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Technology Stocks : Applied Materials No-Politics Thread (AMAT) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bookdon who wrote (7599)	10/17/2003 3:17:27 PM
From: Sam Citron	Respond to of 25522

PM inaugurates 'green' IIT dept [newindiapress.com] Thursday October 2 2003 00:00 IST KANPUR: The Prime Minister on Wednesday inaugurated a new Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering in IIT, Kanpur. The department and its new building have been created entirely with funds from Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie's MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme). This is the first time that the funds have been used for setting up a department in IIT. ``Some people told me that Arun Shourie's idea was politically incorrect. MPs usually use their funds on improving amenities in a primary school or a hospital...or for some such standard purpose. But when Shourie explained the thinking behind the gesture, I was convinced,'' Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee said. The department is constructed on an area measuring 1,000 square metre and apart from all the amenities for the 16 labs, three classrooms and a lecture theatre, it is an eco-friendly building. It has managed to nearly halve the energy required for air-conditioning, using various energy-saving techniques. The department has already started work in some key areas of research in the post-genome scientific world. From next year onwards, the institute will also offer a bachelor's degreee in bioscience and bioengineering. Presently, their are five researchers who are delving into questions like genetic defects in hereditary disorders, searching for genes that cause cancer and answers to address problems of human health and medicine. Even Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was present at the inauguration ceremony, acknowledged the innovative approach to using the MPLADS funds. ``I wish this function was held in an open 'pandal' and that all the MPs and MLAs of UP attended it to see what can be done with MPLADS,'' he said. Earlier a staunch critic of Shourie, he said: ``He is now my inspiration.'' What was also different about Wednesday's ceremony was the fact that it was not a ``foundation stone'' laying ceremony. ``I have long urged that our leaders should only lay completion stones,'' said Shourie. While the building was coming up, a top-notch five-member faculty was hired to start work with PhD and M. Tech students. The Prime Minister, acknowledging the role of the IITs in education and research, reiterated that the Government would be upgrading five existing academic institutions that have the necessary potential into IITs. ``We seek active participation of the private sector and contributions from IIT alumni for this purpose,'' he added. Vajpayee urged the IITs to work on projects of national importance which will benefit the society at large like water conservation, energy conservation, waste management and e-governance. He also talked of students leaving for greener pastures abroad because of lack of opportunities here. ``The situation is changing with the advent of economic reforms. Ours is the fastest growing economy in the world. Our infrastructure is improving and the world is looking at India as a nation on the move.'' The Prime Minister, who graduated from DAV College, Kanpur, reminded the audience that it was there that he learnt the basics of political science. ``A state like Uttar Pradesh needs to catch up with the more developed parts of the country,'' he said, adding that while it was behind in IT, it could catch up in biotechnology, a science of the future. newindpress.com

To: Bookdon who wrote (7599)	10/17/2003 9:09:12 PM
From: Cary Salsberg	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25522

RE: "In the 100-year analogy..." 1. Historical analogies are not useful as the US history has gone from a primarily insulated economy to globalization. 2. There are few occupations which require a higher level of education than a doctor. The fact that some medical jobs are being exported indicates that the level of education required should not be the first consideration in a job. Instead, the likelihood that the job can be exported should be the first consideration. 3. There has been and will continue to be a huge job transfer to overseas labor. It is not proper to fault people who chose their careers 20 years ago for lack of prescience. US society benefits from free trade and the lower cost of foreign labor. Some of this benefit should be diverted to help US citizens who are unlucky and lose their jobs and careers.