The National: Emiratis ‘should be at ease in their jobs’

Emiratis 'should be at ease in their jobs' Colin Simpson June 12, 2012 DUBAI // Multinational companies must create a more comfortable working atmosphere for Emiratis, a conference has heard.   Internships and opportunities for government employees to sample life in such companies for a few months were other ways to lure Emirati science graduates into the private sector, speakers yesterday told the Life Sciences Foresight event organised by DuBiotech. Longer-term expatriates were also needed to ensure true knowledge transfer and "the Emiratisation of knowledge", the conference heard. "From a UAE perspective, with local talent we have some issues," said Dr Ashraf Allam, regional managing director for the Middle East and Africa of the biotechnology giant Amgen. "We don't have access to the local talent here. We have a perception, and I tend to believe it's a reality, that local talent tend to trade job security and work-life balance with growth and career enhancement. "If you work for the Government it's more comfortable, you can sail along. The corporate world is usually intense. You need to work hard, there's a lot of risk involved, it's a very competitive environment. "Someone has to research why these people are not coming to…

FT: A racial slur against the Chinese

Letter to the Financial Times (May 19, 2012) Mr Kai L. Chan. Sir, I was shocked to have seen the word “Chinaman” used in print. Are your editors ignorant of the fact that the word is a racial slur? One does not call a person from London an “Englandman” and neither is a Parisian a “Franceman”. The proper term is “Chinese man”. The word is offensive because it is rooted in the belief that Chinese people speak “chop suey” English. I would expect that you print an apology or at least a recognition of the controversy of this word. To Chinese ears the term “Chinaman” is just as offensive as the n-word is to a black person. Kai L. Chan, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Letter as it appeared in the FT Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2011

G&M: Real, it isn’t

Letter to the Globe & Mail (April 27, 2012) I find it amusing that all five cast members of The Real Housewives of Vancouver are white and blond (Why Our Clickers Are Stuck On Shallow – Arts, April 25). Almost half the population of Vancouver is visible minorities and far from every white female has blond hair. “Real,” the show is not; crass, banal and racially biased, it probably is. Kai Chan, Dubai Letter as it appeared in the G&M © Copyright 2012 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

FT: Contrast to Seoul’s defining moment

Letter to the Financial Times (October 25, 2011) From Mr Kai L. Chan. Sir, Watching the Greek tragedy unfold -- most recently with protests in Athens that turned violent ("Athens burns: Austerity measures passed despite protests", report, October 20) -- one cannot help but juxtapose these actions with those that unfolded in Korea during the Asian crisis of 1997-98. Greeks are taking to the streets with petrol bombs over the prospect of the raising of the retirement age from 61 to 63, and of the elimination of public sector largesse (average government salaries that are almost three times the level of similar private sector positions). During the crisis of 1997-98, ordinary Korean citizens were queuing up to donate their gold and jewellery to the central government to help their nation avert bankruptcy. The differences between the two nations could not be more stark. The act of making harsh sacrifices to save their country became a defining moment for the Koreans (Korea has since become the 15th largest economy, having tripled the size of its economy since its nadir in 1998); Greece is looking at its defining moment with an eye towards becoming a have-not country of the 21st century. Kai…

PAW: Economic remedies

Letter to the Princeton Alumni Weekly (April 6, 2011 edition) It was such a delight to read about Alan Blinder '67 (feature, March 2).  I was fortunate enough to have met Blinder when I was at Princeton.  (Blinder was on my dissertation committee, as was Paul Krugman.)  In addition to being a giant in the field of economics, Blinder is one of the most gracious and kind persons I know.  In fact, I would say that his heart rivals his stature in the spheres of economics and public policy.  Blinder was instrumental in helping me finish my thesis.  Even with his busy schedule and lofty accomplishments, he took the time to help me graduate, when others had little time for a struggling graduate student. If Ben Bernanke were to retire from the Fed, I could think of no person more qualified to assume the post of chairman of the Fed than Alan Blinder. KAI L. CHAN *08 New York, NY April 6, 2011 PAW letters section

