Saturday, December 10, 2011

PhD scholarship available at QUT BPM Group


Applications are invited from suitable qualified graduates for four PhD scholarships at the Business Process Management Group, Information Systems Discipline at Queensland University of Technology as part of the ARC project “Designing Process Models for Decision-Making”. The term of the scholarship is three years. The scholarships provide financial support towards study and living costs. 

Project Background
When seeking to re-design  business processes – a perennial top priority of chief information executives – organisations use graphical documentations of their business processes, so called process models. These models act as blueprints of organizational processes, and are a key tool for making re-design decisions, i.e., decisions about where, how and why changes to the processes should be enacted to warrant increased revenues, business growth, improved operational efficiency, cost reductions or increased compliance.

A process model that documents a business  process in an incomplete, incorrect, cumbersome to decipher, or otherwise deficient manner will not convey the information about the business domain to the decision maker such that a good decision can be facilitated. Any re-design of the processes, in consequence, will then fail to deliver the expected benefits. When creating process models, therefore, business analysts require principles that guide them in conceiving graphical representations of business processes that  are useful, intuitive and accurate to the
decision-makers (process owners, process managers, business analysts, systems designers and the like) working with these models. 
This project aims to develop a theory, and theory-driven guidelines, for developing
understandable process models. Specifically, it will deliver:
•  A fundamental theory about factors and consequences of process modelling for
decision-making tasks; and
•  on the basis of the new and validated theory, practical guidelines based on
rigorous empirical insights to guide the creation of useful, intuitive and accurate
process models for decision-making. 
Project Governance
The research project is led by Associate Professor Jan Recker, PhD. Jan is Alexander-
von-Humboldt Fellow and Associate Professor for Information Systems at
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, where he is co-leader of
the Business Process Management research group. His main areas of research include
business process design in organizational practice, user acceptance and IT-enabled
business transformations. His research is published in the MIS Quarterly, the Journal
of the Association for Information Systems, the European Journal of Information
Systems, Information & Management, the Scandinavian Journal of Information
Systems, Information Systems, and other key journals.
Jan is currently the highest ranked researcher in Information Systems in Europe and
Australia, based on publications in the top six journals over the last three years. He is
an Associate Editor for the Communications of the AIS, a member of the editorial
board of several international journals and serves on the program committee of
various conferences.
More information is available from www.janrecker.com/. 


The Research Group
QUT’s BPM research group is one of the largest BPM research groups in the world with impressive academic achievements, significant third-party funded research projects and major industry linkages.

QUT’s BPM Group is situated within the Information Systems Discipline, the highest ranked IS research department in Australia based on research quality. The discipline is currently the highest ranked IS department in Australia or Europe in terms of publications in the top six IS journals worldwide.

QUT’s BPM Group has a global reputation for its work on BPM maturity management, process improvement, process modeling, and workflow technology. The group has had substantial impact on the global body of BPM knowledge and its uptake in industry and academia. Research from the BPM group has appeared in premier outlets journals such as the  MIS Quarterly, the  Journal of the AIS, the European Journal of IS,  Decision Support Systems,  Information Systems,  ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology, and others.

To find out more, please visit the research group’s website
(http://www.bpm.scitech.qut.edu.au).

 
Application Criteria 
The successful applicant

-  has a Master's degree in information  systems, business administration, or a
comparable field. He or she completed the Master’s degree with a GPA of 6 or
higher (or equivalent).
-  has the ambition and capabilities to  complete a high-quality PhD project
within 3 years.
-  has a strong research mindset, and evidence of skills in theoretical and
empirical research.
-  possesses strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
-  speaks and writes fluently in English.
-  likes to work in an international setting.

Application Procedure
Applicants are required to submit a letter of application for the scholarship to Associate Professor Jan Recker (j.recker@qut.edu.au) by 31 December 2011, briefly describing qualifications, relevant skills and areas of research interest.  Applicants will be screened and, if suitable, invited for further assessment and interviews.

