Developing a Sustainable Procurement Policy The WritePass Journal

Developing a Sustainable Procurement Policy Introduction Developing a Sustainable Procurement Policy ). According to Kennard (2006, p.1), ‘sustainable procurement is the process whereby economic development, social development and environmental protection are balanced against business needs.’ In simpler terms, sustainable procurement means carefully considering the impact of every purchasing decision on the environment and on society. The United Nations’ definition of sustainable procurement is similar to that of Kennard (2006). The UN (2010) defines procurement as sustainable if it is able to integrate requirements, specifications and criteria, which are compatible with and favourable towards the protection of the environment, promotes social progress, and supports economic development. Environmental aspect refers to the impacts of the product or service on the environment over the whole life-cycle (i.e. from cradle to grave). Social aspect deals with the effects of purchasing decisions on issues such as labour conditions, international equity in the distribution of resources, etc. Last but not least, economic considerations involve purchasing based on principles of best value for money, price, quality, availability and functionality. These can be achieved through resource efficiency, improving the quality of products and services, and by optimizing costs. For private business organisations engaging in sustainable procurement, it cannot be denied that that they are maximising net benefits both for themselves and the world at large (i.e. society and external environment). As such, businesses integrate cost considerations and the basic procurement criteria of price and quality, with sustainability impacts (usually evaluated in terms of quality consideration). The environmental, economic, and social factors that are part of sustainable procurement are known as the ‘triple bottom line’ or TBL (Meehan Bryde 2011). Despite the seemingly complicated requirements and processes involved for sustainable procurement, this is not meant to burden the market with additional obligations (UN 2010). Sustainable procurement is a well-defined strategy that can be phased gradually throughout the supply chain and the organisation’s business processes. When implemented effectively, sustainable procurement promotes dialogue and open communication between the suppliers, procurers, and management operations. Business Drivers for Sustainable Procurement There are several incentives for businesses to engage in sustainable procurement. One of the main drivers for sustainable procurement is due to its financial benefits. Sustainable procurement helps organisations to eliminate waste, be more energy efficient, reduce the company’s carbon foot print, and save money. Moreover, it can help to enhance the company’s image since this will have a positive impact on customers, especially as there is a rising demand for products and services that are produced in a more socially responsible and environmentally friendly way (CIPS 2012). Engaging in sustainable procurement also helps an organisation to establish a competitive advantage by improving competitiveness. Additionally, sustainable procurement will allow the company to comply with environmental legislation. Some organisations also aim to promote resource efficiency or increase their standing in sustainability rankings such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Copeland 2012). This may be motivated by the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Practicing sustainable procurement helps companies to achieve their CSR objectives. For instance, some sustainability programmes provide jobs by sourcing supplies locally, which in turn helps to develop the local economy. The company can also improve their ethical, health and safety standards by requiring suppliers to source raw materials in an ethical and responsible way (OPITO 2012). Kennard (2006) lists down the different benefits of sustainable procurement. These are also some of the main drivers that motivate businesses to practice sustainable procurement in their supply chain management and operations. Manage costs by implementing a more comprehensive approach to whole-life costing Improve internal and external standards via conducting performance assessments Compliance with environmental and social regulations or legislation Manage business risks Improve the company’s image and/or brands Develop a sustainable supply chain for the future Involve the local community A study conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers and EcoVadis (2010), in collaboration with the INSEAD Social Innovation Centre quantified the value drivers associated with sustainable procurement policies. Through examining several case studies, the quantitative model was developed by analysing the three main drivers for sustainable procurement (i.e. cost reduction, risk reduction, and revenue growth) and their impacts on the company’s annual procurement expenditures, market capitalization, and revenue. These were then compared to the implementation cost of a sustainable procurement programme. The findings of the study show that the cost reduction impact of sustainable procurement outweighs the implementation costs, especially on categories where cost savings and sustainability benefits are aligned. This indicates that businesses engage in sustainable procurement because the value drivers that compel them to engage in sustainability are evaluated to be beneficial to their organi sations. Table 1. Analysis of the main drivers for sustainable procurement