India, China Neck-To-Neck In Race To U.S. Management Schools

AHN News Staff

Bangalore, India (AHN) – The battle for one-upmanship between South Asian economic giants India and China has entered the arena of higher education, as China recently overtook its neighbor in terms of sending more students to management schools in the United States.

For many years now, Indian students led the number of foreigners enrolling for the Graduate Management Admission Test to U.S. B-schools. However, propelled by fast economic growth, China has overtaken India in the numbers – as many as 80,000 Chinese students applied to U.S. management schools this year against 65,361 Indian students.

Both countries are emerging economies raring to find a foothold on the global stage. While India has, for long, been outperforming China in clinching senior executive positions in leading multinational corporations, the Chinese, known to be hard workers, are doing everything they can to catch up.

From bridging the gap in using English more prominently, overcoming the inability to work with outsiders, being more tolerant of change, the Chinese are making sure that they outperform India soon in the sphere of business.

Experts suggest that “India’s edge in English language and sound management education helps Indians in snatching more senior executive positions than Chinese, but the latter, being fast learners, are expected to catch up soon.”

However, there might be other reasons behind China gaining ground slowly. Indian business schools, such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) and Indian School of Business (ISB), are rising fast as “competitive business schools” globally. As a result, more and more Indian students prefer to take up management studies at home instead of going abroad.

Moreover, unlike overseas business schools, Indian higher education institutions are more difficult to get into, as observed by Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, who recounted in a recent television interview how his son Rohan could not get admission into Indian Institute of Technology and had to opt for Cornell University instead.

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Government Grants, Money in Your Pocket

A government grant can change a persons life forever.  If you are needing to get out of debt, trying to start or improve your own business, or wanting to purchase or remodel a home, government grants are there to help.  Grants can even be used for everyday living expenses, including, gas for your car, or even groceries, and its money you will not have to repay.  There are programs out there that can help anyone easily gain access to their share of government grant money.

These government grants accumulate from certain organization revenues and our very own tax dollars.  There are three kinds of grants, private, state, and federal grants that everyone has access to.  Federal grants alone hand out billions of dollars to taxpayers and millions of dollars in state grants are going unused. We all can benefit from using the right resources.  For assistance, there are public and private organizations that exist just to make sure people get these grants.

This is a non-taxable and interest-free kind of money available to all U.S. taxpayers that never has to be paid back.  No matter what kind of credit a person has, anyone can learn the techniques to receive government grants to spend as they see fit.  It is all just a matter of finding the right source of information that will teach you what you need to know.  Billions of dollars in grant money are out there, waiting for people to claim them.

We should all take advantage of the opportunities government grant money can offer.  It is basically free money.  Since some of our tax dollars go into them, why not get some of them back?  Grants should be looked at as a way to gain some financial strength and make some dreams come true.  Everyone has one reason or another why they can use some extra money so, why not try to get some.

About Author
For information and access to government grant programs, go to http://www.productsupplycenter.com/web190243

Government Grants, Money in Your Pocket

A government grant can change a persons life forever.  If you are needing to get out of debt, trying to start or improve your own business, or wanting to purchase or remodel a home, government grants are there to help.  Grants can even be used for everyday living expenses, including, gas for your car, or even groceries, and its money you will not have to repay.  There are programs out there that can help anyone easily gain access to their share of government grant money.

These government grants accumulate from certain organization revenues and our very own tax dollars.  There are three kinds of grants, private, state, and federal grants that everyone has access to.  Federal grants alone hand out billions of dollars to taxpayers and millions of dollars in state grants are going unused. We all can benefit from using the right resources.  For assistance, there are public and private organizations that exist just to make sure people get these grants.

This is a non-taxable and interest-free kind of money available to all U.S. taxpayers that never has to be paid back.  No matter what kind of credit a person has, anyone can learn the techniques to receive government grants to spend as they see fit.  It is all just a matter of finding the right source of information that will teach you what you need to know.  Billions of dollars in grant money are out there, waiting for people to claim them.

We should all take advantage of the opportunities government grant money can offer.  It is basically free money.  Since some of our tax dollars go into them, why not get some of them back?  Grants should be looked at as a way to gain some financial strength and make some dreams come true.  Everyone has one reason or another why they can use some extra money so, why not try to get some.

