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2009
Happy Yalda Night


Professor awarded for contribution to entrepreneur institute
At the 31st ISBE annual conference in Belfast Professor Ritchie, as senior Vice-President of ISBE responsible for Conferences, was presented with a Waterford Crystal vase by HRH Prince Michael of Kent. He was presented with the award at a special luncheon during the three day conference to acknowledge his work for ISBE and the success of the previous four conferences held in the UK.
Commenting on his award and the conference Professor Ritchie said: “I am honoured to receive special recognition for my involvement, I truly believe in what the conference is trying to achieve in promoting, disseminating and debating small business development and entrepreneurship.”
Institute for Innovation, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) was responsible for presenting five academic papers through the work of members of the Lancashire Business School Institute for Innovation, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (i2e2).
UCLan team members also facilitated a plenary session on academic and practitioner engagement and chaired several specialist track sessions.
Professor Ritchie added: “Sponsoring the innovation track at the conference has helped UCLan gain more exposure and recognition for our activities in knowledge transfer, incubation, entrepreneurship and small business support.”
More than 900 delegates attended the conference and were officially welcomed by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Next year’s annual ISBE conference will be held in Liverpool 3rd - 6th November 2009.
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/lbs/professor_awarded_for_contribution.php
Salary negotiation
Salary is an important aspect of a job interview which you should know how to deal with it. Every thing in this world is negotiable and salary is one of them. Most of employers before any interview want to know your expectation in terms of remuneration. When you want to go for an interview, think you are a business man and you are looking forward to selling something. Your good is yourself,your knowledge and your experience, yes that sounds weird but you are going to sell yourself to that company to be able to work. First of all before any negotiation find some information about that company. I know internet knowledge doesn't work always,however you have something in your pocket about the company. If you are a fresh graduate without any experience,never ever talk about the salary, if you want to ask some amount of money, your behaviour shows you are committed to the money rather than company. Anyway try to negotiate with your employer. Never sell your self cheap and never expensive. Try to sell your product for its price. You get what you desire.
This is a story about a salary increase negotiation,hope you enjoy .
HOW TO ASK YOUR BOSS FOR A SALARY INCREASE..?
Dear Bo$$
In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ worker$ who have given $o much$upport including $weat and $ervice to your company.
The next day, the employee received this letter of reply:
I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet.
Manager
My graduation ceremony and PhD plan
Only great minds can read this
Iranian Parking Trick

The Education Race
In 2003, administrators at Stanford University's Electrical Engineering Department were startled when a group of foreign students aced the notoriously difficult Ph.D. entrance exam, getting some of the highest scores ever. That the whiz kids weren't American wasn't odd; students from Asia and elsewhere excel in U.S. programs. The surprising thing, say Stanford administrators, is that the majority came from one country and one school: Sharif University of Science and Technology in Iran. Stanford has become a favorite destination of Sharif grads. Bruce A. Wooley, a former chair of the Electrical Engineering Department, has said that's because Sharif now has one of the best undergraduate electrical-engineering programs in the world. That's no small praise given its competition: MIT, Caltech and Stanford in the United States, Tsinghua in China and Cambridge in Britain. Sharif's reputation highlights how while Iran makes headlines for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's incendiary remarks and its nuclear showdown with the United States, Iranian students are developing an international reputation as science superstars. Stanford's administrators aren't the only ones to notice. Universities across Canada and Australia, where visa restrictions are lower, report a big boom in the Iranian recruits; Canada has seen its total number of Iranian students grow 240 percent since 1985, while Australian press reports point to a fivefold increase over the past five years, to nearly 1,500.Iranian students from Sharif and other top schools, such as the University of Tehran and the Isfahan University of Technology, have also become major players in the international Science Olympics, taking home trophies in physics, mathematics, chemistry and robotics. As a testament to this newfound success, the Iranian city of Isfahan recently hosted the International Physics Olympiad—an honor no other Middle Eastern country has enjoyed. That's because none of Iran's neighbors can match the quality of its scholars. Never far behind, Western tech companies have also started snatching them up. Silicon Valley companies from Google to Yahoo now employ hundreds of Iranian grads, as do research institutes throughout the West. Olympiad winners are especially attractive; according to the Iranian press, up to 90 percent of them now leave the country for graduate school or work abroad. So what explains Iran's record, and that of Sharif in particular? The country suffers from many serious ills, such as chronic inflation, stagnant wages and an anemic private sector, thanks to poor economic management and a weak regulatory environment. University professors barely make ends meet—the pay is so bad some must even take second jobs as taxi drivers or petty traders. International sanctions also make life difficult, delaying the importation of scientific equipment, for example, and increasing isolation. Until recently, Iranians were