Master in Public Administration Scholarship, the National University of Singapore (NUS)

Master in Public Administration Scholarship
the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP)
at the National University of Singapore (NUS)

The 1-year Master in Public Administration (MPA) programme provides an intensive, interdisciplinary course of study for experienced professionals who wish to acquire new knowledge and skills to enhance their leadership and managerial capabilities. This innovative programme can be taken full-time or part-time.

Taught by expert faculty using a problem-based learning approach and real-world case studies, MPA students learn to apply the techniques of policy analysis and programme evaluation to resolve complex multi-dimensional policy challenges, as well as sharpen their leadership and communication skills. The School also conducts an active programme of seminars and public lectures by political, not-for-profit and business leaders to enable all students to complement their formal learning with the opportunity to interact with distinguished individuals who are shaping the future.

The MPA class comprises approximately 60 accomplished and motivated individuals who bring with them a wealth of diverse experiences to enhance the classroom learning experience. Students come from many different countries – from Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific and Africa. They work in a variety of sectors such as finance, trade, education, media, health, transport, housing, foreign affairs and development. Despite their short time together, or perhaps because of the shared experience of learning and working under tremendous pressure, MPA students forge an enduring international network of professional and personal contacts.

The School expects its MPA graduates to serve in a wide range of middle- to senior-level positions in the government, non-profit organisations, international organisations and the private sector.

Scholarships
The scholarships below are offered on a competitive basis. Applicants must have good academic and professional records. They must also have demonstrated leadership and a desire to contribute to public service. Not all the awards will be made unless thereare candidates of sufficient merit. Scholars may not concurrently hold any other scholarship, fellowship or award without the prior approval of the School.There is no bond or obligation for the scholar to be employed by NUS or in Singapore, except for the Lien Foundation scholarship.

Note 1: The following items are covered by the terms of the relevant scholarships:

* A monthly stipend throughout the period of the award
* A one-time book allowance
* A one-time settling-in allowance
* Shared housing
* Tuition, health insurance, examination and other approved fees
* Cost of travel from home country to Singapore on award of the scholarship
* Cost of travel from Singapore to home country on graduation

Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Graduate Scholarship
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Graduate Scholarship is available to full-time students who have demonstrated leadership and a desire to contribute to public service. It is available to all nationalities except Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Please refer to Note 1 for the terms of this scholarship.

CapitaLand LKYSPP Scholarship
The CapitaLand LKYSPP Scholarship is available to full-time students who are citizens of ASEAN countries (except Singapore), India or the People’s Republic of China. Please refer to Note 1 for the terms of this scholarship.

For more information about CapitaLand Limited and this Scholarship, please view this page.

Hefner Scholarship
The Hefner Scholarship is available to full-time students who are citizens of the People’s Republic of China or the United States of America. Please refer to Note 1 for the terms of this scholarship.

Lien Foundation Scholarship for Social Service Leaders
The Lien Foundation Scholarship for Social Service Leaders aims to groom talent, build capability in the social service sector and develop outstanding leaders to serve the community. It is available to full-time and part-time students who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents.

The Scholarship provides for:

• A monthly allowance (for full-time candidates only) throughout the period of the award
• A one-time book allowance
• Tuition, health insurance, examination and other approved fees

For more information about the scholarship and to obtain the application form, please go to www.ncss.org.sg/lien

Papua
Papua New Guinea Simbu Province Government - LKYSPP Scholarship

The Papua New Guinea Simbu Province Government and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy offer a joint scholarship to students who are recommended by the Simbu Province Government. Please refer to Note 1 for the terms of this scholarship.

Rodamas - LKYSPP Scholarship
PT Rodamas Company and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy offer a joint scholarship to students who are citizens of Indonesia. Please refer to Note 1 for the terms of this scholarship.

Sequislife - LKYSPP Scholarship
PT Sequislife Company and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy offer a joint scholarship to students who are citizens of Indonesia. Please refer to Note 1 for the terms of this scholarship.

Standard Chartered LKYSPP Scholarship
The Standard Chartered LKYSPP Scholarship is available to full-time students who are citizens or permanent residents of ASEAN countries (except Singapore), India, the People’s Republic of China or the United Arab Emirates. Please refer to Note 1 for the terms of this scholarship.

