Top Quality Fruit from China (yeah, right…)
…keeps the Chinese away? WRONG!
While searching for my supper in a local supermarket here in GERMANY I came across these crates full of (old) apples from CHINA.
How ironic and insane is the world going to become with things like that? Buying imported apples from China is like telling Kenyans to buy mangoes, pawpaws and maize from China. Go figure…
Interesting to note that a recent opinion poll on Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper website reveals that out of 3085 votes, 52,9% of all voters think that the Government of Kenya is RESPONSIBLE for the current famine in parts of Kenya.
There must be a reason why the folks over at the DN were asking for responsibility (per se) instead of the actual cause of that famine.
"Kenyans are mostly unaware that ministers have little control over the workings of their ministries and are small cogs in the general running of the government which is dominated by State House officials, including of course Cabinet Secretary Francis Muthaura, who direct senior ministry officials to carry out functions and policies without reference to their ministers. There are exceptions — some favoured ministers are free to run their outfits as they deem fit."
…says Raila Odinga, MP for Langata, in his call for snap polls in today’s Standard. // As a direct analogy to this – since Raila also made a comparison to Germany in his open comment – this also reminds me of Germany’s Oskar Lafontaine and Gregor Gysi: German socialistic politicians that glow with brilliant rhetoric but have a completely different appearance once they are given certain positions in the government. That is, these guys excel in their opposition role and are much more useful for a democratic process by adding their constructive criticism from that position. Sijui about Raila, though…
Update: reactions on Raila’s commentary here, here and here.
Irgendwo im Stapel der noch-zu-lesenden-Zeitungsartikel fand ich heute im Feuilleton der FAZ vom 8. Mai 2004 einen interessanten Artikel ("Ihr geht alle in die Medien", von Jürgen Kaube) über die Versprechen deutscher Hochschulen, mit denen StudienanfängerInnen in die neuen (geisteswissenschaftlichen) Bachelor-Studiengänge gelockt werden.
Die unausweichliche Studienreform, um deutsche Absolventen fit für den internationalen Wettbewerb zu machen, schwächelt demnach aufgrund folgender Ausgangssituationen:
1. die Einführung seltsamer Studiengänge und deren Verkürzung auf nur sechs Semester
2. eine erzwungene Interdisziplinarität
3. Lehr- und Forschungspersonal, das nicht an den Sinn der Fächer glaubt.
Vor zwei Wochen war ich hier in einem Workshop der Uni zum Thema "Internationalisierung". Ein interner Workshop, an dem ich als einer von zwei StudentInnen (von ca. 15.000!) teilgenommen habe. Ziel des Workshops war es, einen Einstieg in die Diskussion zum Thema Internationalisierung zu finden und einen Reformprozess intern in Gang zu setzen, der bei den StudentInnen und Uni-Mitarbeitern gleichermaßen greifen sollte.
Im Gegensatz zur Europa-Universität Vidadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder, die uns die Leiterin des dortigen Zentrums für Internationales und Weiterbildung für ein Impulsreferat vorbeigeschickt hatte, und die aufgrund ihrer geographisch günstigen Lage Europa direkt vor der Tür hat, scheitern Bemühungen zur Internationalisierung hier oft schon an den mangelnden Englischkenntnissen der Verwaltungsmitarbeiter. Ich spreche hier von meiner Universität – der aus der Fachhochschule Nordostniedersachsen und der Universität Lüneburg neu fusionierten StiftungsUni Lüneburg mit ihren beiden Standorten Lüneburg und Suderburg in Nordostniedersachen (das ist oben rechts auf der DeutschlandKarte wo die Schafe blöken, so ca. halbe Strecke zwischen Hamburg und Hannover).
Wo also ansetzen?
Natürlich birgt der zur Zeit ablaufende Fusionsprozess und die damit verbundenen Unterschiede zwischen Uni & FH ein großes Potential für engagierte Mitarbeiter ("Studenten sind eh nur ein durchlaufender Posten" = O-Ton der Frauenbeauftragten), wobei schnell ersichtlich wird, welche Professoren aktiv gestalten und fordern, und welche eher ihre Zeit bis zum Ruhestand absitzen. Interessanterweise war es im Workshop gerade der FH-Professor, der im technischen Studiengang seine StudentInnen von Beginn an aktiv fordert, zur Selbstständigkeit erzieht und Praktika im Ausland vermittelt.