banned from publishing in the journals of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the industry's key international professional association. They also face the indignity of often having their visa applications refused when they try to attend conferences in the West. Yet Sharif and its ilk continue to thrive. Part of the explanation, says Mohammad Mansouri, a Sharif grad ('97) who's now a professor in New York, lies in the tendency of Iranian parents to push their kids into medicine or engineering as opposed to other fields, like law. Sharif also has an extremely rigorous selection process. Every year some 1.5 million Iranian high-school students take college-entrance exams. Of those, only about 10 percent make it to the prestigious state schools, with the top 1 percent generally choosing science and finding their way to top spots such as Sharif. "The selection process [gives] universities like Sharif the smartest, most motivated and hardworking students" in the country, Mansouri says. Sharif also boasts an excellent faculty. The university was founded in 1965 by the shah, who wanted to build a topnotch science and technology institute. The school was set up under the guidance of MIT advisers, and many of the current faculty studied in the United States (during the shah's era, Iranians made up the largest group of foreign students at U.S. schools, according to the Institute of International Education). Another secret of Sharif's success is Iran's high-school system, which places a premium on science and exposes students to subjects Americans don't encounter until college. This tradition of advanced studies extends into undergraduate programs, with Mansouri and others saying they were taught subjects in college that U.S. schools provide only to grad students. Several Sharif alumni point to one other powerful motivator. "When you live in Iran and you see all the frustrations of daily life, you dream of leaving the country, and your books and studies become a ticket to a better life," says one who asked not to be identified. "It becomes more than just studying," he says. "It becomes an obsession, where you wake up at 4 a.m. just to get in a few more hours before class." Iran's success, in other words, is also the country's tragedy: students want nothing more than to get away the moment they graduate. That's a boon for foreign universities and tech firms but a serious source of brain drain for the Islamic republic. There simply are not enough quality jobs for graduates in Iran, says Ramin Farjad Rad, another Sharif grad ('97) who's now an executive at Aquantia in Silicon Valley. What's worse, star students who stay in Iran and try to launch businesses complain that predatory government officials demand a cut of their profits or impose unnecessary obstacles. Thus many Iranians who can't make it to the West head to Dubai instead. As one Sharif grad in the Persian Gulf port city puts it, "Here, our education is properly valued. We are given freedom to succeed. In Iran, we are blocked." Such frustrations augur ill for Iran's future. True, it's produced a startling number of top students in recent years. And the country's history is rich with achievement, featuring Avicenna (also known as Ibn Sina), the medieval world's greatest scientist; Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, the ninth-century inventor of the mathematical algorithm (the basis of computer science), and Omar Khayyam, the famed mathematician and astronomer. That's a fine legacy. But unless the Islamic republic changes directions soon, all of that history and potential could be squandered. Molavi has reported from Iran for The Washington Post and Reuters, and is the author of ‘The Soul of Iran.’
Ref: Molavi,A .(2008) NEWSWEEK Published Aug 9, 2008 http://www.blogger.com/descending&sortField=
The Lancashire FT MBA

Lancashire Business School is a major international centre for postgraduate education and development.
Our aim is to ensure that through the consistent provision of high quality programmes and services we enhance the competence and contribute to the achievement of personal and organisational excellence.
The Full-time MBA offers you the opportunity to gain essential knowledge and skills which will enhance your career prospects both nationally and on the global stage.
We believe in Learning in Action and in line with this philosophy have specifically designed the programme to include:
- Management Development residential which embodies the spirit of the MBA enabling you to find and realise your potential.
- The International Management in Action residential which gives you a rare insight into the practical application of management theory within a global business context.
- Change Management Project which enables you to examine a live issue within a local company
For more information click here : Full Time MBA
Next time you think life is hard….think again
My name is Nick Vujicic and I was born without limbs and doctors have no medical explanation for this birth "defect". As you can imagine, I was faced with many challenges and obstacles. Their firstborn son had been born without limbs! There were no warnings or time to prepare themselves for it. The doctors were shocked and had no answers at all! There is still no medical reason why this had happened and Nick now has a Brother and Sister who were born just like any other baby. I know that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence that these "bad" things happen in our life. I had complete peace knowing that God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless God has a good purpose for it all I am now twenty-three years old and have completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting. I am also a motivational speaker and love to go out and share my story and testimony wherever opportunities become available. I have developed talks to relate to and encourage students through topics that challenge today's teenagers. I am also a speaker in the corporate sector.I have a passion for reaching out to youth and keep myself available for whatever God wants me to do, and wherever He leads, I follow. Writing several best-selling books has been one of my dreams and I hope to finish writing my first by the end of the year.
