Mary Shelleys Frankenstein an Example of the Topic Personal Essays by

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Every literary piece that a writer creates is unique in its own way. This uniqueness could be attributed from the writer's style of writing, the topic being explored, and most especially the inspiration or driving force that enables the writer to create a particular work. Inspiration could come from many means and one dominant factor that influences a writer is his/her family background and experiences in life. This thinking holds true in the situation of Mary Shelley. Need essay sample on "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Mary Shelley is the author of the famous book Frankenstein that is responsible for her instant popularity as a writer. The driving force that aids her in the creation of this book is based upon her interaction with the people around her. The influences of her parents way of thinking as well as her husband inspired her to the creation of Frankenstein. To be able to fully understand this, a narration of her life and a summary of the novel are needed. Mary Shelley is born on 30 August 1797 at Somers Town, Great Britain. She is the only daughter of two popular personalities, the feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and the philosopher William Godwin who have been well-known thinkers during their time. Her mother died due to complications after giving birth to her. This is the reason why she was raised by her father and her stepmother whom she hated very much. She acquired education primarily at home where she follows her father and mother's ideologies. Besides the formal instruction that she had, she also experience interacting with her father's famous friends. Intellectuals ranging from poets and philosophers to scientists (The Literature Network). During the age of sixteen she met the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who has been a loyal fan of his father's philosophical beliefs. Percy Shelley later on became her romantic interests despite her father's contentions about it because of the fact that Percy was already married to someone else. The two eloped and went to Europe with Mary's step sister in tow. They returned in September 1814. Mary Shelley still feels the wrath and disapproval of his father for what she did. The situation was even aggravated by the fact that she was unmarried and pregnant. Years later, when she returned to England after staying in Italy, Mary still bears the disapproving looks of other people because of her actions that are against the usual norms back then (The Literature Network). In the year 1816, the couple went abroad again in Geneva to meet with Byron. During their stay there, Byron suggested that they all write a ghost story. It is during this time that the story of Frankenstein was born. This story that Mary Shelley wrote was later published as a novel. Later on at that same year, Percy's wife committed suicide by drowning herself, which is why Percy and Mary's wedding took place in December. The last years of Mary's married life are characterized by tragic incidents. She lost her half sister as well as two of her children. This eventually becomes the reason of her depression but the born of Percy her only son and surviving child helped in making her condition better. The married couple moved to Italy. Unfortunately, Mary's husband died during a sailing trip. In order to keep the memory of her husband alive, she published several editions of his writings. She also continued creating her own novels but none equalled the popularity that her Frankenstein novel achieved (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley). Mary spends the last years of her life with her son and two good friends. She tried to live a simple life that could give her the freedom she never experienced by having such popular parents. She still holds dear her liberal perspective about life but she toned it down to be able to fit in a conservative society that she is in (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley). Mary Shelley's Frankenstein revolves around the story of a young Swiss student named Victor Frankenstein who discovers how to give life to inanimate objects through his meticulous studying and experiments. He was able to produce a creature by assembling various body parts of different people. This entity that he made was almost similar to a human being but it is far bigger and stronger. Upon the moment that this creature opened his eyes, Frankenstein realized that he actually created a monster. It was also this same demon who murdered his brother, which made Frankenstein realized the mistake he has done (Frankenstein). The creature has to endure a very cruel life after he left Frankenstein laboratory. He experienced being insulted, attacked, and mob by the villagers who were terrified by his grotesque appearance. After experiencing such cruelness, he decided to look for his creator. In doing so, he met his younger brother. After establishing the man's relation with his creator he strangled him to death. When the monster and his creator meet once again, the only request of the creature was for Frankenstein to create a female being with that would be his companion. Frankenstein was hesitant at first but the monster managed to convince him. As he was in the process of creating the monster's female counterpart he started questioning the choice that he made. He was afraid that these creatures might produce a whole race of monsters. When the monster returned to update his progress, he decided to destroy his female creation. The monster cries out in rage and promised that he would be present at Frankenstein's wedding day (Frankenstein). Frankenstein believed that during his wedding day the monster would kill him. However, he was mistaken as her soon to be wife, Elizabeth was the one murdered by the monster. He vowed revenged and started his search for the monster until he found himself in the Arctic region. It is in this place that he met Walton whom he narrated all the incidents that took place. Frankenstein asked Walton to kill the monster if ever he failed to do so due to his worsening condition. Eventually, Frankenstein died due to his illness. After his death, Walton found the monster at the side of Frankenstein's body wherein the creature tells the hardships that he had encountered. The death of his creator made the monster realized that it is also time for him to rest in death as well. Finally, he left the side of creator and disappears in the darkness (Frankenstein). The novel Frankenstein is a product of the literary lifestyle of Mary Shelley in a sense that her life heavily influences the creation of this novel. Shelley's home schooling that greatly focused on the literary works of both her parents enabled her to put their philosophical views in her work. William Godwin, Mary Shelley's father is one of the forerunners of anarchism. He believes in the idea that the evil actions of human beings are only influenced by the corrupt environment that they are in. There is no such thing as innate values or vices; these are just merely acquired through the experiences of human beings in their life history. Being the case, if inpiduals would act accordingly to what they deem as right this would eventually be beneficial for the whole community as well (William Godwin). This is greatly seen in Frankenstein. She points out that the state of the society during the time of the monster's creation greatly influenced who he has become. He was exposed to the cruelties and harshness of society. They immediately judged him based on his appearance and was treated badly because of it. He was not even given the chance to prove himself or established the kind of identity that he wants. Being the case, he acquired this inhumane treatment that he saw in his surroundings and thus also influenced him to commit murderous acts. Shelley also highlighted the idea that it is not the creature's fault that he eventually became a monster but rather the blame should be upon its creator. Frankenstein has too much expectation upon his creation that was not met by the monster when it came to life. Then, he just decided to leave him and eventually the monster has to wonder on his own in the unfamiliar world that he is in. Lacking the guidance or direction of his creator the monster eventually acquires the wrong doings of the people around him. Similarly, Mary Shelley also experienced the same thing because of the high expectations that she has to endure by having two well-known people as her parents. Moreover, the death of her mother also affects her growth. During her childhood nobody guided and nurtured her because her father didn't really have time for her and she resented her stepmother. Losing her mother was also one of the reasons why she felt confused during the early parts of her life. The feminist perspectives of her mother also influenced Shelley to make the importance of females in our society felt in her book. This is seen in her novel through the reaction of Victor Frankenstein while his creation was coming into life, which is very similar to the idea of giving birth. This symbolizes the miscarriages that Shelley has to go through. This also evoked the guilty feeling within her because of the death of her mother due to giving birth to her. Another point that Shelley emphasizes is the idea that ones' identity could be lost when he/she is overpowered by his/her environment. The creature was called by various names by the people around him like monster or the demon. He did not have a name of his own that is uniquely his. This symbolizes the idea that the identity of a person of who he or she would become is often dictated by the society. The norms, values, perceptions, and even the biases and stereotypes that are present within it could very much influence a person. This is exactly what happened when the creature eventually became the monster that the people think he is. Furthermore, the novel also served as a warning in the inpiduals' maximization of potentials through rational thinking. It is during the age of industrial revolution that this novel was made. The lesson that it wants to impart is that people's over utilization of science could in fact have adverse consequences just like what happened to Victor Frankenstein and the monster that he created. Lastly, this novel embodies Mary Shelley's liberalism. She also put into discussion different contemporary issue like the industrial revolution, the corrupt society, as well as the feminist idea that gives due importance to women. Being the case, Mary Shelley proved that she indeed goes beyond societal norms. This is not only reflected in her written works but its very embodiment is seen in her way of life. The kind of lifestyle that fights for what she wants like what she did when she eloped with Percy Shelley and is again proven when she stand up against the disapprovement of the people around her. Mary Shelley tries to be what Frankenstein's creation failed to do and that is to establish ones' identity amidst the dictate of society. The life of a writer affect the outcome of his/her work. Mary Shelleys life history enabled her to create not only a popular novel through Frankenstein but also a narration of her own experiences. This book holds in it a piece of Mary Shelleys very existence. Works Cited Frankenstein. 2008. My Hideous Progeny: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 19 May 2008 Merriman, C. D. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 2006. The Literature Network. 19 May 2008 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 2008. My Hideous Progeny: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 19 May 2008 . William Godwin. 20 May 2006. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 20 May 2008 http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/godwin/>.

