealth, the healthcare organization I am chairing, looking at how parents can be involved in the healthcare career pathways for disadvantaged high school students we are designing. We wanted to transform this research into action, but were rebuffed by the healthcare programs coordinator at the high school. We were already implementing a new healthcare careers mentoring program, and they did not want a proliferation of programs that will crowd out their existing work. This was frustrating and disappointing! The research ideas from this team would be great, and I owed it to them to have their ideas implemented after all the effort they invested in research. To overcome this setback, my organization had to network with the right people at the school to find a program with parallel aims, and work with those people in implementing our research.

This approach would fail if it is seen as an attempt to take over an existing program. The people running the program might view EduHealth’s move as an invasion of their territory, with the aim of displacing their program. This would engender uncooperative behavior. They might also react badly to the aggressive pace at which we move. Such a fast pace will not give them time to adjust to our presence. They might also be alienated if our efforts fail to be inclusive, and does not engender buy-in from our partners.

However, if we are able to serve both our aims and the needs of their program simultaneously, this networking strategy will help us successfully implement parental involvement. By focusing on how our program serves our partner’s aims, and how our involvement will provide staffing for their program, both parties can benefit from the new arrangement. I believe such a partnership mentality focusing on mutual benefits is the right way forward. We see the success of this mentality everyday at a university in faculty-student research collaborations. The most supportive research mentors are those who are researching the same topics the student wishes to work on. Through shared aims, both student and faculty can put their heart and soul into supporting themselves by supporting each other.

(This is another note I sent out to the team to clarify our strategy, as we have been engaged in really *intense* debates over the last few days on how we should be involved, considering some of the political difficulties involved in implementing new programs.)

One of the consistent goals that our research emphasized is the need to integrate healthcare resources, and healthcare resources with education, to increase impact. One of our colleagues pointed out (rightly) that it is difficult to integrate the various healthcare programs at Sayre, and we could save ourselves the trouble and just take part in all the piecemeal existing activities without considering the larger picture. Life would be so much easier then, wouldn’t it? This is a valid viewpoint, although something I disagree with. While we all want the fulfillment and fun of working with the students, we also want to create a strong positive impact. This requires us to consider how our involvement serves integration, which is where we have the most impact. We need to consider where linkages are needed, and how our work is creating linkages.

Why is integration important? There is no shortage of healthcare resources in the community already, and the focus should be on how these resources can “communicate” to create synergies. The norm is for a program say providing healthcare internships (or any other opportunities) to come in and say “give me your 5 best students”. We cannot expect the program to take all 40 students, because it can only accept those ready for the internship. From the program’s view, this is its optimum approach. It is however unfair to the other 35 students. I believe those other 35 students, with the right education path and influences can be made ready for the internships. This is where we come in by linking all the other healthcare programs into an integrated pathway preparing students for the work, with internships waiting at the end. More well-prepared students will in turn increase the demand for Sayre students as interns.

How does healthcare feed into better education? I would like to draw your attention to this paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research (http://papers.nber.org/papers/w12830.pdf) provided by Dr. Harkavy and Cory Bowman. Regression analysis shows that healthcare subsidies have a larger impact on education attainment than college subsidies. Sickness disrupting an education is terrible, and we need to understand that our work on healthcare has important consequences on the Edu and Health sides in West Philadelphia.

(Taipei, Taiwan) Bashing through the jungle requires action, but more importantly, good information to guide that action.


(This was a note to the team on our strategy, to remind everyone of the need to coordinate the work on the research side with the action side.)

Many of us probably seen or were part of a community service venture that collapsed after its initial dedicated members left, or whose innovation eventually grew stale as the same solution was offered long after the problem has changed. Research and the linkages between research and action in EduHealth are our tools for combating those problems.

Research is a strong force for building ownership over EduHealth, ensuring dedication to our aims. By having our members create new healthcare ideas, and providing members with a resource base for turning their research into action, we can ensure that members feel that they are co-owners of our organization. Members are no longer cogs in a machine that fulfill a small function determined long ago by the organization’s founders. By imbuing new members with the ability to determine EduHealth’s agenda, we create an entrepreneurial excitement that allows us to retain talented and driven individuals.

Research is also a source of rejuvenation and reflection for EduHealth. By having members constantly evaluate new ideas and old projects, we prevent ourselves from losing our relevance. Problems in the community change, and the greatest fear I have is that we will keep delivering the same solution to a problem that is no longer relevant after change. We cannot stagnate, and must change with the situation on the ground. Research is how we achieve this.

However, the end result of all this research is our impact on community. As Dr. Harkvy said, we should not just create policy papers. Our net impact is measured by action, which means that the difficult process of transforming research into action is our most important process. One example of this happening is how research on healthcare career pathways is will be filtered to high school students from March through our healthcare mentoring program. Action is also the most rewarding process. As Theresa Simmonds from the University of Pennsylvania Health Systems constantly reminds us, it is when we interact with the high school students, and realize how our work is changing their life, that we realize that all this effort was worth it.