It will be called "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!"
I believe that if you have the desire and passion to do something, and if it's God's will, you will achieve it in good time. As humans, we continually put limits on ourselves for no reason at all! What's worse is putting limits on God who can do all things. We put God in a "box". The awesome thing about the Power of God, is that if we want to do something for God, instead of focusing on our capability, concentrate on our availability for we know that it is God through us and we can't do anything without God . Once we make ourselves available for God's work, guess whose capabilities we rely on? God's!
The ONLY FEAR IN LIFE IS THAT I FORGET HOW GOD HAS LED ME IN THE PAST!
MBA in FedEx
These days MBA means everything for bachelor graduations and they think without MBA they can not do anything,no opportunities,no more chance,nothing .MBA is an abbreviation of Master of Business Administration and is a master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the USA, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out scientific approaches to management. The MBA degree has since achieved worldwide recognition. However i have found this video on youtube which is about MBA and might be good for those of you interested in this degree, I know ...ok...I am also MBA student :D .enjoy it.......
The Best Debit Card To Use Abroad
Two month ago when i was preparing my stuff for Toulouse tripe,i was looking to find an alternative way instead of cash. Someone suggested to use my debit card ,however he was not sure about the charges. Anyway today i've found this article which might be helpful for those of you whom like travelling, The Best Debit Card To Use Abroad By Serena CowdyIn this article, I recently highlighted the fees and charges to watch out for if you use your credit card abroad.
But what about using your debit card while on holiday? Many people assume that using their debit card overseas means they won't be charged... but unfortunately, they're mistaken.
In fact, overseas charges on debit cards can really mount up. Here, I'm going to look at the worst offenders.
And I'm also going to highlight the 'good guy' - the only debit card that won't cost you any extra money to use it overseas.
A host of sneaky charges
There are several charges to watch out for if you use your debit card abroad. Use the wrong one, and you could be hit with four separate fees. Eeek!
Cash conversion charge
If you use most debit cards to withdraw money from a foreign ATM, you're likely to incur a cash conversion charge - typically of around 2.75% of the amount withdrawn.
Essentially, the higher the percentage fee, the worse the rate of exchange you're getting.
Cash transaction charge
Confusingly, many debit card providers also hit you with another ATM fee - a cash transaction charge (also known as a cash withdrawal charge).
This is also a percentage fee (typically around 1.5%) - but beware - there is usually a minimum charge of around £2-£3.
This means that customers withdrawing lots of small amounts will be the hardest hit: they could be paying an extra £3 for every £10 they withdraw - ouch!
So, it's worth planning ahead so you know how much money you're likely to need, and can withdraw larger amounts all in one go.
Putting these first two charges together - you could easily end up paying an extra £4 (or even more) on every £100 you withdraw from a foreign cash machine.
Paying for purchases
You might think you can avoid fees by paying by debit card directly for your purchases, rather than using it to withdraw cash. Unfortunately, most debit cards will charge you to do this as well.
Retail conversion charge
The first fee you're likely to face in this instance is a retail conversion charge. As with the cash conversion charge, this is typically around 2.75% of the amount spent on the card.
Retail transaction charge
And you may also be hit with a retail transaction charge. This is sometimes a flat fee (typically around £1.25), but can also be a percentage of the overall spend (typically around 2.75%).
All this means that if you use the wrong debit card to pay for something in a foreign shop, you could, again, be charged £4 or more for every £100 you spend - no better than withdrawing cash.
In summary
Are you wondering what your current debit card will charge you? Here's a breakdown of what to expect:
To check the table please visit http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/24062008/404/best-debit-card-use-abroad.html
A clear winner
As you can see, one debit card provider comes out head and shoulders above the rest.
Nationwide Building Society is the only provider that does not make any additional charges for using your card abroad. If you get a Nationwide FlexAccount Visa Debit card, you won't be charged any extra conversion or transaction charges - no matter how you use it.
You may decide that overall, you don't want to use the Nationwide current account as your main one all year round (check out this current account article to help you decide).
However, if you're organised, there's no reason why you can't use another current account while in the UK, and just use the Nationwide account when you jet off abroad.
