It is truly unbelievable how dependent we are on electricity. We can’t communicate via e-mail, we can’t scan or print anything, and the batteries on our laptops will just make the end of the working day. On a more positive note, this situation gave us time to have a team meeting and think about the things we do at ELM. One thing became clear to us: without energy there is no mobility.

Upon reflection one would be able to identify this phenomenon in nature. Everytime an object moves from one point to another, there is always some force or energy that interacts with it, and enables it to become mobile: when the leaves rustle in the wind, the ripple effect that a stone ignites when it falls in a pond, or when an apple falls from a tree. Before an object can move, it needs to interact with a force or energy; before mobility always comes energy.

The same is true in our line of work: Labour mobility, which is only one form of mobility. For 20 years Expertise in Labour Mobility (ELM) has been helping thousands of graduates, young professionals, expats, and other individuals, to become mobile people and become successful in the career of choice. But many often forget that the most crucial factor towards achieving a successful international career is the energy of the individual. Without the will or motivation to leave the personal comfort zone, endure the hardship of leaving friends and family back home, or overcome the confusion of living and working in a completely strange and foreign part of the world where things work differently, without this driving force or energy mobility would not be possible. Before an individual can move, she/he needs to have a force or energy within herself/himself: before labour mobility always come individual energy.

Once the power and internet connection come back on, we will be able to post this article on our website. Until then ELM will keep thinking about labour mobility and how to make it better.

Joseph Cavanna – The ELM Team

Personality of the Dragon

The year of the dragon also means that all babies born during this lunar year will be carrying the dragon zodiac sign. People born in the year of the dragon are said to be free spirits. They are not meant to be restrained by rules or regulations. Dragons always do things on a big scale, they think big, have big ideas, and are extremly ambitious. They are also brave, sell-assured, confident, and passionate. No wonder that many Chinese parents want their child to be born during this year! It also happens to be that the dragon is the only zodiac sign in Chinsese astrology represented by a mythological creature, making it a special and unique zodiac sign.

The Legend of the Zodiac Signs

The legend of the Chinese zodiac signs tells how Jade Emperor, the Chinese mythological deity, organised a swimming race to determine which animals would have the honour of representing the twelve zodiac signs. The animals to finish the race on the top twelve positions would be placed in the zodiac calendar in the order in which they completed the race. Some animals were obviously not great swimmers, but used other tactics to finish in the top twelve. The rat, for example, was the winner of the race. It did so by convincing the ox to carry it during the race. Then at the very end, the rat jumped in front of the ox, securing for itself the first position. The dragon came in fifth. Even though the dragon was a fast and flying creature, it stopped along the way many times to help and aid others. The Emperor eventually rewarded the dragon for doing so.

ELM’s 20th Anniversary

At Expertise in Labour Mobility (ELM) we will be celebrating our 20th anniversary this year, and we feel it is even more special because it falls on the year of the dragon: a time for innovation, new ventures, and positive changes. We will embrace this year and take the opportunity to look back at the past twenty years and reflect on them, but more importantly, look at how we can keep making mobility work for our clients and how to keep improving what we do. Of course, we will be celebrating those 20 years … we will keep you posted!!

Happy New Year from The ELM Team (a dragon, two tigers, a rooster, and an ox).

Sweden (and Swedish speaking Finland)

Dancing around the Christmas tree

In Sweden the most important day is the 24th of December. Swedish families get together at night for Christmas dinner and to open Santa’s presents afterwards. Unlike countries like the US, or England, the presents are not opened at Christmas morning, but happens after Christmas dinner. One particular activity that makes the Swedish Christmas unique is what is usually referred to as “dans kring granen”. During this activity, Swedish families and friends make a circle around the Christmas tree holding each other’s hands, and dance around it in song. Apparently it is also quite common to watch “”Donald Duck and his friends wishes everyone a merry Christmas”. The show lasts for an hour and many Swedish people and Swedish speaking Fins watch it before Christmas dinner.