The Mirror with a Memory Essay Example

The Mirror with a Memory Essay I read an essay, The Mirror with a Memory written by James West Davidson and Mark Hamilton Lytle.As a photography student, I find this essay very interesting. It does make an impact on me in some ways.For many years, people were debating the issue about whether or not photography is art?I feel that this essay did help my perception in considering photography as an art or not.The main idea of the essay is that pictures present a distant meaning to a story and have an impact on the audience while showing a picture of reality. Sometimes, written history is not necessarily that important in the history of photography.The bodies of paragraphs will point out the importance of history of immigrants during that period such as, how does muckrakers such as Jacob Riis make an impact on journalist history during late 1800s and early 1900s, the assumption on Old immigrants vs. New immigrants, and lastly, my opinion with The Mirror with a Memory. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were about 2 million immigrants who arrived in New York City.This caused a lot of poverty problems in terms of quality of life in New York City. There also were a lot of problems in another American cities as well. Epidemics such as typhus, scarlet fever, cholera, and many more spread through the cities.There was a lack of indoor plumbing and running water.The countless list of problems that new immigrants faced every day in their lives almost destroyed their dreams of pursuit for happiness, wealth, and better lives.It was said that realtors renovated many mansions of the rich so they were able to put as many families as they could in one mansion.This shows the hardship in each Americans daily lives as every family member, from children to adults, had to work so hard to support themselves.The essay, The mirror with a Memory vividly describes how they actually

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The Tall Stranger The Tall Stranger was written by Louis L’Amour. The Tall Stranger was written in 1957. Louis L’Amour is one of America’s favorite storytellers. He has thrilled the nation in his stories with his way of bringing to life brave men and women who settled in the American frontier. The Tall Stranger is a story about a stubborn man named Rock Bannon who saved eastern breed settlers from Indian attacks and Mort Harper, a fast talking crook. The book takes place mostly on a trail drive and the new settled town Poplar. Which lies in Hardy Bishops territory called Paradise Valley. The book never gives a specific time date that the book takes place but you can tell by the descriptions of the clothes and other clues that it is probably early to late 1800’s. The main characters in this book include Rock Bannon the protagonist of the story. He was a man that kept to him self only really talking to one other individual named Sharon Crockett. Crockett was a rock solid woman having to take care of her dad who had recently been shot in an Indian raid. The other main character is Morton Harper the antagonist of the story a persuading individual who cons the settlers into taking the trail he wants them to take to make a town. The book starts you off on a trail drive to what is now known as California. Along the trail they meet up with a man by the name of Mort Harper who persuades them to take a different trail then at first they had intended. Bannon warns them of the trail and what it is like. He warns them that they would have to go through Hardy Bishops land a rough old settler who owns Paradise Valley. But they ignore Bannon seeing as how he is an outsider on the trail drive. They decided to take Mr. Harpers trail seeing that it would cut there time in half on getting to their final location. After a few weeks of the trail Harper suggests to the settlers that the should just settle here because the land is ni... Free Essays on The Tall Stranger Free Essays on The Tall Stranger The Tall Stranger The Tall Stranger was written by Louis L’Amour. The Tall Stranger was written in 1957. Louis L’Amour is one of America’s favorite storytellers. He has thrilled the nation in his stories with his way of bringing to life brave men and women who settled in the American frontier. The Tall Stranger is a story about a stubborn man named Rock Bannon who saved eastern breed settlers from Indian attacks and Mort Harper, a fast talking crook. The book takes place mostly on a trail drive and the new settled town Poplar. Which lies in Hardy Bishops territory called Paradise Valley. The book never gives a specific time date that the book takes place but you can tell by the descriptions of the clothes and other clues that it is probably early to late 1800’s. The main characters in this book include Rock Bannon the protagonist of the story. He was a man that kept to him self only really talking to one other individual named Sharon Crockett. Crockett was a rock solid woman having to take care of her dad who had recently been shot in an Indian raid. The other main character is Morton Harper the antagonist of the story a persuading individual who cons the settlers into taking the trail he wants them to take to make a town. The book starts you off on a trail drive to what is now known as California. Along the trail they meet up with a man by the name of Mort Harper who persuades them to take a different trail then at first they had intended. Bannon warns them of the trail and what it is like. He warns them that they would have to go through Hardy Bishops land a rough old settler who owns Paradise Valley. But they ignore Bannon seeing as how he is an outsider on the trail drive. They decided to take Mr. Harpers trail seeing that it would cut there time in half on getting to their final location. After a few weeks of the trail Harper suggests to the settlers that the should just settle here because the land is ni...

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Major Ingredient Groups, Specifications Supplier Review

