Men in Asia

On 6th July in Warsaw Campus of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities Asian Studies Science Club organizes an interdisciplinary conference under the theme Men in Asia. 

The event will be held in English. We kindly invite all foreigners living in Warsaw and those interested in contemporary realities of the world with special focus on Asia. 

How does the globalization change the mentality of young males? What is the role of religion in forming attitudes to social roles? What is the value of social expectations and influence of bigger cohorts? Are modern Asian women more emancipated and self-conscious than men? 

We also invite you to comment on the thesis and ideas presented at the conference, and take part in discussions in forthcoming days, during and after the conference on our FB page: Men in Asia. 


We invite everyone interested to take part in our discussions. 

The conference shall start at 10 am at Chodakowska 19/31 street (SWPS Campus). You can get there by tram 8 from Central Railway Station (get off at Gocławska).

Kids in Korea

Korean kids are the cuttest creatures in the world

I was recently thinking a lot about modern obstacles in raising children. One of my best friends is two months pregnant, hence such thoughts.

If I think about providing good conditions and protection to children in modern world, I rather panic. Or I tend to think that if one does not put the wall of extensive personal wealth to make sure that his kid goes to the private school and later private high school where basic security and good psychological guidance is provided, chances of success are lame.

Kids pornography, kid to kid violence, mental and physical abuse, drugs, alcohol, pressure for early sex,  is a disease of modern world. Which parent who needs to work long hours to make ends meet for basic goods like food or cloths can provide guidance and security. Very often even if woman would prefer to stay home and make sure her kids are safe, she can't- she has to provide. She doesn't have time to watch over her kid in the playground and very often her kid gets kidnapped and either raped or used in kids porn business.

All above mentioned problems of so-called public school system are present also in Poland. If some children are victims of abuse noone really cares. No psychologist who sits in his room and doesn't stick nose out neither any blind teacher who walks school corridors and prefers not to see things. Or, very often, is bribed by parents of abusers with a new kitchen device, because teachers salaries are poor.

But there is definately one country I still had seen children playing safe. When I lived in Korea, daughter of my friends, little beautiful Olivia, had always gone alone to the playground and never anything had happened to her. I have seen children playing around and parents normally at home or watching over from the balcony.

I would love to be a mother in Korea.

Yet on the other hand what comes later, is not so fun.

When kid is very small and goes to first grade competition starts. Competition for grades. Every kid has to be the best. Problem is however, they are forbidden asking questions if they don't comprehend something. Their parents do their best to provide extra lessons, as later they aspire their kids to get into best universities both in korea and abroad.

I had often seen sleepwalking girls in short skirts in the middle of winter, at 10 pm going back by subway home from some lessons of math or physics or English.

I feel pity on one hand.

But on the other hand, it would be impossible to leave kid off sight in the West. Kid travelling alone on public transport is not thinkable due to many hazzards. Korea is still country where kids can go alone by subway, by bus, or anyhow alone and nothing hapens to them.

So which is better? This is for every person to judge individually.

 Personally I prefer Asian system of raising kids into responsible hardworking adults who don't steal, don't destroy property, can have fun in non-abusive way.

Importance of Triple Helix

Bit more than a month ago I participated at the conference Finance and Public Private Partnership, Polish reality and international experience organized by University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów and Polish Rectors Foundation, where I had presentation related to how Korean Higher Education Sector puts emphasis on Triple Helix.

Triple Helix is quite new concept developed by loet Leydesdorff and Han Woo Park. It explains how proper cooperation between governments both central and local, higher education and research sector and business sector are dependant on each other like triple helix DNA would be. Ths DNA is nowadays needed for any economy to grow and  be knowledge based economy.

During my presentation, but even more in aftermath paper I have written I put emphasis on how knowledge based businesses are important to country's growth and that global brand which operated in common electronics and home appliances sector does more to any country's diplomacy and international position than any Ministry of Foreign Affairs would do. Moreover it creates jobs and jobs means growth.

Basic example of such a business is Samsung. Even if it does not always make best phones or best appliances it has conquered the international market and even now i sit in front of Samsung LCD screen, not to mention my other two computers and my dad's cellphone ( I am fidel fan of Nokia though :P).

What lessons are there for Poland from it? Poland should focus on developing global brand based on graphene technology. Both european and Polish attitude to competition and business is focused on small competing with eachother technology companies. Some of modern crucial inventions have been done in Poland starting from Blue Ray ending on industrial processing of graphene. But if the money doesn't go to support one business with research center and create a huge conglomerate out of this, soon the technology will be there for sale from small businesses whoch owners are more interested in comfortable life than in far reaching visions of global electronics market. In worst case scenario Samsung just comes and buys the technology off.

Last remark I have after observing the reality and researching the topic is that stupid fashion focusing economy on trade and services should come to an end. To grow, any economy must have goods that are produced and sold, and trade and services are only surroundings. We see it very well in German economy which still has companies like BASF for example, and also others that develop. assemble, produce and sell real goods for real cash. Any economy which is based on virtual bank related non existing currency will eventually fail or suffer serious troubles like USA does. USA which starting from late 70's advertised trade and services, not industry based economic model. We all see where did it go.

Having said all this, I wish that Poland eventually unifies authorities, businesses and research cnters around creating Polish equivalent of Samsung. This merged with amazing brains and hardworking people should lead finally to success. Instead of supporting 10 smaller, create 1 big.