Zambomba

Spain
In Spain the 24th of December, as in Sweden, families get together for Christmas dinner and exchange gifts amongst each other. After dinner, just before midnight, many Spaniards start making their way to their local churches to celebrate the birth of Christ. During the days before New Year´s Eve it is also common for Spanish families and friends to organise what are called “Zambombadas” or “Zambombas”. During these parties people get together to sing traditional Spanish Christmas songs, called Villancicos, accompanied by the sound of a “Zambomba”, an traditional Spanish Christmas instrument. The biggest time of the winter holidays is the 5th and 6th of January, when the Three Wise Men (or Kings) come bearing gifts for baby Jesus. In most cities of Spain there are processions of the Three Wise Men, who throw gifts and sweets to the people that have come to see them. It is custom in Spain to have not only a Christmas tree, but also a `Belen`, the Spanish word for Bethlehem. The Belen is a miniature representation of the moment when the Three Wise Men gave their gifts to Jesus. Then the 6th of January is the day most children are waiting for: When they wake up, children find the gifts that the Three Wise Men have brought for them. If a child has been naughty, the Three Wise Men brings him/her a piece of coal.

The Netherlands

Sint-Nicolaas and two Zwarte Pieten

In the Netherlands the fun begins even earlier. The 5th of December, or “Sinterklaas”, the Dutch welcome Sint-Nicolaas who comes from the Spanish Capital of Madrid, bearing gifts. Accompanying him are his helpers, the “Zwarte Pieten”. Although Sint-Nicolaas’ birthday is the 6th of December, the Dutch get together the evening of the 5th of December for “pakjesavond”, where the Dutch exchange “surprises”. It is common for the Dutch to make what they call “surprises” for each other, which is a bit different to the English meaning. A surprise consists of buying something for a designated person or friend, usually the price of the gift is agreed to in advance, and then wrapped creatively in a fun way. Sometimes the presents are close to impossible to open and it can take someone a long time before s/he actually gets the chance to see the present that is inside. It is also custom to write poems to each other, the topic usually being something relating to the person the poem is for. The Dutch also celebrate the first day and second day of Christmas (Eerste en Tweede Kerstdag) and New Year’s Eve as many other European countries do.

The United Kingdom
In the UK, Christmas time is celebrated as is usual in other European countries by getting together with family and friends. The important day is the 25th of December, Christmas Day. The day starts as the children wake up to Santa’s presents that have been put under the tree. Later in the day family and friends will get together for a late lunch or early dinner and have the traditional turkey. After Christmas Day comes Boxing day, the second day of Christmas, which is used to visit more family and friends. Boxing day gets its name from the tradition by rich landowners of giving their servants bonuses and leftovers in the boxes that were used to wrap the Christmas gifts that were opened the day before, hence the name boxing. This was done as a sign of appreciation of their services during Christmas Day.

Bread, Whiskey, and a Lump of Coal

In Scotland and Northern England there is a particular tradition during New Year’s Eve, or Hogmanay in Scottish, called First-Footing. The first-foot is the first person to enter the household after midnight. That person is said to bring luck, either good or bad. Traditionally it is said that a tall, dark-haired handsome male brings good luck, whilst a woman or a fair-haired man brings bad luck. The first-foot usually brings gifts such as a lump of coal, a bottle of Whiskey, or some bread. Apparently it is good to be the first-foot, since he can claim a kiss from every girl in the house!

Merry Christmas
Whatever way you decide to spend your winter holiday and wherever you may spend it, we at ELM hope you can do it in the company of your best friends and family. We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Until 2012!

Joseph Cavanna, the ELM Team

Imagine a Franco-Dutch company holding a meeting in the Netherlands. All the key people from the management team are present, and many key decisions are expected to be taken. What do the Dutch serve their French counterparts for lunch? Yes, you’ve guessed it; a lovely cheese sandwich with a glass of butter milk. Result of the meeting? Disaster; well, at least they DID give people a choice between regular milk and butter milk.

Imagine German and British colleagues during a 3-day workshop. The purpose of the workshop is to decide the company’s strategic plan for the next 5 years. During one of the discussions, one of the Brits walks towards the flip chart and encourages all of his colleagues to participate in a brainstorming session. The Germans looked puzzled. They think to themselves “hmm, maybe I didn’t see the brainstorming session in my agenda. Let me check it again”. After a few moments, Anna (one of the Germans) voices what most of her fellow Germans are thinking:

“Sorry John, but I don’t believe we have a brainstorming session planned”.

“You’re right Anna, it isn’t planned. I just thought that some out-of-the-box creative input would help us in our next session, when we need to determine our key priorities”.

“But I haven’t had the chance to prepare”.

“Well…that’s the whole point of a brainstorming session Anna; we think out loud and hopefully come up with things that we normally wouldn’t even think of”.

