Session 6

For Session 6, the topic of discussion was the Biobusiness Revolution: Healthcare and Biomedical Sciences (Past, Present and Future). Dr. Shahi posted some facts of Biobusiness to us which included how “Biobusiness already constitutes over 25% of global GDP and employs some 40% of the world's labour force”. However it is also inferred from these figures that a large number of this labour force draw relatively low wages, such as those engaged in “subsistence level farming in developing countries”. This would include 60% and 70% of China and India respectively.

The problem with the medical industry and other businesses for that matter is the obsession with the bottom line. Companies simple cannot solely focus on social responsibility and ignore profits. The swine flu mortality rate was 50%¹. The first case of swine flu was reported in Mexico in April 2009 and on October 2009, 7 months later, a vaccine was developed. This of course affected many developed countries and as such the economic benefits for developing a vaccine would be high. There was also an urgency to develop a vaccine. However contrast this to the problem of malaria in Africa and we see that although its mortality rate is between 85-90%², there is not as much urgency involved in the research and distribution of the treatments and this problem continues to linger. I could be wrong but I would feel that the reason behind this would be the lower economic benefits that a company might have by investing in this field.

With the completion of the Human Genome Project as presented by Danica, the treatment of diseases and other forms of ailments is now viewed from a different perspective. Instead of curing the disease, it would be possible to stop the disease from arising altogether just by altering one's DNA. This of course brings about the age old debate on whether it is right for man to play god. From my point of view, if by inserting or removing a certain gene would eradicate the possibility of a person contracting a particular disease, then this course of research should be pursued. However, if the purpose of such research would be for aesthetic reasons or an “enhancement of the human condition”, I would be against it. The issue that I am concerned about would be the eventual “mixing” of these genes. Assuming that such treatments were to exist, a wide array of people would have their DNA altered with a different gene altered for each specific ailment and yes, this might be a very effective cure for certain diseases. However, the thought that I find troubling would be the genetic make up of future generations and the implications that might arise as a result. There might not be any side effects when such treatments are introduced to a patient at first. But the problem lies in the future generations and if implications really do arise, a large number of people would be affected.

I felt the topic on digitalized medical records could have been discussed further.

Personal Rating: 8/10

1http://www.howtodothings.com/health-fitness/how-to-cure-swine-flu

2http://www.babyboomercaretaker.com/funeral/mortality-rate/What-Is-The-Current-Mortality-Rate-Of-Malaria.html

Session 5

From session 5 onwards, we would be going into more in-depth discussions on specific issues that have brought about world change. The topic that we have covered this week was Information and Communication Technologies and how it has affected the world. Certain areas that we looked at included the mass media, internet and interactive telecommunication.

Our class started off with a viewing of a clip which focused on the possibilities of interactive telecommunications at present. Among other things, the clip presented the idea of being able to hold up a document to a web-cam or other related device and it would then be able to recognize the document and take a scan. However I feel that this might not be very practical in future context. Even today, most companies are moving towards the digitalizing of their files, doing away with additional paper work and the bulk that comes along with it. As such this might not be such a feasible implementation.

The one that I felt was very relevant was “Cloud Computing”. From the point of view of a business, this would mean having to do away with mainframe servers and moving towards internet based servers. Therefore, corporate executives would be able to excess information and run related software where ever they might be as long as they have an internet access. In the recent years, we have seen the sales of storage devices that have been steadily growing larger in capacity, from gigabytes to terabytes. However, I feel that as the concept of “Cloud Computing” starts to trickle down to the mainstream consumers, we would gradually see the idea of “cloud-based” storage spaces start to grow increasingly popular and eventually the fall in demand for devices such as hard drives altogether.

One point I felt could have been discussed more in class was how advances in ICT might help the people in developing countries.

Personal Rating: 8/10

Session 4

The two topics, Drivers of World Change and Change Management and Change Leadership, were covered in the 4^th Session. Some of the various Drivers of World Change were covered in part 1 and these included factors such as the environment, competition, scientific discovery and technological innovation just to name a few. We also discussed how the plague in the Dark Ages led to Europe being more open to new ideas. In part 2, Change Management and Change Leadership, several models such as the Pessimism Time Curve and Geoffrey Moore's “Crossing the Chasm” were introduced to us.

The “Crossing the Chasm” model I felt was particularly interesting. Geoffrey Moore describes in his model that there is a chasm between the enthusiasts and the mainstream consumers for high tech products. Whenever such products are released in the market, the enthusiasts would be the first to purchase the product which is a relatively small number compared to the mainstream consumers. The manufacturers would then have to come up with ways to market or modify the product such that it would “cross the chasm” and attract the mainstream consumers. I feel the iPad is a good example here. The concept of a Tablet PC has been around for years but it has failed to attract the mainstream consumers due to its practicality. However Apple took this concept, made it more user-friendly and practical for the mainstream consumers.

Based on the presentation of consumer expectations as a driver of world change, I agree that, with forums and other related websites, consumers now would be able to make a more informed decision. They would also be able to make convenient purchases on the internet and products would be delivered right to their doorstep. However, with this in mind, what would the society and the world be like in 20-30 years time? In embracing changes and improvements in technology, is there a line that should be drawn to hinder society's increasing addiction to technology? These are a few questions that I thought could be discussed further in class. Also, the movie “Surrogates” provides us with an interesting insight as to how society would be like in the future if there were an over reliance on technology.

