SOUTHEAST ASIA'S TOP 20 UNIVERSITIES

The 2007 Mid-Year Edition of the Academic Ranking of World Universities was released last Wednesday (01 August). This lists the Top 500 Universities of the World and here is the list of the Top Universities in Southeast Asia.

1. National University of Singapore
2. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
3. Kasetsart University, Thailand
4. Chulalongkorn University, Thailand *Yipeeee!*
5. Prince of Songkla University, Thailand

6. Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
7. Chiang Mai University, Thailand
8. Thammasat University, Thailand
9. Assumption University of Thailand
10. Khon Khaen University, Thailand


Is your school on the Top 20?
And here are the remaining 10:

11. Mahidol University, Thailand
12. Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
13. Institute of Technology Bandung, Indonesia
14. Universiti Sains Malaysia
15. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

16. Multimedia University, Malaysia
17. University of the Philippines-Diliman
18. Universiti Putra Malaysia
19. University Malaya, Malaysia
20. King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand


Still not there? -- oh well.


On the list of the Top 100 Universities in Southeast Asia; Thailand has 41, Malaysia has 18, Indonesia has 14, the Philippines has 13 and Singapore and Vietnam got 7 each.


Is your school on the Top 100 at least?


****

--Pisanu for BISEAN, Thailand

Gulf may ban SOUTHEAST ASIAN domestic workers

The GCC Committee for Importing Foreign Workers unanimously agreed to stop importing some Southeast Asian migrant workers until their government's labour laws have been clarified.

Regulation of the Labour laws had been passed by Southeast Asian countries aimed at improving the standard of living for its citizens working in the region.

The new Philippine government regulations, passed in December last year, require GCC employers to pay a minimum salary of $400 a month to any Filipino working as domestic help – double the previous minimum salary of $200.

Employers are also required to sign a declaration stipulating that they will pay a daily fine of around $13 if they do not pay workers on time.

While Indonesian authorities have ruled to increase the wages of its citizens working as maids in Saudi Arabia from $160 to $213 a month from August 1, 2007

The said minimum salary regulations are not binding on any of the GCC’s six member states.

GCC Committee for Importing Foreign Workers agreed to lobby authorities to stop importing Filipinos while Saudi recruitment agencies have threatened to petition the government to stop issuing work visas to Indonesians after the Southeast Asian country’s decision to raise the minimum wage for Indonesian maids working in Saudi Arabia.

I worked in the Gulf States for almost five years and I think it is about time someone took a stand on this, I've seen workers (not necessarily domestic helpers and not only Filipino) basically treated like slaves. They have to pay their sponsor, tickets to and from home country and then spend up to three years without a break, often in debt so they cannot afford to leave of their own free will.

There's nothing bad protecting your own people. Giving better compensation to employees, most especially house assistants/housemaids, will benefit the employers/sponsors the most. Filipino workers (or other nationalities), will of course display efficient / excellent performance, will often give satisfying results, if they are paid and treated well. Always remember, since the topic is Filipino Housemaids - employers MUST extend full and humanely support to these workers, because these Filipino housemaids are the ones taking care of simple to royal families, children and olds alike are entrusted to them, your food and even the utmost confidential issues and things at your home front. And yet, the Philippine Govt. is aggressively finding solutions to improve the works and the welfare of the Filipino workers, which, then and again will have an optimistic effect to their superiors wherever they maybe.

On the other hand, the GCC have the right to govern themselves as they see fit. It's the GCC residents' decision to hire and pay who and what they want. It's the simple economic principle of Supply and Demand. If the Philippines make the supply more expensive the demand will drop and the GCC consumers will look elsewhere. The GCC doesn't owe the Filipino's anything further than that.

“WHY WOULD I EVEN CARE?!!”

FACT: Our region is too diverse -- But should we let it stop us to unite? Should it stop us exchange ideas for our own good? Should we go far and westward to literally “beg” them to come and help our economies instead of helping each other out? We have a combined GDP of $900 billion and $2.8 trillion purchasing power parity. We are relatively rich!

FACT: Our region is of world importance – Aside from the points mentioned above, our region is closely monitored and befriended by the world’s “alleged” super countries – there’s ASEAN + 3 which includes Japan, Korea and China, the ASEAN-Russia, the ARF, the East Asia Summit. All of them acknowledges the fact, that we are a region with a future.

FACT: We are connected with each other – when the Thai economy collapsed in 1997, who fell next? When Vietnam was devastated with SARS and Bird Flu, who fell sick next? When Indonesia shakes an earthquake, where did the tsunami hit? When our ancestors are still trying to figure out how to plant rice, the Philippines came to the rescue. When the Burmese and the Viets fled their country, who welcomed them with open arms? When Laos asked for investment assistance, who came out to help?


It’s all us. The proud people of Southeast Asia.

We are 568 million strong. We are China’s “lady in waiting”. We are America’s brain contributors by pirating our professionals. We are the work force of the Middle East. We control the rice production of the world. We clean the world's households by producing coconut oil, we control this industry – what will happen to the world without soap?

We are a threat to India, Venezuela and Puerto Rico in any beauty pageant! For christssake!

You don’t have to go very far.

Everything you could possibly need, are here.

****

-- Pisanu for B I S E A N
Thailand