Saturday, February 9, 2013

2013 UNU-ISP Postgraduate Programme (MSc and PhD)


Applications Now Being Accepted for the 2013 UNU-ISP Postgraduate Programme (MSc and PhD)

UNU-ISP is now accepting applications for the 2013 Master’s degree programme in Sustainability, Development and Peace and the PhD programme in Sustainability Science. The application deadline is 30 April 2013. Both programmes will begin in September in 2013.
Students accepted into the programmes will benefit from the unique opportunity to study at a global university within the framework of the United Nations. Both programmes are intended for recent graduates, professionals and practitioners wishing to develop an international career through employment in UN agencies, other international organizations, governments, civil society or the private sector.  
Admission requirements and required documents for the 2013 admission are available in Master’s Degree Programme – Application Guide and PhD Degree Programme – Application Guide respectively.
Please note that applications will be assessed on a rolling basis; therefore, those who need an early decision and those who need to look for financial support from potential donor organizations are strongly encouraged to apply before 28 February 2013. Those who expect to receive a required degree before September 2013 may also apply.
Interested applicants must submit all application documents through the UNU-ISP online application form. Please visit the UNU-ISP website for further details or contact us through the online inquiry form.
 
    

国連大学大学院サステイナビリティと平和研究科  大学院プログラム2013年度 入学願書受付開始
国連大学サステイナビリティと平和研究科 (UNU-ISP)大学院プログラムは2013年度の修士課程および博士課程の入学願書の受付を開始しました。締め切りは2013430日です。入学希望者は当研究科の専用ページよりオンライン申請をしてください。ただし、他機関からの奨学金申請予定の方や早期に結果通知を希望する方は、2013228日までに申請をしてください。
本プログラムは新規学卒者、社会人、実務者を対象とし、国連の枠組の一部である国連大学というグローバルな大学で学ぶ、またとない機会を提供します。そのため、高い英語力を持ち、国連が取り組む国際問題に強い関心を有する方を求めています。2013年8月末までに学士号、修士号を取得予定の方も応募可能です。授業は2013年9月より開始されます。
本研究科を修了した学生は、国連機関やその他の国際機関、政府関係機関、国際NGOや市民団体、民間企業等において、地球規模課題の解決に大きく貢献することが期待されます。
2013年度の入学に関する応募条件や必要書類については修士課程申請ガイドまたは博士課程申請ガイドをご覧ください。詳細なプログラム内容につきましては、国連大学サステイナビリティと平和研究科のページをご覧いただくか、お問い合わせフォーム よりお問い合わせください。
 
    


United Nations University
5–53–70 Jingumae
Shibuya-kuTokyo 150-8925
Japan

Book 3: Third Book Read in 2013


The Gurkha’s Daughter – PRAJWAL PARAJULI

Recently this book was much talked in news and social media. I eagerly appreciated the success of a new Gurkha writer trying his luck with English literature. 

The physical appearance of the book is perfect and touchy. As I pushed through the book, I was amazed with the use of Nepali words across the book indiscriminately.

  ‘The Cleft’- the first story of the book made me think “what is story telling?”. It’s a collection of unique characters who ride a taxi from Kathmandu to Birtamod. That is the story. The subsequent stories leverage the readers’ expectation back to original and even improve them. Each story has its own center and a diverse plot. ‘A Father’s Journey’ and ‘Missed Blessing’ are great stories, psychology based, which are to be read and realized. Other stories are for entertainment. ‘No Land is Her Land’- a story of a girl with multiple unsuccessful marriages of a Bhutanese Gurkha Girl in Nepal, could force the readers to generalize a gloomy image of the Gurkhas spilled from Bhutan. ‘The Immigration’, a story centered in Manhattan, USA puts reader in restaurants and feeds them with the type of good or bad Nepali dialect. The story “The Gurkha’s Daughter” inside the book with same title is not as simple as Kathmandu’s nine year olds’ bhara-kuti collections.


This is a great book in the market. To me it looks like a big experiment to study if a book, full of Nepali jargons with no explanation or glossary to explain, attracts Non-Gurkha English readers.    