vs. impacts on company’s performance Source: Waterhouse Coopers and EcoVadis (2010) Evaluation of Case Studies on Sustainable Procurement In this section, two global multi-national companies are evaluated in terms of their sustainable procurement policies. These are AkzoNobel and IKEA. Case Study: AkzoNobel AkzoNobel is a one of the leading companies in the manufacture and supply of paints, coatings, and specialty chemicals. As of 2012, the company has revenue of â‚ ¬15.7 billion and 57,200 employees in its global operations (AkzoNobel 2012). In 2008, AkzoNobel is the first company to combine its annual report and sustainability report into a single publication. This demonstrated that sustainability is a business case, instead of a novelty, which was an idea held by most companies. For its 2009 agenda, the company included as one of its priorities the achieving world class sustainability and safety. AkzoNobel won the ProcureCon award in 2008 for its leadership in sustainable procurement. AkzoNobel is also one of the top-ranked companies in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and in 2012; it was evaluated as one of the global super-sector leaders in chemicals (Van Hoeven 2012; AkzoNobel 2012; Achilles 2008). Table 2. Assessment 2012 – Global Supersector Leaders (1) Source: Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Annual Review 2012 It is evident that AkzoNobel has embedded sustainability in its overall corporate strategy. The company manages sustainability by integrating it across the business and it is reviewed based on a balanced score card. In order to map out their sustainability achievements, AkzoNobel has developed a framework to assess the environmental, economical and social aspects of their operations. This framework has three levels: (Van Hoeven 2012; AkzoNobel 2012) Invent – to identify and manage areas that will provide long-term and sustainable opportunities for the company; work with customers and suppliers in delivering eco-premium solutions; and develop their people to lead and deliver innovative solutions Manage – to incorporate a strong sustainability component throughout the entire value chain; work in partnership with suppliers to ensure business integrity and help deliver sustainable value to the customers; optimise processes, improve yields and improve energy efficiency Improve – to improve in meeting compliance especially in the following areas: Integrity management; heath, safety, environment and security management; Product stewardship; and Employment practices. Figure 1. AkzoNobel’s Sustainability Framework Case Study: IKEA IKEA is a global retail powerhouse in the home furnishings sector with over 338 stores worldwide. As of 2012, the company has a sales turnover of â‚ ¬27.5 billion and 154,000 workers in its global operations. IKEA’s business idea is supported by its vision of offering well-designed, functional, and low-priced home furnishing products. The company makes its products affordable so as to enable many people to afford them (IKEA 2012). IKEA’s business units have integrated sustainability in their business plans and managers are responsible for achieving the company’s sustainability targets. To support its sustainability objectives, the company has employed social and environmental specialists with expertise in a wide range of areas. IKEA stores and distribution centres also have social and environmental coordinators to provide training and monitor working conditions, safety, waste management, and water and energy conservation (Van Hoeven 2012). IKEA utilizes a Sustainability Product Score card to help classify its home furnishing range and help the company move towards more sustainable product development. It serves as a guide in improving products based on 11 criteria that have an impact on a product’s sustainability profile during its life-cycle. The results of the scorecard are displayed in individual product labels (IKEA 2011a). Table 3. IKEA KPI Customers IKEA integrates sustainability in every stage of the value chain. The company is creating and securing sustainable processes for: (a) Product development and sourcing of raw materials of home furnishings and food products; (b) Production and distribution; (c) Stores and shopping centres; and (d) Product end-of-life (IKEA 2011b). In terms of its procurement policy, IKEA has two important focus points: (Van Hoeven 2012) Increasing the sustainability its of supplier base The IKEA IWAY code of conduct is required to be followed by all suppliers. IKEA auditors regularly visit suppliers to ensure that they comply with IWAY criteria. These visits are either announced or unannounced and each supplier is visited at least twice a year. The Compliance and Monitoring Group is responsible for ensuring that the audit criteria are implemented worldwide. Increasing the use of sustainable raw materials. IKEA is taking up leadership in the stewardship of sustainable wood and cotton and the company is adapting their procurement and sourcing functions as necessary. Issues and challenges for organisations in developing a Sustainable Procurement Policy Sustainable procurement in the business setting requires a high degree of cooperation and commitment among all members of the supply chain. Additionally, the ‘lack of understanding of sustainability within business, coupled with poor training and accountability are significant barriers to building supplier capacity’ (Kennard 2006, p.1). Many businesses have developed tools and techniques to support this cooperation and commitment, as well as to instil sustainability accountability in the organisation. Training is very important in