Non-EU students at university in London face deportation

London: Over 2,600 non-EU students at a major London university who face deportation after immigration officials last night revoked its licence to admit international students due to "serious and systemic failures".

In a move that sent ripples across Britain's higher education sector, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) stripped the London Metropolitan University (LMU) of its licence to admit international students, putting the future of its non-EU students in serious jeopardy.

If the non-EU students already on courses at the university are unable to transfer to another UK university within 60 days, they face deportation to their home countries, according to UKBA rules.

Non-EU students who have already secured visa and are preparing to come and study at LMU from next month, will have their visas cancelled due to the revocation.

The Home Office guidance to universities states: "If a student has already been given a visa when we revoke your licence, we will cancel it if they have not travelled to the UK. If they then travel to the UK, we will refuse them entry."

LMU, which has faced serious funding and other issues in recent years, said the "the implications of the revocation are hugely significant and far-reaching", but its vice-chancellor Malcolm Gillies said its "absolute priority" was current and prospective students and that the university "will meet all its obligations to them".

A task force has been set up to help the students affected by the revocation.

Universities Minister David Willetts said: "It is important that genuine students who are affected through no fault of their own are offered prompt advice and help, including, if necessary, with finding other institutions at which to finish their studies".

He added: "We are tonight asking HEFCE [Higher Education Funding Council for England] and Universities UK to lead a task force, which will include UKBA and the NUS, to work with London Metropolitan University to support affected students and enable them to continue their studies in the UK. The task force will start work immediately."

Immigration minister Damian Green said LMU had "seriously breached" their visa licence privileges, and said: "London Met was seriously deficient as a sponsor and could not remain in this way."

Stating that the revocation would "cause anxiety and distress" to LMU students and their families, Eric Thomas, president of Universities UK said the revocation will not affect international students enrolled at other UK universities.

UKBA said in a statement: "London Metropolitan University's licence to sponsor non-EU students has been revoked after it failed to address serious and systemic failings that were identified by the UK Border Agency six months ago".

It added: "We have been working with them since then, but the latest audit revealed problems with 61 per cent of files randomly sampled. Allowing London Metto continue to sponsor and teach international students was not an option."

Max Watson, chairman of the LMU branch of trade union Unison said some of the universitys staff feared that the ban on taking non-EU students could lead to the university's demise.

"Some people are seeing this as the start of the endgame," Watson said.
Income from high-fee paying international students is crucial to the revenues of LMU and several universities.

The university sector has faced deep funding cuts under the David Cameron government which is struggling to cut budget deficit.

State lost 6,500 jobs in July, Bureau of Labor Statistics reports

Wisconsin lost 6,500 jobs in July, according to a monthly survey of employment by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The monthly estimates have been criticized for being less accurate than quarterly figures taken from businesses’ state tax and unemployment reports.

But the three-month picture for the first quarter of 2012 wasn’t good, either. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported Aug. 16 that close to 51,000 jobs were lost between Jan. 1 and March 31.

Despite the downturn, Wisconsin has added about 28,000 jobs overall in the past year.

But the state has had a net loss of 27,000 jobs since December 2010, the month prior to Gov. Scott Walker coming into office. Walker promised he would help create 250,000 jobs before the end of his four-year term. He’s nearing the half-way point of the term, with no progress to date.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wisconsin ended 2011 with 2,689,565 jobs. The bureau said the state ranked 40th in job creation in 2011.

Unemployment rises

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent in July. That’s up 0.3 from from June, and up 0.5 percent from May.

Preliminary figures showed that the state lost 6,000 private sector jobs and 500 government jobs last month. That’s based on a federal survey of just 3.5 percent of the state’s employers.

The initial figures are often heavily revised, but the June revision didn’t bode well for the Badger State, either. It showed a net loss of 11,300 jobs for the month.

State officials have questioned the credibility of the initial numbers, the ones that get the most publicity and political commentary.

Gov. Scott Walker has said that a much more accurate figure comes from the quarterly census that includes data from 95 percent of employers.

Governor on ‘CBS This Morning’

Gov. Walker went on “CBS This Morning” Friday, Aug. 17, and said it’s “ridiculous” that Mitt Romney is being pressured to release more years of his income tax returns.