About Author
For information and access to government grant programs, go to http://www.productsupplycenter.com/web190243

Government Grants, Money in Your Pocket

A government grant can change a persons life forever.  If you are needing to get out of debt, trying to start or improve your own business, or wanting to purchase or remodel a home, government grants are there to help.  Grants can even be used for everyday living expenses, including, gas for your car, or even groceries, and its money you will not have to repay.  There are programs out there that can help anyone easily gain access to their share of government grant money.

These government grants accumulate from certain organization revenues and our very own tax dollars.  There are three kinds of grants, private, state, and federal grants that everyone has access to.  Federal grants alone hand out billions of dollars to taxpayers and millions of dollars in state grants are going unused. We all can benefit from using the right resources.  For assistance, there are public and private organizations that exist just to make sure people get these grants.

This is a non-taxable and interest-free kind of money available to all U.S. taxpayers that never has to be paid back.  No matter what kind of credit a person has, anyone can learn the techniques to receive government grants to spend as they see fit.  It is all just a matter of finding the right source of information that will teach you what you need to know.  Billions of dollars in grant money are out there, waiting for people to claim them.

We should all take advantage of the opportunities government grant money can offer.  It is basically free money.  Since some of our tax dollars go into them, why not get some of them back?  Grants should be looked at as a way to gain some financial strength and make some dreams come true.  Everyone has one reason or another why they can use some extra money so, why not try to get some.

About Author
For information and access to government grant programs, go to http://www.productsupplycenter.com/web190243

Facebook CEO Bailing Out Newark School System With $100M Donation

Ayinde O. Chase – AHN News Editor

Newark, NJ, United States (AHN) – Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to appear on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Friday to announce a $100 million donation to Newark’s failing school system. The donation is the first part of a foundation slated to improve U.S. education.

The 26-year-old has no connection to Newark and lives in California, but met Mayor Cory A. Booker at a conference in July and the two had a conversation about plans for the city.

Booker, a proponent for school choice, has been crisscrossing the country meeting business leaders and celebrities raising money and trying to change the opinion of his city.

Winfrey is reportedly one of his biggest supporters, and has given millions of dollars to schools and other organizations in the New Jersey’s capital city over the last few years.

Forbes estimates that Zuckerberg is now worth $6.9 billion and ranks 35 on its annual list of wealthy Americans.

The calculations place him seven spots above Apple CEO Steve Jobs, whose worth is close to $6.1 billion with a rank of 42 on Forbes’ list.

Some say the timing of the donation is calculated. Being that it may diffuse any negative press surrounding Zckerberg’s staggering wealth and ranking on the aforementioned Forbes list and in addition to a movie based on Zuckerberg, titled “The Social Network,” life is about to hit theaters and doesn’t portray him in the best light.

Despite the many ways the gesture’s intention can be speculated, the fact of the matter is a donation of this enormity from his personal wealth to bail out an ailing school system- ultimately benefits countless children now and in the future.

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Report: U.S. Adoption Ban Leaves Couple Heartbroken

Anil Giri – AHN News Correspondent

Kathmandu, Nepal (AHN) – American couple Haydn Hilling and his wife Edvige Hilling desperately want to take their adopted Nepali child home. Three weeks ago, the Nepali authorities approved their adoption petition. They are now waiting for the decision from another authority — the American Embassy in Kathmandu.

The Hillings, with their two-year-old adopted son Kailash, are mounting a campaign to have their voices heard. But the United States goverment recently imposed an adoption ban on Nepali children citing “malpractice in adoption process,” according to the Katmandu Post.

Following the approval from the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, the couple went straight to the embassy seeking approval of their adoption process to take Kailash home. However, their request was turned down by embassy officials who said that they were dissatisfied with some of the adoption documents. “I am really disappointed and embarrassed,” she told the Post, who already has a seven-year-old adopted daughter Liliann.

She added that there was no valid reason to suspect the documents that were already approved by Nepali authorities. The Hillings have already spent more than one-and-a-half years getting the necessary paperwork required to adopt Kailash, but now the process has come to a standstill.

The ban went into effect on August 6. “In order to protect the rights and interests of certain Nepali children and their families, and of US prospective adoptive parents, the Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have jointly decided to suspend adjudication of new adoption petitions and related visa issuance for children who are described as having been abandoned in Nepal,” American officials said in a statement.

The couple is in such a bind that it can neither leave the child in the orphanage from where it brought him, but they are running out of time to stay in the country. “We cannot think of leaving the child in a destitute home as we have developed a close bond with him,” said Haydn. “We are having a tough time deciding what to do.”