fostering a culture of sustainability within an organisation. All parties in the supply chain should be given adequate training regarding the importance and benefits of practicing sustainability. Moreover, the shifting of organisational and supply chain processes into a more sustainable way requires a lot of preparation and education (CIPS 2012). Ethical core values should also be incorporated in the sustainable procurement policies and procedures for contractors and suppliers. Transparency is essential in order to support the organisation’s ability in implementing and ensuring that the policies have been followed. Sustainable procurement policies should include environmental protection, safeguarding the organisation against corruption, respect and consideration for people, and zero-accident tolerance in safety and health issues (Kennard 2006). The transition to sustainable procurement is not an easy task. There are various product certifications, data, labels, and other documentations that make compliance to sustainability initiatives a big challenge. As such, it can be very difficult to synthesize the loads of data regarding a product’s sustainability attributes and evaluate it as sustainably compliant. Additionally, procurement professionals have another challenge – how to integrate these sustainability criteria into purchasing decisions, while also taking into account traditional considerations such as cost, quality, and delivery. More importantly, the biggest challenge is how to roll out the company’s sustainable procurement policy to the thousands of products that it purchases (Suarez 2012). The road to sustainable procurement can be daunting but organisations can start on the right path by aligning their sustainable procurement policy/approach with the company’s overall CSR initiatives and business priorities. Suarez (2012) recommends the following strategy for companies, which are in the beginning phase of their sustainable procurement policy: ‘By understanding how they define a product’s sustainability, companies can prioritize their efforts to reduce the impacts of the products they purchase and align their process with broader corporate sustainability goals. Looking at the full life-cycle of a product, they can focus on the highest impact areas, or hotspots, that overlap with their own commitments to sustainability’ (sec.2). It is also important for companies to consider and involve in the creation of a sustainable procurement policy other internal stakeholders who may not be directly part of the procurement process. For instance, departments such as marketing, product design, and operations/facilities may have significant influence on product specifications and these in turn can influence procurement decisions. The company should involve these individuals in considering sustainability impacts. It is recommended that a company engage in integrated sustainability procurement efforts in order to ensure that relevant people are involved in the process and sustainability is achieved (Suarez 2012). According to Copeland (2012), companies that want to be sustainable due to a passion for being green can only take it to a certain extent. Unless the board and shareholders support their sustainability objectives, they won’t be successful. However, getting the board and shareholders to support a sustainable procurement policy may not be that easy. To address this, the company needs to understand why it makes business sense to be sustainable. In order for the board to support the sustainable procurement policy, it is important to understand the whole life costing of the products being procured. This includes thinking about not just the purchase and usage cost, but also the cost of disposal. Sustainable procurement should also add to the value of the company’s existing products. The product should be improved in some way by the use of sustainable materials, rather than just being sustainable for the sake of being green (Copeland 2012). Procurement professionals should be championing sustainability objectives at the board level to help their organisation to thrive (Van Hoeven 2012). Implementation and Monitoring issues for Sustainable Procurement Implementation and monitoring a sustainable procurement policy is faced with many challenges. This is mainly due to the fact that implementing sustainable procurement means changing policies and procedures and fostering a new mindset and culture to the organisation’s management and employees. Undoubtedly, there will be resistance to such changes. A study by Meehan Bryde (2010) found that although some companies have sustainability objectives included in their corporate mission statements and despite external and internal pressures to embed sustainability; these have not translated into widespread practice of sustainable procurement in their organisations. This indicates that some organisations suffer from inertia in terms of their sustainability initiatives. To neutralise inertia and spur the organisation into action, the authors recommends several strategies: (a) Take experiences from other areas that emphasise the importance of inter-organisational relationships; (b) Develop a small number of sustainable development indicators for procurement and use more advanced environmental practices as examples to demonstrate how these elements have socio-economic impacts; and (c) Instead of just focusing on the pressures and drivers of sustainability, emphasise the triggers to overcome inaction and lead changes in behaviour amongst p rocurement staff. One of the issues in implementing a sustainable procurement policy is the lack of leadership and commitment (Kennard 2006). The organisation needs to elect sustainability champions who will lead in transitioning the company’s policies and processes. Without these leaders, there will be no one to drive the organisation’s sustainability efforts. These leaders should be held accountable for failure to meet the required standards. Alternatively, the organisation could set up a working group or steering committee, comprised of people from different departments, to help find the most effective ways to implement the sustainable procurement policy (Sustainable Procurement Resource Centre 2012). In monitoring the compliance to and effectiveness of a sustainable procurement policy, one critical area that may pose challenges to the organisation is the setting of measurements or KPIs (key performance indicators). The organisation should set how it is going to measure its progress and the impact of the sustainable procurement policy on its supply chain (Copeland 2012). According to Wilkinson Kirkup (2009), ‘Process KPIs can help to demonstrate an organisation’s intent to external organisations, whilst also helping the organisation track the implementation of policies’ (p.24). To avoid confusion and make it easier for employees to adapt, the company should not use a different measuring system than the one it normally uses. New information should be built into existing supplier scorecards and relationship management systems. There should be a seamless integration into the old measurement system so that the business runs as usual despite the changes (Copeland 2012). Another issue in monitoring is compliance. There is the possibility that suppliers will fail to comply with the sustainable procurement policy when the company does not follow up on compliance. As such, organisations should also conduct regular audits to ensure compliance. The performance of suppliers and other members of the supply chain must be regularly monitored to check for adherence to the organisation’s sustainable procurement policies (Wilkinson Kirkup 2009). Conclusions and Recommendations Implementing a sustainable procurement policy has positive final results for a business organisation. It can help to cut costs; increase product sale price, due to the perceived added value from procuring sustainably; and attract more customers through an improved brand reputation or company image (Copeland 2012). Moreover, according to the ICLEI (2012, p.1), a procurement policy that effectively incorporates sustainability can: (a) Reduce environmental impacts; (b) Drive social improvements; and (c) Achieve financial efficiency. These benefits are the main drivers which compel business organisations to engage in sustainable procurement. In evaluating the case studies of two multi-national companies, AkzoNobel and IKEA, it was found that in order for sustainable procurement to succeed, it must be integrated into all aspects of the business from management, operations, and supply chain. Both AkzoNobel and IKEA are leaders in sustainability in their fields because they have successfully embedded a sustainable culture into their businesses. They employ frameworks, principles, and KPIs to help them implement and monitor their sustainability achievements. They have very specific sustainability goals and they regularly audit the performance of different business units, especially in the supply chain, to ensure compliance with the company’s sustainable procurement policies. There are several issues and challenges to developing a sustainable procurement policy. These include: (a) The need for a high degree of collaboration and engagement among members of the supply chain; (b) Lack of understanding about sustainability; (b) Lack of accountability; (c) Poor training; (d) Difficulties in synthesizing loads of sustainability information; (e) Problems with integrating sustainability criteria into purchasing decisions; and (f) Lack of support from the board. There are also challenges in the implementation and monitoring of sustainable procurement policies. These include: (a) Failure to put into action the objectives set forth in the sustainability agenda; (b) Lack of leadership in commitment; (c) Difficulties in setting the measurement tool or KPIs; and (d) Problems in monitoring compliance. Taking into consideration the above challenges and issues, this paper recommends that developing a sustainable procurement policy should include the following: (Kennard 2006; Wilkinson Kirkup 2009) Make the organisation’s members aware of the importance of having a sustainable procurement strategy Train and guide internal and external members of the organisation and supply chain Develop links with other organisations and peer groups to learn from their experiences Develop a standard approach to measuring strategic outcomes Develop operational systems and procedures that are integrated with sustainability measurements and put these into practice in day-to-day procurement and monitoring activities References Achilles UK. (2008).  Achilles congratulate ProcureCon 2008 Sustainability Award Winners.  Available: achilles.com/en/uk/news/Achilles-congratulate-ProcureCon-2008-Sustainability-Award-Winners/. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. AkzoNobel. (2012).  AkzoNobel Corporate.  Available: akzonobel.com/aboutus/akzonobel_at_a_glance/. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. Chartered Institute of Purchasing Supply (CIPS). (2012).  Sustainable Procurement Review.  Available: cips.org/products-services/Sustainable-procurement-review/. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. Copeland, E. (2012).  Sustainable procurement makes good business sense.  