Democrats are pressuring the GOP presidential candidate to release more than the complete 2010 returns and the 2011 summary that he’s put out already.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has said he was told that Romney paid no taxes for a decade.

While campaigning in South Carolina Thursday, Romney said he reviewed his taxes, and he has never paid less than 13 percent of his actual income to the federal government.

Walker tossed the issue aside and said, “Voters in my state want to hear what you’re going to do to turn things around, and only Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan really have a substantive plan to do that, for small businesses to put people back to work.”

Walker also discussed the possibility that Ryan would generate votes for Romney and help the GOP win the state’s presidential vote for the first time since 1984.

UK unemployment falls further post London Olympics

LONDON: The number of Britons out of work fell to the lowest level in nearly a year in the three months through June, data showed on Wednesday, providing some rare good news from the recession-hit economy. The fall in unemployment and the rise in employment will come as a relief for the government, under intense pressure to revive the economy, which is stuck in recession as cuts to public spending, the euro zone debt crisis and a lack of bank lending hold back growth.

The number of people claiming jobless benefit fell by 5,900 in July, the Office for National Statistics said. Analysts had forecast an increase of 6,000 on the month. The number of people without a job on the wider ILO measure fell by 46,000 in the three months to June to 2.564 million. The jobless rate dipped to 8.0 per cent, the lowest level since the three months to July 2011 and compared with forecasts for an unchanged reading of 8.1 per cent.

The ONS said that the decline in unemployment was largely due to falling jobless numbers in London, where also almost half of the new jobs were created, adding to signs that some of the labour market improvement was due to the Olympics. Employment in Britain rose by 201,000 in the three months through June to 29.476 million, the biggest quarterly rise since May to July 2010 and the highest level since May to July 2008. The economy has been stuck in recession since late 2011, and while a modest rebound over the summer is likely due to one-off factors and a boost from the London 2012 Olympics, a more sustained recovery looks elusive.

The Bank of England sees no growth for the full year, while other economists expect the economy to shrink. The rise in employment in a declining economy has been one of the biggest riddles for economists, and many expect unemployment to rise in due course. Business surveys have shown relatively stable staffing plans, though a recent poll showed that the number of people placed in permanent jobs in Britain fell for the second straight month in July.

The government has been hoping that private companies create enough jobs to make up for the some 700,000 jobs expected to be lost due to its plan of government spending cut s aimed at erasing the country's large budget deficit.

The fall in unemployment may help to support consumption as many Britons have been holding back spending as fears about job security weighed on confidence. However, the ONS' wage data showed that inflation of 2.6 per cent in July still outpaced earnings increases, denting consumers' spending power. Average weekly earnings growth including bonuses rose by 1.6 per cent in the three months to June, compared to a year ago. Analysts had forecast a rise of 1.8 per cent. Excluding bonuses, earnings increased by 1.8 per cent compared to a forecast of 1.9 per cent.

Iran halts visa-free entry for Turks ahead of NAM summit

Iran has suspended until at least the end of the month visa-free entry for nationals of Turkey and eight other countries, citing its hosting of a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, the Mehr news agency reported today.

Turkish media have highlighted the suspension, which came amid heightened tensions between Iran and Turkey over opposing stances on the conflict in Syria.

Iran's embassy in Ankara confirmed the suspension, and said the NAM summit was the sole reason. "The three-week suspension of the no-visa arrangement is due only to the important Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran," to be held August 26-31, the embassy said in a statement reported by Mehr.

"The suspension does not effect only Turkish visitors. It applies to all countries that enjoy visa-free travel to Iran," it said. It added that Turkish officials had been informed of the decision in advance.

The Non-Aligned Movement is a grouping of 120 countries which consider themselves not formally part of the world's major power blocs. Iran is to take over its rotating presidency from Egypt at the summit.

The Tehran mayor's office said 9,000 people from 120 countries are expected to travel to the Iranian capital for the summit, Mehr reported.

According to the Iranian foreign ministry, the countries having a visa-free arrangement with Iran are: Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Ecuador, Georgia, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Turkey, Syria and Venezuela.

Nearly 15,000 Turkish nationals visited Iran in 2011.

