Archive for February, 2009

head of states with harvard degree

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Head of state is an important job in the sense that they could take a day off in President’s Day. Seriously, they have to take in charge in the time of crisis and be accountable for anything happening in a country, occasionally abroad, even though they have their own jets, own staffs, and even own military. Harvard University is one of the place to produce head of state in the world.

There are 13 schools to grant degrees at Harvard, including 4 Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) affiliated schools — the College, the Graduated School of Arts and Sciences, the Extension School, and the School of Engineering — and 9 individual professional schools, including the Business School, the Dental School, the Design School, the Divinity School, the Education School, the Kennedy School, the Law School, the Medical School, and the School of Public Health. Among these 13 schools, 7 schools have produced 23 heads of state in 15 countries and regions so far, including

the College (FAS)‘s Benazir Bhutto, Bachelor of Arts ’73 Radcliffe College, Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988-1990, 1993-1996); John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Bachelor of Science cl 1940, President of the United States (1961-1963); Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Bachelor of Arts 1903, President of the United States (1933-1945); Theodore Roosevelt, Bachelor of Arts mcl 1880, President of the United States (1901-1909); John Quincy Adams, Bachelor of Arts 1787, Master of Arts 1790, President of the United States (1825-1829); John Adams, Bachelor of Arts 1755, Master of Arts 1758, President of the United States (1797-1801);

the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (FAS)‘s Miguel de la Madrid, Master of Arts ’76, Doctor of Philosophy in Government ’78 , President of Mexico (1982-1988);

the Extension School (FAS)‘s Álvaro Uribe, Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management ’93 , President of Colombia (2002-);

the Law School‘s Barack Obama, Doctor of Law ’91, President of the United States (2009-); Ma Ying-jeou, Doctor of Juridical Science ’81, President of Taiwan (2008-), Rutherford B. Hayes, Bachelor of Laws 1845, President of the United States (1877-1881); Mary Robinson, Master of Law ’68, President of the Republic of Ireland (1990-1997);

the Business School‘s George Walker Bush, Master of Business Administration ’75, President of the United States (2001-2009);

the Kennedy School‘s Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Master of Public Administration ’02, Prime Minister of Mongolia (1998, 2004-2006); Felipe Calderón, Master of Public Administration ’00, President of Mexico (2006-); José María Figueres, Master of Public Administration ’91, President of Costa Rica (1994-1998); Jamil Mahuad, Master of Public Administration ’89, President of Ecuador (1998-2000); Donald Tsang, Master of Public Administration ’82, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region (2005-); Lee Hsien Loong, Master of Public Administration ’80, Prime Minister of Singapore (2004-); Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Master of Public Administration ’71, President of Liberia (2006-), Carlos Salinas de Gortari, Master of Public Administration ’73, President of Mexico (1988-1994), Miguel de la Madrid, Master of Public Administration ’65, President of Mexico (1982-1988);

the School of Public Health‘s Gro Harlem Brundtland, Master of Public Health ’65, Prime Minister of Norway (1981,1986-1989, 1990-1996); Thomas Davis, Master of Public Health ’54, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (1978-1983).

Note: this list does not include Honorary Degree whatsoever.

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Oversight is key

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Economic downturn is hitting hard,

And thus the economic stimulus should be passed.

Within which one thing is important,

It is the accountability and oversight.

Top-to-bottom approach gets too far,

But bottom-up method is too hard;

Sideways is also soft,

While special committee’s life span is to short.

Ho ho ho,

When the criminal investigation is triggered,

It will be too late.

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Darwin did not like school either

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

No one likes conventional school curriculum, and neither did Darwin. According to The Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, Morse Peckham, published by J.M. Dent & Sons, 1909.

“He went to school at Shrewsbury, where he failed to profit from the strict classical curriculum there in force; nor did the regular professional courses at Edinburgh University, where he spent two years studying medicine, succeed in rousing his interest. In 1827 he was entered at Christ’s College, Cambridge, to study for the B. A. degree, preparatory to entering the Church; but while there his friendship with Henslow, the professor of botany, led to his enlarging his general scientific knowledge and finally to hit joining the expedition of the “Beagle” in the capacity of naturalist.”

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Darwinian theory in I-Banks

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Darwin is so influential such that even not only it bring the revolution to the science community, but also it sorms the revolution across the globe. Today, I found a more interesting Darwin’s theory in Lehman’s analysis on financial situation. One Lehman’s memo says that “Darwinian Process – Healthy for Progress”*

* Sources: oversight dot house dot gov slash documents dot 20081006141120 dot pdf

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too-big-to-fail v.s. too-small-to-bail

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

It is interesting to follow the financial crisis in the US, especially the banking bailout. At very beginning, it was too big to fail to rescure Bear Stearns. However, the market adjusted itself to anticipate the Lehman rescue. Oh … wait a minute … it is too small to bail. “What’s a big deal … let it fail…” Poor Lehman had to file bankruptcy protection on September 15th. Well, market continued adjust its position and rationality. Just one week later, AIG started to attract more attention due to its propelling massive bailout. Well, it is too big to fail again. Now the question is why the federal government bails some out, and let some fail. Is it just a big-v.s.-small issue? Is it a rational behavior or irrational behavior? Why only 5 days can turn on and off the US federal government just like snap a finger?

… To be continued …

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