ENGINEERING LIBRARY BLOG

NTU Library invites you to attend this talk :

Supporting Faculty Knowledge Production
Challenges and opportunities for information professionals in a digitally connected work
Mary Lee Kennedy, Executive Director,
Knowledge and Library Services, Harvard Business School

Wed 25 Nov 09 :: 10.30am :: LT5 :: NTU :: MAP

This talk looks at some of the primary shifts in digital scholarship and the related changes in the nature of the information profession. It highlights the challenges of being in a time of transition as well as the opportunities to create new services and products that bring significant value to our constituents. Mary Lee Kennedy will refer to the work at Harvard Business School, as well as related activities with colleagues in other institutions, including the new opportunity for a Global Knowledge Exchange via GKEN.

Mary Lee Kennedy is the Executive Director of Knowledge and Library Services at Harvard Business School. She is responsible for the School’s knowledge and information management strategy and its implementation. Prior to Harvard, Mary Lee held knowledge management positions with global responsibility for Microsoft Corporation and Digital Equipment Corporation.

Please register @ https://wis.ntu.edu.sg/pls/webexe/REGISTER_NTU.REGISTER?EVENT_ID=OA09111015555229.

IEEE is having a contest which Engineering students like you can participate and pits your knowledge and skills with your fellow course-mates or friends around the globe.

IEEE Presidents’ Change the World Competition - open to university students who demonstrate excellence in the development, design and implementation of technology that can solve a life challenge for the benefit of humanity.

Five finalists have been selected for the IEEE Engineering Your World Contest. Their video entries have been selected based on the innovative and creative use of science, engineering and technology to improve everyday life. The contest was held as one part of the global celebration of IEEE’s 125th Anniversary.

The winners are:
(1) Meat Thermometer by Michael Robbins
(2) Robot Alarm Clock by Kevin Darrah
(3) Oscilloscope by Kelby Skidmore
(4) Jewel De Designe by Nidish Vashistha
(5) Office Disco Ball by Michael Fercu

View the winner videos here.

Register here

Register here

A recent article in Nature journal reported on reforms to the Czech national science funding scheme that may interest those following research bibliometrics.

“Scientists in the Czech Republic are up in arms over drastic changes in the national science-funding system that they say will damage basic research in the long term.

Starting next year, core funding for Czech universities and research institutes will be allocated according to rigorous metrics. Institutes can obtain ‘points’ for a variety of publications and for patents, but also for any software, methods, samples, prototype devices and ‘validated technologies’ developed in-house. The government plan, drawn up over the past three years with the goal of increasing the efficiency of research and development, was approved by the Czech cabinet on 29 June.”

Some criticisms against the scheme include:
• giving a distorted overview of the “real assets in Czech science”
• ‘innovation” defined to equate “impressive sounding concepts and rushed patents applications” may downgrade the overall standard of scholarly peer-reviewed communication
• using a ‘one-size-fits-all’ metric on all branches of science is tricky

It was reported that the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic has frozen the budget for repairs and procurement, including purchasing scientific equipment, starting in January. There is also mention of budgets declines and staff cuts if the policy is strictly applied; and some comments from individual scientists on the new scheme, including written correspondence in response to the article entitled: “Czech bibliometric system fosters mediocre research”.

Read the full article in 8 July 2009 issue of Nature.