Their daughter Liliann, within a short span of time, has started playing with her prospective brother and snuggling up to him in bed as if he were her blood sibling, the couple admits.

The couple is struggling to convince Liliann why her brother is unlikely to be allowed to travel to their new home. “It is a violation of our rights,” said Haydn. “The U.S. officials should trust the Nepali authorities’ investigation and protect our right to adopt the child.”

Envige even went on to say that she would leave the U.S. and stay in Nepal if Washington does not allow them to take the child home. Haydn said he was ready to hand over the child if his biological parents are found. “Kailash had been staying in Sagarmatha Orphanage for two years without knowing about his biological parents,” he said.

Documents show that police had found Kailash unclaimed in the capital and handed him over to the orphanage. The U.S. State Department maintains that the ban was taken to protect the rights and interests of Nepali children and their families. However, Haydn says the decision is not in favor of the children as it is the right of the children to live in a good environment and lead a healthy life. Haydn is now planning to return home, leaving his wife in Kathmandu to convince the embassy officials.

He says he will take the child home at any cost. “I am ready fight a legal battle for the rest of my life to take the child home,” he said. As luck would have it, the HIllings couldn’t have a child even after 20 years of marriage. They had decided to adopt a child from Nepal. The Haydn couple is not alone. There are several American couples facing a similar situation in Nepal, according to another U.S. citizen Mark Barrett, who is a prospective father of Nepali children. They all hope that their call will be heard by the US authorities.

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Former Queens University Dean Charged With Embezzling $1 Million

Kris Alingod – AHN News Contributor

Queens, NY, United States (AHN) – A former dean of St. John’s University was charged Wednesday with using $1 million worth of school funds to pay for her son’s tuition and other expenses such as groceries and Victoria’s Secret lingerie.

Cecilia Chang faces a 205-count indictment including first-degree grand larceny, 69 counts of second-degree forgery and 64 counts of first-degree falsification of business records.

The 57-year-old was the university’s vice president for international relations and dean of the Center of Asian Studies until her suspension and eventual removal this year. She is accused of having non-work related expenses reimbursed by the university over a six-year period, and funneling a $250,000 donation to the school from a Saudi Arabian foundation into a non-profit she created.

An alumni of St. John’s who received her doctorate from Columbia University, Chang faces as much as 25 years in prison. She has pleaded not guilty.

Chang’s official role included fundraising for the school, and she was often required to travel with dignitaries and take potential donors out for expensive meals or cater to their needs when they were visiting the United States. She would thus have her credit card charges regularly reimbursed, sometimes for as much as $50,000 a month.

A university audit last year, however, revealed that she had been submitting a credit card statement issued by a Taiwanese bank that had charges made by her son for groceries, gasoline, cable television, casino expenses, clothing and insurance.

Chang had several university-issued credit cards, according to prosecutors, but was allowed to use her personal credit card from Taishing Bank because she told school officials some places in Asia did not accept credit cards issued by U.S. banks.

Chang is also accused of using the Taishing Bank credit card to pay for her son’s tuition. She had the authority to award scholarships, and she gave her son a scholarship to the university’s law school. When she was told that her action was beyond her authority and that she had to pay for her son’s tuition, Chang allegedly used her personal credit card to cover the tuition and then submitted a false credit card statement so the expense could be reimbursed.

Prosecutors also charge that Chang misled a charity run by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom Foundation, into believing it was donating money to the university.

Chang had proposed the creation of a non-profit, Global Development, to the university but officials had rejected the idea. Despite the decision of the school, she created the non-profit and used the university’s letterhead and official e-mail account to communicate with the Kingdom Foundation about a donation.

Her letters to the Saudi Arabian charity included statements such as, “On behalf of St. John’s University, we would like to convey our deepest gratitude.” The money, worth $250,000, was donated to Global Development and later reportedly wired by Chang to China.

Chang “was highly respected by school officials for her ability to successfully secure large, sometimes million dollar, contributions,” District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement. “It is disheartening, indeed, to see an alleged betrayal of this magnitude which inexcusably deprived the University of much needed educational funds and could have a chilling effect on the school’s future fund-raising efforts.”

However, Chang’s lawyer, Todd Greenberg, told the New York Daily News, “Every dime that this woman spent was spent on behalf of St. John’s University, entertaining the people who St. John’s University told her to entertain.”