Anna and her German counterparts were not convinced, or pleased for that matter.

Think of the current sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone. Germany is crucial in the process of bailing out defaulting European countries through the European Central Bank. However, Angela Merkel and her cabinet are afraid of the inflationary effect that this would have on the Euro. Other political leaders, such as David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy, don’t share this fear of inflation. Why the different attitude towards inflation? Here’s a possibility; the Germans are said to have an anti-inflation mindset when it comes to fiscal policy. Many attribute this to the “Weimar hyperinflation”; you know, when the price of bread went from a few cents to over 400 billion Marks in less than a decade. Here at the ELM office we were just commenting how we still hadn’t forgotten the famous picture of a German pushing a cart full of money just to buy bread at the local bakery.
It is exactly phenomena like this that shape the culture of a people and can greatly influence what they deem important and what they incorporate into their belief system and set of values. Culture is a highly significant determinant of behaviour.

Who’s right? Who’s wrong?
These are the wrong questions. It’s not about pointing a finger and telling people what they are doing wrong. It’s about making things work for all parties involved. If to reach your goal and succeed you need to drink vodka (Russia), have a nude “bonding” session with the whole team (Finland) or have a three hour lunch (Spain), just do it!

Naah, you don’t really have to. We’re not asking you to do all of this if you don’t want to (However, it would definitely be fun to do business in Finland!). All we are saying is that sometimes you need to appreciate the differences of each culture, and at times learn to put them aside to achieve the things that we set ourselves out to do. It all starts by understanding your own cultural values; the things you have always believed in; what you’ve always deemed to be right or wrong. But think about it this way: perhaps the picture isn’t that black and white; maybe the picture contains a plentitude of grey tones which form the driving force of human activity. Not all the routes lead to Rome; but I’ve heard there are probably 5 or so that do.

Let this be your new motto: “Whatever works”.

Joseph Cavanna, ELM Team

As most people that have read the Bible or been raised in a Christian family probably know, there was a time in Jesus’ life that wasn’t documented in the Book. This gap in the life of Jesus has come to be known as The Lost Years of Jesus, and it is a gap of no less than 18 years. There is much speculation about what Jesus did during those 18 years. Some believe that he simply remained in Nazareth, while others believe he moved to Jerusalem with his parents, Joseph and Mary; both quite plausible.

There is however an alternative story that is far more interesting. This story tells that Jesus traveled to the far eastern lands of India, where he discovered Buddhism and became influenced by its teachings. At the same time, some believe that Jesus had a great impact on Buddhism and after spending almost two decades in India, decided to return to his homeland and spread what he had learned in India. This story is often accredited to Nicolas Notovitch and his book The Unknown Life of Jesus. A similar story was told in Louis Jacolliot’s book The Bible in India, or the Life of Jezeus Christna. His main argument is that there were too many coincidences between Jesus Christ and Bhagavan Krishna, one of the most important figures in Buddhism.

Let’s assume for a second that this story is true and that Jesus really did migrate to India and spend 18 years there. Comparing the two periods of Jesus’ life that were documented in the Bible, we can clearly see the transformation that Jesus underwent.
Even though Jesus was said to be very wise and knowledgeable at the age of 12, it wasn’t until he was mentioned again at the age of 30 that we see that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke: 2:52). It was at this juncture that Jesus started his ministry, and began to have a major impact on his surroundings. Noteworthy is that it wasn’t until he was around 30 that he did his first miracle of turning water into wine.

It seems one could say that Jesus grew immensely as a person during his time living abroad. One could even say that Jesus is perhaps the most famous expat that ever lived! His travels and adventure in foreign lands, and the personal change that he experienced are perhaps a good example of what an expat adventure could mean for normal people in the 21st century. We at ELM believe that working abroad and experiencing different cultures broaden the mind and make you grow as a person, and we recommend everyone to give it a go. Are you ready for it?

Joseph Cavanna
j.cavanna@labourmobility.com

Principle of popular sovereignty

One of the founding principles of the nation states was the concept of popular sovereignty. This basically meant that the citizens were the basic law-givers. All political power flows from the citizens to their elected representatives. This flow of political power is what gave the nation state its legitimacy. The citizens were the heart and centre of the nation state.