To this end, we need to increase the linkages between research and action. We need more cross-linkages between teams doing research, and teams implementing it. One possibility all of you should consider is to move into implementation teams next semester, if you are in a research team now, and for those in implementation teams to consider working on full-time research next semester.

Good news come together. The past few days have been really exciting. In addition to my invitation to Germany for the World Business Dialogue, I also got one of my papers on Korea (“Financial Liberalization: Precondition for De-Linking Government, Banks and Hyundai in Industrial Policy”) published by the International Affairs Journal of UC Davis. While this might not be Foreign Affairs, it is still really satisfying as I have fulfilled one of my goals in college: to get a paper published by a decent journal. This will set the benchmark for my future research.

—–Original Message—–
From: Samuel Chung
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 6:44 PM
To: See, Kok
Subject: IAJ - Congratulations

Oikono,

Congratulations! Your article has been selected for publication in the
Winter 2007 IAJ issue.

Our acceptance rate is around 10% and you were competing against students
from all over the world. You will receive a copy of the journal when they
are printed. Also, you will be receiving information about ordering more
copies of the journal.

Samuel Chung
International Affairs Journal
Executive Editor

(Miao Li, Taiwan) There are things I can learn from a Princess too.

I was at MIT Sloan for my Startingbloc social enterprise fellowship early this month. After the conference, I had the opportunity to meet a friend studying at Harvard whom I last saw three years ago in Taipei. She was beautiful as ever. Like a princess, she carried herself with the same poise and careless grace that marked her as part of the Korean elite from which she came. Our conversation took off just as if it never stopped, as if the last time we met was yesterday. It was my first deep conversation for a while, and I really enjoyed it. We talked about the future, and what we wished to pursue in life. We talked about the past, and how experiences, political systems and social status shaped our perspectives.

She is lady, while I am a tramp. My father is unemployed, while my mother toiled as a nurse. I went to one of the Singaporean neighborhood schools, where resources and opportunities were scarce. My background taught me my most important lesson in life: create my own opportunities. Conversely, the princess came from a family with prestige, wealth and connections in Korea. Her beauty is such that I imagine the line of suitors that must constantly be paying her patronage. She attended the best schools in her country, the best international schools around the world, and now she is at Harvard where the crimson color befits her royal status.

The princess admits that her privileged background made her believe that the people who did not do well simply did not work hard enough. However, being at Harvard made her realize what it means to be on the other side of the status divide. She recalled sitting with an economics professor she idolized, but felt estranged as the students the professor talked to most were those whose parents knew him. She was no longer the inner-circle with all the right connections.

But the princess is as resilient as she is beautiful. She realized that she had to work harder, smarter, and take greater initiative. She learned the lessons that I learnt long ago, and applies these lessons backed by her connections in Korea. That is why she is a princess - destined for wonderful things. These are things I could learn from her too.

(Cologne, Germany) The last time I went to Germany for the OFW, the Pope passed away.

I previously wrote on the EduHealth School Based Model which we created and are implementing, and submitted it to the World Business Dialogue in Germany. I have been invited to the 11th World Business Dialogue, my second invitation with the last being in 2005. It will be a good opportunity to share our work in West Philadelphia, and promote the model we created. As the travel costs and accommodation are fully funded by the organizers, it will also be a good and cheap holiday.

I also encouraged Daniel Cohen, another EduHealth colleague, to apply. He has also been accepted to this conference, and it will be wonderful to travel with him.

——————————–

Dear Oikono,

We are very delighted to inform you today about your personal invitation for the 11th World Business Dialogue. Your contribution for the international essay competition has led us to the decision to choose you among several other applicants from all over the world.

Seize your opportunity to discuss with students, scientists and executives from more than 50 nations about the convention’s topic “Population Dynamics: Ageing Societies and Megacities”.

After you have confirmed your participation, please make sure you will contact the German Embassy immediately in case you will need a visa. We will then provide you with a more detailed formal invitation that you will need for your application at the embassy.

Simon Krapp
International Relations
Organisationsforum Wirtschaftskongress (OFW) e.V.
Organizer of the world’s largest student-run business convention
————————————————————————
11th World Business Dialogue
March 28-29, 2007 | University of Cologne
Population Dynamics | Ageing Societies & Megacities

Paper Abstract

This paper examines the role of a new societal structure, the school based community health center (SBCHC) in creating social capital to combat the isolation of the urban jungle. It is essential that we build social capital in cities, as social capital is the foundation of communities, and its absence leads to an urban jungle characterized by mistrust, loneliness, and crime. It is also essential, as structures building social capital in urban societies have yet to develop, resulting in a rate of urbanization far exceeding the rate of social capital formation. The SBCHC in crime-ridden inner-city West Philadelphia builds social capital by creating a new common space for distinct groups and individuals to interact. By situating healthcare delivery at a school, and involving students as healthcare providers through service learning, the SBCHC provides strong incentives for different groups to visit the common area, generates positive experiences from interactions, and contributes effectively to social capital formation.