Major Ingredient Groups, Specifications Supplier Review Karl Chamberlain Introduction The quality, consistency and safety of ingredients are a key factor in the success of any food manufacturing business. Due to this, it is vital that the ingredients and suppliers used by the business are carefully chosen and any problems with raw materials are addressed promptly. The major ingredient groups utilised within the UK Food Manufacturing sector There a seven ingredient groups which are utilised within the food manufacturing sector in the United Kingdom. The first of these groups is vegetables. Vegetables are foods that have originated from a plant and are eaten in savoury dish. While most vegetables can be eaten raw, they are often cooked prior to eating to make them softer and more edible. Some common examples of vegetables are potatoes, carrots and lettuce. Another ingredient group used within the UK food-manufacturing sector is fruits. A fruit is a part of a flower, specifically the matured or enlarged ovary of the flower and any parts or seeds that are attached to it. There are hundreds of edible fruits, with thousands of different varieties of each one, and each fruit has its own distinct taste. Some examples of fruits are apples, pears, oranges and strawberries. A further ingredient group that is used is cereal crops. Cereals are the grain or seeds from grasses, they have a high nutrient content as they are made to store nutrients for the grass that would have grown from the seed. Common examples of cereal crops are wheat, oats, maize, rye, barley and rice. Meats are another ingredient group that is used within food manufacture within the U.K. Lea meats are the flesh or muscular tissue of animals. Meats are a protein rich food and will generally be cooked prior to eating. Offal is another type of meat that is the internal organs of the animal such as the kidneys or liver. 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Spices are also used to add flavour to a food product but they are made from parts of ‘dry’ plants such as the seeds, fruit or bark. Common examples of spices include mustard and cinnamon. Spices and herbs generally do not add any nutritional content to the product. The appropriate content of ingredient specifications Ingredient specifications are essential as they ensure that the products manufacturers receive from their suppliers are consistent the same and as a reference should any issues be found with the ingredient. A good ingredient specification will include a variety of information including supplier information, product information, ingredient details, packaging details, quality assurance standards and microbiological standards. The supplier information included in the specification should include contact details (including emergency contact details) for the supplier (and from the manufacturer if the supplier has not manufactured the product). The specification should also include the sites EEC number for meat, poultry and fish. The product information should include a description of the product, including individual and unit size, labelling and coding details, details of traceability information used (such as batch number or job number), correct storage conditions and details of product shelf life. It should also include details of any allergens that the ingredient contains. The ingredient information included in the specification should include information about any ingredients used in the product including quantities, supplier, county of origin and specification. This is to ensure that should any issues be found with the product, it can be traced back to the supplier of each ingredient used in it. Packaging standards are a further thing that should be included on a good ingredient specification. This should include both initial packaging as well as any secondary packaging such as baskets, pallet containers etc. Details of the type, size, material, type of seal and colour should be included. This ensures that the ingredient is consistently supplied in the same type of packaging which prevents any issues further down the line such as an ingredient coming in on a pallet without pallet layers on a site that does not allow this. The raw material specification should also include information about the quality assurance standards for the ingredient. This will include targets and what is and is not acceptable on things such as flavour, texture, visual, defects, foreign bodies and chemical analysis. It should also include details of the HACCP system in place at the supplier. Should any issues be found with the ingredient, having information on the quality assurance standards for the ingredient will provide something to refer to when checking if the suppliers tolerances are being met. A final thing which should be included in an ingredient specification are details of microbiological standards for the product including details of types of analysis carried out, frequency, what it is tested for and what the targets and limits for the ingredient are. The processes and practices typically involved in a Food Manufacturing operation with regard to â€Å"Ingredient Supplier Approval† Supplier approval is vital to any food business in order to ensure that any new ingredients used in their products are safe and of consistently good quality. The supplier approval process will begin with a development chef, or possibly a member of purchasing if the new ingredient is replacing a previous one, sourcing a new ingredient. Once the ingredient has been sourced, a risk assessment must be carried out for it. This should focus on the physical properties and nutritional aspects of the ingredient and any issues that may be caused by these, such as trapped foreign bodies inside lettuce heads. For many ingredients, particularly ones that have been processed, it is advisable to look at a full HACCP based assessment to determine any further risks that the particular ingredient may pose. This will allow the buyer to decide whether the product is safe to use or if any acceptable limits need to be set on contamination. Next, the supplier of the ingredient must be evaluated. This often starts with a questionnaire that is sent to a supplier. Ideally, this should ask if the company has a HACCP system in place, external accreditation such as BRC, what the GMP procedures are, internal auditing systems used and traceability systems in place. The supplier will then be scored against the answers given. While completing this questionnaire with a high score is not always enough to approve the supplier, a supplier with a particularly low score, especially the food safety questions, should not be approved. The next stage in the supplier approval process is to send a member of the technical or quality assurance team to the supplier to verify the processes and documentation discussed in the questionnaire. This stage may be unnecessary for some suppliers that are already audited by recognised external auditors or if the supplier already supplies the company with another product. The above stages should give the purchasing and technical teams enough information on the ingredient and supplier to decide whether to accept or reject them. Once all of the stages of the process have been carried out the supplier and purchasing company should sign off on the supplier’s status as an approved supplier. The company should keep a database of current approved suppliers, including details of any audits carried out and any issues that have occurred with the suppliers ingredients. Techniques used by Food Manufacturers for the ongoing assessment of ingredient supply Once a supplier is approved, both the supplier and its ingredients must be assessed from time to time to ensure that the ingredients they supply are of a consistently good safe standard. There are a number of techniques that can be used to do this. Firstly, the incoming ingredients should be inspected on delivery. A certificate of analysis should be sent along with the incoming product. These certificates should be checked to ensure that the product meets the required standards. The ingredients themselves should be checked by intake staff to ensure that they are visually acceptable, at the correct temperature and no signs of foreign body or pest contamination are present. Samples of the raw material should also be taken and sent for laboratory testing to â€Å"determine the presence or amounts of chemical, biological or physical contaminants†. A further technique used for the ongoing assessment of ingredient supply is regular supplier audits. A supplier audit involves a member of the company, usually from the technical team, going to visit the site at set intervals. There are a number of things that the supplier audit should check for. Firstly, it should confirm that the site has a written food safety system in place that includes procedures and a preventative system such as a HACCP system. Foreign body and allergen controls should also be looked at, as well as the results of any third party audits. The audit of the supplier should also check the basics of the operation are being done correctly. This could include a well maintained site and equipment which allows for proper cleaning, effective pest control, effective chemical control and a good standard of staff training (especially in food safety). The supplier’s quality program should be checked during a suppler audit to ensure that there are systems in place to test the quality of finished products; this could be done by microbiological sampling, taste panels or a variety of other methods. Furthermore the supplier audit should also be used to check that the suppliers management structure encourage food safety, as a site whose management does not promote food safety will likely cause problems for its customers. A further technique that can be used to assess the ongoing quality of ingredient supply is to raise a non-conformance or corrective action request should an ingredient not meet the specifications set out. When an ingredient deviates from the spec information should be sent to the supplier with a request for an investigation to be carried out, along with details of corrective actions put in place to stop the issue reoccurring. Each time a supplier is given a non-conformance it should be recorded in a log so that it is possible to track any reoccurring issues or problem suppliers.