With this in mind, what would dual citizenship mean to nation states? It would mean that one person could give political power to two different nation states. This has important implications: a “dual citizen” would be able to co-decide and have a say in the laws of a country, and later decide to leave the country. This is called the “exit option”. What governments are really questioning is the individual’s loyalty and commitment to one’s country. Most governments don’t explicitly say this, but they do imply this to some extent when deciding on certain policy, such as immigration (and emigration) policy.

A globalised world

Today we live in a globalised world; our lives are no longer defined by the artificial boundaries of the nation state; people with different nationalities are marrying each other; people have international careers; businesses have become multi-nationals with employees all over the globe; people study abroad; couples are having their children outside their home country. In other words, many of the meaningful things we do in life are not linked or bounded in any way to the nation state.

We can clearly see the contrast between the world that most governments would like, namely one divided within several socially constructed political units (nation states), and the other world of transnational flows of people, goods, capital, knowledge, culture and many other things which we have come to know as globalisation.

The important thing is that, whether or not the issue of popular sovereignty is the real reason behind a government’s behaviour to fight dual citizenry (it can also be simple racism or a way to keep poor people out of their country), it is nonetheless often framed in such a way. Think for example of the Dutch case in which two secretaries of state (Ahmed Aboutaleb and Nebahat Albayrak) that had a second nationality, were asked to let go of their other nationality and become “single” Dutch citizens. Their loyalty was questioned.

Think about the Georgian-born billionaire Ivanishvili that intended to run for the coming Georgian parliamentary elections. He had three passports from three different countries: Georgia, Russia, and France. Well, not anymore he doesn’t. He now has two passports since the Georgian state decided to revoke his Georgian citizenship. At the centre of the argument was the question of loyalty conflict.

How does this debate affect people that want to work abroad?

Dual nationality is often seen as a benefit, since it gives you more opportunities to access different labour markets. People that work abroad and have international careers are part of the social force that is steering us towards a world with less political barriers and more interconnected world cultures. In most cases “dual” citizens have little to no problems.

However, there are also things to look out for. For example, one of the things that governments are implementing are computerised border controls, which is more speedy, annoys travelers less, but at the same time gives governments a better overview of, and arguably more control over, the people going in and out of the country. In such ‘e-borders’ travelers ‘check out’ of their country with their passport, and then ‘check back in’ when they return with the same passport. This, however, causes problems for dual citizens that leave the country with one passport, and come back with another. Most dual citizens travel with two passports in order to have full rights as citizens in the country that they arrive. If a German/US citizen traveled to the US with a German passport, he would have limitations to the time he could remain in US territory, to name one of the limitations. Such an ‘e-border’ is in place in the UK. The system was basically made for “single” citizens, even though there are close to one million “dual” citizens in the UK.

You should also be wary when you start the naturalisation process in the country where you are currently working. It is quite possible that, without you realising, you loose your original citizenship when acquiring a new one. This is the case, for example, for the Dutch. If a Dutch person acquires a new citizenship somewhere else, s/he automatically loses the Dutch citizenship.

Closing words

Dual citizenship is on the rise and will become more and more common. However, many governments are actively discouraging dual citizenship, and many policies (such as the ‘e-border’) ignore the fact that they exist.

Dual citizenship gives you the ability to work abroad more easily. For example, if you had a New Zealand passport you are eligible to live and work in Australia. But if you had the New Zealand and the Spanish passport, you could work in Australia, New Zealand, and in the EU.

The thing to keep in mind is that you have to be aware of state legislation in your host country, but equally important is to know state legislation in you home country. Never assume anything regarding dual citizenship. When you’re child is born in your host country, what citizenship does the child hold?

As long as you are aware of how it works, you will eliminate most issues in respect to dual citizenship and will enjoy the benefits that come with it.

Joseph Cavanna

j.cavanna@labourmobility.com

While we agreed ‘the’ global labour market does not exist, there was discussion over the definition of graduate labour market, and we discovered substantial national differences concerning the job market value of a PhD degree. The room was filled with careers advisors from 16 nationalities, and they all agreed on the same principle, that experiences are an essential ingredient for success, as the starting point of an (international) career.

During internships, side-jobs, work placements, volunteer jobs and part-time jobs, students learn the basics of working life: business attire, work place behavior, e-mail etiquette, etc. One careers advisor even mentioned organising a rather straightforward course called “how to dress for success”. Throughout the room everybody agreed upon the importance of such basic business skills and etiquette.