It was not immediately known whether Turkey would suspend visa-free entry for Iranians in a reciprocal step.

More than a million and half Iranians visited Turkey in 2011, according to Iranian tourism officials. That flow has lessened this year because of the devaluation of Iran's currency against the dollar due to

Western sanctions. According to the Turkish ministry of culture and tourism, some 439,000 Iranians travelled to Turkey in the first five months of this year.

UK visa: priority service for visa delivery within five days to improve its visa service in China

Britain has undertaken special measures such as a priority service for visa delivery within five days to improve its visa service in China, which has more visa application centres than any other country.

Official sources here said that in 2011, 30 per cent more visas were issued to Chinese visitors than in 2010.

More agents have also been accredited by the UK Border Agency to expand the dedicated service provided to tourist groups.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said: "We welcome the strong growth in Chinese visitors to the UK - it shows the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for both tourism and business.

"China is one of the UK's priority markets for tourism and business and we are committed to providing an ever improving service to support this".

These improvements will support a new 8 million pounds investment in tourism from China announced by Jeremy Hunt, Secretary for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport today.

Green added: "We've already introduced a number of service enhancements to ensure a good customer experience and are constantly seeking improvements so that our service continues to rival that offered by our European neighbours".

Improvements made by UKBA to the visa service in China include: 150 additional visa officers to assist during the peak summer period; online application forms to streamline the visa application process; 72 agents providing a dedicated service for tourist groups through the Approved Destination Scheme (ADS), which saw a 164 per cent increase in the number of Chinese tourists travelling under the scheme between 2009 to 2011.

The sources added that the improvements included upgrading of the three busiest visa application centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to meet increasing demand, including VIP facilities for Premium Visa service customers.

Besides, UKBA has also set up an online appointment system to reduce customer waiting times at application centres and a Chinese language website.

Australia - New in Visas, Immigration and Refugees

Australia's healthy economy is being driven by a strong mining and energy sector. US war veterans have the know-how in engineering, planning and heavy machinery, and could offer a solution for some of Australia's skills shortage. While the US economy is recovering, Australia is offering an opportunity for war veterans with the experience and qualifications to fill skilled vacancies down under.


Ottawa call centre

The Ottawa Call Centre answers thousands of telephone calls and emails every year. If you live in the Americas and have a question on visas, skilled migration or citizenship, then the team at the centre is there to help in English, French, Spanish and Portugese.

Why should I become an Australian citizen?

Australian citizenship is an important step in your migration story. Becoming an Australian citizen means that you are making an ongoing commitment to Australia and all that this country stands for. It is also the beginning of your formal membership of the Australian community. It is the step that will enable you to say ‘I am Australian’.
Australian citizenship is a privilege that offers enormous rewards. By becoming an Australian citizen, you are joining a unique national community. Our country has been built on the combined contributions of our Indigenous people and those who came later from all over the world. We celebrate this diversity and at the same time, strive for a unified and harmonious nation.
The strength of the Australian community means that we work together to solve problems and to make Australia the great country that it is. We have a stable system of government and Australians respect the authority and laws of the government. Our stability, our culture and our laws have been shaped by our history. By joining the Australian community, you will inherit this history and you will be in a position to contribute to it.

Responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship
Australia’s democratic beliefs, rights and liberties

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)

The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) provides free English language courses to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants.
Participants can also make new friends and learn about Australia, its people and customs.

Learning English

Information about learning English with the AMEP.

Teaching English

Information for teachers and service providers.

Information in Other Languages

Information about the AMEP in 27 community languages.

AMEP Facts & Figures

Information about the services offered by the AMEP, and how the program operates.

SkillSelect for those interested in migrating to Australia

SkillSelect is an online service that enables skilled workers interested in migrating to Australia to record their details to be considered for a skilled visa through an Expression of Interest (EOI). Intending migrants can be found and nominated for skilled visas by Australian employers or state and territory governments, or they could be invited by the Australian Government to lodge a visa application.

The benefits of SkillSelect

SkillSelect is a major change to how Australia manages its skilled migration program.

SkillSelect helps to ensure the skilled migration program is based on the economic needs of Australia. It will support the Australian Government in managing who can apply for skilled migration, when they can apply and in what numbers. As a result, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship expects to significantly reduce the time taken to process a visa application.