Aggregate Sales and Operations Planning

Aggregate Sales and Operations Planning Many companies adopt a business process known as sales and operations planning (SOP) to strike a balance between the demand and supply so that the costs of the resources is minimised. The plan aids to solve the problems related to customer satisfaction, inventories stock, timely shipments, finger pointing at others, cash-flow glitches, demand and supply etc. through execution of business plan. The sales and operations planning gives a better grip of the business to the top management. The sales and operations planning processes comprises of a number of meetings, ultimately ending with high level meetings where intermediate-term decisions are finalised. An agreement between various departments on the future actions is done so that the balance between demand and supply can be met. The aim is to put the business plans to actual operational plans. It is difficult to estimate how much of the individual product would sell but the larger groups of products sale can be evaluated. The term aggregate refers to the group of products. With the help of this aggregate plan, the weekly and daily individual products demand is handled. Overview of Major Operations Planning Activities Sales and operations planning assists the organisations to balance the demand and supply. This process is also called aggregate planning. This planning involves functioning of all the activities of the organisation like sales, manufacturing, operations, finance etc. The marketing team develops a sales plan for the coming 3 to 18 months. The plan is in units of aggregate product groups. They also plan their marketing schemes and offers. The operations department develop the actual operational plan for the production related activities. Keeping in mind the sales volume, the plans to meet the demand are made. However this is a not an easy task, since the demand keeps on changing with seasons and market situation. On the supply side, the product families comprise the aggregate whereas the groups of customers fall in the demand side of aggregate plan. Generally, the sales and operations planning is done once in a month. It associates the business and the strategic plan to the actual operational processes . The diagram below shows that for manufacturing processes like master scheduling, material requirements planning and order scheduling are prepared. The weekly/daily workforce and customer scheduling is also planned. . Long-range planning is done for companys long term actions i.e. more than one year Medium-range planning is done for the coming 3 to 18 months, with weekly, monthly or quarterly time increments. Short-range planning is for periods ranging from one day to six months, with daily or weekly time increments. Process planning is done for accessing the new technologies and improved processes for developing products or services. Strategic planning is done to determine the long-term needs for the production like incre asing the number of factories. Sales and operations planning is done by taking the sales plan from marketing and then using it to develop the corresponding operational plan which can balance the demand and supply needs. The aggregate operational plan is almost the same for the services and manufacturing industries. The only difference lies in the inventory control and production procedures. However, the manufacturing and service activities are different from each other. The aggregate plans needs to be updated timely depending on the specific industry needs. In manufacturing, the planning process involves following processes. Master production schedule (MPS) Rough-cut capacity planning Material requirements planning (MRP) Capacity requirements planning Order scheduling The MPS consists of the dates and the amounts of specific items required for each order. Rough capacity planning checks the production and warehouse units. It also monitors the equipment, labour and material availability. MRP uses the end product requirements from the MPS and finds out the component parts and subassemblies requirement for creating the material plan. The plan tells when the production and purchase orders are placed so that the products are made as per schedule. The Capacity requirement for the production is also done during the MRP. Order scheduling specifies the daily and weekly action plan for production lines and work place. In service industry, the aggregate manpower is determined. Then the customer and the workforce scheduling during the day and the week is done. Workforce schedules specify the number of hours for which the service is available, the specific skill requirement needed at a particular period etc. Overview of Major Operations Planning Activities Process planning Long Range Strategy capacity planning Sales and operations (aggregate) planning Forecasting and demand management Aggregate operations paln Sales plan Medium Range Master Scheduling Material requirements planning Order scheduling Weekly workforce and customer scheduling Short Range Daily workforce and customer scheduling The Aggregate Operations Plan The main motive of the aggregate plan is to strike a balance among production rate, workforce level and inventory on hand. Production rate refers to the number of units produced during a period of time(per hour or per day) Workforce level is the manpower required for the production (Production = production rate X workforce level) Inventory on hand is the un-used stock lying in the reserves previously. The data for the planning is derived from the corporate annual plan. So depending on the number of units required in the future or the amount of sales to be achieved, the aggregate plan is made. The other approach to make the aggregate plan is by simulating the production schedule and evaluating the requirements of labour and equipments. The plan is further modified by cut-and-try or mathematical methods to come to a final low-cost plan. Fig: Required Inputs to the Production Planning System Competitors behaviour Raw material availability Market demand External to firm External capacity (like contractors) Economic conditions Planning for production Internal to firm Acitvities required for production Current physical capacity Current workforce Inventory levels Production Planning Strategies There are mainly three production planning strategies. These strategies are applied in different situations and deal differently with manpower, working hours, inventories etc. Chase Strategy: Hiring and laying off of employees takes place to match the order rate to the production rate. There should be a number of trained people available who can be hired. Also some employees may slow down their work due to the fear of being expelled after the work gets over. Stable workforce- variable work hours : The number of employees are kept constant and the working hours are increased or decreased as and when required. This strategy avoids the hassles of hiring and firing the employees. Level Strategy : A constant workforce works with a constant production rate. The effects of shortage or excess products are borne by the company. The disadvantage of this strategy is the inventory items may become obsolete after sometime. When only one strategy is used by the company to meet the demand, it is known as Pure Strategy. A Mixed Strategy is one in which a combination of two or more strategies is used. Subcontracting : The work is outsourced by the company in case there is a large change in demand. This can be used as an alternative to hiring and firing employees. However, the quality of the product may decrease if the supplier is not good. Relevant Costs There are four costs to be dealt with by the aggregate plan Basic production costs : These are the costs incurred in producing the product in a given time. This includes both fixed and variable costs, direct and indirect labour costs. etc Costs associated with the changes in the production rate : The costs involved in hiring, training and laying off people. Inventory holding costs : This cost includes the capital invested in the inventory. It also includes insurance, taxes, storing costs. Backordering costs : These are hard to evaluate and include cost of expediting, loss of goodwill, and loss resulting due to backordering. Aggregate Planning Techniques Companies use cut-and-try charting and graphic methods to develop aggregate plans. Cut-and-try involves calculating the costs in various production planning alternatives and choosing the one which is the best. Spreadsheets, simulation and linear programming are often incorporated in such spreadsheets. The mathematical techniques are used when the cost and variable relationships are linear and demand can be assumed to be deterministic. Yield Management The process of allocating the right type of capacity to the right type of customer at the right price and time to maximize the revenue. It can also be used to make the demand more predictable. This system was started in the mid-1980s by American Airlines computer reservation system (SABRE). The ticket price on any route changed according to the demand forecast. This is also applied to hotels where the same room is offered at different prices in different seasons.

Essay --

Child labor is the employment of children, but not all work done by children should be classified as child labor that should be eliminated. Children’s participation in work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling is generally regarded as being something positive. The term â€Å"child labor† is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful. Imagine you and I with such limited opportunities. Imagine if children like us did not know the joys of school life but rather the life of hard physical labor. Imagine if we had to struggle miles for water, work several hours a day to earn a few scraps of food that kept us barely alive. Unimaginable, yet the life of 215 million kids around the world today – child laborers. Children are engaged in the worst forms of child labor, many of them in agriculture. They use potentially dangerous machinery and tools, carry heavy loads, work long hours in extreme heat a...

Community-based Policing: The Future of Law Enforcement :: Law Enforcement Essays

OUTLINE Thesis:Community-based policing provides hope for the future of Law enforcement. I. Introduction to C.B.P. A.The roots of C.B.P. B.So what is community? II.The two elements of C.B.P. law enforcement philosophy are: A. Community partnership. B. Problem solving. III. The reaction of police to change. IV. The future of C.B.P. A. A first step in C.B.P. B. Measuring success. C. Crime prevention. V. Conclusion. INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY-BASED POLICING. "In Philadelphia, a pulsating tavern juke box that has caused irate neighbors to log 500 Police calls in six months, was moved away from a common wall with the adjoining building.@ (Author unknown US News) The calls stopped. Though it seems simple, such a move is at the heart of what we know as Community-based Policing. The movement toward C.B.P. has gained momentum in recent years. As Police and community leaders search for more effective ways to enhance the sense of public safety and the quality of life in their communities. We have accepted C.B.P in one police department after another,and we are ready now to agree that "C.B.P. provides hope for the future of Law enforcement." We can trace the seed of C.B.P. back to Sir Robert Peel, the father of the modern Police system, who said "the Police is the public and the public are the Police"(Braiden). For different reasons, the Police lost sight of that principle defining their relationship with the public. Modern historians have said that the reform era in government, which started in the 1900's to combat corruption, along with the move toward the professional image of police work, resulted in the separation of Police and Community (Kelling, Moore, pg-5) Reform style Policing emerged in the 50s and 60s with rotating shifts and frequent movement of officers, (to prevent corruption). Random patrolling (a reactive police technique) was also detrimental to the link between Police and public. The police adopted a policy of centralized control to ensure compliance with set standards, and to encourage a professional aura of impartiality. All these policies along with the use of automobiles, telephones, and other technological advances helped distance the Police more. The calls for service increased as urban population and crime awareness increased, making the police almost totally reactive. The introduction of computers only encouraged that false idea of "quick" reactive response and a statistical view toward measuring success in policing(rather than analyzing the local needs of the community.) By the late 70's the communities had become a diverse pool of nationalities, subcultures, and attitudes. People identified themselves as parts of separate groups and at times the Police was not part of what they called "us.@ During this time, a burst of new ideas and changes in the sociopolitical and economic

