Global Health in Transition: A Synthesis

by John H. Bryant, Polly F. Harrison, Board on International Health, Institute of Medicine

1996 · National Academies Press

For many reasons, this decade is a time of rethinking many things. There is the impending turn of the millenium, an event packed with meaning. There is recent political history, which has changed the global structure of power in ways few could foresee, and there is an economic fluidity worldwide that makes every day unpredictable and the future uncertain. There are movements of people and surges of violence that seem unparalleled, and well may be. We are awash in change, and people everywhere are trying to understand that and read its implications. It is a time that provokes soul-searching: backward, into the lessons and achievements of the past, and forward, into ways for the future to be better. The fields of health and social development are no exception. More specifically, events and conditions in the health sector point to the need to rethink some large issues. Nations everywhere are grappling with the economic and ethical dilemmas of achieving and maintaining healthy populations, since these are both cause and consequence of true development.Increasingly, the thinking is global, because there are comparisons to be learned from, connections that have implications, obligations to fulfill, and costs that are somehow shared. As part of this dynamic, there has been an explosion of analytic documents, published since the start of this decade, that deal mainly, though not exclusively, with health in developing countries. The purpose of Global Health in Transition is to distill the essential elements from those efforts, discuss the major ideas they share and the thoughts they prompt, ask what those might mean for a next agenda in global health, and comment on the shifting context in which our current concepts of the ideal will proveor not provetheir adequacy for the future.

Book of Majors 2013

by The College Board

2012 · College Board

The Book of Majors 2013 by The College Board helps students answer these questions: What's the major for me? Where can I study it? What can I do with it after graduation? Revised and refreshed every year, this book is the most comprehensive guide to college majors on the market. In-depth descriptions of 200 of the most popular majors are followed by complete listings of every major offered at over 3,800 colleges, including four-year, two-year and technical schools. The 2013 edition covers every college major identified by the U.S. Department of Education — over 1,100 majors are listed in all. This is also the only guide that shows what degree levels each college offers in a major, whether a certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's or doctorate. The guide features: • Insights — from the professors themselves — on how each major is taught, what preparation students will need, other majors to consider and much more! • Updated information on career options and employment prospects. • Inside scoop on how students can find out if a college offers a strong program for a particular major, what life is like for students studying that major, and what professional societies and accrediting agencies to refer to for more background on the major.

Down to Earth

by National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, Mapping Science Committee, Committee on Geography, Committee on the Geographic Foundation for Agenda 21

2002 · National Academies Press

In 1992, world leaders adopted Agenda 21, the work program of the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development. This landmark event provided a political foundation and action items to facilitate the global transition toward sustainable development. The international community marked the tenth anniversary of this conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2002. Down to Earth, a component of the U.S. State Department's "Geographic Information for Sustainable Development" project for the World Summit, focuses on sub-Saharan Africa with examples drawn from case-study regions where the U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies have broad experience. Although African countries are the geographic focus of the study, the report has broader applicability. Down to Earth summarizes the importance and applicability of geographic data for sustainable development and draws on experiences in African countries to examine how future sources and applications of geographic data could provide reliable support to decision-makers as they work towards sustainable development. The committee emphasizes the potential of new technologies, such as satellite remote-sensing systems and geographic information systems, that have revolutionized data collection and analysis over the last decade.

America's Future in Space

by National Research Council, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, Space Studies Board, Committee on the Rationale and Goals of the U.S. Civil Space Program

2009 · National Academies Press

As civil space policies and programs have evolved, the geopolitical environment has changed dramatically. Although the U.S. space program was originally driven in large part by competition with the Soviet Union, the nation now finds itself in a post-Cold War world in which many nations have established, or are aspiring to develop, independent space capabilities. Furthermore discoveries from developments in the first 50 years of the space age have led to an explosion of scientific and engineering knowledge and practical applications of space technology. The private sector has also been developing, fielding, and expanding the commercial use of space-based technology and systems. Recognizing the new national and international context for space activities, America's Future in Space is meant to advise the nation on key goals and critical issues in 21st century U.S. civil space policy.

Frontiers in Agricultural Research

by National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Committee on Opportunities in Agriculture

2002 · National Academies Press

This report is a congressionally mandated review of the US Department of Agriculture's Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area, the main engine of publicly funded agricultural research in the United States. A changing social and scientific context of agriculture requires a new vision of agricultural research-one that will support agriculture as a positive economic, social, and environmental force. REE is uniquely positioned to advance new research frontiers in environment, public health, and rural communities. The report recommends that REE be more anticipatory and strategic in its use of limited resources and guide and champion new directions in research.