The discussion widened to include what Higher Education Institutions can and should be doing to enhance graduate employment in a market that takes a degree for granted. We discussed the methods and possibilities to include building certain competence and skills sets into curricula and agreed that it is possible to train these professional skills. If you teach students how to work, you increase their employability – and this is best achieved through practical experience.

If I have to come up with an international Top 5 of what employers are looking for, it would look like this:

1. (Work) experience
2. Intercultural competencies
3. Language skills
4. Networking skills
5. Motivation

I would like to invite others to share their ideas, Best Practices and solutions to enhance graduate employability. I’m keen to hear your opinion about the “X-factor” in graduate employability: experience.

Nannette Ripmeester

The working world is going through a massive change in attitude. Through online worldwide communities, cheap flights and the increased focus upon business internationalisation, the social order has moved to a more global mindset which we could not have imagined just a generation ago. Keeping up with the times has become easier through instant communication, but this remains no substitute for being able to be at the right place at the right time…

What does it require for students and recent graduates to land that job and start your international career?

The opportunity to spend time abroad is recognised by companies as being an important learning experience for young people new to the working world. Indeed, it is becoming quite the résumé fashion must-have. As a result, attitudes have changed and chances to take this step have become more and more common. So if you are hoping to take the plunge, let’s look at what a student can do in order to increase their prospects of successfully organising such an experience. Are you able to fit the bill for an international career? To gain some understanding, we  look at the needs and expectations of both employers and employees, and highlight how students and recent graduates can find their way into the global labour marketplace.

What are Employers Looking for?

There is more and more focus upon soft skills.  Highly-educated people are no longer a rarity. In fact, most markets are saturated with individuals boasting the relevant skills on paper. What sets people apart are their experiences, personality and ‘other’ skills they may have. Not everyone is a born presenter, or able to focus on the task in hand for a prolonged period of time. Thus, this should be explained in writing and also highlighted during any interview a candidate can secure. It is important to remember that other skills (perhaps involving computer software, or languages) are also extremely crucial to employers. The main reason for this is simply that flexibility has been placed high on the list of priorities for those sifting through endless piles of job applications. It is important to be able to maintain an open mind, be culturally sensitive, and be willing to go elsewhere if required.

What to Expect from an International Career Offer these Days

For those enthusiastic about it, the opportunity can open many doors for their career prospects. Expect to be challenged from the outset, as the stress and organisation of a move abroad be difficult enough. The level of competition ensures that if you are chosen, you will be expected to perform well. This can be a little too much pressure for some to handle, but ultimately can prove extremely rewarding if all goes well. This is where the motivation and adaptability comes into play. While living abroad you will meet very different kinds of people, with different outlooks upon life and alternative methods of achieving goals.

To be successful in an international career, you must be able to make decisions. It is not always as easy and glamorous as you imagine to fly to a foreign land for your career. Maintaining flexibility is of paramount importance, as are soft skills such as languages and computer software capabilities. Try to stand out from the crowd give yourself the best shot you can; don’t be one of the names that falls into the ‘no’ pile!

]]> http://www.labourmobility.com/the-new-resume-fashion-spending-time-abroad/feed/ 0 http://www.labourmobility.com/teach-greeks-to-fish/ http://www.labourmobility.com/teach-greeks-to-fish/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:37:45 +0000 ELM Team http://www.labourmobility.com/?p=2247 Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. However, don’t teach him quantum mechanics, he will have no use for it. This seems to be the mentality of most Greek politicians at the moment. Are they right or wrong?

Arguably the country where modern western civilisation was spawned, Greece is now unable to keep their talented youth from leaving to seek their fortunes elsewhere. It is hard to imagine a more damaging situation for the economy of a country that is truly hurting. Not only are they suffering the immediate effects of being at the centre of a debt crisis, but they are also failing to plant the seed for Greece’s future economic condition. This brings to light what is really Greece’s problem: The structure of their economy.

What’s the real problem at hand?

It has little to do with the debt crisis you have been reading about lately in most newspapers and journals. It has more to do with the asymmetry between education and the Greek labour market present in Greek society. Young educated Greeks are leaving the country, and the ones that meant to return are deciding to stay abroad a bit longer, and perhaps even for good.