Natürlich mag man jetzt argumentieren, dass ein ingenieurwissenschaftlicher Studiengang mehr reelle Jobchancen und viel mehr didaktische Ansätze für eine internationale und kompetitive Ausrichtung bietet als ein rein geisteswissenschaftlicher – allerdings wird auch hier den StudentInnen eine Berufsperspektive vorgegaukelt, die in ihrem Umfang mit der Realität nicht unbedingt deckungsgleich ist.
Ein konkretes Beispiel: ich studiere Wasserwirtschaft und Bodenmanagement – – ein Studiengang ähnlich wie Umwelttechnik, jedoch ohne Statikvorlesungen und dafür mit mehr BWL & Recht. Auf die Frage, in welchem Bereich man nach dem Abschluß arbeiten könnte, vermag bisher noch kein Professor verbindlich zu antworten. Dass es aber einen Bedarf an IngenieurInnen in Zukunft geben wird, ist öffentlich bekannt. Nur: werden wir tatsächlich für genau diese Tätigkeiten ausgebildet? So ein Typ wie ich, der sich für VIELE Dinge interessiert, außerordentlich kommunikativ veranlagt ist und eine gewisse Interdisziplinarität und Bereitschaft/Flexibilität von sich aus mitbringt – gibt es für solche wie mich ein festes Berufsbild, auf das wir konkret ausgebildet werden können? Und wieso diese Fragestellung?
Weil es meiner Meinung nach ein Schuss in den Ofen ist. Die Studienreform verläuft viel zu einseitig, wird vom Land mit vollkommmen überzogenen Studiengebühren zusätzlich unter Druck gesetzt und hat es sich als Ziel gesetzt, für einen imaginären bzw. "noch-zu-erschaffenden" Arbeitsmarkt AbsolventInnen auszubilden, nach denen sich eigentlich niemand direkt umgeschaut hat. Für kleine Teilbereiche wie bei dem oben angesprochenen Prof mag das vielleicht alles Sinn machen – aber der Workshop zeigte auch, dass er mit dieser überaus richtigen Ansatzweise alleine auf weiter Flur steht.
Die Einführung der Bachelor- und Master Studiengänge ist zwar unausweichlich und sicherlich nicht verkehrt, wird aber intern natürlich nicht so akzeptiert wie die bisherigen Abschlußvarianten. Am Wichtigsten ist jedoch, dass die AbsolventInnen nach Beendigung ihres Studiums einen qualifizierten Job finden – und genau darauf muss die Studienreform ausgerichtet werden.
Was muss sich ändern? Vieles. Vor allem aber auch das Selbstbewusstsein der StudentInnen, die ganz klar ihre Bildungsansprüche gegenüber den Hochschulen kommunizieren müssen und sich von irgendwelchen Scheinabschlüssen nicht blenden lassen dürfen. Sonst landen sie wirklich noch alle in den Medien…
Hmmmmmmmmmmm………
You see, I was just going through some news online when I came across another "he/she said this and that" story in the DailyNation & TheStandard about our German Ambassador to Kenya, Mr B.Braun.
The articles (1,2) say that Mr Braun made some statements on President Kibaki’s new cabinet and that "it was obvious the Cabinet was not all inclusive". Making his hard-hitting statement, Mr Braun described the new Cabinet as "very disappointing", adding that the President had "lost a very good opportunity to constitute a working government.” (Daily Nation)
Braun said donors were disappointed with the President for scrapping the office of the Permanent Secretary for Ethics and Governance.
"We don’t want to interfere with internal politics of the country, but the President has to correct the situation," said the envoy. (The Standard)
etc.
Obviously, such remarks generate some mixed feelings.