Available: supplychaindigital.com/procurement/sustainable-procurement-makes-good-business-sense. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. Dow Jones. (2012).  Dow Jones Sustainability Index 2012 Review Results. Available: sustainability-indexes.com/images/review-presentation-2012_tcm1071-343085.pdf. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. IKEA. (2011a).  The IKEA Group approach to sustainability.  Available: ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/pdf/group_approach_sustainability_fy11.pdf. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. IKEA. (2011b).  Sustainability Report 2011.  Available: ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/pdf/sustainability_report_fy11.pdf. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. IKEA. (2012).  The IKEA Concept.  Available: http://franchisor.ikea.com/concept.html. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). (2012).  Sustainable Procurement.  Available: iclei-europe.org/topics/sustainable-procurement. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. Kennard, M. (2006).  Sustainable Procurement.  Available: fig.net/pub/fig2006/papers/ts08/ts08_03_kennard_0843.pdf. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. Meehan, J Bryde, D. (2011). Sustainable Procurement Practice.  Business Strategy and the Environment. 20 (2), p94-106. OPITO. (2012).  The importance of sustainable purchasing and supply: An OPITO Case Study.  Available: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/opito/the-importance-of-sustainable-purchasing-and-supply/sustainable-procurement.html#axzz2EvE3MaUV. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. Price Waterhouse Coopers, EcoVadis INSEAD. (2010).  Value of Sustainable Procurement Practices.  Available: pwc.com/en_GX/gx/operations-consulting-services/pdf/value-sustainable-procurement-practices.pdf. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. Suarez, C. (2012).  Going from What to How in Procurement.  Available: bsr.org/en/our-insights/bsr-insight-article/going-from-what-to-how-in-sustainable-procurement/. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. United Nations (UN). (2010).  What is Sustainable Procurement.  Available: https://www.ungm.org/sustainableprocurement/default.aspx. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. Sustainable Procurement Resource Centre. (2012).  Sustainable Public Procurement.  Available: sustainable-procurement.org/about-spp/. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012. Walker, H, Gough, S, Bakker, E, Knight, L McBain, D. (2009). Greening Operations Management An Online Sustainable Procurement Course for Practitioners.  Journal of Management Education. 33 (3), p348-371. Wilkinson, A  Ã‚  Kirkup, B. (2009).  Measurement  of  Sustainable  Procurement.  Available: adamwilkinson.com/documents/measuring%20SP%20report%20release.pdf. Last accessed 12th Dec 2012.

Cómo y qué estudiar en Estados Unidos

Cà ³mo y quà © estudiar en Estados Unidos Estudiar en Estados Unidos es el sueà ±o de millones de estudiantes en todo el mundo. Y para cientos de miles es posible estudiar inglà ©s, un curso de high school (visas J-1 de intercambio son muy frecuentes) o, incluso la carrera universitaria (visa F-1) o un posgrado. Por quà © estudiar en Estados Unidos Las ventajas de estudiar en Estados Unidos son variadas y van desde vivir la experiencia americana y obtener un buen conocimiento del idioma inglà ©s,  obtener un tà ­tulo universitario americano que puede abrir puertas laborales, disfrutar  un OPT  para trabajar  al acabar los estudios universitarios o, incluso, a conseguir una visa de trabajo. En concreto, se reserva un nà ºmero de visas H-1B para las personas con un mà ­nimo de estudios universitarios en USA. Cà ³mo pagar por los estudios Las universidades americanas son caras, pero hay una gran diferencia de precios.  Y entre las pà ºblicas, que son en general ms baratas, tambià ©n hay diferencia segà ºn el lugar de residencia habitual del estudiante: dentro del estado o en otro estado o en el extranjero. Habitualmente se recurre a los ahorros, a pedir crà ©ditos y a becas (y a trabajar, si es que legalmente se puede hacer). Adems, para los estudiantes que destacan en deporte es posible entrenar y competir a gran nivel e, incluso, estudiar con becas deportivas parciales o totales. Y por supuesto tambià ©n es posible obtener becas por mà ©rito, muchas estn abiertas a estudiantes internacionales y tambià ©n a inmigrantes indocumentados. Cada universidad decide cà ³mo beca y, por esta razà ³n, no es frecuente encontrar a dos estudiantes que pagan exactamente lo mismo. Estas son 13 universidades de à ©lite que siguen la polà ­tica de need-blind y becan totalmente, o casi, a los alumnos admitidos (ciudadanos, residentes, internacionales e indocumentados con y sin DACA). Tambià ©n conviene explorar tambià ©n las universidades pà ºblicas que parten, adems, de una matrà ­cula ms asequible. Tambià ©n hay que tener presente que hay becas otorgadas por instituciones pà ºblicas o privadas que nada tienen que ver con las universidades en las que se estudia. Lo que importa es cumplir con los requisitos de la beca. Aquà ­ se puede ver un ejemplo de 25 becas abiertas a todo tipo de estudiantes, incluidos los internacionales. Quà © se necesita para solicitar a una universidad americana El proceso para presentar una aplicacià ³n completa es largo y complejo. Es muy importante reconocer que preparar todo el paquete puede llevar muchos meses y es fundamental presentar una aplicacià ³n de calidad. Visas para estudiar en Estados Unidos Hay dos posibilidades, las F-1 y las M-1 para asuntos