KFC in India Case Study Assignment (Ethical Issue) Essay

Abstract The case highlights the ethical issues involved in Kentucky Fried Chicken’s (KFC) business operations in India. KFC entered India in 1995 and has been in midst of controversies since then. The regulatory authorities found that KFC’s chickens did not adhere to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. Chickens contained nearly three times more monosodium glutamate (popularly known as MSG, a flavor enhancing ingredient) as allowed by the Act. Since the late 1990s, KFC faced severe protests by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal rights protection organization. PETA accused KFC of cruelty towards chickens and released a video tape showing the ill-treatment of birds in KFC’s poultry farms. However, undeterred by the protests by PETA and other animal rights organizations, KFC planned a massive expansion program in India. (see http://www.icmr.icfai.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/BECG044.htm) Objectives Understand the significance of cultural, economic, regulatory and ecological issues while establishing business in a foreign country. Appreciate the need for protecting animal rights in developed and developing countries like India. Understand the importance of ethics in doing business. Examine the reasons for protests of PETA Identify solutions for KFC’s problems in India. Key Terms KFC, Business Ethics, International Business, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Food Adulteration, Selling Junk Food, Cruelty against Animals, Animal Welfare Legislation, KFC’s Poultry Welfare Guidelines. â€Å"Each bird whom KFC puts into a box or a bucket had a miserable life and a frightening death. People would be shocked to see our footage of a KFC supplier’s employee who walks through a barn, carelessly lighting lamps and letting flames fall on the terrified birds. The air inside these filthy barns reeks of ammonia fumes, making it difficult for the birds to breathe. No one with a grain of compassion should set foot in KFC.† Ingrid Newkirk, Director, PETA. â€Å"The chicken they serve is full of chemicals, and the birds are given hormones, antibiotics and arsenic chemicals to fatten them quickly.† Nanjundaswamy. PROTEST AGAINST KFC On August 20, 2003, a five-foot tall chicken complete with an ensemble of feathers and beak hobbled on a pair of crutches outside Kentucky Fried Chicken’s (KFC) Indian outlet in Bangalore. The chicken was brought by PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) activists, who carried placards reading, â€Å"Quit India† and â€Å"Stop Playing Fowl† (a pun on â€Å"Foul†). The chicken was placed at the centre and a peaceful protest was held against the alleged ill treatment of birds in KFC’s poultry farms. Media persons were called to give the demonstration a wide coverage. Explaining the rationale behind the protest, Bijal Vachcharajani, special projects coordinator of PETA, said, â€Å"Ours is the land of Gandhi. Just as 61 years back our leaders gave a call for colonizers to quit India, we too are saying we will not tolerate cruel multinationals.† On the 61st anniversary of the ‘Quit India’ movement, PETA India wrote a letter to the Managing Director of Tricon Restaurant International, the parent company of KFC, asking them to close their sole KFC outlet in India. They got no reply. PETA activists decided to protest against KFC by carrying crippled chicken, which represented the birds suffering in the KFC’s farms. PETA claimed that after two years of intensive campaigning to increase animal welfare standards in poultry farms, other foreign fast food restaurants operating in India like McDonald’s and Burger King had improved the treatment of animals specially raised and slaughtered for food. Only KFC had not acted. Though PETA had organized other protests earlier, the crippled chicken campaign became the precursor for more intensive protests. PETA’s was one of the many shows of protest against KFC’s Indian outlet. BACKGROUND NOTE KFC was founded by Harland Sanders (Sanders) in the early 1930s, when he started cooking and serving food for hungry travellers who stopped by his service station in Corbin, Kentucky, US. He did not own a restaurant then, but served people on his own dining table in the living quarters of his service station. His chicken delicacies became popular and people started coming just for food. Kentucky Fried Chicken was born. Soon, Sanders moved across the street to a motel-cum-restaurant, later named ‘Sanders Court & Cafe,’ that seated around 142 people. Over the next nine years, he perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and the basic cooking technique of chicken. Sanders’ fame grew and he was given the title Kentucky Colonel by the state Governor in 1935 for his contribution to the state’s cuisine. Sanders’ restaurant business witnessed an unexpected halt in the early 1950s, when a new interstate highway was planned bypassing the town of Corbin. His restaurant flourished mainly due to the patronage of highway travellers. The new development meant the end of this. Sanders sold his restaurant operations. After settling all his bills, he was reduced to living on a meager $105 social security cheque. But Sanders did not lose hope. Banking on the popularity of his product and confident of his unique recipe for fried chicken, Sanders started franchising his chicken business in 1952. He called it Kentucky Fried Chicken. He travelled the length and breadth of the country by car, visiting as many restaurants as possible and cooking batches of chicken. If the restaurant owners liked his chicken, he entered into a handshake agreement that stipulated payment of a nickel for each plate of chicken sold by the restaurant. By 1964, Sanders franchised more than 600 chicken outlets in the US and Canada. The same year, he sold his interest in his company in the US for $2 million to a group of investors. However, he remained the public spokesperson for the company. KFC grew rapidly under the new owners and issued shares to the public on March 17, 1966. In July 1971, KFC was acquired by Heublein Inc. for $285 million. By then, KFC had over 3,500 franchised and company-owned restaurants in the world†¦. Sources/Links/References Peta protest KFC – part 1 Peta protest KFC – part 2 NY Times Article http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/peta.htm http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/245005 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,115108,00.html http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/mm0196.03.html Analysis There are a number of issues relating to this incident that demonstrate the ethical and moral issues surrounding business. KFC’s business in India leads to a wide range of direct and indirect employment related to the business as a result of the investment by the company. KFC claims that it does not own chicken the farms. How honest are the claims that KFC is making? How reliable are the claims made by those who oppose KFC’s activities? What conflicts arise between the responsibilities that KFC has to the treatment of chickens and the local community, and to its shareholders, suppliers and employees, other external stakeholders? Your Assignment This is an independent assignment. Download and complete the KFC case analysis document. Save the document as named but by adding your last name then first to the end of the file name (separated by an underscore _ ) where indicated. In this document: Answer the above questions. You are to research this case using the above sources and others that you discover. Provide a work cited list only of those sources that you USE. . For full marks, use terminology and concepts from the course and its text. See the rubric at the end of the KFC case analysis document. Submit your completed copy of the KFC hard copy in class and electronic copy to the class email address by deadline date (see class website for due and deadline dates). NO EXTENSION WILL BE ALLOWED.