It starts with the Greek government investing in expensive educations for its youth, which intrinsically is a good thing. However, you need to back it up with a labour market of equal level and status. This is not happening in Greece; the Greek economy remained underdeveloped.
In Greece the unemployment rate amongst young people is currently 32,9 percent, the second highest in the EU after Spain, where it lies at 41,6 percent. Yet the Greeks are having more problems than the Spaniards at the moment. This comparison depicts the importance of the robustness of an economic system. It also shows that economic indicators often can hide, or at least fail to shed light on what really makes one economy go bust, and another flourish.

The core of the Greek problem lies in the unsustainable nature of its current system: High investments (education) with no payoffs or returns (students leaving). It looks like Greece is heading for a classic clash between Wissenschaft and tighter formational planning.

Generation 700

Young educated unemployed Greeks call themselves G-700 or Generation 700. This is a referral to the average wage a young educated Greek will earn when entering the labour market. It is their parents who have made the sacrifices and savings so that their children could study and think of social upward mobility. Greece’s percentage of young adults with higher education is higher than the European average. The percentage of Greeks between the age of 20 to 24 having completed at least upper secondary education is 83.4% compared to 76.1% in the rest of the Euro Area. The reason for this can be in part ascribed to the Greek constitution which forbids tuition fees, allowing free higher education for everybody. However, with the decline of the economy worldwide and the disappearance of jobs they should consider themeselves lucky if they can get a job at all.

With foreign investors looking elsewhere, there is no money left in Greece to spend on research and development and as a result there are no jobs for these academics. We need to teach the Greeks how to fish again as there aren’t any jobs for rocket scientists. One of the measures the Greek government has taken is to reform their education system, in which they want to install a board of administrators who get a say in how things will be organised in the academic sphere; by doing this they hope to make a better link between universities and the labour market.

More Greeks are visiting ELM’s website

Expertise in Labour Mobility (ELM), a company specialised in customising solutions to stimulate international labour mobility, saw the amount of Greek visitors on its website rise to more than 12 percent of total worldwide visitors from over 87 countries (see image below).

This increase in Greek visitors indicates the current difficulty people in Greece are having in finding employment (similar patterns can be identified for Spain, and to a lesser extent Italy). This pushes Greeks to look into the possibilities of moving abroad for work, and sadly a more prosperous life than was possible in their home country. It’s a real shame that exactly those people that could potentially form the pillars of Greece’s economic recovery are being lost.

How do we solve this?

The measures now proposed by the Greek goverment would not have been needed if Europe was a step further in its integration. However, this not being the case, we can only conclude that the steps that are being proposed are necessary. To battle crises like these in the future, the solution is to move towards a more integrated, united Europe with shared interests, a basic minimum wage, social welfare and a shared retirement age across Europe to name a few. If Greece would be seen as part of ‘us’, as part of Europe, there would be less resistance in helping Greece to recover from this crisis, and maybe they could have done so without reforming their excellent education system from which countries all over the world benefit.

ELM Team

To me such a vision of the future of higher education sounds appealing, challenging and exciting.  It sounds like a future I would like to be part of.

Another idea that was brought up that evening was the possibility for a computer to assist you in your personal learning goals. And this artificial intelligence would be able to respond not just to your learning needs, but also to your state of mind. “If you are getting sleepy and your eyes are starting to close, the computer will make a joke to wake you up. And if it senses a higher sweat level in your hands, it will say ‘relax baby!’.” This vision of the future comes from Prof. Dr. Jörg Siekmann from the Centre for e-learning Technology CelTech.

Although I loved the interactive Blackboard he demonstrated, the idea of a computer responding to my mood swings feels a little uncomfortable.

Of course technology has its influence on learning. It would be naïve to believe that the methods of learning which worked for me will also work for my 12-year old daughter. Her virtual world is part of her day-to-day life. My virtual world feels very virtual, a little remote and almost entirely used for work purposes. She doesn’t check her emails, “That’s so last century”, I’m proud of being able to keep track of my emails via my BlackBerry when I’m attending conferences abroad. For me privacy is important: I do not want Google to trace all I’m doing, although I do appreciate it that my searches are geared towards my preferences. My daughter only frowns when I mention privacy … but my team members from other countries think that I’m very Dutch in my approach of privacy. They would like to see even more privacy around our digital lives, even though that may also bring some discomforts. Spencer Frasher recalled the differences in reactions from people in the US compared to elsewhere in relation to Google Street View…

What future of education to we want to be part of? What would we like to see happening in this area of technology and learning? Because we need to decide on it together as we will all be part of it.

Nannette Ripmeester, Managing Director of ELM