vocacionales. Adems, los estudiantes universitarios extranjeros que deseen pasar el verano en Estados Unidos en un programa de intercambio que permite trabajar y viajar o para estudiar high school pueden obtener una J-1. Para las visas F-1 y M-1 que primero aplicar a la escuela o universidad a la que se quiere ir y ellas son las que inician el proceso mediante la entrega de un documento conocido como I-20. Sà ³lo entonces se puede seguir la tramitacià ³n de la visa solicitando la visa por internet y luego presentndose a la entrevista en la oficina consular que corresponda al lugar de residencia del solicitante. Tambià ©n hay que tener en consideracià ³n las visas J-1 de intercambio, que comprende programas muy distintos y algunos permiten estudiar en high school o en universidad. Incluso existe un programa para mà ©dicos para realizar la residencia en Estados Unidos y asà ­ especializarse.   A tener en cuenta antes de decidir estudiar en Estados Unidos Los estudiantes pre universitarios pueden realizar cursos acadà ©micos en escuelas pà ºblicas o privadas. Los precios del aà ±o acadà ©mico varà ­an enormemente segà ºn el tipo de escuela. Para estudiar inglà ©s existen literalmente cientos de academias. Pero para obtener una visa a travà ©s de la escuela es necesario que à ©sta està © autorizada por las autoridades migratorias de EEUU para emitir un I-20, si no lo estn, no aplicar. Es comà ºn que los estudiantes de inglà ©s por menos de tres meses de un paà ­s acogido al Programa de Exencià ³n de Visas entren a EEUU como turistas y despuà ©s cursen sus estudios en la academia elegida. Es una prctica muy frecuente pero, ley en mano, es ilegal. Deberà ­an aplicar, obtener un I-20 y, despuà ©s, solicitar la visa de estudiante en un consulado americano. Si se quiere estudiar una carrera universitaria en Estados Unidos, conviene  conocer y tomar los exmenes que pueden ser requeridos, como el TOEFL, cuya puntuacià ³n varà ­a para ser admitido dependiendo de la universidad, college, community college o escuela profesional. Y tambià ©n otros tests son  el SAT o el GRE, etc. Si se quiere estudiar una carrera universitaria conviene considerar las ventajas de estudiar en un Community College los dos primeros aà ±o. El costo es notablemente inferior (en esta base de datos puedes buscar cul es el precio en ms de 1,000 colegios comunitarios). Adems, es posible que se tenga que  convalidar todos los tà ­tulos y diplomas de los estudios realizados en el paà ­s de origen. De interà ©s Cursar estudios universitarios en Estados Unidos es muy caro, por lo que es muy recomendable analizar detalladamente la universidad en la que se desea estudiar. Si los estudios son de mala calidad quiz no merece la pena hacer el esfuerzo de pagar la matrà ­cula y dems gastos. Estas son las  10 mejores universidades para estudiar ingenierà ­a en Estados Unidos, ya que esta es una carrera con alta presencia de estudiantes extranjeros. Adems, para los mejores estudiantes quiz resulte una buena apuesta estudiar  en una  Ivy League en cualquiera de las universidades la conforman.   Si bien hay que tener claro que hay universidades pà ºblicas u otras privadas que tambià ©n son excelentes. Denegacià ³n de las visas y otros problemas Los consulados y las Embajadas americanas deniegan cada aà ±o aproximadamente una de cada cinco visas que se solicitan. Los visados que ms rechazos reciben son los de turista y los de estudiante. Las causas son muy variadas pero estn calificadas en dos categorà ­as: ser inelegible o ser inadmisible. Para recibir una visa americana, para renovarla e incluso para ser admitido a Estados Unidos al llegar al puesto de control migratorio las personas extranjeras tienen que ser elegibles para la visa y admisibles para USA. En caso contrario, habr problemas. Por otro lado, si se obtiene la visa, no se debe poner en riesgo por conductas que, a priori, pueden parecer no relevantes, pero que sà ­ lo son desde el punto de vista de las leyes migratorias. Por ejemplo, la posesià ³n para el consumo propio de marihuana puede ocasionar problemas graves. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

European Colonization of the Americas Research Paper

European Colonization of the Americas - Research Paper Example Some say that many of these diseases even occurred because of communicability from Europe to the Americas as well as climate change and environment change for those that were transported from the Americas to Europe. European lifestyle on the whole was very dynamic as compared to the era that the people were living in at the time. People were in close contact with domestic animals like cows, goats, sheep, horses and pigs for the purpose of livelihood and food. This furthered the process of catching diseases due to the lack of medicinal opportunities available to them and thus new germs were introduced to the people, killing almost 10 to 20 million people within the span on the century. Most of these people were the American natives and this led to a great amount of both political as well as cultural instability in the country at the time which gave more leverage for the English to warp in on the opportunity and establish more settlements. For them, it merely meant more land and space to capitalize on. Economically speaking, European countries benefitted a great deal by the degree of goodwill that they gained by exploiting the opportunities with respect to resources available in the Americas; they were able to import spices, cloth, as well as other kinds of treasures like silver. Most of the slaves that were transported were Black Americans and due to the migration, there was a loss of identity and