Between 1960 and 1983 the Dutch economist Dr. Albert Winsemius (1910-1996) was the most influential economic adviser to the government of Singapore and one of the leading architects of Singapore’s... Show moreBetween 1960 and 1983 the Dutch economist Dr. Albert Winsemius (1910-1996) was the most influential economic adviser to the government of Singapore and one of the leading architects of Singapore’s highly successful development model. Winsemius' beliefs and recommendations chimed with the views of Singapore’s first-generation postcolonial political leaders and quickly grew in popular appeal once they started yielding impressive economic results. Winsemius’ uncompromising hostility to communism, and at the same time his sympathy toward moderate trade unionism, were of particular importance here.This research identifies strategies and policies that contributed to Singapore's development, and that can be traced to Albert Winsemius as a historical principal. It concludes that in essence, many of these successful strategies and policies were based on Winsemius’ experiences in his earlier life and career: the economic reconstruction in the Netherlands in the years after World War Two, in which he played a key role, his empathy toward the United States and the American way of life, his contacts with other right-wing governments, and his involvement during the Cold War in the production of arms. Show less
The book The United Nations, the Evolution of Global Values and International Law by Otto Spijkers describes how moral values have determined the founding of the United Nations Organization in 1945... Show moreThe book The United Nations, the Evolution of Global Values and International Law by Otto Spijkers describes how moral values have determined the founding of the United Nations Organization in 1945 and the evolution of its purposes, principles and policies since then. A detailed examination of the proceedings of the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco demonstrates that the drafting of the United Nations Charter was significantly influenced by global moral values, i.e. globally shared beliefs distinguishing right from wrong, good from bad, and the current from a preferable state-of-the-world. A common desire to eradicate war, poverty, inhuman treatment, and to halt the exploitation of peoples, has led to an affirmation of the values of peace and security, social progress and development, human dignity and the self-determination of all peoples. All these values ended up in the UN Charter. The book further analyzes how the United Nations, and especially its General Assembly, has continued to influence the maturing of global morality through contributions to the values-debate, and to the translation of these values into the language of international law, including the law on the use of force, sustainable development, human rights and the right to self-determination. Show less
Through evolution the social amoebas have developed mechanisms to adapt to environmental changes and ensure survival. This thesis explores the evolutionary origins of cAMP signalling and regulation... Show moreThrough evolution the social amoebas have developed mechanisms to adapt to environmental changes and ensure survival. This thesis explores the evolutionary origins of cAMP signalling and regulation of developmental decisions in the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum. It also shows the first molecular-based phylogeny of the Dictyostelids. Development in Dictyostelium is characterized by the formation of a multicellular structure, the fruiting body, with a well-defined temporal and spatial pattern. cAMP, normally used as intracellular second messenger, in Dictyostelium is used also as an extracellular signal (chemoattractant) to mediate cell movement and cell differentiation. The study of the different components that control the formation of a multicellular fruiting body at a molecular level and from an evolutionary perspective shows that extracellular cAMP signalling was originally developed to control fruiting body morphogenesis. Furthermore it reinforces the idea that Dictyostelium is a simple but yet robust model to study the origins of multicellularity. Do to cAMP being so prevalent in Dictyostelium development I have studied the regulation of cAMP production during particular developmental stages showing in this thesis novel roles for the adenylyl cyclases that produce cAMP and their specific patters of expression during development. A thorough pharmacological analysis of these enzymes is also present in this work. Show less
Family businesses are experiencing a revival in the German economy. In the face of the challenges of globalization and the ongoing relocation of production facilities, home base oriented... Show moreFamily businesses are experiencing a revival in the German economy. In the face of the challenges of globalization and the ongoing relocation of production facilities, home base oriented enterprises meet with increasing attention and gain in importance. Family-owned enterprises have indeed been neglected in the past, a fact which shows clearly also in business economics research. But this was also due to the family businesses, or the owner families, respectively, failing to open up. In the present paper, the author succeeded in winning high-ranking representatives of producing family businesses as interview partners. The discussions and the subsequent analyses both of the topics discussed and of the theoretical context serve to provide a new and intriguing picture of family-owned enterprises on their international growth path to world market leaders. Show less