SkillSelect will also help address regional skill shortages. SkillSelect allows intending migrants to indicate if they are willing to live and work in regional Australia. This will be of particular benefit to employers experiencing regional skill shortages and state and territory governments attempting to settle migrants in regional Australia.

How SkillSelect works

SkillSelect is an online service that enables skilled workers and business people interested in migrating to Australia to record their details to be considered for a skilled visa through an Expression of Interest (EOI).

Intending migrants can then be found and nominated for skilled visas by Australian employers or state and territory governments, or they may be invited by the Australian Government to lodge a visa application.

From 1 July 2012, all intending migrants interested in the points based skilled migration or business investment and innovation visa programs will be required to submit an EOI and receive an invitation in order to lodge a visa application.

Details at http://www.immi.gov.au/skills/skillselect/

Australian Visa Enquiries

Change of Address, Name or Passport Details

Forms you can use to notify the department about a change of address, name or passport details.

Employers

Find contact details and information to assist Australian employers check work rights and Visa Entitlement Verification Online.

Workers

Find contact details and information about lodging or checking your applications for General Skilled Migration visas, Employer Sponsored Workers visas, Business Skills visas, visas for Doctors and Nurses and Working Holiday visas.

Students and Sponsored Training

Find contact details and information about making and checking the progress of applications for Student visas and Sponsored Training visas including Professional Development or Occupational Trainee visas.

Visitors

Find contact details and information about making, and checking the progress of Tourist, eVisitor, ETA and Working Holiday applications, including information about making online applications.

Family Members

Find contact details and information about making and checking the progress of applications for visas for Family members including Child, Partner and Parents visas.

Event Organisers and Participants

Visa requirements assistance for event organisers and participants when travelling to Australia for conferences, meetings and special events.

Australian Immigration Offices Outside the country

This page provides information on contacting Australian Immigration Offices outside Australia. They may include:
  • location of Australian Visa Office responsible for specific country, region or economy
  • a Service Delivery Partner (SDP) to provide visa application services on behalf of the department - if the Australian Visa Office has an agreement with another company
  • where to direct your visa or citizenship enquiries (Australian Visa Office or SDP)
  • how to lodge your application
  • hours of operation – counter and telephone
  • website addresses.
Use the list below to find the responsible Australian Visa Office for your country, region or economy.
  1. A
  2.  
  3. B
  4.  
  5. C
  6.  
  7. D
  8.  
  9. E
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  11. F
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  13. G
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  15. H
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  17. I
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  19. J
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  21. K
  22.  
  23. L
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  25. M
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  27. N
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  29. O
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  31. P
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  42. V
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  44. W
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  46. Y
  47.  
  48. Z

Australian Government's Electronic Travel Authority System

If you are planning a holiday visit or a short business trip to Australia, you will need to apply for either a visa or an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority). An ETA will let you spend up to three months in Australia.

Am I eligible?
You are only eligible to apply for an ETA while you are outside of Australia. To apply through this site, you must also hold one of the listed ETA-eligible passports. If you do not meet these criteria, you may be eligible for an eVisitor or an e676 Tourist visa online. Visit www.immi.gov.au to check your eligibility for these services.
ETA-eligible passports:
  • Brunei
  • Canada
  • Hong Kong SAR
  • Japan
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • United States of America
Holders of UK British National (Overseas) (GBN) passports are not eligible to apply for ETAs through this site.
What is an ETA?
An ETA is equivalent to a visa, but there is no stamp or label in your passport and there is no need for you to visit an Australian diplomatic office to submit an application. Applications for ETAs can be submitted through travel agents or airlines.
Now, you can also submit applications directly through this web site by clicking on the Apply for ETA button and, in most cases, we will be able to approve your ETA in less than 30 seconds. In a small number of cases, if your ETA cannot be approved immediately, you will need to check back in 12 hours to confirm whether your application has been successful. You can also check your ETA status, if you applied through this site, by clicking on the Check your ETAbutton.
The ETA is issued electronically by a computer system operated for the Department of Immigration And Citizenship (DIAC) of Australia.
When an application for an ETA is submitted through this site, all you need to do is enter the details from your passport and your credit card information. The application is processed immediately. Approved applications are electronically recorded on Australian Government systems.
When you arrive at an airport for check-in on a flight to Australia, the airline check-in staff can electronically confirm that you have authority to board the flight to Australia.