Trinity Alumni Magazine: Hear! hear! to higher education

Letter to Trinity Alumni Magazine Winter 2011 It was nice to read about the new deans, Jonathan Steels and Kristen Moore, as well as about Brett Cumberbatch, who is working on outreach to at-risk youth in Toronto's northwest.  The efforts of people like them help enrich Trinity, and our communities. However, I often feel that the traditional programs set up to help Trinity students as well as at-risk youth in our communities miss large swathes of the population.  I myself was an at-risk youth (arrested twice as a young offender and dropped out of high school), as well as someone who had a lot of hardships transitioning to life at university (I was briefly homeless in my first year and eked out an existence by holding down multiple part-time jobs). The weak political voice of under-performing Asians juxtaposed with high-achieving Asians means that this community is often neglected or at best a low priority.  Kudos to those who work to help tear down the barriers that impede people from achieving their potential.  Higher education is without a doubt the single most powerful driver of social mobility. Kai L. Chan, '99 New York City Trinity Alumni Magazine Winter 2011 PDF of…

WSJ: Tiger mother’s child-rearing method draws response

Letter to the Wall Street Journal (January 14, 2011) Although the way Ms. Chua raised her children may be typical of many high-achieving Chinese families, there are many Chinese families who live quite the opposite life.  According to recent Census data, the majority of Chinese people grow up in low-income households, and within this group children typically do not play musical instruments or devote many hours to homework. I grew up in a very poor Chinese family in which none of my siblings completed post-secondary schooling.  I was arrested twice as a teenager and dropped out of high school before eventually finishing at age 20.  However, I did go on to earn a doctorate. Because the "superior Chinese mother" stereotype is so ingrained into society, few outreach programs target at-risk Chinese youths.  Some of my childhood Chinese friends are now in jail or are drug addicts because people in authority always thought our households resembled Ms. Chua's. Kai L. Chan New York Letter as it appeared in the WSJ Copyright ©2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

G&M: Tiger moms

Letter to the Globe & Mail (January 12, 2011) Amy Chua’s book highlights one segment of Chinese parenting in the West to the detriment of another swath of the community.  According to recent census data, the majority of Chinese-Canadians grow up in low-income households, and within this group children typically do not play musical instruments or devote many hours to homework. Many Chinese-Canadian youths from low-income backgrounds face problems of underachievement and criminality.  I grew up in a very poor Chinese family where none of my siblings completed post secondary schooling.  I was arrested twice as a teenager and dropped out of high school before eventually finishing at age 20.  However, I did go on to get degrees from the University of Toronto and Princeton, where I faced a cultural shock when meeting Chinese students there who conformed to Ms. Chua’s background. Because the Chinese tiger mom stereotype is so ingrained, few, if any, outreach programs target at-risk Chinese youths.  Some of my childhood Chinese friends are now in jail or drug addicts because people in authority always thought our households resembled Ms. Chua’s. Kai L. Chan, New York The Globe and Mail © Copyright 2011 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.  All…

U of T Magazine: In response to Less Starin’, More Sharin’

U of T Magazine, Autumn 2010 I read Andrew Murphy’s column and recalled the days when I was an undergraduate at U of T.  Looking back, I wish I made more lasting connections when I had the chance.  Somebody once told me (after I graduated) that the most important thing that you pick up at university is your friends — you will lean on them for the rest of your life.  So Murphy is spot on when he says students need to be more confident to meet new faces and make the university experience fun. Since graduating I’ve picked up a talent for befriending new people. Some of this confidence comes with age, but a lot can be fostered by the university.  I know this because I served as an assistant master (akin to an assistant dean) at Princeton when I was a graduate student.  At Princeton I was surprised by how many students would stop me and thank me because I had once joined them for a meal when they were alone in the cafeteria, or said hi to them on campus. These were simple gestures, yet they meant so much because everybody comes into university nervous and yearning for…

Interview with Matt Galloway

I am trying to find a copy of this interview... Matt Galloway spoke with Kai Chan and Heidi Karst. They are attending a four-day conference called "Toronto Homecoming". Thursday June 10, 2010 Please download the latest version of Flash Player to view this content.