Here's a link to the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwkkB2aDQM4

Personal Rating: 7/10

Session 3

We discussed Industrial Development Toward Sustainability in Session 3a and how society today is shifting from a 'linear' to a 'cyclical' model. A 'linear' model is one that brings about the idea of economic well-being at the cost of the environment. As sustainability becomes more of an issue, we see the shift to a 'cyclical' model which promotes both economic and environmental well-being. In Session 3b, Innovation Management was discussed. The main focus was the translation process from research to development and eventually the application of a certain product.

A 'cyclical' model is what businesses should adopt today. I feel with the size that corporations have grown to, their actions would have a very significant impact on the environment and the welfare of society as well. This brings about the point of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Corporations should in fact aim to maximize profits as well as handle the social and environmental issues that arise with it. As pointed out by Dr. Shahi, “a 'cyclical' business driven by sustainability presents an opportunity for innovation, growth and value creation”.

The topic “The Peak Oil Crisis: Sustainability” was presented to us by Hui Min. He elaborated on the problems that we would face in the future due to the shortages of oil and how we should look shift to renewable energy sources sooner than later. I agree that in theory, a renewable energy alternative does seem to be the solution. However the practicality of it seems to be the question. Harnessing solar energy or wind energy for example, requires a large amount of land as well as funds to construct the facilities needed. Biofuels seem to be best 'renewable' replacement for fossil fuels as they are easy for people and businessmen to transition to without special apparatus or a change in vehicle or home infrastructure¹. Biofuels also do not emit greenhouse gases which would limit pollution. However the problem of efficiency still remains and whether the production of biofuels would be able to completely replace fossil fuels and supply the world with the needed energy. My take on this is that more of such renewable energy sources should be utilized to ease the demand and dependency on fossil fuels. I do not see such energy sources completely replacing fossil fuels in the future.

The point of biofuels I felt could have been discussed more in class as it could be a more viable alternative energy source as compared to solar and wind energy.

Personal Rating 8/10

1http://environment.about.com/od/fossilfuels/a/biofuels.htm

Session 2

In session 2, we discussed the dimensions of global dominance as well as some of the characteristics of a “Rising Star” and a “Falling Star”. The term Eurocentrism was also touched on as much of the world's history today is told from a European standpoint. In part 2, the dimensions of development were brought up and we discussed in depth what the meaning of human development actually is. We also had a few oral presentations by the students.

The characteristics of a “Rising Star” and a “Falling Star”, I felt were very relevant in todays context. A “Rising Star” is a country with an open perspective, is optimistic and keen to invest in new ideas. At the pace that the world is changing at today, it is very important to be willing to take in new ideas and adapting as one would see fit. This theory put across by Dr Shahi is relevant to not only countries, but people as a whole. Productivity still is a very key component in businesses today, however more emphasis is put on innovation as well. Therefore the characteristics of a “Rising Star” are very relevant to everyone in society today.

In the second part of class, the discussion was focused on the rich and poor children of society and whether they would have equal chances of pursuing education. Taking Singapore as an example, I personally feel that although there are a significant number of avenues for both the rich and poor children to excel in, the richer children of society would still have an advantage in the later stages of education. As a child progresses through Singapore's education track, the costs that would be incurred for a poorer family would be greater. Instead of moving on to a tertiary education and putting even more strain on the family's finances, parents from poorer families would rather their children look for jobs and ease their burden. This would then lead to a situation where it would be harder for a child who comes from a poor family to break out of the poverty cycle. Assuming that a higher education level would lead to people landing better jobs and in turn having a higher salary.

Lydia's presentation on Pornographication raised certain issues with the media that caught my interest. With reference to Reading 3, A Stagnant and Meaningless Popular Culture is a Big Problem for Society, “old stories no longer work – they are too well known – and because alternative stories cannot be shown because they go against the commercial grain”. As a result, the media would now have to turn to other methods of captivating audiences. These methods could include increased visual effects or in this case, sex. As this form of media continues to go rampant, the question of whether parents should continue to shield their children from this particular form of media would be raised and if so how long more can they actually do so.

This issue I felt that could have been further discussed was the Millennium Development Goals and how developments in technology in the present as well as the future will be able to aid this cause.

Personal Rating: 8/10

Introductions...

Session 1 started with a screening of the "Shift Happens" video clip, followed by the introductions of everyone in class. We also watched a "Guns, Germs and Steel" clip after.

The "Shift Happens" clip really put some things into perspective for me, such as how Nintendo was able to spend $140 million in the research and development of games whilst the U.S federal government spent half as much on research and innovation in education.

The other observation I made was Dr Shahi browsing through YouTube for the "Guns,Germs and Steel" video clip during our break. What then dawned on me was how much YouTube has changed video streaming on the internet and the amount of time it has taken to do so. In 5 years, YouTube has become the center of video streaming and with it the browsing of individual sites to locate a particular clip were days of yore. With the diverse varieties of videos available on one portal, you could watch an intellectually stimulating video and one for pure mindless laughter just a few clicks apart.

The point that I would like to bring across is how technology is no more a tool than a lifestyle, how the development in technology has brought about convenience. There is absolutely no need to head down to a bookstore when a new book is a few touches away on your iPad or other related media platforms. Staying up late to watch a soccer match with some friends and the only thing between us and McDonald's supper? A phone, 6777 3777, $5 and a 30 minute wait. I feel this convenience is the impetus of increasing obesity in the world today.

The issue on why Papua New Guinea was so much poorer than the "white men" was quite interesting and i felt could have been touched on a bit more. 

Personal Rating: 7/10