What types of ETAs can I apply for online?
Visitor ETA
If you are travelling for tourism or to visit friends or relatives, you should apply for the Visitor/Tourist ETA. It is valid for 12 months with stays of up to 3 months on each visit, and can be used for single or multiple entry travel. Employment is prohibited.
Short Validity Business ETA
If you are travelling for business purposes, you should apply for the Short Validity Business ETA. It is valid for 12 months with stays of up to 3 months on each visit, and can be used for single or multiple entry travel. Employment is prohibited.

How much does this service cost?
All applications processed through this site are subject to a Service Charge of AUS$20.00 which will appear as an entry on your credit card statement against iVisa Services. Payment is by credit card only. The cards accepted by this site are American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Mastercard and Visa.
The Service Charge is payable upon submission of validated application data and pressing the 'Submit' button.
Payment of the charge does not guarantee that the application will be successful. The Service Charge is applied to recover the cost of running this service. As successful and unsuccessful applications use system resources, the charge is non-refundable.


What are the conditions?
Visitor ETA conditions
  • Valid for visits to Australia for tourism or to visit friends or relatives
  • Valid for multiple visits within 12 months from date of issue
  • Maximum length of each visit is three months
  • Condition 8101 - You must not work while in Australia
  • Condition 8201 - You must not study for more than 3 months
  • Condition 8527 - You must be free from tuberculosis
  • Condition 8528 - You must not have any criminal convictions for which you have been sentenced for a total combined period of 12 months or more, whether or not the sentence/s were served
Short Validity Business ETA conditions
  • For visits to Australia for business meetings, conventions and conferences
  • Valid for multiple visits within 12 months from date of issue
  • Maximum length of each visit is three months
  • Condition 8112 - Work is not allowed; except for a very short period to undertake work not able to be done by any Australian citizen or permanent resident
  • Not for acting, musical performances or commercial film making; in these cases, apply for an Entertainment visa. See: Entertainment visa (subclass 420)
  • Generally, people seeking paid employment in Australia should apply for the Temporary Business Entry Long Stay (subclass 457) visa, or other appropriate class of visa. See: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/index.htm
  • Condition 8201 - You must not study for more than 3 months
  • Condition 8527 - You must be free from tuberculosis
  • Condition 8528 - You must not have any criminal convictions for which you have been sentenced for a total combined period of 12 months or more, whether or not the sentence/s were served
Important: You may not be permitted to enter Australia unless you are in good health and have no criminal convictions. See details at http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/index.html 

Most mothers take leave from work after childbirth: StatsCan

OTTAWA—Most Canadian mothers with young children took some type of maternity leave following childbirth, according to a new study.

Statistics Canada said 90 per cent of children between the ages of one and three living outside Quebec had working mothers who temporarily left their jobs after giving birth.

Their average leave was 44 weeks, the agency said.

About 26 per cent of these children had working fathers who also stayed home after they were born. Fathers took an average of 2.4 weeks off work.

Statistics Canada said most mothers — 83 per cent — took paid leave. Around one in five mothers took unpaid leave. The average length of paid leave was 40 weeks, while the average for unpaid leave was 4.5 weeks.

“A number of factors, including socio-economic and child and maternal health characteristics, were associated with whether mothers and fathers took leave and with the length of leave,” the agency said.

The report covered the 2010-11 period.

In Quebec, which has its own parental benefits program, almost all mothers took some form of leave.

Ninety-nine per cent of children living in Quebec had working mothers, who stayed home an average of 48 weeks after childbirth.

The Quebec Parental Insurance Plan differs from the Canada Employment Insurance Program available in other provinces and territories.

More mothers in Quebec took paid leave than in other provinces. About 97 per cent of children had mothers who took paid leave, while 21 per cent reported unpaid leave.

About three-quarters of fathers in Quebec stayed home after the birth of their children.

In Quebec and the rest of Canada, the agency said self-employment determined the length of time off work.

