Hola, Damas y Caballero

Hi, all! This is Jini. I am in my last year of Anatomy and Cell Biology under the faculty of science, minor in management. I have decided not to do science research in the laboratory, but rather to combine my science major and management minor, and hoping to work in the field of health managment. I was born in Beijing, China. Olympic games will be held there this summer =D However it's sad that I cannot go back this year since I will be working during that time. I came to Canada when I was sixteen, and moved to Montreal for university three years ago. I love the old Montreal, the narrow cobblestone streets, the classic architecture, the street performing arts give an European ambience to the city. I like music, reading, biking, and I play piano. This course is quite different than my science classes, it is more interactive, requires a creative mind and integrated learning. Moreover, it allows us to think about the current issues around the world, and prepares us for our future career.

Enjoy summer in Montreal, everyone!
Jini

Hi everyone,

I'm ramzi rahbani, just finished my second year in mechanical engineering, it was a pretty rough but good experience. I'm originally from lebanon but have been living in montreal for around 5 years now. It's a great city with most important of all a great nightlife. Whether you feel like drinking on saint-laurent or clubbing in old port you got it all. I'm currently taking two courses edec 206: communication in engineering and this course. They are both very interesting courses with projects only and no finals or midterms. Professor fahri karakas inspired pretty much from the first day when he said this course will count on our inputs, on our ideas and i believe this is a pretty unique course. In engineering courses we get told what to think, how to think and why to proceed that way. I believe the way Professor fahri karakas is managing his course is excellent and he has honestly motivated me.(I wasn't that enthusiastic about taking two summer courses the reason being obvious: it was time for me to take a break from mcgill and party as much as i could).
take care everyone

Salutations!

It is quite imperative to start any relationship with a concise introduction. I have just completed my U1 year in the Joint Honors Economics and Finance program--I know, I know. I can't believe I'm still alive (from the program) either. I feel a bit dishonest talking about my hobbies, since I haven't done much this year expect study, so I'll put it this way: if I weren't buried in work all the time, I'd spend my days reading (anything and everything), making short-films, shopping, and watching movies. I'm taking these courses in the summertime to perhaps lessen the work load of the upcoming academic year--so that I may have time for life come Fall 2008. 

The hardest part about taking summer courses, is not being able to see my family. I'm from New York, and it's very hard to hear that my friends and family are having a great time in the city, while I'm at Nahum Gelber (I just love the lighting in that library) studying. I am home for the weekend, and actually going to Pangea Day at a venue in downtown NYC. I am really excited to see these films!

Until Tuesday,

Nicole

About Myself

Hello all,

I am a finance major and will be graduating this summer! I was born in Bulgaria and lived there before coming to Montreal at age 9. I love this city and I try to climb the Mount Royal at least twice a week - its got a great view for those who have never been up there. I am passionate about investing and hope to get a job as a portfolio manager somewhere after I graduate - although in all honesty it's terribly hard to land one of those. I am currently reading Memoirs of Hadrian, by Marguerite Yourcenar, a superb book. I went to a french high school and speak passable Bulgarian. I love to cook and I do yoga.

Cheers.
E.

Understanding complexity, dynamism and transformation in social, human, ecological systems: PANARCHY

Panarchy is a conceptual framework to describe evolving hierarchical systems with multiple interrelated elements. The aim is to understand the transformation in social, natural, ecological complex systems. This trans-disciplinary model can be adapted and applied to organizations, nations, and societies. Panarchy is an innovative transdisciplinary model bridging the new sciences, ecology, biology, ecological economics, environmental policy, management, and complexity.

Panarchy is the dynamic structure in which natural and human systems (such as forests, corporations, institutions, civilizations..) are interlinked in continual adaptive cycles of growth, accumulation, restructuring, and renewal. These transformational cycles take place at various scales ranging from micro levels (a drop of water) to macro levels (the biosphere), over periods from days to eras. By understanding these cycles and transformation dynamics, researchers can identify different points and transition phases at which a system is capable of accepting positive change. Panarchy can be used to foster resilience and sustainability within human and natural systems.Creating institutions to meet the challenge of sustainability is the objective here.

If you are deeply interested in this issue, I recommend you to read Gunderson and Holling's book: "PANARCHY: Understanding Transformations In Human And Natural Systems".

However, if you want an overall general understanding of Panarchy, I recommend the following web site to learn more about the model:

http://www.sustainablescale.org/ConceptualFramework/UnderstandingScale/MeasuringScale/Panarchy.aspx

Be ready for the Pangae Day - May 10th!

Dear friends,

I have received the following message from TED's Chris Anderson and I am sharing it with you. This Saturday will be an exciting global day of peace through human creativity in inspiring films from around the globe. Enjoy Pangae Day and be part of it.

Fahri Karakas.

