February 2011
13 posts
Some clarifications on the OECD Student Ambassador...
I have been receiving several repeat questions lately, so I would like to clear up what is required of students who wish to apply to the OECD Student Ambassador position for the 2011-2012 school year. Most are included in the general information, but deserve to be highlighted.
First - there is no official application form. Instead, please compile a cover letter that discusses your qualifications...
Boom and Bust in the Baltic States
Yesterday, M. Andreas Woergoetter, Head of the Country Studies 5 Division in the Economics Department of the OECD, visited USC to deliver a seminar on the boom and bust cycle in Estonia.
Estonia is a small country - population only 1.3 million - that (re-)gained its independence shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, in 1991. One third of its population is ethnically Russian. But one...
Missing the Mark on Education
PISA - the Programme for International Student Assessment, mentioned many times on this blog - is a survey of the standardized educational progress of its member countries (and some others). The most recent PISA results have placed, as usually, the United States somewhat behind its peers in other OECD countries, alerting policymakers to the decline in our primary and secondary education. I found...
Gauging the Chances of Euro Zone Defaults
From the blog called Economix, this article discusses popular opinion regarding the debt crises in Europe (particularly in Greece, Ireland, and Spain), and the research papers of the OECD. As European nations channel their energy into creating a permanent sovereign debt handling system, few people believe that these “at risk” countries will be able to avoid true debt restructuring.
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Colombia Applies for OECD membership
It has been difficult to find a compelling yet unbiased account of Colombia’s recent application for OECD membership. From what I have been able to pull from the news, Colombia has applied to the OECD (as has been expected). Of course, to a certain extent, Colombia would like to be a part of the OECD in some ways because of its company. OECD membership implies the research and aid that help...
OECD’s Angel Gurría marks the 100th birthday of...
[taken from New Release, Washington, D.C. February 4, 2011]
OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría today paid tribute to President Ronald Reagan for his support and leadership of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a product of United States vision and ingenuity after the Second World War. “President Reagan recognized the OECD as a key institution to promote...
OECD insights blog provides another great look... →
While I do my best to follow the OECD in the press and in their own research, the OECD Insights blog is another wonderful way to keep in touch with the OECD’s work. I introduced OECD Insights earlier in the program, but the blog is a fun and frequently updated way to keep up with newest research and pressing issues!
Youth Unemployment and the OECD
This article from BBC news provides a short but interesting description of the plight of working youths. The OECD does significant research on jobs in general but also on the more specific issue of youth employment issues across the globe. Lack of experience for 18-24 year-olds in search of work hurts their chances, making their unemployment rate double that of 25+ year-old job hunters.
The...
OECD in Egypt
While this article is quite short, I found it very interesting and important to note the presence that the OECD has had throughout recent events in Egypt. The OECD frequently faces criticism for the exclusivity of its research, focusing on member and enhanced-engagement countries. However, in the past year of following the OECD more closely, I have found several articles like this in which the...
OECD Washington Center seeks next class of Student...
The time has come to start looking for the next round of OECD student ambassadors (school year 2011-2012). This is a school year-round commitment, promising some wonderful interaction with USC faculty, event planning experience, and experience with statistics and data on the OECD iLibrary. Not to mention, only ten students in the country get to do it - talk about a resume booster! The official...