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing ShaQuanvia Jones Potomac College Pros and Cons of Outsourcing What do you do when you need a job done that someone else specializes in? Well, of course you would hire that person to do the job. For instance, when you have a company, there are many parts to the company and each part has a different specialization. So they hire people that can do that job. It is the same way with larger companies. They hire manufacturers and smaller companies that specialize in a certain job to do it for them. This is all called outsourcing. Even though it sounds like myriads of advantages, it also has some disadvantages also.What is outsourcing? Outsourcing is obtaining goods and services from an outside supplier. It is like a contract with someone or a company to do a particular job that they specialize in. A car factory would hire companies that make the different parts of the car. Since the company already has the supplies and machinery for the parts it would be cheaper . In this case, the company that is helping the car factory would be called a service provider. It is providing a service that it specializes in to a larger company. These service providers are also called third-party providers.This name is given because it is the provider behind the main provider. Outsourcing is done in many companies like insurance companies, grocery stores, and many of the big businesses. Pros of Outsourcing With outsourcing comes many pros, or advantages. Outsourcing is very popular in our country and internationally. It helps businesses focus on their priorities or their main functions instead of secondary tasks. For example, if a company was good in handling finances, it would be hired to handle only the finances. Outsourcing also reduces expenses by finding certain industries purposes in areas where important costs are cheaper.If you noticed, many of our clothes or shoes are made in China. This is an example of outsourcing but it is a certain type called offs horing. Offshoring is when companies are outsourcing to foreign countries. America does offshoring because it is cheaper to get goods from China. If outsourcing was not a dependent, a company would not have to worry about trying to communicate with another to get goods and services. By not doing outsourcing, a company will also know what is going on with its product and be aware of any incidents. Cons of Outsourcing Although there are many advantages to outsourcing, there are some disadvantages, or cons.Many of the disadvantages would come from communication. When a company is receiving or purchasing goods from another country, they have to have a way to understand their language. With the diverse languages, it would be very hard; therefore offshoring can cause language barrier concerns. Another issue with offshoring would be the different time zones. The products would have to be ordered at the right time because getting products internationally are hard to do. The products have to be in before a certain time. Although outsourcing makes it cheaper for goods, this may also cause many Americans to lose jobs.If outsourcing was not depended on, a company would have to do all the work by their self which would cost more and take longer. As you can see, outsourcing is a very important and useful thing when it comes to goods and services. It has some downfalls, but staying focused and planning ahead of time would be a very effective plan when hiring specialists or handling business overseas. Outsourcing only helps specialize in certain functions so that companies will not have to come out of pocket for extra expenses. Labor is also cheaper when it comes to outsourcing.

