Marketing Approaches Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Approaches - Term Paper Example This is due to the concept of moral hazard when it comes to consuming health care products and services through insurance financing. Handling health care products and services in the health care markets must put into account all the aspects highlighted above. The spending decisions and buyer behaviors of consumers in health care markets are influenced by more variables compared to their counterparts in the consumer goods markets. Health care marketers must assess and evaluate the approaches that different consumers use to derive good health. Some opt for preventative measures, others choose curative or both. Therefore, the marketing approach chosen should critically identify the different markets segments that exist and the product or service differentiation variables employed. Marketing consumer goods and services focuses on the rationality of consumers. Consumers exhibit rationality in the sense that they prefer consumer baskets that are high in quality and cheap in terms of cost. The primary objective of a consumer in the consumer goods and services markets is to maximize utility. Consumers aim at getting more value than they actually pay for. To achieve this, the pricing policies adopted by sellers must favor consumption needs of consumers in order to maximize their welfare in buying goods and services bundles. Unlike in marketing health care products, consumer goods and services are not characterized by moral hazard due to the fact that consumers personally meet their expenditure. Consumption is purely based on the purchasing power of an individual consumer. Consumers with high purchasing power will ultimately buy more than those with lower purchasing power. On the same note, consumption of consumer... Marketing Approaches The nature of the products or services being marketed and the targeted markets are crucial to account for because they critically identify the different market segments that exist, and subsequently guide marketers in undertaking their respective duties and responsibilities. Although both health care and consumer goods markets deal with both products and services, the nature of marketing practices significantly vary due to product or service uniqueness and product or service differentiation in these markets. Marketers in both health care and consumer goods markets seek to capture a significant market share that maximizes market benefits in terms of sales, revenue generation, and profit making. Marketers in these two markets adopt different marketing approaches that work best in their respective markets. A health care marketer has to understand that health care products and services are characterized by derived demand rather than direct demand (Getzen, 2010). This implies that demand f or health care is the outcome of the need for good health. Good health can be realized from both curative and preventative measures, both of which constitute demand for health care. Service delivery is another aspect that experiences ethical violations. The firm should be morally responsible for its decisions, practices, and operations. The crafted policy should encompass programs that are designed to collect feedback at both the firm and the target markets in relation to service delivery.

Strategic management Essay Example for Free

Strategic management Essay 1. Strategic management consists of the analysis, decisions, and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantages. TRUE Dess Chapter 01 #1 Learning Objective: 1 (p. 5) 2. Strategic management includes strategy analysis, strategy formulation, and strategy implementation. TRUE (p. 9-13) 3. According to the text, formulating strategy includes taking into consideration strategy at the business, international, digital, and corporate levels. TRUE Dess Chapter 01 (p. 11) 4. (p. 14) Symbiosis is the ability to recognize interdependencies among the interests of multiple stakeholders within and outside an organization. TRUE Dess Chapter 01 #6 Learning Objective: 3 5. (p. 15) Social responsibility is the idea that organizations are not only accountable to shareholders but also to the community-at-large. TRUE Dess Chapter 01 #7 Learning Objective: 3 6. (p. 14) Sears has developed a sophisticated quantitative model that can predict the relationship between employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and financial results. This is an example of a symbiotic approach to strategic management. TRUE 7. (p. 14) Social responsibility for Suncor Energy of Calgary means accountability to customers but NOT to employees. FALSE Dess Chapter 01 #10 Learning Objective: 3 8. (p. 17) The strategic management process should be addressed only by top-level executives. Mid-level and low-level employees are best equipped to implement the organizations strategies. FALSE Dess Chapter 01 #11 Learning Objective: 4 9. (p. 17) Intellectual capital is becoming increasingly important in todays economy. It is a concern of managers throughout organizations. TRUE Dess Chapter 01 #13 Learning Objective: 4 10. (p. 20) Objectives in organizations should be clear, stated, and known by employees throughout the organization. TRUE Dess Chapter 01 #14 Learning Objective: 5 11. (p. 20) Strategic management should only include short-term objectives. Long-term objectives are covered in the organizations vision statement. FALSE Dess Chapter 01 #15 Learning Objectives: 5 12. (p. 20) Organizational goals and objectives should be vague in order to allow for changes in strategy. FALSE Dess Chapter 01 #16 Learning Objectives: 5 13. (p. 20) Organizational vision statements are the beginning point for the hierarchy of goals throughout the organization. An organizations vision statement should be massively inspiring, overarching, and long-term. TRUE 14. Dess Chapter 01 #18 Learning Objective:5 (p. 21) According to the text, a mission statement is an overarching statement that is massively inspiring, long-term, and only discusses the purpose of the company. FALSE 15. Dess Chapter 01 #19 Learning Objective: 5 (p. 21) A mission statement encompasses both the purpose of the company as well as the basis of competition and competitive advantage. TRUE 16. Dess Chapter 01 #20 Learning Objective: 5(p. 24) Strategic objectives should be measurable, specific, appropriate, and realistic, but not constrained by time deadlines. FALSE 17. (p. 23) It is important for organizations to focus primarily on financial objectives and be less concerned about other objectives and goals. FALSE 18. The four key attributes of strategic management include the idea that A. strategy must be directed toward overall organizational goals and objectives. B. strategy must be focused on long-term objectives. C. strategy must be focused on one specific area of an organization. D. strategy must focus on competitor strengths. 19. The four key attributes of strategic management include all of the following except A. including multiple stakeholder interests in decision-making. B. incorporating both short-term and long-term perspectives. C. recognizing the trade-offs between effectiveness and efficiency. D. emphasis on the attainment of short-term objectives. 20. According to Henry Mintzberg, the realized strategies of a firm A. are a combination of deliberate and emergent strategies. B. are a combination of deliberate and differentiation strategies. C. must be based on a companys strategic plan. D. must be kept confidential for competitive reasons. 21. In order to increase their competitiveness, organizations must continually analyze their strategy and their competitive environments. According to the text, strategy analysis includes A. assessing intellectual capital as well as analyzing the internal and external environment. B. formulating Internet and international-level strategy. C. strategic leadership and fostering entrepreneurship. D. strategy implementation and strategic controls. 22. In terms of strategy analysis, the textbook describes Roth, CEO of Nortel, as having A. set low targets. B. ignored the experiences of competitors and set unrealistically high growth targets. C. focused on the economic landscape. D. all of the answers are correct 23. Sears has developed a sophisticated quantitative model and found that there were positive relationships between employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and financial results. According to the text, this is an example of ________________. A. zero-sum relationship among stakeholders B. stakeholder symbiosis C. rewarding stakeholders D. emphasizing financial returns 24. An organization is responsible to many different entities. In order to meet the demands of these groups, organizations must participate in stakeholder management. Stakeholder management means that A. interests of the shareholders are not the only interests that matter. B. stakeholders are second in importance to the shareholders. C. stakeholders and managers inevitably work at cross-purposes. D. all stakeholders receive financial rewards.