“Both mothers and fathers who were self-employed took shorter leaves, even after considering factors such as whether the child was first-born, the sex of the child, the mother’s age, and parental education and income,” the study read.

Statistics Canada said mothers who reported postpartum depression had higher odds of taking leave. They took more time off work than mothers who did not report postpartum depression.

JSPS-NSF International Collaborations in Chemistry (ICC)

JSPS-NSF International Collaborations in Chemistry (ICC): How to apply

Application Procedure

This program has a two-step screening process.
(1) 'Preliminary Proposals': Preliminary screening process is conducted only on the NSF side, so Japanese Principle Investigators (PIs) need not submit a 'Preliminary Proposal' to JSPS.

Japanese researchers who wish to apply for this program are to contact their counterpart American researchers to make sure that they submit preliminary proposals to NSF.

For further details, Click here (NSF)

NSF will inform the American PIs of the preliminary screening results around early December. JSPS will contact only the Japanese PIs whose proposals are successful. Only the proposals that pass NSF's preliminary screening may apply to both JSPS and NSF as Full Proposals. 

(2) 'Full Proposals': Japanese PIs whose counterpart US PIs' preliminary proposals have been accepted by NSF should submit their full proposals to JSPS. 

Although application forms for full proposals differ in format between NSF and JSPS, the contents of the two proposals submitted to NSF and JSPS by a research group should be the same. If the contents of the two proposals are found to be different, screening or selection of the project may be cancelled.

JSPS and NSF will inform the Japanese/American PIs respectively of the full screening results.

Schedule

1 Aug 2012Closing for accepting preliminary proposals (only on NSF side)
Around Sep 2012Notify preliminary screening results
21 Sep 2012Start accepting full proposals
16 Oct 2012Stop accepting full proposals
April 2013Notify screening results
Before Sep 2013Start project
*JSPS receives applications via its on-line application system. For details, please refer to the following webpage: (only in Japanese)
http://www-shinsei.jsps.go.jp/topkokusai/top_kokusai.html

Application guidelines/forms

Download
FY2013 Call for ProposalsPDF
Application form(Japanese only)WOR
*Supplementary document:
Japanese PIs are to submit the following supplementary document to JSPS:
- A full version of the American PI's application (full proposal) to NSF

Selection Procedure

At JSPS, the screening process is conducted in two stages: A document review by referees and a panel review that decides which proposals to refer to NSF. JSPS and NSF then make the final selection jointly.

July jobs report: Why the unemployment rate just won’t budge in US

The U.S. economy added 163,000 jobs in July, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And the unemployment rate stayed essentially unchanged, even nudging up slightly from 8.2 percent to 8.3 percent (actually, if you want to get technical, it went from 8.22 percent to 8.25 percent).

The bright spot here is that the job market isn’t getting dramatically worse. Those 163,000 new jobs were more than forecasters expected. July’s jobs figures were also much better than the disappointing reports in May and June. The more troubling news, however, is that the economy isn’t getting dramatically better, either.
This has been the case for quite some time: In the first seven months of 2012, the economy has added 151,000 jobs per month on average. That’s on par with 2011, when the economy added an average of 153,000 jobs per month. That’s enough to keep up with the growth of the U.S. population. But it’s not enough to bring down the unemployment rate dramatically. According to the Hamilton Project’s jobs calculator, if we keep adding 151,000 jobs per month, on average, we won’t return to pre-recession levels of employment until after 2025.

Some other points of interest in the report: BLS revised its numbers slightly for previous months. The figures from May got revised up from 77,000 new jobs to 87,000. And June’s numbers got revised down, from 80,000 to 64,000.

Meanwhile, some sectors of the economy showed signs of growth. Manufacturing added 25,000 jobs last month. The automobile industry had fewer layoffs than usually occurs at this time of year. The professional and business services sector added 49,000 jobs in July. Leisure, hospitality, and food services also saw a bump, with 29,000 new jobs. Meanwhile, hospitals and outpatient care sectors continued to hire new workers.

U.S. adds 163,000 jobs; unemployment at 8.3 percent

WASHINGTON Friday’s monthly unemployment report provides Republican Mitt Romney a fresh chance to highlight discontent over the economy even as President Barack Obama pre-empted him with a swing-state ad campaign attacking the challenger’s tax plan.