Heriot

Heriot Introduction Heriot-Watt University is a university in Scotland based in Edinburgh. The university takes pride in offering practical solutions both to day global challenges as well as providing appropriate education to many students. The society is highly committed in digging deep into the challenges facing the society, assessing them and structuring appropriate programmes to tackle the problems.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Heriot-Watt University Blue-print Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The various academic disciplines are designed with the existing challenges in consideration. The courses offered by the institution are therefore meant to provide solutions to the community as a whole. The university brings together skills in interdisciplinary sections, each structured to handle a particular strategic theme. The themes are developed concerning what is viewed as the important problem affecting the soci ety. These themes bring together expertise from many disciplines. The major areas of concern targeted by change include; energy, environment, transport and infrastructure, risk and modeling, and the interface of the life sciences with the physical sciences and technology. The institution enjoys an excellent record of accomplishment in offering interdisciplinary and user-centred research. Such attainments will have an important input in enabling the organizations attain its goals. The targeted areas also hope to address the global market demands in those sectors and the need for the specialist in various fields. The areas targeted will be vital in addressing the ever-growing demand for the specialist in the energy sector, the environmental advisors, the transport and infrastructure planners , risk managers and modelers and those with the potential to create a harmony between the life sciences and the technological and physical sciences. Such gap reduction mechanisms between practice and science will be helpful in addressing some of the challenges that human race is facing in the planet.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Heriot-watt University is widely known in a vast number of research areas. Some of the vital fields of focus comprises of photonics, business education, petroleum engineering, financial mathematics and actuarial science, risk management, decoding and interpreting, and logistics. These courses are considered demand driven and play a centrals role in many economies in the world. The needs to address the challenges presented the climate changes effects and development of the appropriate models that will help in risk management by the companies and organizations will be handy in the present age work places. We have also the issue of the existences of various techn9ologies that are developed by different firms, and some may be in a form that may not be easily useful to some clients, it will be essential and necessary to translate some the stuff into a format that they are easily disseminate to the end users. The institution aims at addressing such discrepancies. The proposed strategy aims to provide the institution with the direction to concentrate further on interdisciplinary research and teaching. The blue print not only targets the community where it operates but also targets to address the challenges on a global scale. Such an approach is aimed at widening the pool from which the institutions is aiming to work. The ability to address issues in the global scale will enable the institutions to have representatives and partners across the globe and thus have the masses who subscribe to the ideology of the institutions and this will give the institutions the necessary boost needed to survive in the competitive market place. The Strategy is structured to meet the needs of Scotland national economy at the UK at large. By virtue of its position, the universities are at the core of the country’s economy. The university achieves this by investing in research activities, concentrating on the agenda for skills development and advocating for innovation, entrepreneurship among many other developmental issues. The element of knowledge sharing and exchange is also highly valued as it is considered as an avenue to development of human capital, which translates into improved growth and productivity. Students are encouraged to share ideas, cultural diversity, and any other element that is considered fruitful.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Heriot-Watt University Blue-print Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Focus On the Future Strategy Focus on the Future is the ambitious strategy aimed to act as a blue-print in re-shaping Heriot-Watt University’s agenda. As outlined in the strategy, the university intends to r ealize a 50% growth in the academic base by the year 2015. Realizing such an ambitious move requires putting in place in the necessary mechanisms and work plan that must be followed. As a leading university in Edinburgh, Scotland, the university is determined to demonstrate its leadership in science, technology, and business. The three areas of focus form the core business approaches that will give the institutions an advantage over the other institutions. The subject areas are aimed at addressing the challenges that globalizations presents to different set up of businesses and internationals organizations across the globe. Multi-cultural diversity of the institutions enables the institutions to present the various modules of the courses aimed at addressing the challenges that such diversity may present. The strategy aims to raise the university’s standing from a national leading university to a recognized international institution that will attract foreign students. This is to be reflected in the university’s commitment to produce professionals in all specialization. The institution is highly determined to continue growth and investment this in effect is expected to have the institution as a leading international university in key world issues. Need Having an outstanding reputation of providing working solutions to the many development challenges within the country as well as in the international circles, the university is obligated to sustain the record. This will be achieved through continuous quality assurance checks and by emulating other institutions around the globe. Bearing in mind that meeting the clientele expectations is paramount, it will be essential for the organization to meet its obligation to the society. The institution has already set the foundation or the benchmark of the expectations that the society or people are expecting from it. The institutions ability to amicably address the challenges will be essential in its planning of the future undertakings. The strength of the university is demonstrated in its existing collaborative programmes, which include ScotCHEM in chemistry and chemical engineering; The ScotgriD advanced IT network; The Scottish institute for Research in Economics; and Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering and mathematics (ERPem).Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This acts to consolidate expertise in various disciplines where they bring on board their wide experiences in formulating solutions to the modern world challenges. Strategic Fit Energy This is one of the major areas in which the university has concentrated her efforts. The strategy aims to adopt a cohesive and coordinated approach to research and learning activities in energy field as well as other related disciplines. The combination of skills from experts in various fields is aimed to enhance meaningful research findings that can be utilize at both national and international level (Esty 2008). Outcomes The strategy has led to significant growth in the forefront Institute of Petroleum Engineering. This has been characterized by increased academic capacity in non-fossil going by also by the number of students and other key players interested in the field. The strategy builds on the existing institution’s technical capabilities. The institutions strength to adopt the strategy lies in its richness in facilities such as sufficient educational capacity and availability of research resources. This is also because of government and other private funding in research programmes like in petroleum engineering works, which has enabled the institute to expand its research facilities and acquire advanced machinery for the same. One core objective of the strategy is to reduce over-reliance on fossil fuels without necessarily doing away with it. The strategy aims to diversify energy sources. As the main recognized international university in Scotland, Heriot-Watt University intends to take the energy educational opportunities beyond the national boundaries. It targets all parts of the world especially the countries where increasing demand for energy constitutes national agenda. Major initiatives include: Optimizing discovery of sustainable gas and oil reserves with the aim of overcoming the global limitation. Increased development of voltaic systems, which have the c apacity to generate electricity. This is to keep pace with the steady escalating consumption. With expectations that oil reserves will be exhausted in 100 years to come, focus on alternative sources of energy such as voltaic systems is of great importance. School of built and construction undertakes research into architectural design which is intended to minimize energy loss in the buildings. Research programme at the International Centre for technology in Orkney on marine renewables with emphasis on marine environmental impacts. A team of professional in energy technology to deal with complex issues in energy such as security in supply, high living standards and the impacts on the environment. This is an area of great concern particularly when it comes to negative impacts on the environment as a result of current methods of obtaining energy. The university’s doctorate engineering programme which includes the theme, with options in solar energy and enhanced oil and gas recove ry A new master of science programme with emphasis in economics, business and management A large pilot plant to support experiments on low carbon buildings such as the eco-village. This is will be strategy to reduce overall emission as agreed in the recent G8 summit. In order to encourage information exchange, coordination, and collaboration among the players, a virtual Academy centre was constructed. The centre advances the University’s interests in energy resources and production, capturing and storage of carbon, efficiency, and utilization of energy. As a part of its strength, there are significant partnerships among the researchers. This is also demonstrated by the connectivity of the institution to major energy organizations and other researchers outside the university. The institution’s capacity in commercial knowledge transfer to the energy economy allows it to further develop and extend their technical abilities (Kurukulasuriya Mendelsohn 2006). Environment a nd Climate Change We cannot talk of development without addressing the environment we operate in. Environment and climate theme is in particular designed with the aim of understanding the environment and its impacts on the humanity. The strategy recognizes the fact that the issues of environment and climate have taken a centre stage on the global debate. The impact of man on the environment and the climate change has increased with the rising industrial revolution. How can we balance delicate equation of industrialization and environmental degradation? Industrialization, developmental activities such as agriculture have resulted into far reaching impacts on the environment and this is threatening the global future economy (Agrawala 2003). The strategy aims to address this challenge by conducting research to adjusting to low carbon lifestyle. For low carbon lifestyle to be this to be realized, it will take joint efforts of specialists from diverse fields of research to put ideas toge ther. Biologists’ work is combined with techniques developed by chemists and physicists. Mathematicians’ and stasticians’ skills are also brought on board to build theoretical models that enhance understanding of data and transforming these diverse ideas into something meaningful that we see the institution achieve some of its core values (Adger 1999). Nevertheless, this theme faces some challenges. The complexity nature of the environment and the chain of interacting factors makes difficult to understand changes that cause them. Another challenge lies in the difficulty in developing knowledge and tools top reduce the negative effects and adjusting our practices. In order to achieve this theme, a number of initiatives were put in place namely: comprehensive investigation in both physical and ecological set up of the environment and the change processes at work. focus on marine ecosystem and biodiversity; conducting research into formation and storage of gas, de veloping a model and undertaking an analysis on the population processes in ecology which entails an understanding of predator and prey relationship. The model also aims to predict how the relationships among different organisms lead to diseases and how it can be controlled. Formulation of a new master’s degree programme, which focuses on climate change and the control measures. The course targets students from various disciplines and incorporates inputs from actors the university. construction of a multi-disciplinary centre, which aims at taking advantage of the existing partnership with the external collaborators within the area of marine sciences. This center will also attract immense interests of stakeholders who will focus at reducing the negative impacts of climate change. This theme targets at bringing about change in technology use, social, as well as behavioural aspects (Bojà ¶ Reddy 2003b). One of the biggest challenge facing human being and the entire ecosystem s urvival is indeed the factor of climate change (environmental degradation). The importance of this subject accrues from the fact that it affects all the nations around the world. However, the poor are at more risk as compared to the rich. The impacts of climate change expose million of peoples to poverty and hunger as variations in weather and consequently climate affects food production and those who rely on agriculture