language among the Americans giving yet another upper hand to the Europeans so that they would be able to manage and establish another version of Europe altogether in America. The main reason for English settlement included an inspiration from Spanish conquests during the Inca... This paper stresses that European colonization in history has been regarded as one of the strongest colonial powers; the Europeans were able to set foot in almost all the territories around the world, gaining an excellent base with regard to trade and investment all over. They were able to use their knowhow and intelligence to build on and use resources and thus they managed to exploit opportunities and make themselves stable and rich with time. However, with their colonization in America, they faced problems as well as were termed to be successful in various ways. This report makes a conlcusion that by capitalizing on American resources, setting up industries, building passage ways from the Americas to Europe and furthermore, being able to import and export labour and human resources, they were able to enrich themselves. However, at the same time, this also proved to have certain amount of demerits as American migration proved to bring about communicable diseases in Europe, slaves and labourers were looked down upon with time with regard to international human rights and thus the Europeans were looked at as a harsh and brutish community of people. At the same time, they lost out on a great amount of their own population as well as religion, which tended to make the European countries unstable in terms of polity and social life. With lesser natives in the European countries, they had no choice but to depend on the Americans. In this manner, they were both weakened as well as enriched by their colonization in the Americas.

Controversies on School Uniform Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Controversies on School Uniform - Article Example The costs of the fashionable clothes and the associated conflicts, made most schools and parents to agitate for school uniforms. But this issue has continued to raise controversies where some students and their parents claim that it is a form of infringement   pertaining to the first amended rights. They claim that, the wearing of uniforms stifled their sense of individuality. Students that were normally used   to having a broad choice of outfits were now narrowed to   keeping their attire simple. I tend to believe that, children have got various ways in which they can easily express their feelings. This can be done by using the personal traits (Catalanello).  Ã‚  In most schools, the decision to introduce uniforms rose due to the emerging concern based on gang colors where young girls started wearing clothes that were considered extremely sexy for the seven or eight graders. The introduction of uniforms therefore, has gone far in eliminating   the social concerns and the v arious distractions that affects children in their academics. Even though the introduction of uniforms resulted to much controversy to both parents and children, reduction in gang activities, sexual attacks and violent action among children have been witnessed (Angelfire).  Ã‚  After the introduction of uniforms in school, there are no more morning confusions. This was reported by the parents whose children attend schools with unform rules. Other than some few complains that are aired on the debates concerning school uniforms, which regard to costs.

Trade unions constitute formal channels employees in different Term Paper

Trade unions constitute formal channels employees in different societies find opportunity to engage their employers - Term Paper Example 1). In America, unions possess along history that in one way or the other can be compared to America’s independence history. Since the formation of first organized union in the early years of 1830, America’s unions have had rough journey, characterized by; struggle, setbacks, falls, and sometimes resistances. For about one and half century, unions in USA have played a great role in defining America’s work environment and how people live, although this role has to be viewed both within lenses of success and failure (Shmoop Editorial Team Para. 2). History of Unions in America Unions in 1700s and early 1800s The history of America’s labor unions is extensive and complex intertwined within the early history of America (American Federation of Government Employees-AFGE Para. 1). The history is first linked to arrival of Europeans on American soil in the early 15th century where the passion for the visitors was to search for economic opportunities. On arrival on the American land, Europeans found bountiful economic opportunities that were unavailable in their home countries and in order to perfectly exploit these opportunities, requests were made to home countries to supply them with craftsmen. Responding to the call of settlers, home countries sent many craftsmen and working people to America and as settlement became more permanent, these craftsmen and working people started to form primitive unions, popularly known as guilds, where majority members were carpenters and cordwainers, cabinet makers and cobblers (American Federation of Government Employees-AFGE Para. 1). The essence of these early primitive guilds centered on restricting competition among tradesmen and establishing and ensuring work standards among craftsmen guided the activities (Chaison p.1). Early unions were victims of multiple employers’ and legal control, restrain and manipulation. One characteristic of these early organizations of unions was that, they did not live long since