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World Food Prize Laureate Urges Action Against Poverty

Tejinder Singh – AHN News Correspondent

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The United States has not made any sustained progress towards eradicating poverty since the 1960s and early 1970s when the poverty rate was cut in half, one of the leading anti-hunger and poverty advocates told an audience at the National Press Club Monday.

David Beckmann, speaking at a luncheon said, “If countries as different as Bangladesh, Brazil and Britain can reduce poverty, it’s clearly possible in the USA.”

Beckmann, an economist and ordained Lutheran minister who has been president of Bread for the World since 1991, argued, “As a nation, we have opportunities to moderate what the economy is doing to hungry and poor people.”

“In August, Congress provided needed financial support to state governments, partly to reduce teacher lay-offs, but they decided to pay for it by trimming future funding for food stamps by $12 billion,” Beckmann said.

“Congress is coming back into session today, and the Child Nutrition Act expires on Sept. 30. This is a clear opportunity for Congress and the people to reduce hunger among children.”

Beckmann outlined three hunger issues for the U.S. government to concentrate on–helping poor farmers produce more food, specifically tackling malnutrition among children; making foreign aid a more effective way to reduce poverty; and providing tax-credits to poor working households.

Beckmann praised the present policies saying, “The Obama administration, to their great credit, is leading an international response to the increase in world hunger.”

“They are using a relatively small amount of U.S. money to leverage much bigger investments from other nations around the world. But Congress is not now on track to approve the funding the president has requested,” he said.

“The administration is moving forward with reform, but slowly, and they may merge development programs more fully into programs that serve our own short-term interests,” he noted, adding, “This is bad idea.”

“I know a young mother who is working two part-time jobs,” Beckmann said. “She has a 3-year-old boy. She used her tax rebate last year to start training as a dental hygienist. But the tax provisions that helped her last year need to be renewed,” he argued.

“We do not now have enough political oomph to achieve the changes for hungry and poor people that we should,” Beckmann said. “So I am calling on people, especially people who believe in God, to help change the politics of hunger.”

Beckmann in June this year was awarded the World Food Prize, which was established in 1986 and recognizes the efforts of non-governmental organizations in mobilizing and empowering people to end hunger around the world.

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U.S. First Lady Helps Launch School Recipe Contest

Lawrence Mijares – AHN News Contributor

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – First Lady Michelle Obama has helped to launch the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nationwide school recipe contest aimed at improving school meals and overall health of American children.

“The Recipes for Healthy Kids Challenge is an important contribution to our overall efforts to combat childhood obesity,” the First Lady said in a USDA statement issed Saturday. “It’s vital that we provide our children with healthy and nutritious food in school and help them learn healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.”

  • Participants will have to form teams and submit their contending recipes in either of three categories: Whole Grains, Dark Green and/or Orange Vegetables, and Dry Beans and Peas. The cooked products will then be served in school cafeterias and rated by students. Semi-finalists’ recipes will then be posted online for public voting where the lone winner will be determined.

    A national grand prize of $3,000 will be awarded, along with prizes of $1,000 to $1,500 for the top two recipes in each category. Winners will be invited to prepare their winning meals alongside White House chefs. Finally, the top 10 recipes in each category will be published in a Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook.

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    U.S. First Lady Helps Launch School Recipe Contest

    Lawrence Mijares – AHN News Contributor

    Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – First Lady Michelle Obama has helped to launch the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nationwide school recipe contest aimed at improving school meals and overall health of American children.

    “The Recipes for Healthy Kids Challenge is an important contribution to our overall efforts to combat childhood obesity,” the First Lady said in a USDA statement issed Saturday. “It’s vital that we provide our children with healthy and nutritious food in school and help them learn healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.”

  • Participants will have to form teams and submit their contending recipes in either of three categories: Whole Grains, Dark Green and/or Orange Vegetables, and Dry Beans and Peas. The cooked products will then be served in school cafeterias and rated by students. Semi-finalists’ recipes will then be posted online for public voting where the lone winner will be determined.

    A national grand prize of $3,000 will be awarded, along with prizes of $1,000 to $1,500 for the top two recipes in each category. Winners will be invited to prepare their winning meals alongside White House chefs. Finally, the top 10 recipes in each category will be published in a Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook.

  • Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

    View full post on All Stories