Analysing New Challenges Posed By The Development In Government Policies Social Work Essay

Analysing New Challenges Posed By The Development In Government Policies Social Work Essay In this report, I am going to consider the new challenges posed by the latest development in government policies, and particularly those set out in the Every Child Matters and Youth Matters agendas and their impact on Children services especially Looked-After-Children in foster and residential care. I will first and foremost, look at the definition of what Looked-After-Children means, the development of foster and residential care for Looked-After-Children and theoretical knowledge, the legal and policy frameworks underpinning childrens services while considering the implications as well as ethical dilemmas for social work practice. Also, I will look at the effectiveness and impact of multi-agency working, professional autonomy versus employer direction, the balancing act of care and control and how effective the Care Programme Approach is used for those looked after and those leaving care. Furthermore, the regulations that guide placements and the roles of foster carers will also be critically examined. Looked-After-Children as defined in section 22(1) of Children Act 1989, refers to those children in the care of any local authority or provided with accommodation by any local authority for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting their welfare. For example, some children can not remain at home due to adverse conditions such as family crises, a disability or offending, domestic violence, abuse and neglect. Hence the local authority will have to intervene and adequate measures taken to safeguard and promote their welfare and in most cases they are taken into care (foster or residential care). Foster care arrangements is usually a family based care arrangement in which the child is placed in the foster carers own home. The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (2007), states that this kind of care arrangement could be in cases of emergency or non-emergency, for short or long term, on remand or respite, close relatives fostering or private foster carers providing the care need s of the child. However, Residential care is quite similar to foster care, in that adults look after the children on a day to day basis on a pro rota basis. The only difference is that residential care is more of a communal setting where a number of staff works rather than an intimate family unit (as in foster care) in providing the childs needs (DOH 1998a). Some background of foster care and residential care Children were first recognised as individuals in their own right by the implementation of the Children Act 1948 following recommendations from the Care of Children Committee 1946 known as The Curtis Report (Hayden et al 1999) which was influenced by the Monckton Inquiry 1945 into the appalling murder of Dennis ONeill who was in foster care. The report was published with regards to children being deprived of a normal home life during and after the second world war (Barnados 2007) as children from differing social stratifications were brought together into residential care (children homes at the time) as a consequence of the disruption of war . Although the Act established childrens departments and child officers, the general belief was that children should remain (where possible) with their primary caregivers. This decision was influence by John Bowlbys attachment theory in which he emphased the importance of the bond between a child and his/her primary caregiver (mother) and how sepa ration between mother and child could have detrimental effects on the development of the child (Hopkins, 2007). With the introduction of Children and Young Persons Act 1963, local authorities were further given powers and duties to support children in their own homes (Thomas, 2005). This development further strengthened the local authoritys decision and also reinforced Bowlbys attachment theory. However, Waterhouse et al (2002) noted that in the 1970s the use of residential care for primary school children had begun to decline and the shift was towards family oriented care. The 1980s saw a further rapid decline in Looked-After-Children in residential care. Residential care was only viewed as a last resource for adolescents who could not be placed in family settings (Thomas 2005). According to Ibid (2005) foster care or boarding out as it was referred to until the late 1980s, was generally a female orientated voluntary service for looking after deprived children within a family setting with an aim to normalise their experiences whilst in care. It should be noted however, that during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s residential care received significant negative attention through no fault of the children in care (Thomas 2005). In this era, horrific sexual, physical and emotional abuse was exposed, which led to major inquiries into children in care. The three most notable reports are the Pindown inquiry by Levy and Kahan (1991), the Leicestershire inquiry (1993) and the inquiry into the abuse of children in childrens homes in North Wales, known as the Waterhouse Report, 2000 (Thomas 2005). These reports changed the course of policy and practice. It is evident by Ibid (2005) that although these reports have depicted abuse in residential homes over the years, abuse in foster home goes largely undetected. The Waterhouse report (DOH 2000a) exposed no cohesive regulations of childrens homes adding that the responsible local authorities had adopted a tokenistic approach. Upon this report, recommendations for change were clearly defined. The New Labour Government responded to the report and published major policy initiatives such as Quality Protects and the Care Standards Bill (2000) under which the General Social Care Council (GSCC) was established to monitor and regulate all social care staff. The GSCC has been given the mandate to register all social care staff (qualified and non-qualified alike) and also to produce enforceable codes of conduct and practice (DOH 2000b). These were designed to prevent unsuitable people in the social care sector. Other recommendations included, a childrens complaints officer, criminal record checks, a designated field social work assigned to each Looked-After-Child. Accountable and independent regulatory inspection body was also recommended to inspect re sidential and foster homes to meet National Minimum Standards (DOH 2002). Policy and legislative frameworks. There are a host of policies and legislative frameworks underpinning the holistic needs of Looked-After-Children that I as a social worker must work to accordingly. However, working within the parameters of the law, meeting policy guidance and the constraints of limited resources is a complex task (Brammer 2007). The Children Act 1989 is the main legislative instrument that mandates all child care professionals to work towards the best interest of the child. The Act received royal assent in 1991 and arose from substantial research that exposed poor outcomes and significant failings in safeguarding, protecting and meeting childrens needs (Brayne Carr 2005). This same Act also introduced the welfare check list, to include factors that must be considered when professionals and the courts are deciding the future welfare of a child. Although the philosophy of the Act is that the child is best brought up in their own families, at times this is not in the best interests of the child. The local authority has a duty to safeguard and promote the childs welfare (s.22(3)). The overarching principle of the Act is that the welfare of the child is paramount (s.1) regardless of race, religion or culture. Although section 22(5)[c]) of the Act states that the local authorities must consider the childs religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background, this only applies to looked after children (Brammer 2007). Under the Race Relations (Amendment Act) 2000, local authorities have a duty to promote good race relations and equality, provide a culturally sensitive service and protect against racial discrimination. Whilst articles 3,5,6,8 and 14 within the Human Rights Act 1998 are important to children, it is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) that provides a comprehensive framework for children to attain their full potential. It sets out over 40 substantive rights including protection from harm and exploitation, access to education and health and family life (DFES, 2003). The governments first attempt to transforms childrens services was the implementation of the Quality Protects initiative. Also part of a wider