I'm still an undergraduate student, but the main reason I want to attend graduate school in a few years is because of the interdisciplinary focus of some grad schools. I am currently studying international development and applied mathematics, but rarely get to see how you can combine the two. When I look at the graduate students I work with during summer internships, I see them taking courses on things like:
Social Networks
Biostatistics
Behavioural Economics
etc...
Yes, you can get courses that touch on these topics in your undergrad, but I have yet to see such courses explore these topics in-depth. I can't wait until I can dedicate my time to such weird but interesting subjects, and that's why I can't wait until grad school.
I'd be interested to hear what others have to say about this -- for those of you who have a wide range of interests, did grad school do the job?
Everyone knows how to use books, but not many people know how to use a computer. Try teaching someone about a mouse, for example. It's much more complicated than it sounds. Books may actually be a better tool than a computer.
Many people in Africa don't continue HIV/AIDS medications even when they can receive them for free, and many governments don't take the time to distribute such medications even if they are made available by Western donors. What makes a laptop any different?
I'm studying and working in International Development and there's a concept we talk about in class and the literature called "Inappropriate Technology". The idea here is that a country may have problems (i.e. too much labour) and the government, in its want to develop, imports labour-replacing technologies (i.e. assembly lines, or even lawn mowers), causing people to lose jobs and actually making it harder for the economy to grow.
This is how one can view the $100 laptop for Africa. Technology like this won't solve problems like ethnic tension, the taboo of discussing HIV/AIDS, or any other social and political ills. What will? Human interaction and discussion. In a continent where teachers go unpaid in many countries, you can't expect a government to buy laptops, even at $50 in 2010.
There's a reason why most of the interest (as far as I understand) is from South America.
Slashdot Mirror
- Social Networks
- Biostatistics
- Behavioural Economics
- etc...
Yes, you can get courses that touch on these topics in your undergrad, but I have yet to see such courses explore these topics in-depth. I can't wait until I can dedicate my time to such weird but interesting subjects, and that's why I can't wait until grad school.I'd be interested to hear what others have to say about this -- for those of you who have a wide range of interests, did grad school do the job?
Everyone knows how to use books, but not many people know how to use a computer. Try teaching someone about a mouse, for example. It's much more complicated than it sounds. Books may actually be a better tool than a computer. Many people in Africa don't continue HIV/AIDS medications even when they can receive them for free, and many governments don't take the time to distribute such medications even if they are made available by Western donors. What makes a laptop any different?
I'm studying and working in International Development and there's a concept we talk about in class and the literature called "Inappropriate Technology". The idea here is that a country may have problems (i.e. too much labour) and the government, in its want to develop, imports labour-replacing technologies (i.e. assembly lines, or even lawn mowers), causing people to lose jobs and actually making it harder for the economy to grow.
This is how one can view the $100 laptop for Africa. Technology like this won't solve problems like ethnic tension, the taboo of discussing HIV/AIDS, or any other social and political ills. What will? Human interaction and discussion. In a continent where teachers go unpaid in many countries, you can't expect a government to buy laptops, even at $50 in 2010.
There's a reason why most of the interest (as far as I understand) is from South America.
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Initiative for Interdisciplinary Research: http://i2r.blogspot.com/
Five Minutes to Midnight: Youth on Human Rights: http://www.fiveminutestomidnight.org/