Villa Foundation - LKYSPP Scholarship
The Villa Foundation - LKYSPP Scholarship is available to full-time students who are citizens of the Maldives. Please refer to Note 1 for the terms of this scholarship.

Li Ka-shing Scholarship
The Li Ka-shing Scholarships are available to full-time students who are citizens of China, Hong Kong, India and ASEAN. Please refer toNote 1 for the terms of this scholarship.

Applications
If you are eligible, you may apply for financial aid together with your application for the MPA programme.

Click here for the MPA application booklet and the financial aid application form or Visit.

For enquiries, please contact (65) 6516-6134 or email atLKYSPPmpa[ at ]nus.edu.sg

Moreinfo:
http://www.lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/MPA_Financial_Aid.aspx

[Read more...]

Master Scholarships in Food Technology, Wageningen University [The Netherlands]

Master Scholarships in Food Technology, Wageningen University, The Netherlands

Three types of fellowships are offered for the programme MSc Food Technology at Wageningen University, the Netherlands:

Food Valley Ambassadors Fellowship
Prestigious fellowship for outstanding students who pursue a career in the food industry. Full fellowships, but with an extended programme, 2,5 years instead of 2 years, which includes one year traineeship in one of the sponsoring companies. Graduates will be an ambassador for Food Valley.

Applicants need to have at least the following gpa : 75% or higher on a national scale; First Class or Second Class Upper (Honours) or equivalent. Second Class Upper and Second Class Lower are NOT eligible. Students that can show to be in the top 15% of their class are also eligible.
Target countries: Europe, USA, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, but students from other countries may apply.

For details and application see this link.

DST Fellowships
These fellowships are only open for European students (EU and non-EU) who have applied for the specialisation Dairy Science and Technology. These fellowships have a maximum of 10.000 Euro/year.

Every year 4 fellowships are available. More information, see this page.

European Masters Fellowships
Every year a few fellowships are available for non European students that have applied for the specialisation European Masters in Food Studies. These fellowships have a maximum of 5000 Euro/year.

More information see this page.
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PhD Positions in Model-Predictive Railway Traffic Management, Delft University of Technology [The Netherlands]

In a joint project between the Delft Center for Systems and Control (DCSC), the Department of Transport and Planning (T&P) of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CiTG), and the Dutch Research Foundation STW there are vacancies for Two PhD positions in Model-Predictive Railway Traffic Management

Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
The 3ME Faculty trains committed engineering students and PhD candidates in groundbreaking scientific research in the fields of mechanical, maritime and materials engineering. 3ME is the epitome of a dynamic, innovative faculty, with a European scope that contributes demonstrable economic and social benefits.

Civil Engineering
The Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences follows in the tradition of centuries of engineering the Netherlands environment. It addresses today’s challenges with a versatile and socially relevant spectrum of courses, as well as top-level research in domains including hydrology, construction, geotechnology, water management and transportation. A dynamic and committed team of researchers and support staff provides education to over 2000 students and 100 PhD students.

Department descriptions
The Delft Centre for Systems and Control (DCSC) coordinates the education and research activities in systems and control at Delft University of Technology. The Centre’s research mission is to conduct fundamental research in systems dynamics and control, involving dynamic modelling, advanced control theory, optimization and signal analysis. The research is motivated by advanced technology development in mechatronics and microsystems, sustainable industrial processes, transportation and automotive systems, and physical imaging systems. The group actively participates in the Dutch Institute of Systems and Control (DISC).

The department of Transport & Planning consists of five chairs, on transportation planning, design of transport facilities, dynamic traffic management, infrastructural planning, and traffic safety. The department focuses on the planning, modelling, design and control of transport systems with special attention for passenger transportation, road and railway traffic. Transport & Planning is known for its high-quality research in this field. Furthermore, Transport & Planning is responsible for the MSc variant Transport & Planning and participates in the interfaculty MSc programme Transport, Infrastructure & Logistics.