are the most hit (Adger 1999). For there to be any meaningful development, the poor must be supported to overcome the challenges brought about by climate change. Many organizations especially, those interested in development, IFAD, for instance, climate change has a unique significance. Their mission is to empower people by helping them to overcome poverty (Bojà ¶ Reddy 2002). Economies of many developing countries across the world depend on agriculture. It is the mainstay for the poorest rural households. However, more than any other sector, it is the most direct ly affected by the issues of climate change (Abramovitz 2001). This further complicates the livelihoods of the rural poor who have no capacity to overcome the impacts of climate change. This is because they lack access to financial opportunities that would otherwise enable them to devise alternative means of survival (Boju et al., 2004). Failures in crop production, deaths in livestock, as result of drought are causing enormous economic losses among farmers. In effect, this has been marked by escalation in food prices and hence deterioration in food security. The situation has not been helped by the steadily swelling in the world population, especially in the developing world, which means high demand for food (Bruci 2004). FAO estimates project that, for food production to meet the demand of the rising population, it will need to double by the year 2050 (Githego et al., 2000). It is projected that deforestation and poor agricultural practices collectively make up approximately 26 to 35 per cent of total greenhouse gas discharge in the environment. On the other hand, agriculture and forestry can play a major role in handling the challenges of climate change. â€Å"Enhanced land management applications for instance rehabilitation of ruined land, agro forestry and high-quality agricultural practices can to a large extent contribute to bringing down the amount of greenhouse gas discharged in our environment† (Department for International Development 2004a, p.5). Involvement of the poor rural people in introducing sustainable development programme is key in overcoming challenges of climate change. A good number of this general population deal with huge tracks of forests and land and for that reason they can be essential participants in â€Å"natural resource management and carbon sequestration† (Department for International Development 2004b, p. 6). They are from time to time the caretakers of the natural or usual resource base and can put in signific ant information in the preservation efforts (Mani Sears 2006). According to the Department for International Development (2004d, p. 7), carbon-trading know-how be required to be go with with reimbursement programmes for the rural poor with respect to their ecological actions, which add to carbon sequestration or confiscation that limit carbon gas discharge in the environment. This will have an important role in addressing the climate change challenges that the globe is struggling to solve. The compensation program is aimed at allowing the rural to develop the essential carbon sinks that will help in reducing the level of carbon in the atmosphere and thus reduce the effects of global warming. The approach also helps in reducing the Green house gases that have been associated with the depletion of the vital ozone layer. This is believed to be one of the most dangers that global warming has presented to survival in the planet. The attempts to reduce and minimize the emissions will be crucial in ensuring that the planet will be able to support life in the near future. Sustaining soil and water preservation actions, presenting inducements to farmers and all other parties involved in sustainable or long-term production practices, and gratifying for carbon seizure or sequestration actions and avoiding or reducing deforestation, part of continued attempts to tone down the negative effects of climate alteration (Gornitz 1995). â€Å"In responding to the growing effects of climate change, IFAD is in the process of integrating adaptation and mitigation into its activities† (Dale 1997, p. 20). By giving attention to the needs and situations of the poor rural people during the planning process, risks and impacts of climate will be minimized at the same time achieving progress in development. Life and Physical Sciences Interface The university’s collaborations among the life sciences and physical sciences have grown tremendously in the recent past. This has b een facilitated by knowledge sharing opportunities and techniques (Bradley 2006). The approach aims to tackle this subject matter by intensifying the institution’s ability in â€Å"advanced bio-molecular science which is appropriate to human biology, and to develop and further exploit the relationship of this and related life science activities with other science and technology interests† (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program 2007, p. 5). Initiatives Leading an international team using micro array technology to study the interaction between the environment and genes. The objective of this research is to discover ways of dealing with metabolic diseases. This is in essence supposed to promote safe ageing by enhancing healthy muscle functioning (Bojà ¶ Reddy 2003a). Collaboration between clinicians and biomedical scientists to conduct investigations into the causes of tumors and slow healing of wounds affected patients. This is to be achieved mathematical modeli ng aimed at providing the insight and hence an understanding of cell biology. Development of new pharmaceutical products, which is long-term industrial product and has high efficacy Leading a major collaborative programme with the aim of developing new technologies to initiate the automatic production of embryonic cells A partnership of chemistry experts, chemical engineering specialist, and other experts in the complex-scale-up of bio-chemical processes for industrial scale production. More research in polymer synthesis and applications Developing special imaging techniques (hyper spectral ophthalmic) which allows for monitoring of the body development and to also give highly diagnostic information. Using ultra-high speed imaging techniques to measure how the behavior of insects as it flies. This information is then used in developing an improved aircraft. Development of automatic cell screening technologies gadgets. This is intended to help in studying the functioning of individua l cells. Continued collaboration among different disciplines. This is to enhance adaptation of the laboratory research findings to the industries. Increase in learning opportunities through formulation of new MSc programmes in life sciences, engineering, physical sciences, and mathematics and computer sciences. Risk and Modeling Being at the centre of modern living, Risk and its management form an important theme of the Focus on the Future strategy. The goal of the theme is to bring together the disciplines of actuarial mathematics, statistics, psychology, computer science, and engineering to be able to deal with mathematical and behavioural aspects of risk and uncertainty (Department for International Development 2004d). The approach adopted by the university aims to take advantage of the available experts in such fields as actuarial mathematics, probability and other appropriate disciplines that deal with uncertainty. The proposed collaborative approach intends to take into consi deration quantitative behavioural and social aspects associated with the problem and hence find solution as well as formulate control strategies. The proposed interdisciplinary approach is to ensure that the real problem and risks are handled (Hannah Midgley 2002). The approach is an improvement of the traditional methodology, where calculation and risk presentation was exclusively based on mathematics. The interdisciplinary approach combines elements of behavior and society in defining a problem and result into a workable solution and strategies to avoid similar situations (Department for International Development 2004c). Initiatives The university continues to build on the existing excellent record in high impact research which makes use of probabilistic approach in solving problems affecting the modern world Experts in the discipline of quantitative risk management develop techniques that can be used in determining the nature of risks as well their occurrence frequencies Contin ued involvement in the global assignment in genetics and insurance research centre provides a foundation for the development of a model that aids in understanding of human genetics on insurance markets Construction of a major centre staffed with experts in various fields provides an opportunity for continued research in risks. The institution provides training and advice to the public, business community as well as the government on how to manage risks. This acts to improves the people’s attitude towards risks and gives them confidence when they are faced with uncertainty. Promotion of opportunities provided by the training in risk management and applying such skills in other areas such as fund investment Infrastructure and Transport The university recognizes the increasing pace at which the urban population is accelerating. It is estimated that the current population proportion in urban centres is more that 50% and it is projected to exceed 60% by the year 2030(Hill et al., 2002). Such an increase in population is expected to put immense pressure on the available facilities and hence need expansion to meet the unprecedented demands. More and bigger population means more mouths to feed, many children to educate, increased demand on transport, increased demand for jobs from the youths, increased demand for sanitation, as well as demand for a clean environment. Given its vantage capacity, Heriot-Watt University is committed to take the lead in confronting these global challenges. The strategy for this theme is to bring together professionals from various academic fields such as those in the field of Schools of the Built Environment; Management and Languages, and Engineering and Physical Sciences so as they can work as team. The interdisciplinary collaboration brings together a team of internationally recognized experts. The professionals range from infrastructure designers to consultants in micro and micro management. Major initiatives include: To lead UK research effort in flood modeling and coordinating of flood risk management through collaboration of experts within the university and other public organizations. The institution also undertakes to investigate and address important issues relating to freight distribution in the Logistics Research Centre in the school of Management and Languages. Professionals and other experts in energy systems are committed to designing and development of automotives and aircraft engines as well as the instruments monitoring instruments. Professional and governmental exchange partnership between the Scotland and China governments is promoted by the Centre for Chinese and Urban Studies, leads to a long-term mutual benefit to the citizens of the two countries. The Logistics Research Centre in the School of Management and Languages is committed to working on freight distribution and research to reduce emission of carbon dioxide by increasing efficiency in transporting goods through improvement of h ighways and road systems. Proper planning which has ensured meaningful and functional facilities at all time has reinforced this. Development of research on specialized infrastructural materials which are able to detect their own state and in effect give necessary warning to avoid any likely harm to the people or negative environmental impacts. The continued research into optical fibre sensors makes it possible to for long-term structural monitoring systems, which are capable sensing any small strain over along period of time in civil engineering structures. The development of postgraduate programmes on city planning and design, transport and management when combined with the current programmes, they reinforce each other making it easier for the transfer of knowledge in offering practical solution s to the community The availability of international MSc programmes through distance learning module makes it easy to incorporate ideas from other countries affected with similar situation s Scottish University Physics Alliance (SUPA) This is an alliance, which brings together eight Scottish universities Physics. The major objectives is put physics in the forefront in the national strategy, also encourage collaboration among institutions, and promote efficiency and excellence within the discipline (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2001). In adopting a common approach in terms of staffing, training of the staff as well as issues of research and funding opportunities, the alliance brings together experienced experts as well as encourages training of upcoming scientists. The initiative has enabled Scotland to create the larges group of physics researchers in the UK (Griebenow 2006). This has also attracted funding from donors, sponsors, and stakeholders in the industrial market (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007). The alliance promotes the major themes, which are of great importance to the Scotland economy as well providing solutions to the global challenges. Such areas that provide solutions to global interests comprises of â€Å"energy, physics and life sciences, astronomy, condensed matter and materials physics, nuclear and plasma physics, photonics and particle physics† (Kishore 2007,p. 7 ). Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) This alliance aims to expand Scotland’s research excellence in Informatics and Computer Science. The Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) bring together researchers within computer science and informatics. The purpose of the partnership of these different fields is to merge and make stronger â€Å"Scotland’s ranking as the global researcher informatics and computer sciences key player† (Buchmann Nabhan 1996, p. 6). Reference List Abramovitz, Janet N., 2001. Unnatural disasters worldwatch paper 158. Washington: Worldwatch Institute Publishers. Adger, Neil V., 1999. Social vulnerability to climate change and extremes in coastal Vietnam. 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