Corporate help from a Punk

I have a visitor due to visit me in July.
Tilo and his wife Curtney are friends I met in Malaysia. I attended their wedding.

Tilo helped me produce a video (along with Herry - Thanks Herry) for my ASLI presentation.

He also helped me with some of my promotional material and co-ordinated and Uploaded to Amazon the Charity book.

 Apart from my Slideshare presentation, he never asked for any monetary renumeration.

Check out his work here: www.samasama.de

The video I used at ASLI is no longer available. However, Tilo and his group are reforming, so I thought I would give him and his band some free publicity!
His Mum told me they (fifty50) were the best Punk band in Leipzig!
Judge for yourself!

I am still hopeful that I can get support from more corporate type resources for my project sooner rather than later!

Until then Anarchy rules... I suppose?

Video of a sports based University

This is a promo for a Football based Uni. It is based around a Football ground.
My proposal is essentially the same.
Obviously, with Motorsports Engineering/CAD/CAE  would be added to the mix.

I see this project has the support of some high level repected people. I'm hoping that people of similar ilk throw their weight behind my proposal.

CSR projects and the spirit of giving

Today my Sister put her book on Kindle.

ALL ROYALTY PAYMENTS GO CHARITY

Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust (Maggie’s)

 

As you may know, I along with Claus and Tilo Werner produced a book. This book is available on Amazon (POD) and Kindle.
This was done to benefit charity, ROKPA and was used as a CSR project for my MUM proposal.
Whilst we publicised ourselves doing this, none of us received any cash for our efforts. Nor will we in the future.
Follow this link if you want to read the story behind the story.

In my Sisters case, the writing of the book is a personal account of her feelings. So it helped her cope while being diagnosed with and receiving treatment for cancer.
 So out of a negative experience, something positive arose. Feel free to read her story and by doing so help a cancer charity help others in a similar position.
Corporate social responsibility and Personal social responsibility are both laudable.
I think most of us hope to leave the World a slightly better place than we found it.

Lotus and Goldstar sign off on a joint venture.

Lotus International have signed another agreement to offer design support for Youngman in China.
In return Youngman can sell their cars as Goldstar Lotus.
This was reported in the Malaysian media today.
I have borrowed this picture from Paul Tan who reported this.

Proton Chairman Dr. Mahathir is in the centre. The respective representatives of Goldstar and Lotus are shaking hands.

Last time this happened, Lotus Engineering Malaysia supplied some of the Manpower. In fact a lot of the people who worked on the last such project remained in China. Many working for Magna. I assume Lotus will be looking for people. Proton might supply some from their own R&D centre in Shah Alam. Proton and Lotus are both owned by DRB Hicom in Malaysia.

Goldstar, if my memory serves me correctly were also the initial Chinese partner of choice when Tengku Mahaleel was CEO.

I suppose in the same way GM use the Chevy brand to sell (Daewoo) Korean produced cars worldwide Lotus may find its name on cars far and wide. Its down to money. Lotus doesn't make any.
It is a pawn in this game, in my personal opinion.

I'm sure Lotus and DRB Hicom will hope this works commercially. Lotus has a much stronger resonance abroad than Proton.

I would love to able to use the Lotus brand on my Educational proposal. Hopefully, some of the people in the picture read this blog!

Linkedin buy Lynda.com online training portal for $1.5bn

Last night I watched Linda Yueh interviewing three high level University heads about online education.
It is now a serious business.
If you are in the UK you can view it on iplayer now.
In addition I see that Linkedin have paid $1.5bn for an online training portal.
Their shares rose by 1.5%
Good stuff.
Hopefully, I can garner some support for this project!

Wish me luck!

Phoenix University has lost half of its Students in the last five years

I read today that Phoenix University has lost half of its students in the last 5 years.
CNN wrote this report.

Enrollment at America's largest for-profit university was about 460,000 students five years ago. Now it's 213,000...
What's ahead: The numbers are telling: Apollo Education Group had revenues close to $5 billion in 2010. This year it will be lucky to take in $2.7 billion.

I have to say that commercially I have used Phoenix to illustrate that this kind of accreditted training does produce a cash flow.

This University is a for profit concern, and may soon have to compete with a free community programme.

But the headwinds continue for for-profit institutions in the U.S. Last March, the Obama administration proposed new limitations on federal aid doled out to for-profit colleges.

President Obama then announced another initiative in January to make community college free. For-profit universities compete for many of the same students that community colleges take in.

Once accredited by a countries government students education can be used towards a degree course.

My earliest experience of this was when studying in Germany, I attended the Goethe institute. This institute was home to many American students. The Goethe Diploma was accepted by many American educational institutions towards obtaining a degree qualification.

The Goethe institute is based in Germany, but has branches throughout the globe. The first time a took a course with them it was in Dublin Ireland.

As I am forever proposing an educational institute, I thought it only appropriate to show some negative press with regard to the success and failure of such institutions.

I still think a well thought out and ethically run institution can and will succeed.

Unethical actions can have positive outcomes! Linkedin Colleague requests.

I have just had a Linkedin request from a person who caused me to leave GM Flint.

The Unethical action

 The Linkedin wannabe colleague, got copies of a job he designed and made hardcopies via a 3rd party and left them on a high level Design Managers desk.

By printing off the copies on my computer under my log in ID. The Manager in question ( two levels above my then GM boss, Ron - I can't remember his name) would see the ID on the screen copies and attribute the design material to me.

Needless to say the quality of this material was abysmal.

He is now a high level GM Design Manager himself now. So theoretically it would be a positive thing to have him as a contact.
I didn't make a fuss at the time. I left for a much better paying job.

I must say I am not sure to be annoyed or amused!
His GM brand is closing its Engineering unit, so maybe that has something to do with it.

In this case once bitten twice shy.

The gentleman in question will fall on his feet I'm sure, however I prefer to remain outside of his area of influence.

I must say, everything happens for a reason, and whilst my career appears to be on hold presently, I have enjoyed my life experience in the last decade or so.

Sitting behind a tube in Warren Mi would pay the bills. I don't miss it at all.

The Positve outcome

Since leaving Flint, I worked for GM in my new role in America and Germany. Enjoyed it thoroughly, worked in Malaysia, loved Malaysia... working for Lotus wasn't great if I'm honest. My wanna be Linkedin colleague would have been at home there.

Being involved with a Media company (Board Member) getting some first hand experience with the tourist industry (more as a friend than worker)

 and meeting CEO's and in one case the ex Malaysian PM, Dr. Tun Mahathir (on the left below), no we're not friends or colleagues, would not have happened without my wanna be Linkedin friend.

There are a lot more positives than negatives that came out of his unethical action.

Everything happens for a reason!

Next step... Get my Dream project up and running!

I know who can influence the outcome. I hope they come through for me.

Lucky I'm patient and persistent and happy... healthy... don't hold grudges... the list goes on.