Job description
In this project new models and a new (predictive) control approach are developed for anticipative management of railway traffic networks. The project aims at closing the loop between timetabling and train operations with a continuous feedback of train positions and field data to allow fast rescheduling of train paths in case of disturbances. Using predictions based on railway traffic models, optimization procedures will be developed for finding the most effective measures for regulating train traffic in case of disruptions. This model predictive control (MPC) approach must maintain an up-to-date feasible plan on a national network level with respect to the current state of the infrastructure (speed restrictions, blocked tracks), resources (rolling stock and crews), train delays, and expected conflicts.

The research contains three main ingredients: (1) Monitoring: developing a methodology to actively monitor train positions, speeds, and infrastructure availability, and to determine up-to-date running time estimates; (2) Predictive traffic modelling: developing a real-time railway traffic prediction model that can be updated continuously with the latest information and selected control decisions; and (3) Model predictive control: developing a model predictive control system that optimizes future control decisions by using predictions of the future behavior of the railway traffic.

The core of the MPC approach is the railway traffic model for which an extension of max-plus linear systems is proposed. A max-plus linear system is a discrete-event dynamic system characterized by synchronization constraints which has been successfully applied to the modelling of large-scale railway networks. The conventional max-plus models assume a fixed structure of e.g. train orders and routings that may not be maintained in perturbed operations. In this project the model is extended to switching max-plus models, which can switch between different modes representing alternative decisions or circumstances. Effective modelling procedures are to be developed to build typical control decisions into max-plus models, such as rerouting, reordering, and changing meeting or overtaking locations. In this project the modelling and theory of switching max-plus linear systems will be studied with a focus on computational aspects and an embedding in a real-time MPC framework. The expected outcome is a model predictive railway traffic management system to be used as a supervisory and intelligent decision support system for railway traffic controllers and signallers. The project is supported by Arcadis, DHV, Movares, NS Reizigers, ProRail, and Siemens.

Requirement
Applicants should have an MSc degree with a background in systems and control, civil
engineering, mathematics, computer science or a related field, and preferably a strong interest in railway operations, optimization, and data analysis. Fluency in spoken and written English is an essential requirement.

Conditions of employment
The successful candidates will be employed full-time by TU Delft for a fixed period of four years within which each candidate is expected to write a dissertation leading to a doctoral degree (PhD thesis). The starting salary for a PhD is € 2042 gross per month increasing to a maximum of € 2612 gross per month in the fourth year.

TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package, including a flexible work week, free high-speed Internet access from home, and the option of assembling a customized compensation and benefits package (the ‘IKA’). Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.

Information and application
For more information about these positions, please contact Dr.ir. T.J.J. van den Boom (DCSC)a.j.j.vandenboom[ at ]tudelft.nl, or Dr. R.M.P. Goverde (T&P), r.m.p.goverde[ at ]tudelft.nl

For more information on the departments, see http://www.dcsc.tudelft.nl and
http://www.transport.citg.tudelft.nl.

To apply, please e-mail a detailed CV along with a letter of application and a course/grade list by 15 February 2010 to Ms. M.J.M.E. de Groot, Application-3mE[ at ]tudelft.nl. When applying for this position, make sure to mention vacancy number 3ME09.44.

Closing date: 15 February 2010
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Fully Funded PHD Studentship in Cooperative High Resolution Mosaicing for Autonomous Ground Vehicles, Cranfield University [UK]

As part of our collaborative research work with BAE Systems, we wish to recruit a research student for an industrial case PhD study on Cooperative High Resolution Mosaicing for Autonomous Ground Vehicles

Images from a camera onboard Unmanned (or remotely piloted) Vehicles may be very helpful in perceiving information about the environment of operation but is often plagued with limited spatial and temporal field of views, disorienting rotations, and noisy and distorted images. These problems collectively make it very difficult for human viewers to identify objects of interest as well as inferring the right decisions and actions during the vehicle operation.

In many applications of autonomous vehicles such as land surveillance, military operations and disaster monitor and digital city, it is often required that images offer a 3D information, a wide Field of View (FOV), and the different viewing directions. Indeed, objects seen within acquired videos tend to move quickly through the viewing stream, the time a user can really evaluate the scene or look back at objects that may have been interesting can dramatically be shortened, often make it very challenging for vehicle users to identify objects of interest actually captured within the acquired video. For the above mentioned reasons, the construction of mosaic images and the use of such images become necessary for vehicle mapping applications.