The following supporting documents are required: 

-  CV including a comprehensive list and details of all publications if any.
-  Certified copies of academic transcripts.
-  Copies of most important research papers or theses
-  A letter stating how the above criteria are met by the applicant
-  2 letters of reference from academics who have taught/supervised the
applicant at university.
Application Deadline : 31 December 2011

Masters in Gender Studies


The Department of Gender Studies at the Central European University attracts students from a range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, and focuses on integrative and comparative approaches to gender studies.
The programs aim to critically examine past and present developments related to gender in culture and society. The curriculum at the department emphasizes interdisciplinary scholarship, such as gender and post-socialist studies, nationalism, cultural studies, transnationalism and international political movements.
Graduates find employment as researchers, teachers and experts on gender affairs at universities, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and private firms, or continue their studies at CEU or other academic institutions.

DEGREES OFFERED
Master of Arts in Gender Studies (one year)
Master of Arts in Critical Gender Studies (two years)
Joint European Master’s Degree in Women’s and Gender Studies (GEMMA, two years)
European Master’s Degree in Women’s and Gender History (MATILDA, two years)

Application Deadline : 25 January 2012
Contact Adress:
Contact Email: student-info@ceu.hu

Top 10 Most Expensive Diamonds in the World

For thousand of years,most expensive diamond become one of the most popular collection of the rich and the king. Diamond is one of the most wanted mining products. You can be rich instantly if you found a big and rare diamond in the backyard of your house. These most expensive diamond are the most wanted one that almost all people in the world want to save in their mansion or palace. Let’s take a look at those most expensive diamond in the world
10. The Allnatt Diamond : $ 3 Millions
This diamond is named after Major Alfred Ernest Allnatt. He was one of the holders of the diamond. The Allnatt diamond has size of 101.29 carat (20.258 g) with a cushion cut. The diamond color is rated as fancy vivid Yellow by the Gemological Institute of America. No one know precisely where the diamond was found. But some expert say that the diamond was found where the De Beers premier diamond mine now located.

most expensive diamond the allnatt diamond
The Allnatt Diamond

9. The Moussaieff Red Diamond : $ 7 Millions
The Moussaieff Red Diamond is 5.11 carats (1.022 g) diamond with triangular brilliant cut that rated as Fancy Red in colour by the Gemologial Institute of America (GIA). Although Moussaieff is relatively small compared to other expensive diamond, this is the largest fancy red ever rated by GIA.

most expensive diamond The Moussaieff Red diamond
The Moussaieff Red diamond

8. The Heart of Eternity : $16 Millions
The Heart of Eternity is a 27.64 carats (5.528 g) diamond with a color rated as Fancy Vivid Blue by the Gemological Institue of America. This diamond is very rare class of colored diamond. It was cut by the Steinmetz group before sold to De Beers Group. The diamond itself was found in premier diamond mine in South Africa.

most expensive diamond the heart of etenity diamond
The Heart of Etenity diamond

7. Wittelsbach Diamond : $ 16.4 Millions
The Wittelsbach diamond (Der Blaue Wittelsbacher) is a 35.36 carats (7.11 g) blue diamond with size of 40 mm in diameter with 8.29 mm in depth and VS 2 in clarity. It was become part of both Austrian and Bavarian crown jewels, with color and clarity has been compared to the Hope Diamond (you can see below on No. 4).

most expensive diamond wittelsbach diamond
Wittelsbach diamond

6. The Steinmetz Pink : $ 25 Millions
The Steinmetz Pink is 59.60 carats (11.92 grams) of diamond that rated as Vivid Pink by the Gemological Institute of America. It’s the largest known diamond that given a color as Fancy vivid pink ever. The Steinmitz Pink was displayed as part of Smithsonian’s “The Splendor of Diamons” exhibition.