set of projects including Sure Start to help children in their early years and their families get off to a better start in life. The Quality Protects programme set out eleven key objectives (DOH 1999) for childrens services requiring all statutory agencies as corporate parents to work together, ensuring that childrens social services provide targeted care for disadvantaged children to enable them to take maximum advantages of universal services, most notably health and education. It was the key mechanism for delivering the aims of the government White Paper, Modernising Social Services (DOH 1998). Local authorities were required to submit a Management Action Plan informing the government on how they were going to meet these objectives. Choice Protects was a further initiative launched in 2002 to improve outcomes for looked-after-children throu gh providing better placement stability, matching and choice (Butler et al 2004) Further changes in legislation followed the death of Victoria Climbià © whilst in private foster care. Lord Lamings report made key recommendations for change following this inquiry (Victoria Climbià © Inquiry 2003). The governments response was a major reform of childrens services and the Children Act 2004, underpinned by the policies set out in Every Child Matters agenda (DFES, 2003). This focused on achieving five key outcomes for services to children, to work towards achieving their full potential. The Five Key Outcomes of the Every Child Matters are: Being healthy, Staying safe, Enjoying and achieving, Making a positive contribution and Achieving economic well-being. The 2004 Act also established childrens trusts, bringing together education, health and social services, as well as a childrens commissioner to promote the interests and views of children. Due to the profound importance of education, section 22(3) of the Children Act 1989 amended by section 52 of the Children Act 2004 now places a duty on local authorities to promote the educational attainment of Looked-After-Children (Brammer 2007). The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DOH 2000b) and subsequent practice guidance was introduced as part of New Labours Quality Protects programme and replaced what was formerly the orange book. The three inter-related dimensions of the framework: Childs Development Needs, Parenting Capacity and Family and Environmental Factors and its sub-domains present the necessary ingredients to provide a holistic, specialist assessment of need used in conjunction with the Children Act 1989, that carers, other professionals and agencies can contribute. The domains can be adapted for the needs of disabled children and are useful for social workers in assessing placements to establish suitability in meeting the childs holistic needs (DOH, 2000b). Additionally, they can be used to evaluate progress within parenting capacities, particularly if key areas were targeted for improvement, thus determining whether the needs of the child will be sufficiently met if they are to return to their own home environment (Ibid, 2000b). The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) as proposed by Every Child Matters (DFES, 2003) is a relatively new standardised approach for assessing the need for services for children and is part of a wider government programme to provide integrated services including the need to improve multi-agency working. The CAF is a common language in assessment and is based upon the five outcomes of Every Child Matters (Brammer 2007). Every Child Matters raises questions of where looked-after-children should be (or get to) in relation to other children. The agenda aims to improve the lives of looked-after-children holistically across the five outcomes linking to the Articles in the UNCRC (Unicef 2006a). The objective is to improve and integrate childrens services, promote early intervention, provide strong leadership, bringing together different professionals in multi-disciplinary teams in order to achieve positive outcomes for children, using a matrix of specialist, targeted and universal services built around their needs. As a social work, I cannot over emphases the importance gaining a comprehensive assessment of a child under my care. This includes getting an in depth picture/knowledge of the childs past history throughout his/her development as this can inform me and others on how the child is likely to respond to particular situations, together with the possible triggers to specific behaviour of that individual, including the childs view of the relationship with his/her family. It is this kind of information, which Falhberg (1994) says is sometimes missing from case files, which could result in the child not receiving an appropriate care package or placement. However, it is important to remember that when gathering information childrens own perspectives on their experiences are an important source of knowledge as well (DOH 2000a p.8). Furthermore, this knowledge equips me with the significance of sharing information between professionals in order to be able promote and meet the childs holistic nee ds. In the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie ¢ and many other previous inquiries in to child protection failures it was noted that the quality of information sharing was often poor, systems were crude and information failed to be passed between hospitals in close proximity to each other. As the report commented, information systems that depend on the random passing of slips of paper have no place in modern services (The Victoria Climbie ¢ Inquiry Report, 2003, p13). In order to provide an effective system for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, all agencies and staff working with children need to work together in addressing the issue of information sharing and recording. Although personal information should always be respected (DOH 2000 p.45), there are times when the law permits the disclosure without consent in order to safeguard the child. Therefore, by explaining to the child at the outset why and how information is shared, there are no unnecessary surprises for the child. The Working together document (DOH, 1999) highlights the importance of multidisciplinary and inter agency working in children work force. This document was put together by Department Of Health, Department for Education and Employment and the Home Office. It serves as a guide to inter-agency working with a commitment to sharing information to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. However, it also provides improved guidance on child protection procedures and the newly reformed Local Safeguarding Childrens Boards. Implications on social work practice However, safeguarding children is never free from ethical dilemmas. For example, it is necessary at times to place children in secure accommodation under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 for their own and others safety (Brammer 2007). Although this conflicts with Article 5 of the UNCRC; Right to Liberty along with the potential to diminish their autonomy, this must therefore be a last resort to safeguard their welfare when other strategies and social work interventions have been ineffective. Yet another area of consideration is effective care planning for Looked-After-Children. This is key to promoting and meeting their holistic needs. Care plans should be child-centred/person-centred, needs based, focussed, proactive and written collectively with the social worker, the child (depending on age and maturity), parents/guardians and any prospective caregivers (National Childrens Bureau 2007). In this way, care can be delivered in a more open and understanding way. This also promotes partnership between all stakeholders involved in the care and welfare of the child. However, studies undertaken by Timms Thorburn (2006) revealed that children were not always involved in writing their care plan as much as they should be. The care plan is a continuing process based on a holistic assessment of the childs needs and how they will be met, including a statutory Health Plan and Personal Education Plan (including Special Educational Needs) which sets out targets, providing a valuable individual monitoring mechanism (DfES 2005). The requirement of statutory reviews laid out in section 26 of the Children Act 1989 reinforces this c ontinuum (Thomas 2005). The amendment to section 26 made by section 118 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, now requires that statutory reviews must be chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer, who ensures plans are timely, effective and sensitive and focussed on the childs needs, the placement, offering a safeguard to prevent