Book 2: Second Book Read in 2013


Sakas -  Jagadish Ghimire

Sakas (an Akhyan) tells stories about the famous people associated directly or indirectly with Manthali, Ramechap of Nepal. The pivot of the story is in Ramechhap and connections are everywhere. The story begins from a rehabilitation house where a mother leaves her rape-victim daughter for protection. The girl grows up to become a nurse, falls in love, gets married, gives birth to a daughter and works in a hospital in Janakpur. The husband disappears; a rich man rapes her daughter and attempts to turn on her. She intoxicates him, finishes him, flees with her daughter and leaves her in rehabilitation house. The nurse finds a man who lives with a kind old house owner. When the house owner is old, sick and bedridden, he decides to write the biography of the old man. The old man narrates his experiences.


Sakas covers the history of modern Nepal from the time of Ranas and end with the constituent assembly formed after the civil war. It covers the hardship and difficulties faced by different national personalities and local heroes. It is a sweet piece for historians. I am not the right reader to judge the truth of stories but the events appear real. The way the story is narrated keeps reader tethered to the book from the first to last page. Author has an inspiring way of writing Nepal’s socio-political history.  

Friday, February 8, 2013

Book 1: First Book Read in 2013


Last month I was in Nepal. I had a chance to read a novel by Jhamak Ghimire in Nepali language. The book was Jeevan Kada ki ful, Life: thorn or flower. This novel has an English translation with a different name.
Before I tell you about the author, I like to share an epitaph of the story.  In a remote village in Southern Nepal, lived a farmer.  He was once a post master and later a farmer. The family had a mix up of strict feudalist clans. In 1980, lady gave birth. The man’s mother said to her son, who was becoming a father, “don’t be too excited, it’s a daughter”. Arrival of a daughter as the first child wasn’t a celebrated event. A daughter meant a lot of investment that goes to some one’s else family. The child grew up but abnormally. Neither could she walk, nor talk nor move her hands.  She could laugh at times or cried other times. Later she was diagnosed of cerebral palsy. That means an un-curable paralysis. She was vegetated for rest of her life. He had 2 sisters and a brother below her. When her sister and brother learned alphabets, this girl was not allowed to come around to disturb her. Her grandmother took her care. The day grandma left the earth for good, she  put grains of rice into her mouth using her 2 legs. Then she ate that way for the rest of her life. She would pick up charcoal with legs and rub against the wall. It is a strong belief, writing black letters on wall meant ill omen incurring debt to the family. The only way the parents and relatives communicated with her was by means of sticks. Whatever she did she received sticks, hard enough to teach her lessons.
Dear reader, You all are highly literate by your academic excellence.  If you were to write about the feelings of this paralyzed girl who cannot move her body parts except her legs, cannot speak, cannot use her fingers, how long will your writing be? 5 pages, 10 pages or 50 pages?
This girl could hear very clearly and see with some difficulties. She learnt the alphabets by listening to her father and her sibling’s home classes. With years of self practice with constant beating urging her to stop, she learnt to write alphabets, make words, read sentences, read and make poems and at last became a writer. Today she is one of the finest writers in Nepal. She has been conferred numerous heavy weight literary honors.  Should you like to help her, please buy her books and learn about the world of disabled people and their emotions? I won’t be surprised if in near future she is h0nored with Nobel Prize on literature.
From her struggle I like to share that, any physical disabilities in a person can be corrected and completed with letters, alphabets and education. Should you have any limitations or disabilities complete them with letters. Letters fill all voids.
Sir Francis Bacon is remembered for his quote “Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man”. 

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Australia Awards Scholarships



Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS) are long term development awards administered by AusAID.
They aim to contribute to the long term development needs of Australia's partner countries in line with bilateral and regional agreements.
They provide opportunities for people from developing countries to undertake full time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions.
The study and research opportunities provided by Australia Awards Scholarships develop skills and knowledge of individuals to drive change and contribute to the development outcomes of their own country.

To know more about the program, please click this page http://www.ausaid.gov.au/australia-awards/Pages/how-to-apply.aspx