While payrolls rose by 163,000, more than forecast, the jobless rate increased to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent, a five-month high, the Labor Department reported.

Neither number is likely to sway many voters, said Dan Schnur, a campaign adviser to Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s first bid for the White House.

“Voters already know what they think about the economy,” Schnur, director of the Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said Thursday. “What’s left is for them to decide who can do something to make it better.”

Private forecasters expected the unemployment rate to hold steady at 8.2 percent and payrolls to increase by 100,000 after an 80,000 gain in June, according to the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.

U.S. stocks rose following the Labor Department report. The economy is the dominant issue in the presidential race and the two campaigns are taking divergent approaches to framing the debate.

JSPS - Bilateral Programs

Bilateral Programs

July 6, 2012Joint Research Projects/Seminars FY2013 Call For Proposals (September Application Round) was posted.
July 6, 2012Researcher Exchange Program FY2013 Call For Proposals was posted.
JSPS promotes international scientific exchanges between Japan and counterpart countries in accordance with agreements or memoranda of understanding concluded with academies, research councils and other science-promotion organizations in those countries. Programs with such partner agencies mainly take the form of joint research projects, joint seminars and researcher exchanges.
Proposals for bilateral programs are openly recruited; and, per agreement with the partner agency, are jointly selected and supported.
Project operation
Project operation
(1) Joint Research Projects
Under this format, support is provided for joint projects carried out by research teams in Japan and the counterpart country based on a 2-3 year research plan. JSPS’s support mainly takes the form of travel grants. The ultimate purpose of these projects is to build sustainable inter-group networks by supporting researcher interaction between the two teams.
(2) Joint Seminars
Supported are small-scale scientific seminars organized by bilateral teams for a period of up to one week. They are held in either Japan or the counterpart country.
(3) Researcher Exchanges
Under this framework, the sending country nominates visiting researchers, whom it dispatches upon the receiving country’s acceptance. These exchanges normally provide researchers with their first opportunity to do research in the counterpart country. Program Guidelines for the Researcher Exchange Program

Call for Proposals
  1. Joint Research Projects/Seminars FY2013 Call For Proposals (September Application Round) was posted. NEW
  2. Researcher Exchange Program FY2013 Call For Proposals was posted.  NEW
  3. Joint Research Projects/Seminars FY2012 Call For Proposals (February Application Round) was posted.  *closed 
Additional information
  1. Number of Joint Research Projects and Seminars under the Bilateral Programs (FY2007 - FY2009)
  2. Number of Japanese researchers selected under the Researcher Exchange Program (FY2007 - FY2009)
  3. Progress Report of the US-Japan Cooperative Cancer Research Program (April1974 - March2010)
  4. List of Joint Research Projects and Seminars (FY2009)

More jobs in South Africa - but figures still disappointing

Heavy job losses in the manufacturing and trade sectors of the economy marred news yesterday that unemployment dipped unexpectedly during the second quarter of this year.

South Africa's official jobless rate fell to 24,9% from 2,.2% in the first quarter of the year, leaving 4,47-million people without jobs, Statistics SA said. Employment rose by 0,2%, or 25 000 jobs, taking the total number of employed people to almost 13,5-million.

On the face of it, the news is welcome, but a closer examination of data raises some questions.

The size of the labour force fell by 32 000 to 17,91-million people during the second quarter, which would have helped to lower the jobless rate.

The figures also showed that employment in South Africa's embattled mining sector rose by 6,3% compared with the first quarter of this year, adding 21 000 jobs; and increased by 26,6% compared with the same quarter last year, adding 75 000 jobs.

This is odd as mining output contracted sharply over most of last year and during the first quarter of this year, as the sector battled rising costs and weaker global demand.

Getting a non-teaching job in Japan

Advice from someone who has always worked as a teacher. Take what you will from this video, but do some serious research if you are really interested in working in Japan.

The Second Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Nominations Open Now!

The deadline has been extended. New Deadline: July 31, 2012

The Prize consists of two categories:
Medical Research
and
Medical Services

Purpose of the prize -click here-

NOMINATION GUIDELINES (for both categories: Medical Research and Medical Services) -Click here (pdf)-

SUBMISSION OF NOMINATIONS (for both categories: Medical Research and Medical Services)

Following the Nomination Guidelines, please email or mail your nomination form with attachments to the below address.