Check out Nationwide's overseas usage calculator to find out exactly how much you could save.
The alternatives
Of course, there are certain circumstances when a debit card won't do the trick.
For example, some hotels and car hire companies insist you pay by credit card. And using a credit card mean you'll have extra spending protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
If it's too late to open a new current account before you jet off, you can still save a packet by finding The Cheapest Way To Get Your Holiday Cash.
Whatever method you choose, forewarned is forearmed. A bit of research could help you avoid a host of charges - so you can spend your holiday money on something fun, instead.
Good luck!
http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/24062008/404/best-debit-card-use-abroad.html
100 banned words
The Local Government Association (LGA) published a list of 100 words that public bodies should not use if they want to communicate effectively. Loads of words and to be honest it needs time for me to use other synoneyms. However when you want to be fluent in English you should accept and admire the new rules. Anyway This is the list i hope you enjoy.
- ambassador
- agencies
- beacon
- best practice
- bottom-up
- CAAs
- can do culture
- capacity
- capacity building
- cascading
- cautiously welcome
- champion
- citizen empowerment
- community engagement
- conditionality
- consensual
- contestability
- core message
- core value
- coterminosity
- coterminous
- cross-cutting
- customer
- democratic mandate/legitimacy
- distorts spending priorities
- early win
- empowerment
- engagement
- engaging users
- enhance
- evidence base
- external challenge
- facilitate
- fast-track
- flexibilities and freedoms
- framework
- fulcrum
- good practice
- governance
- guidelines
- holistic
- holistic governance
- improvement levers
- incentivising
- income/funding streams
- initiative
- joined up
- joint working
- LAAs
- level playing field
- localities
- meaningful consultation/dialogue
- MAAs
- menu of options
- multi-agency
- multidisciplinary
- outcomes
- output
- participatory
- partnerships
- pathfinder
- peer challenge
- performance network
- place shaping
- predictors of beaconicity
- preventative services
- priority
- process driven
- quick hit
- quick win
- resource allocation
- revenue streams
- risk based
- caled-back
- scoping
- seedbed
- service users
- hared priority
- signpost
- single point of contact
- slippage
- social contracts
- stakeholder
- step change
- strategic/overarching
- streamlined
- subsidiary
- sustainable
- sustainable communities
- symposium
- synergies
- tested for soundness
- third sector
- top-down
- transformational
- transparency
- value-added
- vision
- visionary
- welcome
Parents are the best Consultants for you
Have you ever think about your parent's role in your success? Some people want to neglect this concept from their business or social life, however most of entrepreneurs bravely state their parent's impact in their successful life. Some people believe business is in their DNA and some other believe their parents has significant role to choose the best way in their life. Some children can learn risk taking or hardworking from their fathers, some other might learn how to be patient from their mothers. Also some of the famous people in business world often get a helping hand from their parents. These examples show how important they are. A dad's entrepreneurial spirit can rub off on children . Moreover it is mom who is the invisible , guiding hand that helped create some of world's most innovative and successful companies.Don't forget them in your business success, they are the best consultants in your life who know you better than yourself, your parents are accessible for you free of charge. http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/may2008/sb2008058_368037.htm
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2008/sb20080612_884694.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories
Life is like a cup of coffee

I have posted an article in my Persian weblog which is about the life, "Life is like a cup of coffee". I decided to translate it to English and now this is the English version of that article.
Five graduated students went to see their tutor after 4-5 years . They went to his office and talked about their life. Everyone complained about his life, his job, family and all negative things. During this time the tutor was making coffee, he left the coffee with 6 different cups on the table,plastic cup,glass, paper cup ....different size,shape and colour.Each of them took a cup,filled it with gorgeous coffee. They were five and one disgusting cup had left on the table. Our old,experienced teacher told to his students:" Now you are drinking coffee and each of you tried to choose the best cup or mug for yourself, and the worst cup is still on the table". they were surprised by tutors sentences . He continued : "You were looking to drink coffee ,not the cups but tried to choose the best cup comparing with your friends' mug . Life is like coffee; your social position, salary and job is like the cup. The cup could change the outlook but coffee is still coffee with no changes. In the real life is the same, you can change your life with luxury and beautiful stuff but you can not change your life . You should enjoy the taste of your life (coffee),but if you just focus of the cups you will lose your life.
However you can enjoy your coffee (life) with beautiful cups.Try to make your life comfortable but don't forget and don't waste your life.