drift and addressing poor practice (DfES 2004 p.8). However, this looks good on paper but the question remains as to how independent the Independent Reviewing Officer can be when he/she is employed or paid by the local authority for the services rendered. Furthermore, the Looked-After-Children documentation also contains significant component identifying age-related Assessment and Action records. These records are an achievable by way of assessing and reviewing the childs well being across the seven dimensions of the childs developmental needs located within the assessment framework (DOH 2000c). Additionally, these records identify each others roles in undertaking the tasks to effectively meet these outcomes (Thomas 2005). Walker et al (2003) emphasises that these records should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Related to the assessment and have a clear Time scale (SMART) for completion. Its been argued again and again that meeting the needs of black and minority ethnic children is a complex task for social workers given the controversial debates regarding same race/trans-racial placements (Thomas 2005). Is this not a way of further marginalising, discriminating and oppressing this group of children? Walker (2005) cited by Allain (2007, p137) stresses the importance of . . . developing culturally competent practice for working with children and young people cannot be overstated. Meaning as social workers we need to be cultural sensitive and aware that cultural norms and models of behaviour can vary considerably between communities and even families (Victoria Climbià © Inquiry 2003 para.16.5). However, many children who are fostered are from black and minority ethnic groups with entirely different cultures (Thomas 2005). Although there is research to suggest that trans-racial placements are not damaging to children (Tizard and Phoenix 1989) The Children Act 1989 (Guidance and Regulations vol 3 paras 2.40-2.42 DOH 1991) promotes same race placements within foster settings. As a social worker, I am aware that assessments are not value free. According to City of Salford Community and Social Services (2000) social workers bring their racial, cultural, gender, class and religious values to the assessment. Clear guides to good professional practice are maintained within the GSCC codes of practice. Anti-oppressive practice and valuing diversity in its broadest context are at the heart of social work together with a commitment to partnership working, being non-judgemental, trustworthy and respecting service users rights (GSCC 2002). Dominelli (1997) also states that in their quest to treat everyone as equals, social workers have inadvertently adopted a colour blind approach implying that skin colour is the only difference, thus reinforcing negative assumptions. In addition, she notes social workers have dumped black difficult children on to black foster carers highlighting racist assumptions that they can look after their own. According to Cross (1971 cited by DOH 2000a) black children struggle to gain a positive sense of racial identity. Therefore, in order for child care professional to assess and understand, Cross provides a model of identity that can be used to make the correlation between the childs own perception and their emotional development. Another highlight is that unaccompanied asylum seeking children are not only faced with language and cultural issues, but it appears that the Hillingdon Judgment and its subsequent guidance (LAC (2003)13) DOH 2003) is not being adhered to nationally (Nandy 2005). Children aged 16-17 are still being supported by section 17 of the Children Act 1989 (children in need) rather than having full section 20 status as per the recommendations, providing them with ongoing support post-18. The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 provides for, a holistic Pathway Assessment of needs, which informs the Pathway Plan for a continuum of care and support until the age of 21(beyond if in education) with a personal adviser. Section 24 of the Children Act 1989 sets out the duty of the local authority to advise, assist and befriend a child who leaves care after the age of 16. However, research indicates that although Looked-After-Children are the most vulnerable in society, they are pushed to independence ear lier than other children. Stein (2006 p.274) describes care leavers as having accelerated and compressed transitions to adulthood. Educational attainment for Looked-After-Children is unacceptably low, with only 12 per cent achieving 5 GCSEs grades A-C compared to 59 per cent of other children (DfES 2007). Research by Berridge et al (1998 cited by DOH 1998a) indicates that Looked-After-Children, particularly those in residential care are ill-equipped with adequate learning materials and staff felt that they were not sufficiently trained to provide teaching support to those who were excluded from school (DfES 2005). Guidance from the DfES (2005) aims to promote better partnership working including teacher training and additional support for Looked-After-Children in schools. Fundamental to the Children Act 1989 is that the children have a right to be heard and are individuals in their own right. The childs wishes and feelings must be sought by the local authority with regards to aspects of their circumstances and future plans (s.22(5)) and s.1(3) when courts are making decisions. This principle is enshrined in the Article 12 of the UNCRC (Unicef, 2006). However, Thomas (2005) notes that there is still a debate to what extent children have in determining their lives, although the general consensus is that they should be listened to. Leeson (2007) also states that childrens participation in decision making is questioned due to them being regarded as vulnerable, less competent beings in need of social work protection (p.268). Although children may not know what they want, they should be encouraged by all professionals to participate, (according to their age and understanding) thus empowering them and increasing their autonomy. Communication with children is the means to establishing a relationship, even when they do not want to engage verbally. Play, activity based work, writing, drawing and body language are also essential tools in the art of being receptive (Kroll 1995 cited by Thomas 2002). Disabled children may prefer other methods of communication such as the Picture Exchange Communication System, Makaton or British Sign Language. Additionally, they may have their own individual ways of communicating, therefore it is crucial that not only the child care professionals understand, but the child has confidence that their messages are heard (DFES, 2006). Foster carers and residential workers have a similar role. They work closely with social workers, families, doctors, psychologists, teachers, nurses, probation officers and other outside agencies in order to effectively promote the holistic needs of the child. Although it is the responsibility of the social worker to ensure that plans are implemented, reviewed and legalities adhered to, residential staff and foster carers are principally the ones to undertake the tasks (Thomas 2005). Studies by Whitaker et al 1998 cited by DOH (1998) highlighted the extensive skills and personal qualities that are required when working within group living, including knowledge and understanding of development, group dynamics, networks, listening, advocating, physical and emotional support. This list is not exhaustive and not exclusive to residential; on the contrary, foster carers should equally be proficient in these skills. Due to the challenging nature of the profession there is a high turnover of staff within residential care which amounts to children not being able to form adequate attachments, although key worker systems are used to enhance this. Colton et al (2007) analysed a number of factors from researchers and concluded that one of the key issues was emotional exhaustion from increasingly complex, volatile, chaotic and disruptive behaviour displayed by children towards staff. According to Fostering Network (2007) foster care turnover also remains high with a shortage of over ten thousand foster carer placements. According to Barter et al (2004) many children entering the care system are filling an available vacancy rather than receiving an appropriate provision to meet their complex needs. Furthermore, Triseliotis (2002) notes that children are far more likely to be in continual state of insecurity due to the legalities of impermanence and many felt that this anxiety was heightened from the carers behave or else stance. Although research has indicated that authoritative parenting within fostering has