their goals were largely short-lived like reactions to employers’ attempts to cut wages or reduce job skills. Further, early employers did not give early unions chance to stabilize and grow as they perceived the unions to be illegal conspiracies whose main agenda was just to raise wages far beyond the rates individual workers could accept (Chaison p.2). The notion of illegality of unions became prevalent during this moment especially with the ruling of Cordwainers Conspiracy cases, a situation that saw many unions become moribund and weak. What the ruling meant for many American organizations was that, no formal organization in terms of workers could be recognized in the legal spheres and therefore all activities of agitating for workers interests became illegal. Nevertheless, even with this ruling, the industry growth in many parts of America continued to be witnessed and this led to emergence of numerous challenges and problems for workers. The Period from 1 830-1870s The period saw America experience great transformation in terms of numerous reforms in both governance and industry organization. Working conditions in majority of industries was poor and wages were way below employee size of work. Legal battles began between employers and some informal unions, which despite the Conspiracy

Planning, Siting, and Permitting of Landfills Essay

Planning, Siting, and Permitting of Landfills - Essay Example To begin, the construction of a landfill site involves investment in infrastructure to facilitate environmental measures. However, there are particular steps in the construction of a landfill. The choice of the site is an important factor. There is the need to establish and formulate a joint solid waste management program that involves the landfill component, waste reduction, recycling and improved collection (UsAid 1999). Secondly, there is the need to review the land Use policy in the areas. An official application should be submitted to the authority for the evaluation and choice of the potential site. Establish the feasibility of the project and an environmental analysis to assess the impact of the construction. There are also fatal flaws in the construction process of landfills. Position of the landfill is an important factor. The fatal flaw is the positioning of the landfill upstream and near the source of surface or ground water suitable for drinking and domestic use (UsAid 1999). However, this is a public health hazard and results in the poisoning of the local citizens. The location on highly porous soil can cause erosion which results in environmental damage. Location next to the residential, commercial and industrial developments is also a fatal problem because of the increased cost of

Law Problem Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law Problem Questions - Essay Example â€Å"Can you bring a bag for ?20 and meet me?† â€Å"Any chance of my usual, Friday 8 pm?† â€Å"Are you ‘big Max’? Any chance bag ?50 Thursday?† The prosecution want to adduce these messages and others which are similar, as evidence against Max. They also want to introduce evidence about his contacts. Explain whether or not they will be able to do this, paying close attention to the Criminal Justice Act 2003. (300 words) According to the Criminal Justice Act of 2003, it is common knowledge that what is possible to charge someone with a crime for which there is insufficient hard evidence, but ample circumstancial evidence. For example, there are many things that can be taken into account under the new Act passed by the Parliament, including the notion of character. Based upon the reputation that daily builds one’s character, law enforcement officials can piece together a story for the judge that details what this person’s life is lik e, what his usual routines are, and other details that might be substantially important in deciding one’s guilt or innocence. ... fore, the new Criminal Justice Act of 2003 increases Max’s chance of being snagged by the new Act—which allows autrefois acquit, also famously known as â€Å"double jeopardy.† Double jeopardy is allowed by the new Act, especially if there is compelling evidence to believe that for some reason a crime has been committed. However, of course what constitutes compelling would probably have to be an overwhelming amount of evidence in order to determine one’s relative guilt or innocence. In this case, Max does not have much choice except to allow the legal process to take its natural legal course. (1) EU Law Problem Question (The following events, names and legislation, both European and domestic are all fictitious.) Council Directive 2009/ABC on Air Travel Protection requires Member States to introduce a measure by 1 November 2010: 1) giving passengers the right to a full refund on airline tickets purchased within the European Union where a journey is cancelle d irrespective of the cause of the cancellation; 2) giving passengers an automatic right to claim expenses for overnight accommodation from the airline, where a journey in the European Union is delayed by more than four hours irrespective of the cause of the delay; and ?3) giving passengers the right to a block payment of ?200, payable immediately, for all checked-in luggage lost on flights within the European Union. On 20 November 2010, Sadie purchased a ticket from UK Air Ltd which is financed partly by private shareholders and partly by Government grant. Four members of the Board of Directors of UK Air Ltd are appointed by the Minister for Transport. Unfortunately, Sadie’s flight from London to the Bahamas was cancelled due to adverse weather. Sadie immediately exercised her right to claim