The nomination form may be downloaded.
The same form is used for both categories:
Medical Research and Medical Services.




Email and Mailing addresses 

Medical Research nominationsHideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Medical Research Selection Committee
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
8 Ichibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8472
E-mail: nh-africa@jsps.go.jp
Tel: +81-3-3263-1722

Medical Services nominationsHideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Medical
Services Selection Committee
Regional Office for Africa, World Health Organization
Cité du Djoué, P.O.Box 06 Brazzaville, Congo
Tel: + (47 241) 39100 / + (242) 665 65 00
E-mail: noguchiprize@afro.who.int


  PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIZE

The spread of infectious diseases presents a common threat to all humankind. Mindful that Africa faces this scourge most acutely, the Government of Japan established the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize in July 2006 in memory of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi (1876-1928) whose belief in medical advancement and self-sacrificing activities in Africa remain a beacon of inspiration to all. Guided by these ideals and mindful of the ominous human suffering persisting in Africa, the region facing the most serious health challenge on the globe, the Prize aims to honour individuals with outstanding achievements in the fields of medical research and medical services to combat infectious and other diseases in Africa, thus contributing to the health and welfare of the African people and of all humankind.

The Prize consists of two categories: Medical Research honouring individual(s) andMedical Services honouring individual(s) or organization(s)

The Prize is awarded every five years and the second award will be presented in June 2013. (The first award was presented in 2008.)

Each category of the Prize consists of a citation, a medal and an honorarium of 100 million yen (≒1.18 million dollars).

The selection process comprises two stages, namely: (a) recommendation of a maximum of three candidates by two sub-Committees, one established under the auspices of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the other established under the auspices of the African Regional Office of the World Health Organization (AFRO), which are responsible for the above-mentioned two categories respectively; and (b) finalization of the candidates(s) by the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Committee to be referred to the Prime Minister for final decision.

For General information about the Prize:

Please contact the Office of Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, Cabinet Office
Tel: +81-3-5501-1742, Fax: +81-3-3502-6255
E-mail:g.noguchi-prize@cao.go.jp

LinkedIn and Your Job Search

Use LinkedIn to Job Search - User Guide

What do some of the big companies in common? All of them (and many more) have used LinkedIn to recruit candidates for employment.

There are many success stories for job seekers as well. One LinkedIn member received an inquiry less than 24 hours after posting his profile.

It's important to note that LinkedIn has reached a point where it's almost unprofessional not to be on LinkedIn. There are members from all 500 of the Fortune 500 companies. LinkedIn members comprise hundreds different industries, and include thousands of hiring managers recruiters.

Search LinkedIn

Take a few minutes to search LinkedIn and I'm sure you'll find lots of contacts from your current and prior employers, clients, vendors, and schools. All those contacts have the potential to help you grow your career or find a new job. In addition, it can be a good source of employment references, as well as reference checking.

Job Search

You can search the Jobs section of LinkedIn by keyword, company name, job title and location or use the Advanced Search option to search by more specific criteria.

How to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job - Or Have a Job Find You

  • Create a Profile. Create a detailed profile on LinkedIn, including employment (current and past), education, industry, and websites.
  • Consider a Photo. You can add a photo (a headshot is recommended or upload a larger photo and edit it) to your LinkedIn profile. Note that it must be a small photo - no larger than 80x80 pixels.
  • Keywords and Skills. Include all your resume keywords and skills in your profile, so your profile will be found.
  • Build Your Network. Connect with other members and build your network. The more connections you have, the more opportunities you have.
  • Get Recommendations. Recommendations from people you have worked with carry a lot of weight.
  • Search Jobs. Use the job search section to find job listings. You may also explore various job categories and job listings..
  • Use Answers. The Answers section of LinkedIn is a good way to increase your visibility. Respond to questions, and ask a question if you need information or assistance.
  • Stay Connected. Use LinkedIn Mobile (m.linkedin.com) to view profiles, invite new connections, and access to LinkedIn Answers from your phone. Also use LinkedIn Android Apps for free if you have an Android device. See more free Android apps..