On one hand, I understand his quest to speak up his mind on the current political situation in Kenya – also since Mr Baun is leaving the country soon. On the other hand, he’s the ambassador and not a blogger like me. His words are taken for granted and viewed as the official position Germany has on this matter. And since a direct letter to the Office of the President would be considered somewhat rude, political statements are normally made on private events, in church or during conferences. Statements that are published and carried as the leading story in newspapers the following day. Is this the best way to communicate with a (chaotic) government?
As for democracy, I could even agree with Kibaki’s undemocratic "dream team" if only it will get Kenyans where they really want to go (same with the German Government btw – I never voted for them but think they’ll get us somewhere). So, instead of directly pointing out who’s good and who’s failed to provide good leadership, I would rather measure good governance by the positive change it has brought to a country and put any direct criticsm in this direction. And besides, a proverb sometimes has more elegance of saying something others are not yet prepared to hear. Ama?
(Kenya’s) President Mwai Kibaki has unveiled his new-look Cabinet.(…) In a speech delivered from State House, he said it was necessary to reorganise his government in order to make it more cohesive and better able to serve the people of Kenya. The new-look Cabinet is also aimed at restoring donor confidence.
(source: The Standard)
Mvunja nchi ni mwana nchi. God bless Kenya…
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Dear Chancelorette Dr. Angela Dorothea Merkel,
you may not know me because I didn’t even vote for you during the last general elections, but rest assured, I am just an ordinary german chokora geek who happens to ask nasty questions and rants around in his third-rated blog on something we call the Internet (yes, that thing your buddy Joji Kichaka himself invented some time ago).
Liebe Frau Merkel – may I call you Angie? – my agenda is to promote those special relationships between Germany and Kenya.
I know both of us were born in the same city at different times, but when your parents decided to move to the East, mine decided to move to the very far East (Asia). So I take it that we both know where the East is located. And in case you didn’t know, Kenya is a country in East Africa. Africa, my dear, that continent in the south that some of your voters can’t even locate on the map but already identified as a cause of evil. Talking about the South – Germany has come a long way since the 1960s trying to integrate those turkish workers and their habbits and right now, with Turkey knocking on european doors, you’re still talking about a privileged partnership? Ahhhh c’mon, my dear, isn’t it time for a change? In fact, even Kenya has had their share of "Young Turks" with prominent leaders like Raila Odinga for instance, who’s fluent in German btw because he once studied not far away from where you obtained your permanent head damage (PhD).
To be honest – I never really liked your stubborn personality and your politics so far, but I really appreciate it that they’ve eventually made you become Chancelorette. I think this country – and many others – are in need of more female leaders. Why? Because women, I think, are more straight to the point when it comes to dealing with important issues without regard for any Befindlichkeiten.
The reason I am writing to you today is because I would like to tell you about those recent developments in this country called Kenya.
Kenyans are peace loving people ("watu kwa amani") who succesfully changed from the Moi era to the Kibaki era – which isn’t such a big difference after all, but that’s another story. So, just last week, Kenya had this referendum going on about a new constitution. These folks have been working on a new constitution for some time now and asked the public to vote on it. And it turned out that the majority (you as a democratic person, you know about the importance of obtaining a majority by all means, or?) actually disliked the proposed constitution. As a result of that and other internal twist, the acting president of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. Mwai Kibaki, sacked aaaaaaaaaaaalllllllll his ministers and their resp. assistants. He just sacked them. Just like that.
Angie, I am telling you all this because I know there will be a time in future when you’re thinking about such strong actions and you will dream about the time when you’re standing there in front of all those men and telling them to pack their stuff and go home. Yeah!
Since I know about your quest for wise consultancy on such matters (weren’t you considered the "daughter" of ex-chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl back in those days when you joined politics?), let me give you this small advice:
YOU WILL NEED TO IMPROVE YOUR HANDICAP, Angie.
We’re talking Golf now, the Golf sport. Remember Joji Kichaka? Yup, he’s busy playing Golf. You’d like to learn how politics are actually made? Learn how to play Golf! In fact, next time you’re in Kenya, please say hi to Mwai from me and tell him that we over here at Kikuyumoja Inc. all appreciate his golfing skills. There’s a lot you can learn from others, my dear. And Golf will just be the perfect sport for you. Trust me on this one.
yours truly,
JKE