The Asbestos Case: A Comment on the Appointment and Use of Nonpartisan Experts in World Trade Organization Dispute Resolution Involving Health Risk

The World Trade Organization is currently evolving its approach to incorporating scientific and technological evidence into its dispute-resolution process. In European Communities-Measures Affecting Asbestos and Asbestos-Containing Products, the Panel was faced with a large amount of complex and conflicting scientific evidence presented by the partisan experts. The Asbestos Panel's solution was to appoint independent, nonpartisan experts to help it understand and evaluate the scientific evidence. While this was far better than trying to unravel the conflicting scientific evidence on its own, two aspects of the Panel's adopted procedure merit scrutiny. First, the expert-selection process used by the Panel may not assure that the collective expertise of the appointed experts is broad enough when the dispute involves multidisciplinary scientific issues. Second, the process adopted by the Panel for consulting the appointed experts-which involved individual consultation rather than a consensus process-may leave a panel with a distorted or confused picture of the science. A consensus approach is the best means of obtaining scientific advice from appointed experts; it is most calculated to provide a clear and accurate report of the scientific information needed by a panel to make a fair and informed decision on the dispute before it. The underlying principle of world trade agreements is that it is beneficial to all of us to have free trade. Among other things, this requires an effective means of resolving disputes, and increasingly that includes disputes involving complex scientific and technological issues. This can be achieved only if the parties have confidence that their disputes will be decided in a fair and informed manner, based on the best science available. To achieve this goal, we suggest that future WTO panels depart in certain respects from the procedures utilized by the Asbestos Panel.     

高职学报编辑对企业专家资源的有效利用和开发

对于高职学报而言,企业专家资源是一种潜在的社会人力资源,它对高职学报摆脱过去单一的"窗口"功能办刊模式,突出高职学报的学术性和职业性并举的办刊特色具有重要的支撑作用。文章就编辑实践中如何有效利用和开发企业专家资源进行分析和讨论。     

1952-1957年苏联专家与北京钢铁工业学院的学科建设

北京钢铁学院成立于1953年,作为全国冶金学科配备最为完善的高校之一,苏联专家在其学科建设过程中,如课程设置、教学计划及教学大纲修订、实习安排、教师培养、科学研究等方面都作出了巨大的贡献,培养了一批年青的教师和研究生,充实和奠定了北京钢铁学院乃至全国冶金学科的教师结构,在当时的国内冶金教育界产生了巨大的影响。     

宋代闽地理学诗人诗歌理论与创作

宋代闽地理学家人数众多，他们大多参与诗歌创作，在诗歌的功用、风格、创作方法等方面都有较明确的立场。他们的理学诗和其他地域的理学诗一样，以议论为主，重视表达义理，但是又因为福建地理环境和文化传统的不同，在吟咏性情等方面显示出独特性。     

Flooding Risks: A Comparison of Lay People's Perceptions and Expert's Assessments in Switzerland

Experts on the risk of flooding have developed very detailed maps for different parts of Switzerland that indicate the types of damage possible and the probabilities of adverse events. Four categories of risk severity are defined on the maps, ranging from high risk to no risk. Based on these existing maps, we selected respondents for a mail survey, some from areas high in risk and others from low-risk regions. Respondents answered several questions related to flood risk perception and preparedness. Survey results showed that respondents' risk perceptions were correlated with the experts' risk assessments. Respondents who lived in areas designated "no risk" by the experts had lower perceptions of risk than respondents who lived in areas with higher levels of designated risk. With regard to concrete prevention behavior, no differences between people living in different risk areas were observed. Survey results further suggest that many inhabitants do not know that flooding maps exist for their region. Results suggest that in some regions people overestimate the risks associated with flooding. Consequently, some people are more afraid of flooding than is justified by the facts. Some people show prevention behavior that most likely is superfluous. However, in other regions people underestimate the risks associated with flooding. These people do not show prevention behavior, and they are not well prepared for an adverse event. Furthermore, results suggest that respondents' experiences with flooding are positively related to their perceptions of flood risk. Findings of the present study are in line with the availability heuristic.     

网络信息搜寻对生手记者新闻写作的应用与挑战——报社传统资料室分类方法的启示

网络信息如今已取代了媒体传统的"资料室",对于媒体记者撰写新闻而言,是一个很好的信息来源,但是对于一位生手记者而言,如何在短时间内,从数以亿计的网站中迅速搜寻、检索出最需要与最适切的新闻背景信息,并非易事,因为这与个人"基模"所组成的知识系统有关。笔者认为,台湾报社从前行之有年的传统资料室分类方式,对建立个人网络新闻资料库和培育生手记者网络信息搜索基模,具有参考价值,亦可作为高校开设"网络新闻信息搜集与管理"课程的参考依据。     

关于专家咨询制度的思考

随着社会问题的复杂化,决策也变的复杂化。一项决策不仅事关某一领域,而且可能对几个领域都产生影响,这样就使决策的科学化变得尤为重要。为使决策科学化、民主化,最大化地保障人民的利益,我国建立了专家咨询制度。本文追溯了专家咨询制度的理论渊源,并提出了该制度中专家的局限性,最后对该制度的未来发展作了展望。     

名老中医成才因素调查分析

以网上问卷的形式对参加"十一五"名老中医临床经验、学术思想传承研究项目的85名名老中医成才的相关因素进行了调查,从性别、籍贯、学历、专业、受教育的模式、影响成才的文化因素、品性因素、动机因素、成才模式、治疗因素等方面进行分析,并与"十五"课题调查结果进行比较,以期为中医人才的培养提供借鉴。     

浅析原苏联专家对北京矿区的援助

本文概述了原苏联专家对北京矿区的援助过程,分析了原苏联专家在生产、技术援助过程中,采取了使用新技术,恢复老煤矿生产;改革采煤方法,提高煤炭产量;建立地质勘探队,开展资源普查工作;建立生产制度,加强生产安全管理等若干措施。最后,指出这一系列措施的实施,不但使北京矿区迅速走上了科学的发展、管理、生产轨道,而且也为解放初期我国国民经济的迅速恢复和发展做出了积极贡献。     

对聘请外国专家效益评估的几点认识

如何对外国专家的教学工作效益进行全面客观的、有效的评估,是我们必须关注和解决的问题。提高聘用效益,要注意以下几点:严把聘请关;加强对外国专家的管理与考核;扩大外国专家的作用。评估聘用效益时,要注意其产生的后期效应,并且经济效益必须服从社会效益。