So, whilst a single autonomous vehicle with its set of vision sensors can achieve simple mission objectives, a cooperating set of vehicles can provide better performance by incorporating additional and different information to that available to the single platform. This is not a surprise: it is after all the basic premise of data fusion.

A networked set of vision sensors will enable new capability by allowing multiple mobile vision sensor platforms acting as an adaptive, distributed mapping sensor providing visual information that increases the likelihood of mission success. The challenge for such a system of cooperative vision sensors is to behave in a predictive global manner to enable the environment to be explored, objects identified and tracked by providing complementary perception information.

In this work, the objective is to build highly enough resolved 2D/3D video mosaic of imaging streams acquired from vision sensors mounted on each of the cooperative vehicles. Cooperative mosaicing will be, in this case, considered at the level of each vehicle to obtain its panoramic view and most importantly between the networked vision sensors of vehicles that are linked to the command station to provide the full map of the operation environment. The challenge of this study is propose methodologies that will be adapted for delivering the challenging real time highly resolved 2D/3D video mosaicing of the moving platform and for which rotational and translational camera motions is also considered.

We propose collaboration with our industrial partner BAE Systems to investigate techniques of robust natural feature extraction as our adaptive SIFT, or SURF descriptors to characterize and register images based on robust norms estimation of the Homography. The use of such mathematical techniques will help into discarding outliers affecting our individual imaging data. The use of these norms (L1, Linfinity) will also help in optimizing the resolution of the 2D mosaic by taking into account and in a robust manner all possible geometric and photometric transformations that the cooperative video streams are submitted to and in building the 3D video mosaic based on the multiple views obtained from the multiple vehicle platforms to be exploited by the user at the command station.

It is planned, for this study, to have a laboratory mobile robotic setup including onboard vision sensors at the premises of the university to proceed with the validation of developed algorithms and presenting a lab prototype of the system we aim to achieve. It is also planned to use facilities of the company (BAE Systems) to gather more realistic data from the ground vehicles available there and to validate the work proposed on more sophisticated real scenarios.

Entry Requirements:
For this research studentship, we are seeking a talented graduate, having (or be expected to obtain) at least an upper second class honours degree (first class honours preferred), MSc or equivalent in electrical engineering or computer science. Good mathematical background and experience of signal and Image processing, data fusion and real time systems would be most desirable.

Eligibility:
We are looking for a UK national student (or a European resident in the UK for last three years) only. The studentship is for three years and provides payment of tuition fees at the UK/EU rate plus a £15,000 to 17,000 per annum (depending on qualification and normally tax free) contribution to living expenses.

Starting date: 2010 (October 2010 is the latest date)

To apply send a CV and a covering letter by email to: Dr Aouf n.aouf[AT]cranfield.ac.uk [Read more...]

PhD Scholarships on Renewable and Distributed Power Generation, University of Wollongong [Australia]

TWO AUSTRALIAN POSTGRADUATE INDUSTRY AWARDS (PhD SCHOLARSHIPS) ON RENEWABLE AND DISTRIBUTED POWER GENERATION (ARC LINKAGE PROJECT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG )

Two Australian Postgraduate Industry Awards (APAIs), each worth $26,669 per annum (tax free) for three-years, are available for postgraduate research towards the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Successful applicants will conduct research to contribute to infrastructure development for integration of renewable and distributed power generation into electricity grid systems.

One APAI will conduct research on power quality aspects related to the integration of renewable and distributed power generation, and the other will carry out research on network control and protection issues associated with the integration of renewable and distributed energy resources. Candidates with undergraduate honours (Class I or II(1)) or Masters degrees by research in electrical engineering with power engineering major are invited to express their interest in applying for these awards.

For all positions, interested candidates should send supporting documentation including a CV and referee reports to the following address:

Associate Professor Kashem Muttaqi
Integral Energy Power Quality and Reliability Centre
School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering
University of Wollongong , NSW 2522, Australia
Email: kashem[ AT ]uow.edu.au
Tel: +61 2 4221 3413
Fax +61 2 4221 3236
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