most expensive diamond the steinmetz pink diamond
The Steinmetz Pink Diamond








5. De Beers Centenary Diamond: $ 100 Millions
The De Beers Centenary Diamond were classified as D levels by the Gemological Institute of America. It’s the highest grade of a diamond that colorless and internally and externally flawless. The diamond itself is 273.85 carats (54.77 grams) in weight. This diamond is the 3rd largest diamond has been produced by De Beer’s Premier Mine.

most expensive diamond debeers centenary diamond
De Beers Centenary Diamond

4. The Hope Diamond : $350 Millions
The hope diamond is 45.52 carats (9.10 grams) large diamond that now located in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. The diamond looks blue in color to the naked eye because the number of traces of boron in the crystal structure but It shine a red phosphor under ultraviolet light.

most expensive diamond the hope diamond
The Hope Diamond

3. The Cullinan : $ 400 Millions
The Cullinan Diamond is 3,106,75 carats (621.35 grams) diamond and is the largest rough gem quality diamond ever found in the world. After polished it become Cullinan I or Star Africa first and at 530.2 carats (106.0 grams) is the largest diamond in the world until 1985 with the Golden Jubilee of 545.67 carats (109.13 grams) from the same premier Mine.

most expensive diamond the cullinan diamond
The Cullinan Diamond

2. The Sancy Diamond : (Unestimated, Priceless)
The Sancy diamond is 55.23 carat (11.05 grams) of pale yellow diamond that once was famous as the belonging of the Great Moguls. It’s believed that the diamond is Indian origin. This is the first large diamonds to be cut with symmetrical facets. The stone is also unusual because it has no pavilion – just a pair of crowns, one on the other. This historical diamond is now kept in the French Crown Jewel collection housed at the Louvre.

most expensive diamond the sancy diamond
The Sancy Diamond

1. Koh-I-Noor : (Unestimated, Priceless)
Koh-I-Noor means as “Mountain of Light” from Persian. It’s a 105 carat (21.6 grams) diamond that was once the largest known diamond in the world. The Koh-I-Noor was originated at Golconda in the Andhra Pradesh state of India. It was owned by various Sikh, Mughal and Persian rulers that fought each other from time to time. The stone was found to measure 36.00 × 31.90 × 13.04 mm. The gem remains the property of the British crown and is kept in HM Tower of London and it’s a popular tourist attraction.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Scholarship Diploma in Multimedia Journalism at the Asia Center for Journalism


Scholarship Diploma in Multimedia Journalism at the Asia Center for Journalism
A maximum of 15 students are admitted each year. Admission is competitive. Priority is given to working Asian photojournalists, editors and reporters. To qualify, each applicant should:
  • have at least one (1) full year work experience as a cameraman, photojournalist, editor, radio journalist, interactive designer or reporter
  • be a college graduate with an average of B or higher;
  • be proficient in oral and written English and in computer literacy;
  • have access to video enabled DSLR or video camera, a still camera, a sound recorder with the tie clip microphone, a computer with Internet connection and industry-standard video and photo-editing programs.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

The application form (Form 1) must be submitted with the following documents.
  • Curriculum vitae with 2” x 2” ID photo
  • Transcript of records (college degree)
  • Certification of Employment using the prescribed form (Form 2)
  • A two-paragraph statement of purpose
  • A portfolio consisting of one or more of the following, 10-15 photographs, tear sheets of published articles, video examples, MP3 files of audio work.  All of your folio material should be digitized and uploaded to a blog, or video/photo/audio sharing website for review.
All forms are available at the “Resources” section of http://acfj.ateneo.edu.
To be considered for screening, applicants must submit the completed application form and all required support documents.  Applicants must keep copies of all documents submitted.  ACFJ reserves the right to keep or otherwise dispose all materials submitted six months after the start of the program.
SCHEDULE
The program begins in April 2012 May and ends in May 2013. The courses are offered in succession. Hybrid courses involve four weeks of online courses and one week of on-campus sessions. A fully online course takes nine weeks. Work on the multimedia project takes place at the start of the sixth month of the program.
DEADLINE
Application forms and supporting documents must be submitted on or before 15 February 2012, to the address below. If mailed, the documents should be postmarked on the same day.
Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University
Department of Communication
3/F Social Sciences Building
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
1108 Philippines
The application forms and supporting documents for both the program and the scholarships may also be e-mailed to newsroom@admu.edu.ph.