If inflation is increased it is wrong to say that help has not. Not only loans extend to car loans or payday loans, parents can wipe off their sweats since college loans are more in use now.

(Zhu Town, China) Guiding students.

We discussed with Theresa and managed to obtain five paid internships for Sayre students with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania starting in March! This will be implemented through the healthcare guidance counselor positions we are implementing in Sayre (which puts into action the Healthcare Pipeline research). The short timeframe we have means that we have to move quickly and effectively, and I am thankful that Jilian has joined us to lead the work on this side. We are also allocating a lot of manpower here as this position will be our main entry point for providing other healthcare-related services in the community in the future. It will be the means by which other research can be transformed into action. Hence, we have assigned six members to work on this area, with the possibility of scaling the team up as necessary.

—————————————————-

Research Methodology

Arun, Daniel, James and I are working on an upgraded version of the EduHealth School Based Health Center (SBHC) model. This paper will serve three purposes:

1. It will be the basis for us to sell this model as a health solution on a state-wide, national, or even international level
2. It will provide empirical support for us to implement this model at Sayre, as many partners at Sayre need to be convinced of the merits of the model
3. It will also force us to draw out clearly the links between the school and the health center, and force us to define the model clearly, as past definitions have not clearly defined exactly how the health center and school will be linked.

Our research methodology so far is as follows:

1. Sketch of what the SBHC model is, and what problems it solves
2. Define the scale of these problems nationwide
a. Research to gather statistics on these data (e.g. how large is the problem of discrimination on healthcare access; how large a problem is healthcare access or the absence of healthcare knowledge)
3. Revise models based on new inputs
4. Develop evidence for our solution based on anecdotal support

There are clearly two sources of evidence here. The first is more “scientific”, where regression analysis is used to determine causality. The second is less “scientific”, relying on EduHealth’s observations on the ground. We use anecdotal evidence partly because it is less invasive. We are not taking students out to do surveys, but instead work with them and through the process collect information. This is essential as EduHealth is an organization whose end goal is not just rigorous research, but the implementation of research to create an impact on society. If our data collection is invasive and alienates our community, we cannot implement our solutions. Hence, we are constrained in how we operate.

(Singapore, SG) The view from a place I once lived in.

I had the opportunity to talk to Charles T. Harris, founding partner of SeaChange Capital Partners, an innovative non-profit with a radical idea: investment banking services for non-profits. Non-profit leaders spend too much time raising funds instead of executing the strategies of their non-profits. On the other hand, there exists a multitude of foundations and wealthy individuals who lack the scale to support an entire non-profit’s expansion, or to do due diligence on these non-profits. SeaChange Capital Partners bridges this divide as a mezzanine financier. SeaChange will help non-profits - with proven track records - expand their operations by putting together a “pitch book” outlining the financial needs and growth story of the non-profit, and pitch for donations from wealthy individuals and foundations.

This idea can radically improve the effectiveness of donations, by directing funds to a pre-selected list of non-profits with high potential to make an impact through expanded their operations. Mr. Harris is definitely the person who can make this idea happen. He previously served as managing director at Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Division until his retirement in 2002, and was a general partner from 1988 to 1996. As proof of the concept’s feasibility, Mr. Harris worked with Teach for America to rework their offering materials, and through a multi-city road show, helped them achieve their fundraising target of over $50 million. Mr. Harris also helped College Summit, non-profit helping students from low-income communities get into college, develop a financial forecast, and raised $15 million through a “private placement” format.

Having previously led a non-profit, and presented my work at the World Bank’s Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics in Tokyo, I believe that the financing intermediary proposed by Mr. Harris will transform the non-profit sector for the better. A lot of volunteer and managerial efforts, costs, and attention are expended on fundraising. This distracts top management from its key goal: serving its target community rather than worrying about its next dollar of funding. Fundraising as a top priority for a non-profit is also dangerous for its impact organization’s incentives. Top fundraisers can become favored for promotion over equally talented staffs who execute programs, and the organization can become distracted into taking on projects for their publicity value, rather than for their impact on the community. Most importantly, Mr. Harris sets an example for how finance can be used in innovative and non-traditional ways in the private sector.

A home and renters insurance is supposed to cover all the emergencies, like a car insurance or a health insurance. If you need to borrow payday loans to cover that, this is definitely not the right insurance deal you are in. You should probably avail other deals available on your credit card.