had the most success (Wilson et al 2004). The use of Social Learning Theory, particularly in the newly funded Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care Project in England, considers that since behaviour is learned, it can be unlearned via therapeutic methods and living environment. MTFCE is targeted for those with complex needs, challenging behaviour and offenders (DFES, 2003). Under section 26 of the Children Act 1989, children have a statutory right to complain about the services they receive. Amendments to the Children Act 1989 via the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (s.119) created a new section (26(a)) which affords children and young people a statutory right to an advocate in the light of complaints (Brammer 2007). In addition, the White Paper Valuing People (DOH 2001) emphasises that children who have learning disabilities should also be included in such initiatives. Furthermore, Ward (1995) notes that the local authories should be playing a more active role and taking the initiative to seek the views of Looked-After-Children, as some of those looked after, are under duress (p.16) To ensure children are looked after properly, residential homes and fostering agencies are inspected by an independent body. As of April 2007, Ofsted began the regulation and inspection of childrens services building on the previous expertise of Commission for Social Care Inspection (Ofsted 2007). Residential homes are subject two annual visits (one announced and one unannounced) from the inspecting body to monitor performance against both the National Minimum Standards (DOH 2002) and the Childrens Homes Regulations 2001.Internal inspections are required by the registered manager to monitor matters set out in Schedule 6 of the regulations (34(1)) such as, menus, the quality of rotas, staffing and childrens complaints. Under regulation 33, a monthly inspection takes place by a statutory visitor to monitor performance against the five outcomes of Every Child Matters. Including speaking to the children and staff, checking files, care plans and placement plans. A report is then prepared and forwarded to Ofsted. Many children have a troubled and complex past (Thomas 2005). A good home offers attachments, permanence, identity, self esteem and promotes contact (where necessary) with the child and parent(s). Attachment theory originiates from the work of John Bowlby and has been elaborated considerably since. Attachment behaviour is reciprocal rather than unidirectional and is defined as a long enduring emotionally meaningful tie to a particular individual cited by Schaffer (1997 p.127). Bowlby theorised that lack of nurturing from an infants primary care giver would have serious consequences for the child in later life, leading to affectionless psychopathy (the inability to have deep feelings for others) in Rutter (1991). Social workers need to consider how a placement will promote healthy attachments and psychological development, furthermore, how they are provided, maintained and strengthened (Howe 1996, cited by Thomas 2005). However, Robinson (2002) criticises Howe for failing to mention t he attachments within the black community and families in his writings, merely referring to cultural variations. Research identified four attachment behaviours; secure, insecure/avoidant ambivalent and disorganised, secure being the most ideal (Howe 2002). A good understanding of these internalised behaviours assists social workers to differentiate between them when analysing assessments (Ibid 2002). Howe further notes that there is a tendency for these internal working models to become self fulfilling, where by the child acts in certain ways to elicit desired self-confirming reactions from others. However, research indicates that a child does not have to be at the mercy of the past (Schaffer 1992 p.40) depending on how resilient the child is to adapting to lifes complex variables. The prevalence of mental disorders is high in looked-after-children, particularly in residential care compared to foster care. According to the Office of National Statistics (2003) nearly three quarters of the children in residential care (72 per cent) were clinically diagnosed as having a mental disorder. The role of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services promotes the mental well being of children through commissioning services via a four-tier strategic framework (level four being severe) following an assessment (DFES, 2003). Most looked-after-children receive services at level three or four. However, Schaffer (1998) suggests that it is difficult to tell who will need therapeutic involvement and who will simply grow out of it. Leighton (In press) states that professionals must be aware of their own personal values and attitudes that could influence decision making as to whether a child will benefit from therapy. Furthermore, she adds that ethical challenges are plentiful in creating and respecting the childs autonomy whilst undertaking a balancing act with safeguarding their welfare and promoting their best interests. Thomas (2005, 2002) urges caution with the overall concept of best interests of the child as he suggests that it could be oppressive and dangerous if misused, particularly with regards to who is making the decisions in the best interests for example; professionals, the family or the child themselves. Although there is good evidence from research to indicate positive outcomes for children, these cannot assume a one size fits all solution to ensuring a desired individual result for there are other intricacies that need to be taken into account, for example religion and culture. With regards to child welfare, Fox-Harding (1997) states that the Children Act 1989 is in ideological conflict concerning the role of the state. She notes four different value positions; liassaz-faire, state paternalism, parents rights and childrens rights. The latter two are appropriate here. Firstly, she notes that the perspective of parents rights acts as a belief

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SoftPot Rotary Potentiometer: Rotary potentiometer is provided at knee joint of the exoskeleton. Whenever the patient is having intent to walk, the rotary potentiometer calculates the respective torque. In response to that a feedback signal is provided to the actuation system to exert equivalent force to interact with the input torque. The feedback system is designed so well that it updates the status of input torque in fraction of a second and as a result exoskeleton keeps working accordingly; and works well with frequent torque changes. Rotary potentiometer works on the principle of resistance change. It is provided with a very fine needle/flip which rotates over the resistive ring. More the angle of rotation more will be the value of resistance observed between the terminal and the rotating flip. It is the measured resistance that tells about the angle of rotation of the joint and torques produced. Therefore, whenever rotational movement is observed the value of resistance of the respective potentiometer is changed and the signal is fed to the controller to take proper action. This helps in maintaining the exoskeleton motion according to the suggested profile and keeping it in the right motion. The rotary potentiometer used in our proposed design is SoftPot rotary potentiometer which is a miniaturized product with slim and sleek design. It can easily be placed along the bearings of the rotary joints and gives output in terms of analog electrical signals which are proportional to the angle of rotation. This sensor is very thin and compact in design with a wide range of operational resistances. Range of resistance change may vary between 100Ohms to 10,000Ohms; also the response of this sensor is much linear; therefore, the positi... ...e with a frequency rate multiplied by the movement. When you rotate the gyroscope, you may notice a so called Coriolis acceleration. In fact, the gyroscope is a spinner, rotating around a vertical axis, fixed in a frame which can articulate around horizontal axis, attached to another frame rotating around the third axis. Thus, we can conclude: no matter how rotate a spinner, it always has an ability to remain in the upright position. The transmitters accepts the signal about the spinner's orientation towards the frames, and the processor defines how the frame must be located with respect to gravity. Regardless to the types of stabilization the system, it can be the power system stabilization (used in two-stage gyroscopes), the tracer system stabilization force (also on a two-level gyroscopes) and the indicator system stabilization (in three-stage gyroscopes). .