Please email newsroom@admu.edu.ph if you have any questions regarding admission requirements.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The International Doctoral Program in Energy Science at Kyoto University


The international Doctoral Program in Energy Science is offered to provide
foreign students and researchers, who have a Master’s degree (or
equivalent), an opportunity to further their studies toward a Doctoral
degree at Kyoto University. In this Doctoral Program, Japanese proficiency
is not required since students can obtain the necessary credits by choosing
ones among a variety of subjects presented in English and their research
works are also supervised in English. An evaluation of eligibility for
admission will be made on the basis of the documents submitted to our
Student Affairs Section, Administration Office.

<*Five students* will be admitted with a scholarship from the Japanese
Government.>
SCHOLARSHIP
- Allowance: *153,000 to 156,000yen* per month for at most 36 months
(subject to change depending upon the annual budget of each year)
- Travel to and from Japan: Economy-class *round trip airfare*
- School fees: Exemption from the entrance and tuition fees
ELIGIBILITY
- Nationality: Any of the countries with which Japan has official
diplomatic relations
- Age:* under 35 years* of age as of April 1, 2012
- Academic qualifications: *Master’s degree* or equivalent (by the end
of September, 2012)
- Language ability: Good command of English (Japanese is not required)
DOCUMENTS FOR APPLICATION
For enrollment in October, 2012, the following documents must be
received*on or before January 27, 2012
* at our Student Affairs Section, Administration Office (address given
below).
- Application forms which can be downloaded from our homepage (see below)
- A copy of an official document verifying the applicant’s nationality
- Certificates: Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees (or equivalents)
- Official academic records: Undergraduate and graduate levels
- Recommendation letters: Dean of the graduate school and supervisor
(undergraduate and/or graduate) and head of the employing organization (if
currently working)
- Research plan / List of scientific publications / Brief description of
academic achievements
- Summary of Master’s Thesis (or equivalent)
- A copy of an official GRE (General test), TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS
Academic Module score for a test taken within the last 24 months
TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION
Each applicant should contact his/her prospective supervisor at Graduate
School of Energy Science Kyoto University before applying.
NOTIFICATION OF DECISION
The applicants will be informed of the result of the 1st stage selection by
Kyoto University *by around the end of March, 2012*. The selected
applicants will then be recommended to the Japanese Government as
applicants for the scholarship. Applicants will be informed of the final
decision *by around the end of June, 2012*.
CORRESPONDENCE
Any inquiry can be accepted at
*Student Affairs Section, Administration Office*
Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
E-mail: icenergy[at]mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Fax: +81-75-753-4745
For further details, visit our home page;

PhD: Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy


The Faculty of Applied Sciences is the largest faculty of TU Delft, with around 550 scientists, a support staff of 250 and 1,400 students. The faculty conducts fundamental, application-oriented research and offers scientific education at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels. The faculty is active in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Applied Physics.

The Department of Radiation, Radionuclides and Reactors is situated in the Reactor Institute Delft (RID). The department's common focus is nuclear radiation and reactions. Although its areas of interest are varied, including materials, sensors and instrumentation, energy, sustainable production and health, all research is related to radiation in some way. In experimental research, extensive use is made of the research facilities of the Reactor Institute Delft as well as of large, international research facilities.

The Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy section performs research on functional and structural materials, aimed at practical applications. The focus is on the study of the relationships between structure, dynamics and function at the atomic and nanoscale. For this we use neutrons, positrons, X-rays, NMR, muons, Mössbauer spectroscopy and first principles modelling.