Now the message follows:

Dear Friends of TED,

Now this is exciting. A powerful, 2-minute TED video has been given star billing at YouTube and I need your help to get it to spread further…The video heralds the launch of Pangea Day, called for by 2006 TED prize winner, Jehane Noujaim.

I hope you’ll take a minute to view it, rate it, write a quick comment about it and then blog it, or pass the link along to friends. Each of these actions will have a multiplying effect and will help us reach out to thousands of film-makers around the world who we need to submit content for possible inclusion in Pangea Day.

The project has taken off, and its ambition level is spectacular. On May 10, 2008 - Pangea Day - Jehane’s wish will come to fruition as sites in New York City, Rio, London, Dharamsala, Cairo, Jerusalem, and Kigali will be video-conferenced live to produce a 4-hour program of powerful films - supplemented by visionary speakers, and global musicians.

The purpose: to use the power of film to promote better understanding of our common humanity. A global audience will watch through the Internet, television, digital cinemas, and mobile phones.

A powerful advisory board has come together to support the project. It includes: JJ Abrams Lawrence Bender Nancy Buirski lan Cumming Ami Dar Cameron Diaz Goldie Hawn Vik Muniz Clare Munn Eboo Patel Alexander Payne Meg Ryan Deborah Scranton Jeff Skoll Philippe Starck Yossi Vardi Kevin Wall Will.i.am

If you’re interested learning more and/or helping out, please send an email to Pangea Day executive director Delia Cohen (delia@ted.com). More details are available at the project's beautiful website created for us by Avenue A/Razorfish: pangeaday.org.

Very best,
Chris Anderson
TED Curator

Changing Paradigms of Management and Leadership

OLD PARADIGM to NEW PARADIGM

SELF CENTERED to COMMUNITY CENTERED
ethnocentric to community oriented
individualistic to communitarian
authoritative to democratic
self-interest to service to community

OLD SCIENCES to NEW SCIENCES
Newtonian to Quantum
linear to non-linear
one truth to multiple truths
reductive to emergent

MATERIALISM to SPIRITUALITY
modernist to post-modernist
"mind" to "integration of mind, heart, soul"
positivist to interpretive
materialist to spiritual

UNIFORMITY to DIVERSITY
hierarchical to lateral
absolute perspective to contextualism
selective to inclusive
simplicity to complexity

RATIONALITY to INTUITION
actuality to potentiality
intellectual stimulation to emotional arousal
problems to opportunities
conservative to creative

PARTIAL to IMPARTIAL
atomistic to holistic
exclusionary to synergistic
analysis to synthesis
partial to integral

PROFIT ORIENTATION to PEOPLE ORIENTATION
Theory X to Theory Z
competition to cooperation
economic to social
profit oriented to triple bottom-line

CERTAINTY to UNCERTAINTY
clarity to ambiguity
order to chaos
determinate to indeterminate
stability to change

COMMAND & CONTROL to FLEXIBILITY & EMPOWERMENT
top down to egalitarian
controlling to inspiring
doubtful to trusting
domination to collaboration

CHARISMATIC to SERVANT
arrogant to humble
impressive to authentic
self-worth to modesty
extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation

OLD METAPHORS to NEW METAPHORS
clockwork/machine to brain/living ecosystem
static box to dynamic flow
solid ice to emergent cloud
building to web/network

A Self-Reflection Tool-kit for Mini-Project 1: Personal Excellence Plan

Dear Colleagues,

I will now attach for you a great resource for your Mini-Project 1, “Career Portfolio for your Dream Job". Two flagship monthly magazines in leadership development, Personal Excellence and Executive Excellence (edited by Ken Shelton) have developed a toolkit for self-reflection and personal development: “The Personal Excellence Plan”. This toolkit includes a wealth of resources and a family of tools and exercises to help you grow and progress in your career and life in the following areas: Service, Physical, Mental, Professional, Financial, Social/Emotional and Spiritual/Character.

The Personal Excellence Plan has five unique features that makes it really effective:

1. The Personal Excellence Plan honors your dreams, aspirations, faith, intuition, feelings, and emotions.
2. The Personal Excellence Plan integrates your personal life with your family and professional contribution.
3. The Personal Excellence Plan bridges vision and action.
4. The Personal Excellence Plan enables you to find harmony andsynergy among the different roles and dimensions of your life.
5. The Personal Excellence Plan encourages a balanced, holistic,value-based, principled approach to life.

Thus, I recommend you to go over this great resource and toolkit provided by Executive Excellence; the leading newsletter/magazine in the field of leadership. Feel free to print it and complete the exercises in it. This will help you tremendously in your self-reflection, self-evaluation, job application, and in constructing your own personal strategic plans.

Here is the resource; just click: http://www.eep.com/Merchant//newsite/pep.pdf