How to Write Book Review

How to write a book review Perhaps the best way to offer guidelines on how to write a book review is to give you an example of the kind of instructions and guidelines we (i. e. the academic staff) would be given by journals who invite us to review books for them. So, here are the instructions given to authors by the ‘Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders’. â€Å"A book review should be an objective and tactful evaluation of a book. The review should offer logic and fact in support of its evaluations.Without being just an abstract of the book, the review should indicate the nature and scope of the book’s content. It should indicate the goals of the author, the techniques used to achieve those goals, and the success of those techniques. You may also discuss how the book relates to its field and how it compares to other books in the field. It is important for your review to discuss what audience the book or other media best serves and to state whether the re viewer recommends it.The review should attempt to place the book within a context (e. g. , Is this a new approach? One that builds on an earlier one? ). Reviews should attempt to convey a flavor of the book overall (i. e. , not just summarize the table of contents. Quotes (see below – AQ: are there examples to be provided? ) can often help in this process. If you feel that the book does not merit a review in the Journal please let us know – there is no requirement that we review every book received and it is perfectly acceptable to do a negative review! † †¦. nd here is an example of an actual review written by Dermot Bowler and published in the European Journal of Disorders of Communication (Volume 31, pp 210-213). Note, however, that this review is somewhat longer than your word-limit permits. SAMPLE REVIEW (reproduced with permission of the author): Review of Baron-Cohen, S. (1995). Mindblindness: An Essay on Autism and Theory of Mind. Cambridge, MA. : MI T Press. The integration of a range of theoretical perspectives to provide a coherent scientific account of a natural phenomenon is an easy task only for those who have never had to do it.In this volume, Simon Baron-Cohen has attempted such a difficult exercise by integrating currently fashionable modularist cognitive science accounts of the social dysfunction found in people with autism into neuropsychological and evolutionary frameworks. In the first three Chapters of the book, he aims to persuade us firstly that the explanation of the behaviour of other people using the mentalistic language of folk-psychology (John took his umbrella with him because he thought it might rain) is both highly efficient and evolutionarily advantageous to a species such as ourselves that relies heavily on social organisation for survival.In Chapter 4, he generates a model of development which can account for the emergence of the capacity to mindread in non-autistic children and, taking the well docume nted deficits in autism of lack of protodeclarative pointing, lack of symbolic play and the failure to understand that another person can act in accordance with a belief that the observer knows to be false, their failure to develop in children with autism. His account draws heavily on Fodor's (1983) notion that the mind is made up of independent domain-specific modules, the outputs of which interact to yield mental life and behaviour.He also develops earlier accounts such as that of Leslie and Roth (1993), which posit a specific modular mechanism that enables people to understand minds. Specifically, Baron-Cohen outlines four modular systems that are necessary for the process he calls ‘mindreading'. The first of these he terms an intentionality detector (ID) which is triggered by stimuli exhibiting self-propelled motion and computes desire- or goal-based dyadic representations. The second is the eye direction detector (EDD) which is fired by eye-like stimuli and generates repr esentations of the contents of agents' visual fields.Mechanism number three is called the shared attention mechanism (SAM) which takes input from IDD and ED to compute triadic representations of the kind ‘Daddy sees I see the cat at the window'. Finally, there is the theory of mind mechanism (ToMM), a term borrowed from Leslie's work, which takes inputs from SAM and knowledge of mental states and their consequences which can be used in a hypothetico-deductive way by someone possessing a full ‘theory of mind'.I n Chapters 4 and 5 of the book, Baron-Cohen marshals a considerable body of evidence in support of the existence of these modules and of their selective breakdown in autism. Briefly, he argues that ID and ED are functional in autism, although he acknowledges that there are still considerable gaps in the evidence. By contrast, SAM and ToMM are severely impaired. In Chapter 6, he draws together evidence from neuropsychological and neurological studies on humans and o ther species to attempt to localise these modular systems in the brain.In the final two Chapters, he develops the theme that the capacity to read minds depends crucially on the ability to decode information from the eyes of others, and returns to the theme that this capacity can best be understood within an evolutionary framework. As I said at the outset, Mindreading is a tour de force, in that it draws together evidence from a variety of fields with the aim of providing a coherent picture of the phenomenon of how homo sapiens can account for and predict the behaviour of her conspecifics by means of reference to hypothetical internal mental states.Baron-Cohen's account is worthy of our admiration not just because it describes the current state of scientific play, but also because it permits us to generate propositions which, when tested against data, will refine and improve our understanding. Nevertheless, admirable as this attempt at integration of a range of perspectives might be, a reviewer is duty bound to point out unstated assumptions, weaknesses in analysis, un-expressed counter-arguments and problems of interpretation in an author's exposition.To this end I will now try to clarify what I see as the three major areas of weakness in this book. The first concerns Baron-Cohen's overall modularist orientation. Although accounts of psychological functioning that see behaviour as caused by discrete mental processes that are self-contained, domain-specific, automatic, impenetrable to conscious analysis and localised in specific brain sites has a respectable history, it is not, as its originator, Jerry Fodor would have us believe, the only game in town.It is quite possible to argue that the relationship between the categories we use to analyse behaviour and categories of brain state may be more subtle and more complex than a simple one-to-one correspondence, and that localisation of function may be the result either of anatomical happenstance or may not be a se rious contender, given the global and integrated manner in which some neuroscientists think brains work. Readers who might be tempted to call a child ‘SAM-impaired' or ‘IDD-but-not-EDD-impaired should read Bates et al. s (1988) critique of modularism, as well as of what she termed in a 1993 talk ‘thing-in-a-box neurology', before forming such opinions. My second problem with the book concerns the way in which evidence is presented in support of the argument. Baron-Cohen draws on a wide range of evidence to support the four main planks in his argument; evolutionary, cognitive, neuropsychological/neurological and cultural. Evolutionary evidence is notoriously difficult to assess, since it inevitably has a post-hoc element to it.This is all the more true of the evolution of behavioural adaptations, since they do not leave fossil records that can allow us to detect non-advantageous changes that have died out. I am also worried by arguments that infer survival value and evolutionary success on the basis of the widespread use of a particular behaviour. Baron-Cohen attributes the survival of Homo Sapiens to the fact that we have developed