Job description

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is an important alternate catalytic technology in petroleum refining, used to produce a broad distribution of clean liquid fuels and chemicals from syngas. The cobalt catalysts used are quite costly, so a long catalyst lifetime is required to ensure that the process is economically feasible. Although the catalyst deactivation mechanisms have been studied to some extent, to date there is no consistent picture. In-situ characterisation of the catalysts is regarded to be one of the most important routes to developing new, better industrial catalysts. In this project, Mössbauer spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography will be applied in a systematic way to unravel the structure of the catalysts on an atomic scale under real industrial conditions. The project involves the handling of radioactive materials.
The research will be carried out in the group of Prof. Ekkes Brück at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology.

Requirements

We are looking for a highly motivated chemist (MSc or an equivalent degree) with a solid background in inorganic/organometallic chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis. An additional requirement is hands-on experience with catalyst synthesis and in-situ characterisation techniques (FTIR and/or XAFS spectroscopy). Experience in operating and maintaining gas chromatography systems is a plus. The candidate must have the ability to work independently, write reports and effectively communicate results, and must also have strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills. The candidate should be fluent in both spoken and written English.

Conditions of employment

TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package, including a flexible work week, free high-speed Internet access from home (with a contract of two years or longer), and the option of assembling a customised compensation and benefits package. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Delft University of Technology strives to increase the number of women in higher academic positions; women are therefore especially encouraged to apply.

Information and application

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. A.I. Dugulan, Researcher, phone: +31 (0)15-2785623, e-mail: A.I.Dugulan@tudelft.nl. To apply, please e-mail a detailed CV, a course list with grades and a letter of application by 15 January 2012 to Ms. Nicole Banga, Management Assistant, N.D.Banga@tudelft.nl.
When applying for this position, please refer to vacancy number TNWRRR11-045.
Application Deadline : 15 January 2012

PhD in Image Analysis


The Faculty of Applied Sciences is the largest faculty of TU Delft, with around 550 scientists, a support staff of 250 and 1,400 students. The faculty conducts fundamental, application-oriented research and offers scientific education at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels. The faculty is active in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Applied Physics.

The Department of Imaging Science and Technology (IST) is a physics department which specialises in imaging physics and image-based measurement science. Our mission is performing cutting-edge research in imaging science to advance the fundamental understanding of physical phenomena, leading to new, innovative imaging principles and revolutionary imaging instruments. We offer a stimulating academic climate for collaborative research and for educating students in the modern aspects of engineering physics and imaging sciences.
From optical images of colliding galaxies taken by the Hubble telescope to acoustic images of geological structures in the subsurface, from magnetic resonance images of the human brain to optical and electron nanoscopy data for studying biomolecules, the acquisition, processing and analysis of images presents intellectual, scientific and technical challenges. We tackle the development of new image acquisition and processing systems and the quantitative analysis of the 2D, 3D and 4D images obtained through such systems.

Job description

We are looking for a PhD student to develop automatic image processing techniques to measure descriptive features of Crohn’s disease activity in both MR and microscopy (histopathology) images.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) constitute one of the largest healthcare problems in the western world, affecting over 1 million European citizens alone, 700,000 of whom suffer from Crohn’s disease.
Grading of Crohn’s disease severity is important to determine treatment strategy and to quantify the response to treatment. Colonoscopy is considered the reference standard for diagnosis of all IBDs. However, the procedure is invasive and is considered very burdensome by most patients.
The PhD project is part of the VIGOR++ project, which aims at developing new instruments for the quantification of the severity of Crohn’s disease. These tools can support early diagnosis, improved therapy planning and a better quality of life for patients.
VIGOR++ is funded by the European Union and involves leading European groups in abdominal radiology, medical image analysis, modelling, scientific visualisation, gastroenterology and commercial diffusion.
The PhD student will collaborate closely with other PhD students involved in the VIGOR++ project.

Requirements

We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic candidate with an MSc degree in (applied) physics or a related subject. He/she must have an excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and a top 20% ranking during his/her BSc and MSc. Experience in image processing is helpful. Good programming skills in MATLAB and C are a necessity.