mindreading skills. But many other organisms – from a-social HIV through bees to the social great apes – are evolutionarily successful without mindreading skills.Moreover, I am suspicious about evolutionary accounts that argue that increasingly complex social organisation in primates led to the development of mind-reading skills. This is as if the behaviours called forth by the survival demands of living in complex societies produced a gene that coded for a brain structure that made a particular social behaviour possible. In my view, there is a worrying circularity about all this, not to mention a whiff of Lamarckianism. On the cognitive front, there is undoubtedly an impressive amount of evidence that supports Baron-Cohen's case, evidence which he presents cogently and skilfully.Indeed, this is the s trongest and most closely-argued section of the book. However, there are worrying instances where counter-evidence is either glossed over (e. g. Ozonoff et al's, 1991 evidence on the possession of mindreading skills in high-functioning individuals with autism) or relegated to footnotes (Ozonoff et al's, 1991 failure to replicate Baron-Cohen et al's, 1986 picture sequencing task). There are other instances where evidence appears to be presented where none exists – for example in his discussion of non-autistic people's use of mental state terms when describing Heider and Simmel's (1944) cartoon sequence.At the time the book was written, no published data existed on the use of this instrument with people with autism (but see Bowler ;amp; Thommen, 1995), although a less than careful reading of this text might lead one to conclude that there had been. My third set of reservations centre on often inconsistent or imprecise use of terminology. For example, is it justifiable to speak of a module such as ID as ‘interpreting' stimuli, rather than just generating output when such stimuli are present and not when they are not?On pp126-127, the discussion slides from ‘psychopathology' to ‘neuropathology' without explanation. In this section also, I am certain that blind people would not welcome being labelled as having a psychopathology. Examples can also be found of references cited in the text but not in the reference list at the back. All these shortcomings suggest a hasty compilation of the volume. A little more time spent on reflection, exposition and the more technical aspects of production would have paid dividends here.Most of the reservations I have expressed so far all seem to stem from the most major problem of this book, namely its length, or rather the mis-match between its length and the aims the author has set himself. Baron-Cohen acknowledges that he faced a difficult task in trying to write for experts in biological and cognitive sc iences, students of psychology and the general reader. Trying to please this four-faceted audience is a difficult enough task; it is even more difficult when the debate has to be engaged at several levels of academic discourse. It is well-nigh impossible in an essay of about 120 pages of printed text.Its very length constrains the book to contain a little, albeit very important, knowledge. However, a little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing. Although I would recommend this book to anyone with a personal, scientific or clinical interest in autism, to avoid danger, I would also recommend that it be consumed with some complementary material. The best I can suggest is a paper by the author himself (Baron-Cohen, 1994), which is accompanied by several commentaries and a reply by the author that gives a better flavour of the subtleties of the field than does the volume under review here.

Free Education in Europe

HeadStart An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization. Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. Free Education in Europe Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headstart. co. in HeadStart HeadStart An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization. Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headstart. o. in HeadStart HeadStart An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization. Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. European (Scandinavian) countries have a tradition to provide free education. Initially all the education programs were available in local language. Since last few years, when they realized the importance of internationalization, they started offering programs in English also. Now majority of their Master degree programs are available in English as well as a few of their Bachelor programs are also available in English. European (Scandinavian) countries have a tradition to provide free education.Initially all the education programs were available in local language. Since last few years, when they realized the importance of internationalization, they started offering programs in English also. Now majority of their Master degree programs are available in English as well as a few of their Bachelor programs are also available in English. We have several programs like PhD, Masters, Bachelors in various subjects like Arts, BioTech, Sciences, Commerce, Chemistry, Business, Design, IT, Management, Engineering, Biology, Computer Science, Physics, Earth Agriculture, Health Sciences etc. vailable in countries like Germany / Sweden/ Norway / Belgium / France etc. These programs are available for Free (No Tuition Fee) or at a very subsidized fee structure and the medium of instructions is English. The standard duration for all Master degree programs are 2 years, Bachelors are for 3 years. Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headstart. co. in HeadStart HeadStart An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization.Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. Advantages There are many advantages available in Europe comparing to US/ Canada/ Australia etc. apart from free study programs like: Schengen Visa Liberty to, move around almost entire Europe without Visa constraints. English Advantage All MNC's working there or European MNC's, working in English speaking countries always prefer employees who can speak English. Extended Visa You get a 1 year extension after completion of your studies to find employment.Employment Opportunities All these countries are prime business nations and facing negative population growt h, so chances of getting employment after studies are even higher than US/ India/ Aus / Canada. Work Permit Secure an Employment & immediately get a 3 yrs work permit. Safe & Secure Most of these countries have a crime rate of almost zero. Prosperity These countries have almost 100% literacy as well as per capita income higher than even US. Credentials, ECTS & Education Standards All the qualifications are world-wide recognized and acceptable. All European syllabuses are now based on ECTS (European Credit Transfer System).One can change Universities without losing credits. European standards are very high and their integration of Education with practical application are very advantageous. Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headstart. co. in HeadStart HeadStart An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization. Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. Advantages There are many advantages a vailable in Europe comparing to US/ Canada/ Australia etc. apart from free study programs like:Development Most of these countries are technologically very advanced and their infrastructures are better than the best. Living Indian students can find it cheaper than US/ Canada/ UK if they stay in groups & prepare own food. Part time work At most places part time work is allowed up to 20 hrs/ week. Permanent Settlement Settlement options are possible at most European Countries after completion of a certain period on Work Permit. No SAT/ GRE / GMAT SAT / GRE/ GMAT are not required for most of the programs. Although, IELTS or TOEFL is desired for most of the English programs. Language – Drawback or another Advantage?Almost every country in Europe has it’s own language, which takes some time to understand. One can take this as an opportunity to learn a new language. Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headstart. co. in HeadStart HeadStart Living Expenses An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization. Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. Indian students who live in groups and prepare their own food can survive in Euro 300 to Euro 500 per month. Students who live independently may have to spend Euro 500 to Euro 750 per month. Why Study in Sweden / Germany?No Tuition Fees for most courses. Now many courses are available in English. Internship opportunities are available in Multi National Companies. All courses are recognized worldwide including India. Flexible approaches to studies. Schenegen visa opens the doors for all European countries. Great opportunity to save money. No Visa Hassles. Visa Conditions are relatively very easy. Very low living expenses (approx. 300 Euro/ month) Part Time Jobs are available. (up to 20 hrs. / week) Good career prospects, ample placement opportunities. Hundreds of course options available. Ph. D. opportunities are availa ble after PG.All Universities in German, Sweden, Finland, France, Belgium, Norway are almost equally ranked & the courses have recognition worldwide. Fields of study †¢Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Aeronautical, Automobile & many more) †¢MBA (Finance, International Business, European Asian Bus. Mgmt, Supply Chain Mgmt. ) †¢Public Health, Medical Engineering, Medicine †¢Environmental Science, Bio Technology †¢Economics, Law †¢Natural Sciences †¢Social & Cultural Studies, Psychology †¢Agricultural & Forestry, Regional Planning Note : MBA & some other programs are normally paid programs or available in German Language.Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headstart. co. in HeadStart HeadStart Entry requirements for admission Minimum First Division Marks English Proficiency: TOEFL (213) or IELTS (6. 0) Language Proficiency for Un dergraduate Programs First come first serve basis Documents requirement for application (10 sets) Updated Resume Photographs (10 nos. ) Transcripts (Final year) Mark sheets (10th onwards) An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization. Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. Letter of recommendations (2/3)Certificates / Diploma / Degree (10th onwards) -Original-sealed & stamped -Notarized Photocopies -Notarized Photocopies -On letterhead (Original-sealed TOEFL / GRE / GMAT Score cards (if available) Other Academic Photocopies (if any) Final year Project summary (for Engineers) Work Experience Certificates (if any) Monthly Living Expenses Food Accommodation Health Insurance Transport etc. Total monthly expenses Earning Potential Work allowed Minimum per hour wages Loans – & stamped by individual faculty/ employer) -Notarized Photocopies -Notarized Photocopies -Computer Printout -Notarized Photocopies 00 Euros / month 150 Euros / month (sharing basis) 50 Euros / mont h 50 Euros / month 400 Euros approx. 20 hrs / week 6 –8 euros Can be availed from nationalized banks @ 10. 75% to 12. 00% p. a. Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headstart. co. in HeadStart HeadStart An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization. Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. Highlights Students can travel in and around the European Union on the Schengen Visa. Students can stay for 1 year (or 2 years) after their course of study to find work.European Union’s new policy encourages Indian manpower for Immigration. Education standards are at par with World’s best education standards. European Institutions funds all prospective research scholars. HeadStart – Germany / Sweden / Belgium / Norway – Education Package 1. Counseling for Course Selection 2. Professional Counseling for Future prospects 3. Application to Universities (3 to 10) 4. Docu ment arrangement for Application 5. Guidance for preparing SOP, Resume, LOR 6. Visa File Preparation, Assistance & Guidance 7. Assistance to avail Study Loan, Medical Insurance, International Bank A/c. Air Ticket, Foreign Currency 8. Post Landing Services (Subject to availability) 9. IELTS/ TOEFL Coaching Program* 10. GRE/ GMAT Training Program* 11. German/ Swedish/ Italian/ French Language Training* Under Graduate Programs Under Graduate Programs (English Medium) Under Graduate Programs (Medical) Master’s / Diploma Programs MBA / Masters (English Medium) Programs Ph. D. Programs :Euro 2000 (1 Euro = INR 60) :Euro 3000 (1 Euro = INR 60) :Euro 3000 (1 Euro = INR 60) :Euro 2000 (1 Euro = INR 60) :Euro 2000 (1 Euro = INR 60) :Euro 2000 (1 Euro = INR 60) * We charge Euro 1000 as Advance payment for all programs. Training / Coaching Fees not included. Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headsta rt. co. in HeadStart HeadStart An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization. Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. FAQ on Education in Germany / Europe – General †¢ What are the different types of Universities in Europe? For studying in Europe can choose between universities and universitystatus institutions, such as the technical universities, or the Fachhochschule institutions, or the colleges of art, music and film.All state-maintained higher education institutions are open to students of all nations. Which European Universities are Reputed? Its a difficult to answer this question, there is no specific ranking system. Some magazines like Spiegel in Germany publish university ratings every year, the other one I know is from HUMBOLDT. †¢ When is the deadline for applying? There are two semesters Winter & Summer. So, depending on the University the session either in winter or summer. Hence plan to apply before one year of your desired starting time. à ¢â‚¬ ¢ How much is the Tuition fee?Until now there was no tuition fee in Germany/ Sweden / Norway/ Belgium/ Finland, now government and universities have decided to collect tuitions fees (some Universities still have no tuition fees at all) varying from 500 Euros till 2500 Euros per semester depending on course, university etc. So please check respective universities for complete information. Normally, Under Graduate English medium programs carry a tuition fee ranging between Euro 2000 to Euro 12000 p. a. †¢ Do I need TOEFL or GRE Score? Usually not, but some universities may ask TOEFL/ IELTS for English competence.However, GMAT / GRE are generally not required. What is the medium of Instruction? It can be in English or in German. Mostly, undergraduate programs are in German Language. But at PG level, most programs are now available in English. Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headstart. co. in HeadStart HeadStart An ISO 9000:2001 Certified Organization. Member of NAFSA, EAIE Sent over 1500 students since 2001. †¢ Do I need German / Swedish / French language?If not for education (depending on whether medium of instruction is in Regional Language or English) for social life I believe one should definitely learn basic Regional language. †¢ Where do I learn German / French / Swedish language? It is always advisable to study German Language in Germany as it is easier and faster to grasp the language there. HeadStart arranges language training (paid) to all students. †¢ How much is the living expenses? Depending on the city the costs vary though on an average 400-500 Euros per month should be sufficient. 200 – 250 Euros House Rent + 60 Euros Insurance + 100 Euros Food + 50 Misc. ). The figures given are rough estimate it can vary depending on the city / person etc. †¢ Can I work as a Student? Yes, up to 18 /20 hours per week, and up to 2 months full time Including doing 3 months full time job as a student per year. But one needs to get work permit for working as a student. Part time student job fetches about 8 to 10 Euro per hour. Ahmedabad : 079-30179032, 30172039, 99740 35372 Jaipur : 0141 2378982, 237899 Email : [email  protected] co. in Web: www. headstart. co. in HeadStart