Conditions of employment

The successful candidate will be employed full-time by TU Delft for a fixed period of four years within which he or she is expected to write a dissertation leading to a doctoral degree (PhD thesis). The starting salary for a PhD is €2042 gross per month increasing to a maximum of €2612 gross per month in the fourth year.
TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package, including a flexible work week, free high-speed Internet access from home, and the option of assembling a customised compensation and benefits package. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Delft University of Technology strives to increase the number of women in higher academic positions; women are therefore especially encouraged to apply.

Information and application

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. F. M. Vos, phone: +31 (0)15-2787133, e-mail: f.m.vos@tudelft.nl.
Applications for this position can only be submitted through the on-line Taleo system: http://tbe.taleo.net/NA9/ats/careers/jobSearch.jsp?org=FOAS&cws=9. Please search for this vacancy in the Department of Imaging Science and Technology. The deadline for applications is February 1st, 2012.
When applying for this position, make sure to mention vacancy number TNWIST10-023.
Application Deadline : 1 February 2012

Marie Curie Experienced Researcher Fellow for the SMARTEN ITN project


The main aim of SmartEN ITN project is to establish a transnational Initial Training Network (ITN), aiming at implementing a multidisciplinary research and training programme in the field of smart management for sustainable human environment. The training programme focuses its activities on research and training in the disciplines of Wireless Sensor Networks, Sensor Signal Processing, Non-Destructive Evaluation and Smart Proactive Management. In order to facilitate integration between these disciplines, four multi-disciplinary research programmes have been defined within SmartEn. These include Smart Proactive Management of: Structural systems; Heritage and infrastructure; Transportation infrastructure systems and Urban microclimate.
More information about the SmartEn ITN project and the consortium can be found in:
Description
The Marie Curie ER (Experienced Researcher) Fellow will conduct research in the areas of Signal Processing and Communications with reference to wireless sensor networks. The topics include:
-        Multi-hop Relaying, Distributed and Cooperative Communication Schemes
-        Distributed Estimation algorithms
-        Distributed Source Coding
-        Localization
-        Compressed Sensing.
Responsibilities for this position include conducting research in the above fields leading to publications in top international academic journals and conferences, and providing teaching support to various graduate courses related with the expertise of the successful candidate. Applicants must show evidence of research potential in their respective field, as well as collegial spirit.
The advertised position will give the successful candidate the opportunity to work in a well established and active group and use the facilities of a state-of-the art environment, further develop his/her skills and experience, significantly enhancing his/her career.
The duration of the job is 12 months, starting in the first quarter of 2012.Compensation includes: (a) Competitive monthly salary, and   (b) travel grants to attend conferences, in addition to travel related with project requirements. For more details on salary and other benefits for the ER fellow, please refer to Marie Curie website at:
Requirements:
The applicant must, at the time of recruitment (i) be in possession of a doctoral degree in the fields of Electrical & Computer Engineering, independently of the time taken to acquire it, or (ii) have at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience, including the period of research training, after obtaining the degree which formally allowed them to embark on a doctorate in the country in which the degree/diploma was obtained or in the host country (irrespective of whether or not a doctorate was envisaged).
The working language will be English; therefore, fluency in English is a requirement.
Eligibility:
Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in τhe country of the hosting lab (i.e., Greece) for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.  More details concerning eligibility can be found in relevant EC documents (People WorkProgramme).

Deadline:
The application deadline is December 31st, 2011, however, early applications are strongly encouraged and may result in an early decision.

Contact:
Interested candidates may send (via email) a CV, contact information of three references and a letter describing their research interests to:

Prof. Kostas Berberidis

Head of Signal Processing & Communications Unit

Tel: +30-2610-996975
Fax: +30-2610-996971

Postal Address:
Kostas Berberidis
Department of Computer Engineering & Informatics
School of Engineering
University of Patras
26500 Rio - Patras,  GREECE

Application Deadline : 31 December 2011

Higher Education Reduces Corruption